Season Finale

It Takes a Village….

Well….I can’t believe I am actually writing this but I am sad to see the end of our first ALMS season. Why is it that when you get to the end of something where you have worked your tail off for so long, you’re really good at it? And when you really needed that skill in the beginning to catapult you off the starting line? Damn, I hate that!

For you gear-heads, as promised, here is a blow-by-blow of the race day happenings. For those less interested in the detail, you can scroll down to the chart that provides the race results (Just the basics – driver seat time and the overall class finish).

Race Day – The 13th Annual Petit Le Mans & Road Atlanta’s 40th Anniversary….

Race day came early with the anticipation of having a LONG day ahead. It wasn’t with dread by any means; it was with pure, unfiltered, adrenaline. The “high” just never seemed to end. We were still coming off the one the night before when Loren, Doug and I went to the Legends Clubhouse at Chateau Élan for a private dinner with Don Panoz. The dinner was for team owners / principals and we arrived to find tables of racing’s who’s who; The President of Porsche Motorsport North America, the President of Ferrari North America, head of Peugeot, Jaguar, Audi, GM – you name it – they were there. It honestly felt like Alice in Wonderland….

Breakfast at Vanessa’s

Eating is always hard on race day, you don’t want to eat too much and you need enough to carry you through the stress, otherwise you bonk. Vanessa’s Musilli is always a safe bet – and the BEST on the planet. (Don’t even bother asking, she won’t give out the recipe!) As always, her and her team fed the crew and off to the trailer we go to prepare for morning practice.

AM Practice Session

Doug and Rene take the practice time. Loren sits out since we only have an hour. If Doug is comfortable with the car, then Loren usually is as well. Rene needed some seat time since he didn’t get to drive in night practice because they red-flagged the session due to an incident on track. Good session, car handling well, only minor adjustments and we are good to go to the grid!

Pre-Race Grid Festivities

The on grid festivities were amazing. Attendance was an all-time record for the 13th running of Petit Le Mans – 124, 200 spectators! A literal sea of people who were just as excited to be there as we were. More adrenaline….hard to believe a body can take that many doses! Ok…here we go….first call to “clear the grid”. Second call to “clear the grid” …what the?….no one wants to leave! HA! These fans are focused! “Last and final call to CLEAR THE GRID or we won’t start the race on time” the official announces….BAM! That did it. Like oil in water they took off in all different directions.

Because the race is an abbreviated version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it has a strong French heritage. The pomp and circumstance of the Petit Le Mans starts with the French National Anthem, even before our Nation’s. Interesting and exciting – a first for me.

Because of all the pre-race public relations effort by Porsche, promoting the new 911 GT3R Hybrid race car, the head of the EPA was there to endorse the “Green Racing” efforts of the ALMS and she ended up being the one that declared the most famous words in racing….(only now with ladies included thanks to Andrea Robertson – my heroine!) …Ladies and Gentleman….START YOUR ENGINES!!!

Two “recon laps” and we’re on our way – 11:30am start….GREEN! GREEN! GREEN!

Hour 1

All is quiet on the radio….Oops, spoke too soon. Full course caution (double-
yellow). Doug! Where are you? Whew! All is ok with car #28.

Mike: “Pits closed, don’t come in until I tell you”

Doug: “Copy that”.

Mike: “LMP Cars ONLY in pits – don’t come in”

Doug: “Copy that”

Mike: “Ok, GT pits open, pit now, pit now!”

Doug: “Coming in…pit in, pit in”

Splash of fuel and off we go – 20 seconds and back out on track…..two laps under pace car…GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! (God, I still love saying that!!!)

Hour Two

Mike: “How ya doin Doug?”

Doug: “This is so much “bleeping” fun!” (You can actually hear the smile on Doug’s face!)

Mike: “How’s that car?”

Doug: “It’s all good”

Again, we love NOT hearing from our driver(s)…

Lap 34…car 88 spun. Local or double yellow? Turns out it’s a local – The Velox Motorsport car was punted off track by the #90 BMW into a gravel trap. Sorry Shane! I still expect my bottle of Patron whether you finish or not! 

Hour Three

Well, the end of hour three would normally mark the completion of a regular ALMS race. For this one, it means we haven’t completed a full third of the total…UGH! The tension in my neck and back for sure are going to kill me by the end of the night – where’s the ibuprofen???

No cautions but the fuel light just went on….

Doug: “Fuel light on”

Mike: “You’ll pit next time around”

Doug: “Copy that”

Mike: “Fuel, Tires and driver change”

Doug: “Copy that”

Team 911 Design stages for the car…. Here we go! Fuel, tires and driver change….Doug out – Rene in! Great pit guys!

Mike: “Watch your pit speed, head lights on”

Rene: “Copy that”

So here’s Doug….emerging from his helmet, soaked with sweat but smiling from ear to ear -grinning harder than I have ever seen. He leaves the seat in a solid third place, where he’s been holding his own for the last hour or so. (God I wish that were me!)

Me: “Did you have fun Dougie?”

Doug: “Yeah baby!”

Like a little kid at Christmas, Hanukkah or Ramadan – whatever your faith! Doug -time to rest up for your next stint later this afternoon. See you in few hours….

Hour Four

Rene enters the seat in fourth place and stays there. All is quiet….so does this mean we are going to have an eventful afternoon / evening? I hope not. Please, please, please – let us finish with no drama! Again…I’ll chop wood all day during the winter I swear!

Oops – yellow flag. Car #28? No, not us – thankfully. Pits open for GT…

Mike: “Pit now, pit now. Fuel only.”

Rene: “Copy that, pit now, fuel only”
(Rene really is a great communicator – he repeats back full crew chief direction)

A splash of fuel – out we go….

Hour Five

Well, we’ve officially made it to the half-way mark of the race…car is running strong, no drama. Great work guys!

Nearing the end of the hour there is an incident on track -full-course caution…. Damn – not our class! (As I have said before, we’re not too proud to take attrition!)

