Hastings is known as the town where Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in 1927.  Every year the town celebrates that event with the Kool-Aid Days festival….”Oh Yeah”.  The town is now proud to host its very own road course track, which was built just eight years ago.  This 2.15 mile track, features a very challenging thirteen turns that makes one feel that as soon as you come out in one turn you need to set up for the next turn.

The weekend was looking to be, yet again, another beautiful sunny weekend with temperatures in the 70’s for a 12 hour + 6 hour endurance race.

As the sun rose up and over the railroad tracks, Chumps were busy making last minute adjustments.  By seven forty-five cars were on grid for a few parade laps while drivers were getting a good feel of the track and Chump Control could verify that all transponders were working.  With the “all’s-clear” signal, the green flag dropped and twenty-four ChumpCar’s began racing their way to, what they hope was a podium finish, or with a twelve hour race to avoid mechanical issues.

Not long after the race got underway, Car #148 of Free Candy Racing in their 1991 Honda Civic received a black flag and had to pit due to excessive smoking.  Shortly after, Car #184 of BROvado Racing (1987 BMW 325) stopped on the straight-away and had to get a tow in.  They had melted a wire to the fuel pump.  With a quick fix they were able to get back out to racing.  Unfortunately, BROvado Racing, was not the only team dealing with mechanical issues.  Team Alan Parson’s Project (1993 Subaru Impreza) was involved in a “rubbin is racing” incident and ended up with a shattered left rear hub.  After further investigation, this was not going to be a quick fix.  Having to drive over two hours, to and from Omaha to a salvage yard to get a “new” hub, they were finally able to get back to racing by 4:00 pm.

Despite having several Chumps in the paddock dealing with mechanical issues, there was some great racing happening on the track.  The biggest culprit of the day seemed to be cars going off track and getting into the alfalfa.

As racing continued throughout the day, back in the paddock was team # 128 of Bare Metal Racing as they were having issues with their 1992 Nissan Sentra.   At first, they thought it was a clutch issue.  They drove an hour and a half into Lincoln and replacing the clutch, only to find out that it was actually an axle.  Back on the road again, they headed to Omaha to get a new axle.  Finally getting the issue fixed, they were back on the track by 4:00 pm.

Unfortunately Car #888 of Purple Headed Chump (1987 For Mustang) saw more time in the paddock then on the race-track.  The first issue they encountered was a broken timing belt.  Luckily they have been through this issue before and had a spare engine and hoist in their trailer.  For the rest of the race they were nursing a brake issue.  The next day, shortly after the race began their exhaust fell off.

Throughout the day, the race was dominated by Chump Faces (1988 BMW 325is).  A battle for second place was between the 1985 Porsche 944 of Car 54 Where Are You, Car #51 of British American Racing (1988 Hawk BMW E30 325is), and Team F1 1ab (wanna bees) in their 1998 BMW 325is.

With the F1 1ab (wanna bees) starting the race with a 6 lap deficit they had a lot of territory to make up, however with posting some of the fastest lap times of the day they were quickly on the heals of the first place car, Chump Faces.  With a race that is green flag all day a teams pit strategy plays a big roll in the outcome of a race.  As Chump Faces came in to pit, F1 1ab (wanna bees) took over first place.  After the pit stop, Chump Faces came back on track on the same lap as F1 1ab (wanna bees).  Chump Faces was coming up on the back of F1 1ab (wanna bees) and tried to overtake them in Turn 9 but got shut down.  Chump Faces went for it again in turn 13, taking the inside, right at the apex and overtook F1 1ab on the straight away!

With racing quickly coming to an end, the day provided  yet again, one of the cleanest races all year.  There were no reds, and only a few standing yellows. Most of the calls for the day were cars spinning, going off course, and safely re-entering the track to resume racing.  There were a couple of non-intentional racing contact, but other than those few incidents, the drivers had an awesome time.

As the checkered flag came down the first and second place car were within seconds of each other.

