don’t forget to watch in hd

adrian t.

This past Sunday we headed out to Chuckwalla Raceway, a track that is in its infancy, but yet epic to drive. The weather reports weeks prior were pretty dismal, but somehow the track gods answered everyone’s prayers and it was a clear, cool day.

Since Tom’s hatch is still out of commission, it was a good chance to stretch his stock CR’s legs out. I drove my slightly modded S2K to get some practice before the S2K Challenge in June. Its rare for us to get some track time together because we always sign up for different run groups, so today was a chance to get some good battles in.

The sunny skies, cool weather, 54 degree high, ride-alongs, and battles results in the following video.

Thanks for watching

by: adrian t.

January 30, 2011

Buttonwillow Raceway, Buttonwillow, CA

The 2011 Speedventures’ S2000 Challenge kicked off this year in a spectacular rain soaked event. The whole month prior to this day had been cool breezes and sunny skies, making the weather seem perfect for fast lap times at the infamous Buttonwillow 13 time attack configuration. Unfortunately, the pending storm couldn’t have held off for one more day and it soaked the track the night before.

The talk around the paddock was less about setup but more about driving fast in the rain. Standing water, slick patches, and slippery burms made for an eye-opening driving experience, especially for those with little rain experience.

The format for the day was “fastest lap” from session 2-4. The rain subsided enough in the morning that the cars in session 1 dried the race line enough to put decent laps in session 2. Then in session 2, scattered showers occurred making half the track damp, while the other track was dry. Around lunch time the rain poured on the track, soaking all the hard work of drying it in the morning. I, as with most drivers, managed my fastest time of the day in session 2.

The final results netted me in 6th placed with a time of 2:10.057

Ultimately, the rain at the track was nothing compared to the rain on the drive home. See you next time.

Redline Time Attack
AutoClub Speedway
11/14/10

Enthusiast RWD
2:03.143….slow =\

KWV3
Cobalt XR2/XR5
Stock Wheels Dunlop Star Specs 225/255

Photos: taken from various members of www.s2ki.com

In 2007 at the American Honda Motor Co Inc. headquarters, in Torrance, California, the largest gathering of S2000′s assembled in the parking lot into the event known as Homecoming. Nearly 500 s2000 from all over  North America traveled to be part of it. Chief engineer, Shigeru Uehara, aka the “Father of the S2000″ made his appearance to reveal the new s2000 CR, Club Racer, to the masses.

Then, in 2009 rumors and interest of a Homecoming II emerged on the S2ki forums. Michael Trinh and his team worked quickly to talk to Honda to secure a date and work through all the logistics. He updated frequently to let everyone know what was going on. Then when all was set, Homecoming II was announced.

More than a year in the making, Homecoming II was here…

(more…)

Video from Ken Block’s Gymkhana Grid Test and Media Day
8/8/10
Hollywood Park

Redline Time Attack AutoClub 2010 from RaceLikeBunnies on Vimeo.

by: adrian t.



In any market there has to be a niche. To feed that niche, there has to be a core group of people who are passionate and dedicated to it. To the members of the California Indoor Racing Karting League, they not only feed the niche, they fuel it. They have built a big enough following that import legends, Bergenholtz brothers, and Formula Drift driver, Joon Maeng, are members of the league. Every month, when CIRKL hosts a race at various K1speed facilities in California, and where championship points are on the line, each member karts their heart out.

This isn’t your Sunday afternoon local mini golf go karts. These are serious torque-monsters claimed to have a top speed of 40mph. So when your ass is 2 inches off the ground, thats fast. As a spectator though, the speed can be deceiving; maybe its because there is no visceral percussion of the air hitting your chest, or hearing the Doppler effect when a motor screams past your ears. You only hear the whine of the electric motor and the tires as they find grip all the while top 40 music is blaring in the background. However, to take away the heroism from these karters would be a crime, because there is still risk and danger at every corner.

Our karting guru, Brian, invited me to their 4th race held at the Ontario, CA facility. Having participated in one of these “super track” events once before, and being invited as a spectator, I’ve noticed one thing hasn’t changed: unlike many of the track days, HPDEs, time attacks, and race events, egos here aren’t checked at the door, they explode at the door. But who’s to say thats a bad thing. The faster guys constantly have a target on their head, each kart is the same spec, and strategies play major roles on who wins and who loses. This all makes for close racing…..and drama.

The format is simple. Each driver is broken down into 3 run groups. Each group has 2 qualifying sessions of 14 minutes. (i think) Based on the qualifying times, drivers are further broken down into 2 groups: A and B. The qualifying times also determine your grid order for the race. First one to finish the 7lap race wins. And points are assessed per the rules of CIRKL. In qualifying, Brian was plagued with undercharged karts, netting him lap times that were 2 secs slower than the front of the pack. Reluctantly, it was just fast enough land him the bubble spot on the A group — fast group. During the race it was a rolling start and by lap 3, a crash happened which Brian was able to edge by netting him a new position of 6th place which he kept at the end of the race.

As the race ended, and karters were coming out of the track, many blamed the karts, and others blamed each other. But at the end of the night, it was all smiles. It was like witnessing a group of brothers who fight, only to play again, only to fight again. These karters take serious pride in their discipline. The lack of media, trophy girls, and spectators aren’t why they do it. It is for the camaraderie, the competition, and bonding that they keep returning….the free cookies probably help to. It is equivalent to a pick-up game at the park with your friends. But most of all, if you ask any real racer they will tell you this, “a bad day at the track is always better than a good day at work.” So kart your heart out, or else someone else will do it for you.

RLB:make_moves

www.k1speed.com
www.cirkl.org