Mike: “Pits open – pit now! pit now!”
Rene: “Copy that, pit now, pit now”

Mike: “We are going to do fuel, tires and a driver change”

Rene: “Copy that. Fuel, tires and driver change”

Rene: “Pit in, pit in”

Guys are already staged and ready….Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot!? (WTF?) The Magnus racing team to the left of us have been consistently over-shooting their pit box, making difficult for our drivers to dive around their pit crew, not hit them and stay within our own boundaries. This time, they’ve really blocked us. Rene has no choice but to go wide, causing the car to land too close to the pit wall for a quick tire change! C*&P!!! Team 911 Design has to push the car back, away from the wall and straighten it out causing us to lose precious time….we end up coming out after the pace car and go a lap down. S*&T! Loren is now in the seat….We call the pit official over and file a complaint. They already had a handle on it and go to the Magnus team to call them on it. Amazingly enough – their response was basically – “f” you…it’s our pit box. Nice…sportsmanship as it’s worst. This is absolutely going to kill me. There may need to be a visit from “MEAN Christine”!

Hour Six

Thankfully, the next couple hours prove uneventful and quiet for the most part. A couple yellows and Loren has comes in for a few splashes of fuel.

As we approach the end of hour six and getting ready for a driver change, Loren for some reason decides he’s going on an a little “off-road excursion” and ends up in the gravel trap (also called “kitty litter”, the “beach”, “rock garden” and a number of other terms that solicit expletives from the driver – and team!) between turn 10a and 10b. This brings out a full-course caution. Yay….this is not going to go over well. NOT the way Loren wants to get TV coverage. Watching the TV from the pits – we certainly got a ton of it. UGH….he’s gonna hate this.

Loren: “Sorry Guys…act of stupidity on my part”

Mike: “Can you get out of there?”

Loren: “No, they are going to pull me out”

Mike: “Any damage to the car”

Loren: “Don’t know”

Mike: “So how’s the weather at the “beach”? (Uh oh, it’s going to get UGLY!)

Loren: “B*!W me.” (Told ya)

Mike: “Sorry, dude, no takers” (Eye, yey, yey….)

Cary: “Looks like the wheels are turning…we can see now as they are dragging you out. Did you hear anything break?”

Loren: “No, don’t think so…”

EVERY crew member is glued to the screen…wheels aren’t turning….crap! No, yes, they are! Loren gets the engine started and is now back on the track. Carrying with him a few rocks and dirt from the trap of course. Whew !THANK GOD! Just a hiccup….We’re still going. A few more laps and we’ll bring him in. We’ll be putting Doug back in for the next to last stint.

As we approach the last few laps….

Loren: “Tires are trash, car is starting to vibrate”

Cary: You think you can make it a few more laps and see if we get a caution?”

Loren: “They trashed” (When Loren says they’re trashed, they are probably corded. He can drive em’ until they’re shoe laces!)

Mike: “We’ll get Doug ready. Try and stay out a couple laps and I will call you in”.

Loren: “Copy that”

Loren: “Pit in, pit in”

Mike: “We’re ready for you”

Loren out – Doug in. Tires, fuel and out of the pits.

What? S*%T! A yellow? Are you kidding me? God bless it….we can’t catch a freaking break! We could have made up the lap we lost if we had pitted right before they called a full-course yellow….

Hour Seven

Eight freaking laps of yellow as a result! What a bunch of…oh, never mind. That’s racing.

Dusk is here and night time is just around the corner. They declare night racing at approximately 7:04 pm. A whole new dynamic with headlights. Please – just let us finish – safely. At this point it would be heartbreaking for the team to get this far and not finish. At this point, we’ve now run longer than any club enduro we’ve ever participated in and the disappointment would be unbearable. Just another two hours or so….

Doug drives through the darkness in his steady, consistent driving style. GO Dougie GO! Nice and smooth like you always are….bring it in for Rene so he can bring car #28 home! OMG, the tension is exhausting….

Hour Eight

No cautions, just good solid racing. Halfway through the hour the fuel light goes on which means we are now approaching the last leg of the race. Two laps later, we bring Doug in and Rene’s in the seat to take Team 911 Design across the finish line. Fuel, new tires….go, go go!

It’s now about just keeping it on the track, taking no risks and PRAY nothing breaks….

Hour Nine

The race is 10 hours OR 1000 miles. The LMP cars and their total laps now determine the overall length of the race and because there weren’t many cautions, (laps that are slower because of the pace car taking up more time on the clock) we end up surpassing the rate of completion in hours and it now becomes total miles.

It’s now the last hour. Rene is reeling in the field! He passed two cars for position and made up the lap that we lost with the Magnus pit box incident. Nice driving Rene!!! He crosses the finish line with the checkered flag flying …and get this…Team 911 Design finishes in:

9 hours 11 Minutes or 9:11:00 (same as the car model – Porsche 911)

AND

in 28th Position! (Our car number is #28)

If that doesn’t make you wonder I don’t know what would. Seems like Team 911 Design was destined for a successful finish. An experience and effort that our drivers and crew can be proud of! Whoo Hoo! We did it!

Here is the “Executive Summary” recap / race results:
Road Atlanta GTC Results

Driver Doug Baron Rene Villeneuve Loren Beggs
Laps Driven 117 Laps 116 Laps 92 Laps
Seat Time 3 Hours 4 Minutes 3 Hours 12 Minutes 2 Hours 50 Minutes

Position Car # Laps Completed
1st 63 337 The Racer’s Group
2nd 54 337 Black Swan Racing
3rd 77 332 Magnus Racing
4th 88 330 Velox Motorsports
5th 28 325 Team 911 Design
6th 69 324 WERKS II Racing
7th 23 310 Alex Job Racing

GREAT performance by our drivers and team! Awesome experience for all of us who had the opportunity to participate – A GIANT THANK YOU!

I will have you know that the “guys” (I can say this being the only female on the team, who doesn’t wrench on the car or drive) did an amazing job – as they always do. Team 911 Design has the knowledge, character, and heart to demonstrate a solid work ethic and teamwork. With one season under our belt, the next can only be better. Despite the challenges, its no doubt been rewarding as hell to be a part of.