The official Race Results for Saturday’s  12-hour Enduro were-

1. 1. Car #39 Chump Faces—1988 BMW 325is
2. 2. Car # 197  F1 1ab (wanna bees)—1998 BMW 325is
3. 3. Car #351  British American Racing—1988 Hawk BMW E30 325is
4. 4. Car #54 Car 54 Where Are You—1985 Porsche 944
5. 5. Car #53 Team Party Cat—1994 Mazda Miata

With Saturday’s twelve-hour endurance race complete, Sunday morning featured another beautiful day for a six-hour race and should be a walk in the park compared to a twelve hour.

With only two laps in, British American Racing (1988 Hawk BMW E30 325is) would not podium again.  They encountered a valve spring issue, which ended their day.  Luckily Car #54 of Car 54 Where Are You (1985 Porsche 944) was continuing where they left of yesterday and making a run for a podium finish by taking an early lead.  However don’t count out Chump Faces and F1 1ab (wanna bees).  Two hours into the race, Chump Faces was already in third place and guess what, F1 1ab (wanna bees) where on their tail in fourth place.  These two teams, again, swapped positions back and forth between second and third place.

With only two laps in, British American Racing (1988 Hawk BMW E30 325is) would not podium again.  They encountered a valve spring issue, which ended their day.  Luckily Car #54 of Car 54 Where Are You (1985 Porsche 944) was continuing where they left of yesterday and making a run for a podium finish by taking an early lead.  However don’t count out Chump Faces and F1 1ab (wanna bees).  Two hours into the race, Chump Faces was already in third place and guess what, F1 1ab (wanna bees) where on their tail in fourth place.  These two teams, again, swapped positions back and forth between second and third place.

With the race nearing the end, Car 54 Where Are You had a strong three- lap lead in first over Chump Faces and there just wasn’t enough time for Chump Faces to make a run for it.

The official Race Results for Sunday’s 6-hour Enduro were-

1. 1. Car # 54 Car 54 Where Are You—1985 Porsche 944
2. 2. Car # 39 Chump Faces—1988 BMW 325is
3. 3. Car # 197  F1 1ab (wanna bees)—1998 BMW 325is
4. 4. Car # 991 Moss Racing—2008 Ford Crown Vic
5. 5. Car # 184 BROvado Racing—1987 BMW 325

The Optima Battery ChumpCar World Series would like to thank all of its sponsors, Chump drivers, and Chump fans.  We would not be able to do this without your continued support.

The next Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series race is May 17-18 for a 24 hr. event in Buttonwillow, CA.  To find out more about The Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series and the entire 2014 racing schedule, visit us at www.chumpcar.com.

The post Kool –Aid & Cool Cars: Chump Car Race Report From Motorsports Park Hastings, Nebraska appeared first on BangShift.com.

Built twenty years ago, this three mile, 36 foot wide track features excellent elevation changes with fifteen turns including the signature “Cyclone. Currently Thunderhill Raceway is expanding their track and opening in June will feature a road-course over 5 miles long. Thunderhill is owned and operated by the San Francisco Region of the SCCA.

As the gates opened on the first day of racing, there was to be no Thunder and Lightning for this double 7-enduro race in beautiful California. The weather was forcasted to be sunny and mid 80’s.

With fifteen minutes left till cars on track, pit lane exploded with activity of last minute work on race-cars, testing radio communication between driver and team, and ChumpStaff getting in place to work a seven hour race. By ten-o’clock all cars were on grid getting a few parade laps while drivers were getting a good feel of the track and Chump Control could verify that all transponders were working. With the “all’s-clear” signal, the green flag dropped and forty-six ChumpCar’s began racing their way to, what they hope was a podium finish, or to some, their goal was just to finally complete a race.

It didn’t take long to see that it was going to be an awesome day of racing. The driver’s adapted quickly to the track configuration and got their racing groove on. Early on, the biggest issue drivers were facing was pieces of a fish fin which were falling off from car # 787 of Blinky Racing in their fish themed car from the show The Simpsons. Luckily the pieces were off track and were not creating a racing hazard. Didn’t want to have to “fish” anyone when going off track.

Quickly taking third place was The Flyin’ Hawaiians & 2 White Guys in their 1973 Datsun 260Z. It appeared that they fixed the power issue that plagued them at Laguna Seca earlier in the year. Unfortunately they would not stay in podium position for long as other mechanical issues cropped up throughout the day.

