Sunday, November 12, 2017



Trans Am Pro Round 3 Overall Winner: #316 Dave Hutton (2-1)



Trans Am Sportsman Round 3 Overall Winner: Eric Richard



Trans Am Pro Race 1 Winner: #26 Tom Lory (12 laps, 21:56.925, 1.160" margin of victory, 12 laps led)



Trans Am Sportsman Race 1 Winner: #66 Jim Carvalho (12 laps, 22:38.296, 1.505" margin of victory)



Trans Am Pro Race 2 Winner: #316 Dave Hutton (12 laps, 22:05.990, 1.570" margin of victory, 5 laps led)



Trans Am Sportsman Race 2 Winner: #707 Robert Lemon (12 laps, 22:50.264, 0.532" margin of victory)



Trans Am closest finish: Race 2 P4 #05 Barry King / P5 #66 Jim Carvalho (0.364 sec)

Trans Am Pro Round 3 Results OFFICIAL



Trans Am overall winner: Dave Hutton (2-1)
Trans Am pole: Dave Hutton (1:48.196)
Trans Am Race 1 fast lap: Tom Lory (1:48.330)
Trans Am Race 2 fast lap: Pat Sweeney (1:48.285)

Trans Am Sportsman Round 3 Results OFFICIAL



Trans Am Sportsman overall winner: Eric Richard (2-2 / 9-7 overall)
Trans Am Sportsman pole: Eric Richard (1:51.030) NEW RECORD
Trans Am Sportsman Race 1 fast lap: Eric Richard (1:50.904)
Trans Am Sportsman Race 2 fast lap: Eric Richard (1:50.815)

2017 Trans Am Championship Standings Through Round 3 OFFICIAL

1 . #316 Dave Hutton ( Kohler Engines TUM ) 782
2 . #36 Pat Sweeney ( Red Bull TUM ) 760
3 . #71 Cam Porter ( Weyland-Yutan ) 735
4 . #26 Tom Lory ( IROC GoPro Evol ) 728
5 . #77 Kevin Juliot ( Mountain Dew TUM ) 711
6 . #900 Brandon Smith ( AMC GoPro Evol ) 688
7 . Yoan Lamontagne ( privateer ) 546
8 . #135 Chris Sherburn ( Huberts Lemonade GBR ) 309
9 . #76 Rich Minkler ( Jagermeister TUM ) 231

2017 Trans Am Sportsman Championship Standings Through Round 3 OFFICIAL

1 . #707 Robert Lemon ( Eagle Claw ) 505
2 . #05 Barry King ( Supercheap Auto ) 474
3 . #3 Eric Richard ( privateer ) 345
4 . #16 Jim Carvalho ( Chaparral ) 338
5 . #39 Max Frechette ( Captain America ) 303
6 . #14 Tim Porter ( K-Tel ) 279

Race 1 Finishing Order OFFICIAL

1 . #26 Tom Lory ( IROC GoPro Evol )
2 . #316 Dave Hutton ( Kohler Engines TUM )
3 . #900 Brandon Smith ( AMC GoPro Evol )
4 . #36 Pat Sweeney ( Red Bull TUM )
5 . #77 Kevin Juliot ( Mountain Dew TUM )
6 . #71 Cam Porter ( Weyland-Yutan )
7 . Yoan Lamontagne ( privateer )
8 . #16 Jim Carvalho ( Chaparral )
9 . #3 Eric Richard ( privateer )
10 . #707 Robert Lemon ( Eagle Claw )
11 . #39 Max Frechette ( Captain America )
12 . #14 Tim Porter ( K-Tel )
13 . #05 Barry King ( Supercheap Auto )
14 . #135 Chris Sherburn ( Huberts Lemonade GBR ) DNF

Race 2 Finishing Order OFFICIAL

1 . #316 Dave Hutton ( Kohler Engines TUM )
2 . #36 Pat Sweeney ( Red Bull TUM )
3 . #71 Cam Porter ( Weyland-Yutan )
4 . #77 Kevin Juliot ( Mountain Dew TUM )
5 . #26 Tom Lory ( IROC GoPro Evol )
6 . #707 Robert Lemon ( Eagle Claw )
7 . #3 Eric Richard ( privateer )
8 . #135 Chris Sherburn ( Huberts Lemonade GBR )
9 . #39 Max Frechette ( Captain America )
10 . #05 Barry King ( Supercheap Auto )
11 . #16 Jim Carvalho ( Chaparral )
12 . #900 Brandon Smith ( AMC GoPro Evol )
13 . Yoan Lamontagne ( privateer )
14 . #14 Tim Porter ( K-Tel ) DNF