Final Thoughts / Observations:

Starting the season, the excitement of participating in the “Big Show” can mask the level of coordination, talent and demands that racing the series would ultimately place on Loren’s business and employees. It’s hard to see from outside – but while racing is fun, there is risk. Safety of life is without a doubt the first priority, but fun and excitement comes at a cost and the financial risk is mind boggling. The reality is it costs money – a boatload of it. Some of it, well frankly most of it, is an intangible investment in the business with a return that yields a certain business presence, association of running a professional team and all with the hope of drawing in new customers of the same caliber that want to do the same. Running the ALMS series while ensuring there is and will be enough work for the employees is hard. It’s a delicate balance – one that doesn’t come with an instruction manual of “how to do it” and one that I can attest to, keeps Loren awake at night. We are hopeful this effort will yield the return we anticipate, since there is no “hard” (only a thumbnail) ROI analysis you can do for a marketing investment of this kind.

Racing the ALMS this season has taken “a village of people” to coordinate, each and every one doing their part to ensure that we create a positive experience for our paying co-driver. There are many people behind the scenes that haven’t been recognized in the event recaps but are the ones keeping the day-to-day customers happy and the business running while we are away. I feel it’s only appropriate to acknowledge them for their efforts:
Shari Brewis, 911 Design’s Office Manager, Amanda Aguilar, Receptionist / Race Coordinator do much to ensure that each event has all the details sewn up before we arrive at a venue. There are many details to coordinate and each race presents new challenges and elements of change. They do a good job of making sure the team is as comfortable as possible while they are away and keep the office running smoothly.

The mechanics in the shop; Mike Sutton, Kirk Kunza, Fabian Prato – in the body shop – Allen Gonzales, Juan Herrera and our shop assistant, Warren Rogers work hard to keep the business moving and customers happy by having their cars ready as promised. While they all can’t be on the track with us, their jobs are every bit as important to 911 Design’s race effort, as each and every one of them has a part in ensuring the day-to-day business stays strong. We want to acknowledge and thank them – as we appreciate what they do while we are gone. Without them, we would not be able to position 911 Design as the premiere shop of the Inland Empire and the leading shop in Southern California.

Now….what IS the “Big Show”?

As we load our trailer for our trip home, our friend Craig Stanton, a professional driver stops by to say farewell. Craig has experienced all levels of the racing – multiple race series’, driven for different teams for many, many, years. He’s seen it all. While exchanging thoughts and ideas on the 2011 ALMS season, and what we might do different, someone says, “so, it’s a show”. Craig retorts in his calm, matter-of-fact demeanor with the best description of the racing effort that I have ever heard:

“that’s exactly what it is, this (pointing to the pit area) is all a big show… and then a race breaks out!!”

I love it – clarity. Simplicity. Perfect. We can move on to planning! In all seriousness, its not often a marketer is given the down and dirty details, the reality – to understand the basic foundation of the overall marketing effort. Usually, you have to either, 1) take the time to figure it out before you execute a plan, or 2) participate in it at the expense of costly errors, just to figure it out. This most definitely shortens the learning curve – thanks Craig!

Bottom line, these events generate a “vortex” of dynamics in regards to association and perception. There is no doubt an advantage to having more money to make a bigger splash on the paddock, but staying grounded and making sure Team 911 Design doesn’t lose the solid team dynamic we’ve cultivated this past year will be critical to our success for the 2011 season. Most important, will be aligning with sponsors that value this position and want their name associated with a winning team, with strong core values and top driving talent.

In closing…we are again, so grateful to be a part of one of the most amazing sports on the planet. We hope the following of endurance road racing continues to grow here in the US because without the fans, none of this would be possible. We are honored to have met many racing professionals that have defined the sport, traveled to some of the most beautiful and legendary tracks, all while having the opportunity to experience what it truly means to be a “team”. Take away? A team rises together and falls together, simple as that. As painful as it can be, it forces all of us to look for the positive in what could otherwise be perceived as a negative. Reflecting back to the first 911 Design Blog of the season – it is all in how you “reframe” your perspective that carries you through life’s challenging moments with dignity and grace. Team 911 Design did just that. We can most definitely be proud of what we’ve accomplished in our first season. Congratulations guys – you are extraordinary! Oh yeah…and thanks for letting me be, “one of the guys”. 

Thanks for following – see you in 2011!

To view more photos of the events, go to our photographer’s (Richard Prince) website:

Road Atlanta / Petit Le Mans

http://www.rprincephoto.com/911DesignRoadAtlantaGallery/

Road America

http://www.rprincephoto.com/911DesignRoadAmericaGallery/

Southern Hospitality? Not a chance!

Be sure to scroll below before reading this post! We just posted the recap from Road America and it’s below this one if you want to read in sequential order….

Finally – A ReCap of Road America

So much to do with less than enough time to do it in! The story of our lives recently but more is better than none at all – so we will take it!

Before we blast off the Road Atlanta post, we thought it was a good idea to post the Road America ReCap from late August. Many of you have already talked with Loren so it may be old news, but nonetheless entertaining! Thanks for following us – we appreciate all your support and comments.

….From Elkhart Lake Wisconsin, August 2010

Like a beautifully machined set of synchronized gears, Team 911 Design has finally hit their stride in execution. As painful as Mid-Ohio was, we used it as a learning experience. We reviewed what went well and what didn’t and integrating this discussion into a post-race review is now part of our process to minimize the potential of having things you don’t want to happen – happen twice. As the philosopher George Santayana said….”Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Ah… no thank you, we’ll pass.

You talk about a whirlwind of a weekend…Team 911 had a “gale-force” weekend – weather and the car! As I mentioned in Friday’s update we were anticipating some rough weather, but I don’t think the forecasters in California are that good as it rarely comes to fruition. Well, the weather forecasters in Wisconsin don’t mess around! The weekend started off with weather that made the national news – rain, wind, rocks, trees falling down, lightening, thunder and flooding. The good news, we made it through the test session and back to the trailer before all hell broke loose. It’s bad enough the team has to bust their rears on the car, making the tech appointments, practices, qualifying, etc., but stopping to secure the equipment? The floors? Awnings? Whooda thunk?

Friday’s AM Practice went well. Nothing major, only a few adjustments – very close to drivable from the time it rolled off the trailer. (Thanks to Mike, Donnie, Rob and Dean for heading in early to prep the car – great job!!) The afternoon was good too – not really much to do on the car as the drivers don’t want to risk trying to get it perfectly “dialed” and throw something else out. Yay! We are ready for Saturday’s run session for the most part, just spiff up the car and we’ll get back to the hotel at a decent hour. Hey? Maybe the team will have a little time to be the race car driver and pit crew rockstars?

