March 20th NASA Event @ Firebird International Raceway West Track

The morning of March 20th brought me something I had not seen since early January: a dry track day. I would be heading to Firebird International Raceway West track for another run with NASA Arizona.

While driving towards the track, I couldn’t help but think about my very first track day, which happened to be at this very track. As I pull in, I spotted familiar faces and cars, pitting in what you could call, “Camp JDM!” Haha! For some reason I had a feeling it was going to be a very fun and productive track day. While swapping wheels and tires, I start thinking about my last event at FIR West with NASA. At that time, the TTE record was fairly slow and up for grabs, yet I missed my chance for my first track record. This time however, was going to be different.

After hearing about a track condition (aka - the dreaded pothole) during the drivers meeting, I was focused on key areas of track that were somewhat of a challenge. But with my new suspension settings (rear sway bar set to full stiff) and proper alignment, my goal first session out was to get the car and driver warmed up as quickly as possible and crank out the fastest laps I could before the temperatures began to climb. Hey this is Arizona folks! After a lot of slipping and sliding (and a little off track moment, but I wont talk about that), I started to get into my groove. With only a handful of minutes left in the session, I put together a few laps in succession that had me feeling confident coming off track.

During the download, I was the only driver to admit about my little off road moment. Go figure ... *wink*. I took a glance at the times sheet knowing all too well that I didn’t seem to turn a single lap in that felt completely good in all respects. To my surprise, I was only a 1/2 second away from the FIR West track record. I knew the second session would be my only chance, else the Arizona sun was going to widdle away tire grip and my chances of getting the record.

The second session would prove to be a good one. When the green flag dropped, I started to push the car more than I did the entire first session. I knew within the first few laps that I had set the track record. The rest of the session involved me being chased by an S2000, then me doing the chasing…

After the session, I went to sneak a peek at the times sheet. Sure enough, I did it. I set the track record for TTE with a 1:07.65! Once again, I barely beat the previous time, but still I was completely stoked. The car felt great, and I knew I still left a lot of time out there. With track record in hand, I was happy to just relax and drive for fun the rest of the day.

When the last session rolled around, I had every intention of just turning a couple of laps and coming in. However, once the green flag dropped I saw the handful of cars that were in front of me. I decided to spend the whole session keeping up with a pair of M3’s that I knew all too well. It was a fun session to say the least getting to play with a bunch of great cars and awesome drivers.

Thanks NASA Arizona!