Monday night

Replays: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F7zhB- ... sp=sharing

Official Practice stats:



Qualifying stats:



Race 1 stats:



Race 2 stats:

Kind of went as expected for me. This has always been one of my weaker tracks. I did not have much practise or confidence arriving in Sonoma. I used my Thunderhill set because I did not have time to build one from scratch. I felt my set could have been better. Spent official practise just relearning the track. Race one was a pretty lonely drive in sixth. Race two was more exciting. I got a break early on and fought my way to first. I had some space, but then Pat and Dave were charging. They relegated me to third pretty handily. It was lonely again after that. Fun racing though. See y'all next week.

Congrats to the winners and podium finishers

Love driving this track but racing it is a very technical track and nearly impossible to pass someone. Practice went about as I thought my time would be and carried over into Qualy where I got my first 48 this season here. Gridded me 5th for race one.

Race One: Didn't have good feelings about this race after all the practice starts and not coming out of turn 2 unscathed. Managed to get a ok start and after the first lap found myself in 4th with Pat on my tail. I managed to make a mistake big enough for Pat to go sailing by me. I just tried to stay on him as he set off after Hutty in 3rd, we managed to catch up but I was loosing some time to both of them. The gap closed up a bit after Tom's Baja exhibition driving. But we all finished in the spot we were in, me in 5th where I started.

Race Two: Another scramble start due to inversion, I lost a couple of spots. After the first couple of laps things settled in and I ended up running 4th for the rest of the race. Latter stages of the race after making a mistake I lost a bunch of time allowing Tom to get up to me. We battled pretty hard to the end and I managed to hold him off.

Just wanted to add that after watching the replay of the beginning laps of race two it looks like Tim and I had a side slap heading down into the carousal that caused Tim a flat. Really sorry about that Tim, I didn't even know we touched till after watching the replay, I was just following Hutty down through there.

Hopefully Laguna Seca being a little wider and flowing track we have less carnage.

It's the wallowing.
I like driving the car, but I have a hard time driving it fast.
Because of the wallowing, like I said.
Doesn't turn real sharp, or brake really fast, but it wallows like nobody's business. Gotta wallow from one turn to the next with an impeccable sense of timing. Riding the tide of centripetal force and inertia, hoping that eventually, her tantrum will be spent so that finally, a change direction that would allow an inevitable wallow through the next corner.

I can wallow in self pity, and wallow in self doubt, but I can't wallow in turn three at Sears Point.

It's the wallowing. I'll catch on eventually.

Loved the track

Killer night of racing gents, especially race one with a mirror full of hungry spicy efnet racers
Be looking for more next week guys.. Two thumbs up!

Lots of excellent racing throughout the field, so close to duplicating real world high level sedan racing if not for an avoidable incident or two.

Even though I've only done a few laps at Sonoma Raceway (when it was called Sears Point) and despite having done somewhere around 100 at Thunderhill, I have to call Sonoma my home track as it is only about 15 minutes away from our house.

I started the week vowing to put in a big effort for this race but I let most of my preparation go till Saturday night (IIRC) so I started practicing a little earlier on Sunday than I usually do. For whatever reason, I was a little quicker more easily on Saturday with a theoretical best in the 47s and a couple of 48.3s while racing AI but it appeared to be looking okay with no one else able to get down into the 47s.

I hit something (I don't recall) on my third qualifying lap which made me switch to the backup car and cost me at least two hot laps. I may have briefly had top time but I was looking at third place for most of the session until I finally matched the 48.3 from earlier which held up by 0.038 seconds for a front row start.

I got a rare bad start out of the way during the first practice start and seemingly got a great one for the Race 1 which gave me a little bit of breathing room as there was tussle over second place that last awhile.

Once things settled down a bit, Hutton and I battled for the win for the majority of the 12 laps. On Lap 6, I missed my turn in for one of the esses which put me out of rhythm as I struggled to get back on the racing line which contributed to Hutton collecting me and sending me off track at something around 100 mph. I almost immediately found myself on the pavement that is used for the "Indycar" layout with no time to actually think other than go with my first impulse that if I continued I would re-enter with a very favorable trajectory at the fast right hand Turn 10 and that I would be cutting the track so I headed for the dry grass which led me to the chicane curbing and initially very nice and level flight two or three feet of the ground until the Camaro's aero balance kicked in and I landed nose down which possibly scrubbed enough speed that I skittered back onto the racing surface pointed in the right direction just before Turn 10. It was worth a laugh while watching the replay from Dave's in-car perspective. Baja 1000! Hutton and Brandon both had momentum on me but Dave went wide onto the grass which slowed him down and allowed me to regain the lead and blocked Brandon enough that he couldn't take any advantage. In addition to that event, Hutton almost got me twice both as result of being slow through and or out of the Carousel and possibly having a little bit better brakes. The better opportunity had us side-by-side with Hutton in the inside through 7 and 7A. Had he had not spun up on exit, he almost certainly would have taken the lead. That may have been the slap in the face that finally helped my focus and was able to put in the fast lap of the race and build a small gap.