Saturday AM practice, again, uneventful. We’ll have the afternoon practice session and qualifying immediately after. Doug starts the practice session feeling pretty good about the car. Aside from some slight adjustment between driver changes, we don’t anticipate anything big happening. Hmmmm? I suspect maybe that’s where we went wrong. A-N-T-I-C-P-A-T-I-N-G nothing would happen. Now….I am conditioned for contingency planning. However, after traveling with a race team the past few months has made me realize unless you’re clairvoyant, one wouldn’t have ever anticipated what happened next…

A race car set up to handle the way the drivers wanted all of sudden started to make a loud ugly sound during the practice session with Doug behind the wheel . Huh? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (WTF)? Doug reports something has gone terribly wrong.

Doug: “Sounds like its running on only four cylinders, I don’t think I will make it back to the pits”(Again…Huh?) The process of elimination starts; did you over-rev the engine? “No”. Did you hit anything? “No”. Quick! Think fast…Mike sends Donnie to get the Porsche Motorsport tech! Just like an ER doc, he rushes back to the pits in less than 5 minutes. He plugs the computer in….and, nothing. Huh?

Apparently, in ALMS you need permission to leave the track so I instant message Race Control, “Car 28 leaving the track due to a mechanical. Will advise shortly if we will make qualifying”. (It’s times like this that truly make it hard to watch the process. The disappointment on every team member’s face is absolutely heartbreaking.)

Practice time is now slipping away and qualifying for the race is less than an hour a way. Tic, tic, tic….

Qualifying is just about to begin and the pit box where Team 911 and car 28 is supposed to be, is still empty. I head back to the trailer and I arrive to now four Porsche Motorsport techs. Oh my! I may not understand all the intricacies of a race car but I know enough to know this doesn’t look good. We notify race control “car 28″ will not make the grid”

An hour later, mystery solved – blown engine. Nice. Now what? A new engine – what else? And just like that, a brand new engine shows up at the pit, delivered in a beautiful black crate – just like a jewelry box! Looks like a late night for the 911 Design so I decide to take off on a walk.

Road America is my favorite track for walking.
We experienced the depths of disappointment and the elation of the ever elusive “perfect pit stop” lightening, thunder, rain and hail and a blown engine. What next? A late night.

After Porsche Motorsport rolled over a brand new engine, the boys got right to work. I must say, the box that the new engine came in was beautiful – just like a jewelry box for a diamond ring. Only a little bigger.  Everything was so beautifully machined, stamped with part numbers and set up to “plug and play”. Amazing to watch. You have to take the old engine out but to get to it – you have to remove the exhaust system and transmission too. Quite a production. After about 3 hours, it was as good as new. Sounded good too! Music to a mechanic’s ears…..GREAT EFFORT by Team 911 Design.

The race went great as well. We were in third place most of the race and a podium finish was in sight. It was the last half hour of the race and thenl….thunk, thunk, thunk… WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT! NO! NOT NOW! Seems something broke in the right rear and Doug had to come in. NO! They made a slight adjustment and sent him back out on the track. Unfortunately, we had gone down two laps and finished last in class. So very disappointing….the elusive podium once again escaped Team 911 Design. As they say, “next time”. Our next time however is Petit Le Mans in Atlanta and it is the last race of the season. We are hoping and praying we can take the most memorable experience of our company’s history and end on a high note. Send your positive energy our way for Road Atlanta – we would very much appreciate it!

Christine Canepa
911 Design

“Home from Mid-Ohio”

To Our Loyal Followers:

We are trying something a bit different with this update to keep the chronology of events in order. Since we did not have on the track internet access and it required me traveling back and forth to the hotel 20 mi away I did a daily entry. As it gets closer to race day, time is harder and harder to find and leaving to send an email just isn’t going to happen. Hope you don’t mind it’s post-event and not closer to real time. We will do our best to ensure connectivity at Road America. Cheers!

Christine

Friday, August 06, 2010

Today was a MUCH better day than yesterday. While the weather is still miserably humid it was without any drama – well, at least it started off that way…

Team 911 left the track the night before feeling the car was just about dialed in for the morning practice session. Doug jumps in as first driver makes some recommendations and the pit crew hops to it. Loren jumps in – same thing. Still not perfect for each driver but MUCH better than the Miller set up. Drivers compare notes on how the car handles each corner and straight aways. (Remember the variables I shared in the last update – each track has a different set up and that set up can change from day to day, hour to hour and all are dependant on the weather, turns, elevation changes, etc.)

The afternoon session started with Loren in the seat first. A few adjustments and Doug hops in. A few more and ta dah! They find a setting that will work for both drivers and we are ready for qualifying. Doug will qualify the car – which was immediately following the practice. Doug runs two laps and in the blind-corner on Turn 8 he is hit by one of the Corvettes. The right front sustains damage and the car now has a bad vibration. It appeared mostly cosmetic although as it turned out, was much more. It literally “shredded” the rim and bent the strut. (See link for photos to view).

Team 911 notifies the official and Race Control IM’s (Instant Message) us shortly after with the following:

“the incident will be reviewed after the session and none of the laps after the tire change will be counted”

Nice….this means we qualify DFL – also known as last. I now understand why Johnny Rutherford always threw things.

Back in the pit we assess the damage. We identify a bent strut and also replace the shock. We head off to dinner to be back in time with what I consider the absolute most amazing experience we’ve had on a track. Team 911 Design had a masterfully art directed photo shoot with two professional photographers – Richard Prince, who shoots for the Corvette and Jaguar teams and the other, John Machaqueiro, the ALMS yearbook designer. We decide to take the official Team photo and embark on what I refer to as the most amazing photo session I’ve ever done! As the sun sets on the beautiful tree lined track, the lighting couldn’t be more perfect.

On the way to turn-two where the “still” photo session will take place, Doug hears something in the front end…Hmmmm… could it be the new shock? Loren decides to open the front deck lid and perch himself inside the car in front of the fuel cell and jump up and down to see if he can replicate it. Huh? Nope – not there. We’ll check it again when we are finished.