As racing continued throughout the day, back in the paddock was team # 183 of The Farmers trying to figure out the on-going problem with their 1980 Mazda RX-7. They were reporting a fuel delivery problem but couldn’t find the culprit. After exhausting other options they were looking into the filter from the fuel cell. After making the repair and crossing their fingers the fix did the trick, they were back out and racing.

Throughout the day, the race was dominated by Door Slammers (1991 Mazda Miata, the Stanford crew of Fear The Tree (1994 Mazda Miata), and Apex of Failure (1997 Mazda RX7). A battle of changing positions to get into the top five where between the 1983 Toyota Supra of SupraChumps, Car #128 of Die Familie (1987 BMW 535), and Team Shift Racing Team 1 (1989 VW Jetta).

With racing quickly coming to an end, the day provided one of the cleanest race days all year. There were no reds, a few standing yellows and only one full course yellow-which was needed to safely provide the corner workers with much needed fuel—LUNCH! Most of the calls for the day were cars spinning, going off course, and safely re-entering the track to resume racing. There were a couple of non-intentional racing contact, but other than those few incidents, the drivers had the time of their life.

As the race was nearing the end, the checkered flag came down with thirty cars crossing the finish line.

It was a Mazda Top 3 Finish–The official Race Results for Friday’s event were- 

1. Car #195 Door Slammers—1991 Mazda Miata

2. Car #117 Fear The Tree—1994 Mazda Miata

3. Car #4 Apex of Failure—1987 Mazda RX7

4. Car #201 SupraChumps—1983 Toyota Supra

5. Car #128 Die Familie—1987 BMW 535

With Friday’s seven-hour endurance race complete, Saturday morning featured another sunny and warm day of seven-hour race, however it appeared as Thunderhill had a visitor overnight. Outside of Race Central, The Easter Bunny had strategically hidden Easter Eggs for the kids to enjoy an Easter Egg hunt.

With thirty-eight cars taking the green flag, it didn’t take long to see that the adrenaline was running high in the morning. In the first hour of racing there were more off-road calls at that point, then in the first three hours of the previous days race. So the tip of the day was….”The dirt is not part of the racing surface”.

Two hours into the race, SupraChumps (1983 Toyota Supra) who took fourth in yesterday’s race, wanting that podium finish, took an early lead over Los Cerdos Voladores ( 1995 Plymouth Neon). However a podium finish was not their future as they lost a cylinder. Once they fixed their spark plugs and got back out on the track, the damage was done and they were too far down to try and make a run for it.

The day was turning out to be just like previous day of racing with a few standing yellows with cars going off track and re-entering safely. The only red for the whole weekend came out due to oil on the track. Once the oil was cleaned up and safety determined the track was safe, cars got back on the track and green flag racing resumed.

With the race nearing the end, the first place team of Los Cerdos Voladores (1995 Plymouth Neon) had a strong three lap lead over second place team of Door Slammers in their 1991 Mazda Miata. Fear The Tree (1994 Mazda Miata) was looking to make another podium- finish as they were neck and neck with Door Slammers.

The official Race Results for Saturday’s event were-

1. Car # 41 Los Cerdos Voladores—1995 Plymouth Neon

2. Car # 117 Fear The Tree—1994 Mazda Miata

3. Car # 71 Sift Racing Team 1—1989 VW Jetta

4. Car # 136 Pomona Speed Shop—1998 Dodge Neon

5. Car # 104 Rolling Crap—1975 Datsun 280Z

The Optima Battery ChumpCar World Series would like to thank all of its sponsors, Chump drivers, and Chump fans. We would not be able to do this without your continued support.

The next Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series race is April 26-27th for a double seven at New Jersey Motorsports Park. To find out more about The Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series and the entire 2014 racing schedule, visit us at www.chumpcar.com.

The post ChumpCar Race Report: Thunder Rolls and Lightning Strikes At Thunderhill Raceway’s Twin Seven Hour Races appeared first on BangShift.com.