I was so relieved when the checkered flag waived, I haven't won a series championship round Race 1 race since Motegi with the 240Z in June and I was especially happy to get it done at my home track.

Had some bad luck coupled with not leaving much room for error in Race 2 which pretty well negated the win as far as gaining much in the standings but I had fun especially battling with KJ for P4.

I couldn't watch all of both races nor especially watch everyone's race and I can't compliment everyone but I can't help but mention that Jim Caravalho is looking really good, nice and smooth and evidently fast as he was top Sportsman in Race 1, I'm happy to hear Mr Lemon's enthusiasm and that I believe that we have Max back for the rest of the season (hope that's right).

I'm excited for both classes but for whatever reason I always hope a little extra for the Sportsmen to have a good race.

Chris Sherburn is a former champ and I am grateful for his joining us with I expect very little if any practice in a car that he does not love. With Bones sounding like he's struggling a bit with the Cuda, I'll make an effort to share my setups from the 2015 season. I liked the Cuda and only remember it lacking a bit of front grip and sometimes being in between gears but it's definitely fast and stable. Competition and enjoying a competitive advantage due to setup skills is part of the game but most (maybe all) of the Pros will share their setups in the interest of a good time for all, especially with drivers who are struggling.

Congratulations to Tom, Dave,and Bobby on the wins.

I felt lucky to get a good start for Heat 1 and didn't lose any places. (Hey! That's good for me.) The rest of lap 1 went pretty well, as I managed to get by Eric before we got to turn 6 and relegated Bobby a spot going into 11. I started to pull out a tiny gap, but then had a small bobble exiting turn 2 on lap 3. I was dealing with a very threatening Mustang for the rest of that lap and the next. Bobby had a slight "traction event" going into 6 which put him back into Eric's clutches. Eric and Bobby kept each other pretty distracted and a little off pace for several laps, with Tim and Max joining in for a while. Looked like a lot of fun. Eric finally got Bobby going into the esses, but ran out of laps. He was definitely the quickest Sportsman. But ...

"You're only as good as your last race."

Heat 2 I was moving backwards almost from the green. By lap 2, Tom had gotten by me and was being careful with the Sportsmen. I wasn't being quite as careful and gave him a little nudge in 4 while he was giving some space. Then I got him again on the exit of 6 while he was trying to get by another driver, but this time he did a 360. I slowed to let him by going into the esses, but it cost him a a few places. Sorry, Tom. After that my concentration was shot, and I spun in 6 a couple times. Not that smooth. I recovered enough to have some fun chasing Barry at the end.

Looking forward to the 3rd NorCal track next week.

Congrats Tom, Dave, Jim and Bobby on your wins and to the rest of the podium too. Tough track as always, tough to pass, an off camber nightmare and curbing that can kill. Other than that, provided a great racing experience for me this time. One hell of time racing Brandon. Went over my head at one point, pancaked the right side of T1 kink going side by side with him. But had a great time. Looking forward to Laguna! See you all Sunday. Cheers

So...cut me a little slack on this guys, first try and still figuring everything out.
Its pretty raw and covers the race from start to finish, tried to stay with the good fights for position but also include as many as possible in frame.
I'll keep working as the season progresses and hopefully so will the movies...enjoy the show!
Next up laguna

Crap! Can someone tell me if that link is bunk.. If so give me a heads up how to post it up

Link doesn't go to your video. But interesting that when I click on it it goes to my Youtube channel. So I'm guessing it's a link to your channel owner page, same as mine did.

Think part of the problem is it says "edit" in your URL link and should be "watch" like this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiR4kQRY510

I tried messing around with your link to get it to work and was unsuccessful.

Thanks for the good info KJ..I get it sorted out boys

I think this is the right link this time guys, dont know why but you will have to start it from the begining it wants to start at mid race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hleL_QRIXk

Thanks for the work you put into this, very nice. Was fun to watch, you covered everybody.

+1

I second that Bob! Great job