We proceed with the photo session. There are many spectators lining the outside of the track and ones inside, driving golf carts and walking the track. Of course you have the bare breasted men that have had a day full of Budweiser shouting comments like, “where are the babes”?! Now, being who I am, with the alter ego of Elaine Bennis on Seinfeld, I couldn’t pass up the chance to respond…”she’s right here guys and it’s all you’re gettin’!

It was all surreal. It simply left me no choice but to photograph the photographer! (Now that’s a Seinfeld episode if I have ever heard one!) Richard is an animal when it comes to getting “the shot” and I’ve never seen anything like it. (Of course my career has been filled with studio and landscape shots only). He literally tether’s himself with a harness, straps and carabiner hooks like a mountain climber inside his van while hanging outside from the back, side and top! Some shots require him to be only a couple feet from the asphalt below. (All I could think of were the elevation changes on the track and if he dropped the edge of that long lens too low…it could have been ugly!)

Since Loren was familiar with the “lines”, he drove the van around the track. The other photographer John, his son Pedro and I rolled around in the back (literally) while I shot photos of the photographers. Some of the shots required Doug to drive within two feet of the rear bumper. He told me after that he could see me perfectly and that I didn’t take the smile off my face the entire time. We spent almost an hour driving the track. What an incredible experience, and “WOW”… is all I have to say about that.

Check the 911 Design Facebook page for some of the photos from the session. If you are interested in viewing the photographers web sites here are the links:

Richard’s website is:

http://www.rprincephoto.com/

John’s website is:

http://www.lusospeed.com/

We drive into the pit and park the car and discover that the shock let loose and there on the tiles…a puddle of oil. Everyone looks at each other knowing what it means, yet we are all grateful that it didn’t happen on the track at high speeds. Someone or something was most definitely watching over the safety of our drivers. It’s another late night for Team 911 and another early morning to come.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Race day came too early although the car only had some fine tuning yet to be done. We arrive for our normal 7:00am breakfast at Vanessa’s and then to pit lane for morning practice. One slight adjustment and the car is hooking up – YAY! Looks like a nice lunch and then the start of the race.

A couple final notes of mention:

Team 911 Design has often been acknowledged by the Corner Workers in club racing. Our drivers are considerate and thankful to them both on and off the track. However, racing in the hot and humid climates of the Mid-West and East has elevated our level of appreciation of their efforts even more.

Corner Workers are volunteers that serve the racing community at their own expense, because they love the sport. Yes, it’s glamorous to be on the track so close to these amazing cars but it’s also dangerous and exhausting. They are quietly placed on the track every morning and return to their tents / motor homes at the end of a day without the acknowledgement and ceremonialism that the drivers and teams get. If you are a driver, team member or fan – be sure to thank them for their efforts when you see them at a professional race or your next club event. Their service is critical to our participation and frankly, we can’t run a race without enough of them in the proper locations.
Lastly, a special mention for Vanessa’s Hospitality Services and my wonderful Husband Loren. It seems he masterfully planned for Vanessa to bake me a cake for my Birthday last Thursday. With a tent full of teams, I was wished a Happy Birthday from many people who I didn’t know, although none more important than the Team 911 Design guys. You can’t possibly imagine the laughs I get traveling with them. I appreciate they accept me so willingly and allow the only “girl” on the team to participate. You see, Mike Fox always gets to say, “GREEN, GREEN, GREEN!” over the radio at the start. Because Mid Ohio starts the race off the second straight out of view from pit lane, I was sent on a “mission” to perch myself across from the flag stand and say those three magic words over the radio at the start of the race! Whoo Hoo!! It was the most memorable Birthday weekend a “guy’s girl” could have ever imagined. THANK YOU TEAM 911 DESIGN!

“New’s from Mid-Ohio”

We have been impressed with the people of Ohio – they are friendly and extremely helpful. You see, Team 911 had a rough start off the line. (good to get that over with before the race!) We arrived very late to the hotel on the Tuesday night and we all looked at each other in a beautifully synchronized tone “oh…expletive”. That’s all that came out – in my car and Loren’s. It seems the race teams for this event book hotels in September the year BEFORE and is why we couldn’t find a hotel within 30 minutes of the track. (With the exception of a bug-ridden, barely inhabitable motel. UGH!… now what?) To give you a visual, the office ceiling was so short that I could touch it (I’m 5’4″) and there were so many mosquitoes in the office – I walked OUTSIDE!!

Well, as any good team coordinator worth their salt..(oops –not in Salt Lake anymore) I immediately ventured out and spent most of the first day, begging and pleading to find an “inhabitable” property, worthy of a race team. (By the way, for those not familiar, when you travel with nine men who work exceptionally hard all day, they are VERY easy to please…clean room, shower and bed. That’s it. Not even a Hampton Inn is required!) I hop out of bed (literally to get the hell out of there) and have Loren promptly call the team and tell them to pack their bags, we are NOT coming back. As I proceed to drop the “boys who didn’t sleep the night before for fear of “things” crawling on them” off at the track, I promptly did a U-turn and set out on a mission to find a new hotel. Not as easy as it sounds. Six non-smoking rooms for four consecutive nights where people book almost one year in advance…..hmmm?

After going to six properties with no success, I end up at the Best Western Mansfield where a young man – hotel manager Josh Maurer and his associate Laura Fugitt voluntarily spent 45 minutes calling around for me (his hotel was booked to house the Indy Racing League). Damn! Would have loved to stay at the same property as Dario Franchitti and Marco Andretti! And of course Loren and Doug would have appreciated staying at the same hotel as Danika Patrick!  Anyhow, they put me in touch with Ms. Molly Green, a travel agent specializing in IMSA and IRL race teams. Honestly, I am ashamed to admit it, but I resorted to the “it’s my Birthday tomorrow, please, please, please, I can’t imagine spending my Birthday at that hotel” card. Well….this wonderful woman, called back to say “Happy Birthday!”…six CLEAN rooms at The Quinta Mansfield. Whoo hoo! All I can say is Thank God…our tired, hot, sweaty warriors had a clean place to come back to last night.