This little sleepy town of Joliet, IL known for it’s industrial plants and quarries, hosts not one, but two major race tracks. The Chicagoland Speedway, which features NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Series along with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and just about five miles away is the newly developed Autobahn Country Club.

Built ten years ago the concept of a racetrack country club simply came from the golf course country club format that we are all familiar with. Mark Basso, President & Founder of Autobahn Country Club thought why hasn’t anyone combined the structure of a golf club with a road course? This prestigious road course country club features three circuits: North Circuit with 1.46 miles, South Circuit with 2.1 miles and Full Track which is 3.56 miles. The Autobahn currently has over four hundred members which is growing steadily. The track, designed by Alan Wilson, was to be safe and provide lots of racing room.

As the Central Region ChumpCar staff arrived Friday for Tech and registration, “The Windy City” was living up to its’ name with low forty degree weather and winds up to twenty-five miles per hour….but no rain in the forecast. By Saturday morning the clouds had moved out and the winds died down to provide a beautiful, sunny, and a little warmer day.

With the driver’s meeting done and teams doing last minute maintenance, the cars were ready to be on grid by eight forty-five. At exactly nine o’clock, with forty-five cars cleared for racing by timing and scoring, the green flag dropped for what we know was going to be an exciting seven hours of racing.

With the race started, Team #185, Crank Yankers with their 1995 Subaru Impreza, could only hear the power of the engines fly by as they were in the paddock trying to deal their own engine issues. Thursday, prior to the race, they just dropped a re-built engine into their car, only to find out on Friday that they were already having issues. On Saturday while half of the team was tearing down part of the engine, the other half of the team drove to Chicago to a junk-yard and was able to negotiate down the price of an old engine. Taking parts from the old engine, the team was working into the night to basically meld two engines together and in hopes to get out for the Sunday race.

As Crank Yankers were dealing with their engine issues, it didn’t take long before the 1987 BMW 325 of BuckSnort racing, who took an early lead, to come into the paddock to fix their broken tie rod. As these two teams were working on mechanical issues there was great racing happening on the track. Team #212 of 365 Racing Tuna No Crust (1987 BMW 325i) was enjoying their first ever ChumpRace, first time at Autobahn, and was enjoying the feel of being in second place! They really wanted to try wheel to wheel racing and find a series that provided fairly equal seat time to price ratio. After hearing about ChumpCar from another ChumpTeam, they got a car and finished it the week before the race. With only a few hours into racing they were already hooked and having a blast.

With half of the race over, the racetrack was already proving that it’s design of being safe and providing lots of racing room was holding true. Up to this point the drivers had only to endure a couple of full course yellows with cars getting off track and had to deal with the biggest culprit of the weekend….MUD! As cars got stuck in the mud, safety was needed to pull them out. But what happens when safety gets stuck in the mud? Another safety truck.

Throughout the day, the race was dominated by Bavarian Mustache Werks (1988 BMW 325is), Holy Rollers (1992 Honda Civic) and Fine Sausage Racing (1989 BMW E30). A battle of changing positions to get into the top five where between the 1991 BMW E25i of Bavarian Bulldogs, Car 190 of Tired Iron Repair (1990 Eagle Tallon), and Team Four Car Garage (1994 BMW 325is). However, unfortunately for Team Bavarian Bulldogs, a podium finish for today’s race was not in the cards as they spun out and tried to go off-road racing. As they got back on track, the driver feeling a vibration, came into the pits only to find mud in the left front wheel. Team Tired Iron Repair also would see a possible third place podium finish diminish as they would not be able to finish the race with a lost wheel bearing.

With about 10 minutes left of the race and the top three within a lap of each other a yellow flag came out as one car spun and another got caught up in it. As soon as the incident was cleared, no sooner did the green flag drop, another yellow flag had to be dropped for a spin. The race would finish under a local yellow.

The official Race Results for Saturday’s event were–

1. Car #661 Bavarian Mustache Werks—1988 BMW 325is

2. Car #41 Fine Sausage Racing—1989 BMW E30

3. Car #4 Four Car Garage—1994 BMW 325is

With Saturday’s seven-hour endurance race complete, Sunday morning featured another cool but partial sunny day of seven-hour race. As teams worked late into the night to fix mechanical issues, including Team Crank Yankers, they were pleased to report they would make the green flag for Sunday’s race.