I must say, working for a race team is tough in Southern CA, but imagine the heat and humidity of Lexington, OH (where the track is located) it’s truly brutal. The pits aren’t even on asphalt – they are on grass! We always bring our own flooring however making it level is another challenge. (Try aligning a car on a hill….nope, it’ll never happen. They brought 4 pieces of 1″, 4′ x 8′ plywood to literally construct a flat platform.) These guys are incredible. They must love this profession an awful lot to work like the dogs they do. They are awesome and I am proud…..

More soon from lovely, hot and steamy Mid-Ohio….

No Salt In The Wound Here!

First and foremost my apologies to all of our loyal followers for the “radio silence”. Team 911 Design both on and off the track has been throttle down, navigating turns, elevations and obstacles. To be clear….I don’t mean obstacles in a negative way. Obstacles as “opportunities”! (Referring to the previous post….it’s all in how you frame / reframe it). We were able to finish 7^th and by the end of the evening were positioned in 6^th – seems one of the competition’s cars had an improper ride height. (We aren’t too proud to take attrition!)

 Loren and Doug had a good time during the race and for the most part – all was quiet in the car. (Remember, radio silence is a good thing when the driver is driving!) The race had all the dynamics of race-team drama and presented many “opportunities”. (Uh-hem….) In the end, it was a success – Team 911 Design accomplished their goal which was to finish the race and have fun doing it!

 The track is a difficult one and set up was challenging.  Reading the professional race team’s post race PR releases – it appears they too were having a tough time as well. So many variables…weather (heat, wind & rain), sheer size of the course (dry on one side, wet on the other) and of course the nasty little “gremlin” that can park itself somewhere in the car to drive Loren, Mike, and Cary nuts. Suspension adjustments, tire pressure adjustments, masterfully executed and heroic spring changes (in record time I might add) consumed the week’s days and sometimes nights. Despite all of these things, it provided a wealth of learning for us.  Learning about the car, what it can and can’t do, and about what it really means to be a “team”.  When things go well its easy. When faced with obstacles, the air is thick, tension is high and it’s not pretty. That said – there isn’t a better time to witness the strength and cohesiveness that exists when things get tough. The respect and trust the drivers and team have for one another, the skills each possesses different personalities and most important – whether they each have the willingness to look past frustration and physical exhaustion.  Experiencing this first hand I came to the conclusion that it’s what ultimately enables a team to persevere to the finish – or not.

 Team 911 Design is sans the drama of reality TV but far from boring. The two hours and 45 minutes at Miller, while shorter than the previous race was packed full of interesting turns and twists of fate that felt every bit like the six hours in Monterey.  Each event reinforces my appreciation of what it takes to pull off such a production and how truly difficult it is to win a professional race. You can have every “I” dotted and “t” crossed and there’s still the possibility of mechanical failure, weather, competitive brain hiccups, etc., that the team simply can’t control. I am now of the belief that you can have 100 percent perfect preparation but when it comes down to it, there is ultimately alignment (no pun intended) of ALL the variables – moon, sun and stars included. 

 The team went in a couple days early for some additional test / track time, which ended up proving invaluable as the outcome without it might have resulted in leaving the grid and going home.  The weather changed as many times as the car did from AM to PM posing endless adjustments to the adjustments. Regardless, having the team we do enabled us to push through it and dialog all of the scenarios that might possibly be affecting car number #28. Not to mention our driver Doug was driving with a cast! Everywhere he went, “what happened to your hand?”, ”can you drive?” Yes. Doug can drive – and did he ever! Two hours in the blazing hot car with air temp in the 90’s, making track temp and in car temp well into the 110+ degrees for sure. In preparation for the race we had the steering wheel sent to Doug’s doctor when having his cast put on to ensure a perfect grip on the steering wheel and a strategically placed thumb on the talk button. (On the straighter parts of the track only – turns did provide a challenge as he couldn’t steer and talk at the same time!)  Next surgery for Doug is this week so we will be skipping the Lime Rock event and we will hit the road the first week of August with a new cast – molded just for Doug!

 Amazingly, team preparation and driver feedback brought us to race day. The adjustments made the night before and morning of the race proved-out and both Loren and Doug had their respective time in the seat.  Loren drove less time than Doug in the ALMS race because he spent the morning driving in a race sponsored by our friend in Utah – Les Long at Air Power Racing. Loren qualified on pole in the #203 car for the event, finishing second overall and first in class. We won’t get into the gory details but let’s just say it included some “bumping”, a slap on the helmet and a shove. If you want the details, you’ll have to call Loren – I have chosen to keep quiet – if not for the sheer fact that I love hearing him tell the story! 

 So Team 911 Design hits the road again in August. It will be a busy month – as we will be gone almost two weeks total heading to Mansfield, Ohio (Mid – Ohio) the first week and Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (Road America) later in the month. As a bystander….relatively speaking, not in the literal sense – I work to organize day’s events and follow up on all the paperwork that Amanda and Shari prepare before we leave the office. And of course most importantly, get the team to Vanessa’s before she puts the food away. All the important stuff….wink, wink!

 In closing, Team 911 Design (Loren, Doug, Mike, Cary, Rob, Dean, Jesse, and Donnie) did another exceptional job of demonstrating outstanding teamwork. For me, I can’t thank them enough for the entertainment as there are as many laughs for as many expletives. I am grateful for the opportunity to experience a side of life that incorporates such passion, commitment and raw energy into a days work. Without a doubt, being a bystander provides the best of what racing – whether professional or sportsman class – has to offer. Thanks a ton Team 911 Design

 Christine

Comments and feedback welcome. If there’s something you would like to read more about while Team 911 Design is on the road, be sure to email me at:

 porscheracerwife@gmail.com

To see more photos visit are Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=187754&id=257644848510&saved

Were Back from Laguna Seca!

From the Observation Cart – An Observer’s Viewpoint

Race Day Narrative – Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA

May 22, 2010

Absolutely nothing in the world like it, it is amazing, incredible, anxiety ridden, and exciting all at the same time. Sitting here in the pits at one of the most famous race tracks in the world, observing and participating in such an extraordinary event – all while trying to stay calm of course. (The infamous Zanardi pass on the Cork Screw is my favorite move of all time! I feel like a kid at Christmas!)

We are so very blessed to have this opportunity. Porsche Motorsport has been good to us – they come by to download stats after a run session and come back with thoughts after analyzing the data. It’s most definitely a nice gig – but that “gig” costs a small fortune.

Hour 1

Doug is going to start the race after the disappointment at Long Beach, and not getting to drive. This is more than fair. Nothing happens at all in the first hour thank God. The Car is running good and the radio is quiet. One hour down with only 5 more to go…. One would think that’s a bad thing, but in actuality it’s all good. It’s the one time where”radio silence” is HIGHLY desired.

Hour 2

First Pit Stop

1:18:00 into the race (Fuel cell goes 1:15:00) – a couple previous yellows and we get some extra laps. Team 911 does a good job. The Pit stop went very well, we only needed fuel the tires look great! Tire wear has to do not only with track conditions but the driver, which means, Doug’s good. In fact, he’s one of the best (Next to my husband of course!)

Radio Under Yellow…

[Mike]” Got a good break as the pits closed after you came in for fuel….”

[Doug] “Better to be lucky than good.”

[Doug] Holy s*%t – when these guys come by they put you in the garbage! Lots of tire rubber on the track Loren. Forth gear up the hill, third in the cork screw.”

[Mike] “We were third before the pit stop – now seventh. You’re doing good.”

That said….what we thought was a “break” turned out not to be as the first several cars in our class got the “wave by” from the pace car putting us down a lap. Damn!

[Doug] “They (LMP cars) are like a freight train when three or four of them pass you – no way are you getting in. I feel like a little tiny bunny in a field with a pack of wolves!

[Loren] “Yeah, and you have a little blood dribbling!”

[Doug] “They don’t leave you any room in the entrance of nine Loren….it’s just like – HEY!I am passing there!

A big part of team driving is about relaying the information back to the other driver about the handling set-up, track conditions, competitors to look out for, etc. Doug and Loren make a great team. While they don’t necessarily appreciate the car set up the same, they always seem to find a compromise where both feel confident and safe. Safety IS the most important element in all of this. No compromise there.

GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! I love saying that. It’s so exciting! And yes, while exciting – it is also the worst part of a race because all the cars are bunched back up and the possibility of carnage becomes a higher statistical probability.

Well… I must say I am humbled. After years of POC three hour endurance races, I thought I was conditioned for this…. Endurance races are always nerve wracking but this one takes the cake. SO much more can go awry in six hours. Even though it’s going relatively well – I am even more nervous than normal. I hope it doesn’t mean upcoming drama.

Loren is always cool as a cucumber; however, looking at him he is obviously affected by all going on. Aside from about 10 trips to the port-a-potty, I glance over and catch him deep in thought while sitting on the back of the golf cart. I can only imagine what must be going through his head. Nothing I could say would relieve him of the anxiety, excitement, fear, or any other emotion he’s experiencing. In fact, I wouldn’t want to – he’s “living” his life! (It certainly serves as a reminder that we should always live like we’re dying – tomorrow may not be there).

A full-course caution – another casualty, although not in our class. Hey, Thirty minutes to go until Loren gets in “the seat”. Oh please, oh please, oh please let him do well and shine…. I don’t think I can bear watching another disappointment. We simply want to finish. We would love a podium position, but the reality is that’s hard – very hard. Especially for those who don’t do it for a living. Professional drivers (ones that actually get paid to drive) sit in “the seat” much more than Doug or Loren.

Ok, here we go. Loren’s putting on the head sock. Guys are putting on their safety socks and helmets. My heart is pumping something fierce and I KNOW he’s nervous. After all, it is his first professional endurance race. Crap – now I have to go to the bathroom! It’s about 50-something degrees and it takes me some inordinate amount of time to get out of this driving suit! (For some reason, the thought of the female astronaut driving across the country to kill her boyfriend’s lover comes to mind. I now understand she was just pragmatic.)

Pit Stop Two…

Full-course caution a break. We’re staging, Loren’s ready and camera ready to role. Pits are open, driver change. From my viewpoint – perfect pit stop. Great job Team 911!

Sometime about halfway through the race…..

My sense of time is distorted. It’s amazing how fast the race goes until the last hour, it resembles the year between Christmas’ as a child, it is like a lifetime. We’re coming up on hour three and skies to the west are dark. Rain, rain stay away please come back another day – after we’re gone!

Another full-course caution – a LMP car out between turn two and three.

Radio Under Yellow…

[Loren] The car is handling much better today – just as a side note

[Mike] Copy that.

Good job Loren – recognizing your team even under pressure. J

GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! Yikes! More carnage! Right in front of us – an LMP hits the wall! Stay right, stay right Loren! Another full course caution – means another fuel management opportunity…perfect.

Radio Under Yellow…

[Loren] “Well this is fun….like watching paint dry.”

[Mike] “That’s all part of it….but man it is exciting watching cars crash and bust up in front of us on the straight-a-way!”

OK….let’s try this one more time…. GREEN!GREEN!GREEN!

Another full-course caution! Damn! Coming in for a splash of fuel it’s another perfect stop only 27 seconds. It’s another stroke of good luck for team 911.

Radio At Restart

[Loren] “Man….you should have seen that restart!!!! The Ferrari and Corvette must have crashed into each other about 20 times! That was an amazing in-car view – I hope that camera is still working….” (Oops – I think his wife screwed up – kind of…seems I forgot to tell them to change the card in the camera. Oh well….I was assigned to another duty – covering for Cary tracking time on the pit stop and timing fuel start and stop.)

Next time in….7:15p with no tires needed so far. My God….it is just awesome to witness such an event! Go-baby-go….

Good Lord….another spin in turn 11 that’s three spins today! Loren just cleared it – whew!

6:25pm – a little more than two hours to go…..

Uh oh….Loren flat spotted a tire at the top of the cork screw is he coming in? Nope he is staying out. Another whew ….my heart is pounding! Please just let us finish, please just let us finish. I promise to chop wood all day next Saturday…..just please, JUST LET US FINISH. Oh, and OMG….I AM FREAKING FREEZING!!!!