As forty-one cars got on grid, even before the green flag dropped, it was not a good start of the day for Car # 700 of Team James Bondo in their 1980 Triumph TR7. Not sure if someone didn’t tighten the lug nuts, but all of a sudden there was a thud and the tire was rolling past the driver. Once the track was cleared, forty cars took the green flag.

Throughout the morning’s part of the race there was a good battle brewing between Car #125 of BuckSnort Racing (1987 BMW 325) who seems to have fixed the tie rod from yesterday’s race, and the # 66 of Holy Rollers in their 1992 Honda Civic. However mechanical problems would once again plague BuckSnort with a broken shock.

With just over two hours left to go in the race, the first place winner from yesterday’s race of car #661, Bavarian Mustache Werks, was making a run for it again wanting to double down and was currently in second, only 1.1 seconds behind #66 of Holy Rollers.

Having to take more time in the pits, Bavarian Mustache Werks dropped to third behind that of Team #51, British American Racing (1988 Hawk BMW), who throughout the day was very consistent and was working their way up through the positions. And with about an hour left that consistency paid off as they moved into first place with Holy Rollers on their tail by less than a lap. However there wouldn’t be enough time for the team of Holy Rollers.

The official Race Results for Sunday’s event were-

1. Car # 51 British American Racing—1988 Hawk BMW

2. Car # 66 Holy Rollers—1992 Honda Civic

3. Car #661 Bavarian Mustache Werks—1988 BMW 325is

The Optima Battery ChumpCar World Series would like to thank all of its sponsors, Chump drivers, and Chump fans. We would not be able to do this without your continued support.

The next Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series race is the debut for ChumpCar at Thunderhill for the “Thunder Rolls & Lightning Strikes” double 7 endurance race. To find more about the Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series and the entire 2014 racing schedule, visit us at www.chumpcar.com.

The post ChumpCar World Series Invades Autobahn Motorsports Park In Illinois – Full Story And Photos Here appeared first on BangShift.com.

Like we said, this is a free deal and it is open to anyone, whether you are racing that weekend or not. IN FACT, if you are not racing, you’ll get a free pit pass to hang out and check out the action on Friday and Saturday, which is the best way to get a feel for what it is like to compete at one of the events. When you are able to see it from the “inside” out as opposed to the grandstands it will make a bunch more sense and you’ll run home to start chopping that old third Gen Camaro into a road course killer soon enough!

CHECK OUT ALL THE INFO FROM THE OPTIMA BATTERIES CHUMP CAR WORLD SERIES HERE-

Ever wanted to learn about racing?
Curious about road course events?
Sitting on the fence wondering when an opportunity might present itself?
Wondered what a $500 race car is all about?

NOW IS YOUR TIME!                                   

 Sponsored by

Join us for a fun and engaging 2-hour fast- paced learning environmentrelevant to any driver, regardless of experience. This interactive track classroom experience will provide you with the basics of race preparation, safe driving techniques and vehicle dynamics.

Learn from experienced, yet down to earth, road course endurance instructors, who regularly drive with ChumpCar and at one point where just like you…watching from the paddock!

The class is offered for free (a $150 value); all we ask is that you register in advance so that we can plan accordingly. You’ll receive:

• Driver Handbook & Training Materials
• Certificate of Completion
• If you are not racing this weekend, you’ll receive a free spectator pit pass to Friday and/or Saturday’s event (a $20 value)
•  And the chance to win ChumpCar gear, including a deluxe racing equipment bag (valued at $200)!

In addition to embarking on your race craft adventure, this class could be your opportunity to join a team, find a group of chumps looking to start a new team, or inspire you to go home and pull out that 1987 Dodge Neon to build your own high performance racing machine!