Driver Initiated Radio Transmission

[Loren] “I flat-spotted a tire….how long do we have on this set of tires?”

[Mike] “45 Minutes”.

Another lifetime…. Radio silence is that good or bad???? Ugh. (This makes the stress at Toro insignificant BTW).

Yikes! He’s in turn 9 – he’s coming in….oh God, no time…..hurry! Hurry!…Ok….in gear! Quick! Switch places with Cary on the timing stand. Cary has two jobs monitoring the IMSA radio channel and keeping track of the race; plus he is in charge of our dead man handle on the fuel rig. , think…..start the timer – track the stop, time the fuel….hurry!

[Loren] “Sorry guys, I have to come in….” “sorry”

[Doug] Guys needed more time to prepare”

[Loren] “I could have crashed the car.”

Driver Initiated Radio Transmission – 15 min later

[Loren] “Sorry guys….I thought I gave you enough time calling you from the cork screw….were there cords on it? I thought I was going to crash it.”

[Mike] “Oh yeah, it was “shiny”…

From 7^th to 8^th position….

6:45pm

Vanessa from Vanessa’s Catering just brought food to our pits. What a great service she provides. She feeds us and many of the other teams all week then brings us food to our pits during the long races. It smells wonderful and she does an amazing job! I can’t eat though….I’ll throw up. Eye yey yey… I am not sure if I am shaking from nerves or because the temp keeps dropping. No, I think it’s the nerves….yep – it’s coming back to me, we’re approaching the last hour. We just need another yellow after 7:15p…..oh, and note to self….stock the trailer with hand and foot warmers!

Driver Initiated Radio Transmission – 7:00pm

[Loren] “So now that I screwed up the strategy, do we have a strategy?” (Yes we do!)

[Mike & Cary] “If there’s another yellow after 7:15p we’re bringing you in and putting Doug in the car. Last window – is 7:50pm. And oh yeah, Doug says bring it in with ROUND tires….” [Loren] “I don’t need any comments from the “peanut gallery” beating me up.”

[Doug] “I know you’re beating yourself up more than we are….”

Ok…..Restart.

[Loren - calmly] “I just got hit.” [Mike] “Yeah, the Ferrari pushed the Flying Lizard car into you….” [Loren] Oh wait…good – they just hit each other and took each other out”. Karma….it’s alive and well in Monterey.

Wait….an LMPC car just gave out. No….too soon. No yellow, no yellow. Whew no yellow until at least 7:15pm!

7:18pm

Ok – anytime now, come on yellow (As long as Loren isn’t the cause of it or in it). Has to be before 7:50…

7:25pm

We’re 25^th overall – nighttime is coming that means headlight racing. This is a whole new element of excitement. Once again – another eternity….did I mention, I hate this! No, wait I love this! OMG it is SO exciting and gut wrenching all at the same time!

7:32pm less than one hour to go….

[Mike] “How you doing?”

[Loren] “I could go run laps right now – doing good. Could just use a little mental focus…

We need a yellow flag please…a full-course caution would be good here! We want to get Doug back in the car so he can finish the race and cross the finish line. It’s his track and he’s good at it. Three weeks ago he won the Pirelli Cup Race here. He can bring it home again for team 911 I am sure.

Everyone is silent, not saying a word…. This is when it becomes grueling – oh wait, a spin! It’s Galen Bieker! Another position? No- recovered it. Damn! Hey Galen – must hand it to you – nice turn back around on the track – very cool!

48 Minutes to go…

Still nothing. Hello! A YELLOW FLAG PUHLEEEEASE!

8:00pm

No luck this time. Low fuel light – lap 190. Coming in.

Bad news – we didn’t get the SD card for the camera in for the race finish -no time. We’ve simply got to get a larger one…

8:20pm

Well, I called it at the beginning….all hell just broke loose. Doug is losing the brakes…Oh God…not now! Now Mike’s radio just conked out! Loren gave his up although now Mike doesn’t have race control.

Plan B – Cary now communicates yellow & greens. Tensions are at an all-day high. Please God just a few more laps – 5 more minutes. Please!

YIKES! He just went into the gravel trap right in front of us….NO MORE BRAKES – NONE! As Doug powers through the gravel, the front splitter on the front bumper tears loose, flies through the air and came to a rest in the trap!. Great….now the car is pushing too…. God Bless it! Not now! Not now!

Just slow it down and just bring it home Doug…cross the finish line like you’ve done so well in the past – that’s the goal. Two minutes, thirty-six seconds to go – about 2 more laps …..crap….

< <<>>>

Just keep it on the track….slow and easy. Please, please, PLEASE just cross the line…

[Mike] “Checkered flag next time by Doug….nice and easy.”

YAAAAAAYYYYYYY!! We finished!!! Brakes…what brakes? All four pads? DONE. So are we.

Quick Update From Laguna

Qualifying today was a bit challenging. We qualified 10th and are making some more handling adjustments before the big race tomorrow. But never fear, we’re ready to finish this race!

News from Laguna Seca

The days at the race track start VERY EARLY and end very late. That said, adrenaline is the component; nothing like the sound of racecars to keep your heart moving.

So far everything is great with testing and practice. We were able to make shock adjustments, change springs, and overall the car is handling great. It’s windy so there’s a lot of sand on the track….not necessarily good for traction on slick tires but that’s why we have engineers to set the car up to compensate.

Tomorrow more practice and qualifying, Saturday more practice and the big race. It will last six hours and will start at 2:30pm. It won’t be broadcast this week; it will be edited for next Saturday May 29th on CBS sports at 1:30pm.

Also, check out the new stainless screens? We made sure NOTHING is going to get through those screens!

Laguna Seca Schedule

Round three of the American Le Mans Series is a six hour endurance race at Laguna Seca. Tune in to CBS Sports Saturday, May 29th, 2010 at 1:30PM EST.

Friday, May 21st, 2010 Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

9:50am – 10:50am Practice 10:15am – 10:35am Warm Ups

2:20pm – 3:20pm Practice 1:00pm – 2:30pm Pre-Race Activities

3:30pm – 3:50pm Qualifying 2:30pm – 8:30pm Race

Porsche & 911 are registered trademarks of Porsche AG. All other brand and product names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective holders.