Learn about…

Driver Basics

• Knowing Your Equipment…The car & safety gea
• Egress…Knowing when & how to get out of your car
• The Lay O’ the Land….The Track, the staff, the corner workers & safety crew
• Starting the Race
• On Track Safety…Passing, hand signals, off-track/safe re-entry, contact & safety retrieval/rescue
• Respect the Flags
• Pit In/Out & Paddock Etiquette
• Fueling Procedures

Driving Techniques

•  Vehicle Dynamics…Seating, hand position, mirrors & visual focus
•  Understanding “The Line”
•  Braking & Apexes
•  Throttle & Shifting
•  Heel & Toe Downshifting
•  Chassis & Suspension Basics…Camber, caster & toe-in
•  Driving at “The Limit”

QUESTIONS: 
Please contact us at infowest@chumpcar.com

LEARN MORE:

Your Instructors

The post Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series Offers FREE Introductory Road Racing Class appeared first on BangShift.com.

The post ChumpCar Action Gallery And Results From Pacific Raceway – The Roll-X Challenge! appeared first on BangShift.com.

This jewel of a road course is 2.238 miles in length with 180 feet in elevation change. It has eleven turns, including the famous “Corkscrew” at Turns 8 and 8A. What makes the Corkscrew a one-of –a kind turn in motorsports, with the hard-left and hard-right combination is the elevation change… equal to descending a 7-story building in less than 10 seconds and in less than 450 feet of linear track. The entry is a 12 percent drop. Once the racecar reaches the apex of Turn 8A (the right turn), the grade increases to 18 percent. Once you have maneuvered out of The Corkscrew the elevation falls another 109 feet between Turn 8 and Turn 9.

For some, conquering The Corkscrew was the biggest challenge awaiting them; for others the biggest challenge was off the track.  “The Flyin’ Hawaiians & 2 White Guys,” a team competing with a Datsun 280ZX, experienced a handful of trouble before they event got to the track. Their initial goal of getting to the track and be first in line for tech (in order to obtain one of the free batteries being giving out by ChumpCar’s Title Sponsor—Optima Batteries) were quickly dashed as the tongue of their trailer broke-off 10 miles before the raceway. Finding a trailer hitch installation shop cost them 2 hours of repair  time but, luckily, they did receive the free battery and had a smooth day of racing… coming in 9th place for the day!

As the gates opened, the hustle and bustle broke out as ChumpCar teams scrambled to make last minute adjustments and fine tune their race strategies.  At ten-o’clock cars were on grid and soon doing their parade lap.  But, as more bad luck would strike, the 1983 Mazda Miata of Leftover Parts Racing had to be towed in before the green flag was brought out.  After a quick look under the hood and fixing a loose clamp on the water hose, they were able to get back onto the track just in time to catch the green flag.  Thirty-nine cars took the green flag and it didn’t take long to realize that the West Coast Chumps didn’t suffer from ‘WRWS’—winter racing withdrawal syndrome—as claimed by some their East Coast Chumpadre’s at last month’s Road Atlanta event.

Within a few laps, everyone seemed to settle-in and get their racing rhythm back.  But, as always, there were a few mechanical issues that cropped up.  Shortly into the race, car #717 (Pony Express Racing in a 1990 Ford Mustang) came in, the driver reporting that they were done for the day with a broken differential.  A more detailed inspection identified the problem was in the brakes.  A 30-minute repair and they were able to get back out onto the track. Several other cars were in the paddock area trying to fix fuel pumps and clutch issues.  Only 2 cars suffered “catastrophic failures” — a blown engine and a broken constant-velocity joint.

Car#130 of Off-The-Scale Racing, campaigning a 1985 Mazda RX7, was not about to give up the fight.  Their transmission was slowly failing, requiring a serious change in race strategy.  Their “flat-out racing” plans changed to “nurse the car around the track,” in hope just to take the checkered flag.

It didn’t take long to see who the challengers were going to be.  Trading places throughout the day for the top five positions was car #525 (If It’s Not Punk It’s Junk Racing) with their well-worn 1992 BMW 525i and car #117 of Fear The Tree, driving a Mazda Miata, followed by Lamborarri ( Mazda Miata), Marvin the Martian Racing (1991 BMW E30 318is), and Gentlemen Geoffrey’s Motor Club (2002 Mercedes C320).

For anyone that is involved in motorsports, either by being a driver, crew, spouse, spectator, or even event staffers, there is one thing that is shared more than any other sport – comradery.  Call it what you want… community, fellowship, society and just great friendship.  Regardless of the term or what type of racing one does, when your fellow competitors are helping you put your car back together in order to get back out on the track, that really shows the great sportsmanship we all share.

At Laguna Seca, there were several examples of such sportsmanship.

Perhaps the best example was Team Lamborrari who, after paying for their car entry, was unable to get their car completed in time for the race. In steps Parabellum Racing – a solid, long-term ChumpCar team –who LOANS them a car.  They cobble together a team and, with two completely inexperienced drivers and one seasoned driver, manage a third place podium finish!  All of this thanks to Parabellum Racing who worked the pits and supported the entire effort.  That, my fellow Chump, is comradery.   Or, better yet – it’s just ChumpCar.

As the checkered flag dropped and cars began crossing the finish line, the car of Turdmeister Racing Group #1 (a 1992 BMW 325i) lost power about 500 feet from the finish line.  The car was coasting up the hill towards Start-Finish, inching closer and closer.  Spectators lined-up along the wall for the finish and were cheering the car and driver, hoping that their cheers would help propel the car over the finish line.

Running out of momentum, the car stopped about 100 feet from the finish line.  As it sat on the straight-away, the team car of Marvin the Martian Racing, who ended up in fourth and might have lost a position, slowed up behind the Bimmer and pushed the car over the finish line. To Marvin the Martian Racing, it wasn’t about what position they finished — it was helping out a fellow racer.

The race ended with 25 cars still on the track. 

THE OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS WERE:

1. #117 Fear The Tree – Mazda Miata

2. #525 It It’s Not Punk, It’s Junk GP – 1992 MBW 525i

3. #35  Lamborarri / Parabellum –  Mazda Miata

4. #3 Marvin the Martian Racing – 1991 BMW E30 318IS

The Optima Battery ChumpCar World Series would like to thank all of its sponsors, Chump drivers, and Chump fans.  We would not be able to do this without your continued support.

The next two (2) Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series races are both schedule for March 22-23 — one at Pacific Raceway with a double 7 endurance race; and, a 12 hour endurance race at Texas Motor Speedway. To find more about the Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series and the entire 2014 racing schedule, visit us at www.chumpcar.com.

The post ChumpCar Race Report: La Laguna Zeca-The Dry Lagoon – Chumps On The Corkscrew! appeared first on BangShift.com.

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The concept behind ChumpCar goes back to the time when everyone with a racing dream had a chance to participate and compete…when private racers weren’t crowded out by factory teams and unlimited budgets..back when winning had less to do with the size of your wallet and more to do with preparation, your ingenuity, driving skills and some good luck. ChumpCar teams take great pride in developing their cars to endure the world’s fastest and most challenging road courses, and coming up with the best strategy in hopes of winning a famous Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series Trophy.

Road Atlanta is a very challenging 2.54 mile, 12-turn world class road course, nestled in the rolling hills of Braselton, GA, 35 miles north of Atlanta. On February 7-8, 2014, over 500 Chumps invaded this amazing racetrack to test their cars and teams against 119 other teams for the first Sprint races of the 2014, as well as a 14-hr Endurance race.

The weekend kicked off with 35 cars entered in four sets of Sprint races. Sprint races are 40 minutes long and cars are divided into four classes, ranging from A-D, based on the engine displacement of the car. Class A cars have the smaller displacement engines and Class D feature the larger 6 and 8 cylinder engines.

The first two sprint races finished with little incident; however, the weekend’s first casualty came in Sprint Race # 3 when Team Infinity, a 1994 Infiniti J30, hit the wall head on at Turn #10 and destroyed everything in the front of the strut towers. Another casualty of the sprint races affected Team Cone Killers Porsche and their Porsche 944, when the driver overcooked turn #7 and instantly found the car in a 4-wheel loss of traction, putting the 944 into the wall, first with the right front, then slamming the right rear.

At the checker:

Sprint Race # 1—

Class A: Car # 83-Maximum Oversteer (1992 Acura Integra)

Class B: Car # 183-Junior Johnson Motorsports (1990 Volkswagon Jetta)

Class C: Car # 66-Jacky Ickx GT30 (1994 Mitsubishi 300)

Class D: Car # 14-Team Straight Welding (1999 Acura Integra)

Sprint Race #2—

Class A: Car # 83-Maximum Oversteer (1992 Acura Integra)

Class B: Car # 183-Junior Johnson Motorsports (1990 Volkswagon Jetta)

Class C: Car # 223-Flat Out Racing Z32 (1990 Nissan 300ZX)

Class D: Car # 14-Team Straight Welding (1999 Acura Integra)

Sprint Race #3—

Class A: Car # 40-Flying Tigers Racing (1994 Mazda Miata)

Class B: Car # 183-Junior Johnson Motorsports (1990 Volkswagon Jetta)

Class C: Car # 223-Flat Out Racing Z32 (1990 Nissan 300ZX)

Class D: Car # 14-Team Straight Welding (1999 Acura Integra)

Sprint Race #4—

Class A: Car # 40-Flying Tigers Racing (1994 Mazda Miata)

Class B: Car # 90-Swede Lil’ Pigs ( 1993 Saab)

Class C: Car # 917-Cone Crushers (1988 Porshe 944)

Class D: Car # 14-Team Straight Welding (1999 Acura Integra)

Overall Winner by class based on accumulated points—

Class A: Car # 40-Flying Tigers Racing (1994 Mazda Miata) tied with

Car # 83-Maximum Oversteer (1992 Acura Integra)

Class B: Car # 183-Junior Johnson Motorsports (1990 Volkswagon Jetta)

Class C: Car # 917-Cone Crushers (1988 Porshe 944)

Class D: Car # 14-Team Straight Welding (1999 Acura Integra)

With Friday’s sprint races complete, Saturday morning featured the start of ChumpCar’s 14-hour endurance race. The event started under clear skies and a relatively warm 59 degree weather – relative, that is, to the 22-degree days earlier that week.

Ninety-four cars took the green flag. It was evident from the start that a lot of the ChumpCar teams were seriously infected with ‘WRWS’—winter racing withdrawal syndrome—and were really anxious to get back to life with wide-open-throttle. As stated by series owner and Chief Chump, John Condren, “You can’t win the race on the first lap, but you can lose the race on the first lap.” It didn’t appear that many teams took that wise advice. As the first two hours of the race featured several yellow flags for off-course excursions and with cars taking Turn 12 to fast and sliding off track going through the straightaway.

As drivers settled in and got their racing feet back, everyone seemed to settle down and enjoyed the ride. However, the Chevy Malibu of team 5 Star decided to go off-roading and slid off the track to driver’s right, came back on the track bringing the fine Atlanta dirt onto the track. Unfortunately the car behind hit the dirt and spun out in turn #3 bringing out a full course yellow.

The race had a total of 14 yellows and 3 reds for the day but overall was great racing fun for all involved. It seemed the biggest infraction of the day was passing under yellow.

The first half of the race was dominated by Jacky Ickx GT 30, Flat Out Racing and Maximum Oversteer. With 6 hours into the race Special Forces and Mopar 4 Life entered into the top 5. With 7 hours down and 7 to go, MR2 Biohazard was making their way to the top and got into first place with 5 hours to go. Then out of the blue with 3 hours left Hong North worked their way into third place.

As the race was winding down MR2 Biohazard took a 4-lap lead over Mopar 4 Life and at one point was 5 laps ahead. However with 30 minutes left Mopar 4 Life had cut that lead by 3 laps and was consistently running faster laps than MR2 Biohazard. But there just wasn’t enough time to take the lead away from MR2 Biohazard.

The race ended with 57 cars still on the track.

 The official Race Results were:

1. #3812 MR2 Biohazard

2. #444 Mopar 4 Life

3. #191 Domination Chassis

4. #8 Hong North

5. #225 Flatout Racing SC300

The Optima Battery ChumpCar World Series would like to that all of its sponsors, Chump drivers, and Chump fans. We would not be able to do this without your continued support.

The next Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series race is schedule for March 8th at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca located in Monterey CA. To find more about ChumpCar and the entire racing schedule visit us at www.chumpcar.com.

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