Hey guys, I thought I would post this article written by Tim Myers. Tim is sponsored by Alan Cox Automotive and is part of the Team Redline Race Team. Tim recently won at Road Atlanta in his 2004 Mazda 3. Had a race last weekend at Road Atlanta. Thanks to Justin, Katie, Chris and even Jon Stapp that came up to say hello and check out some great racing. Pre-Race: I went by the shop and the guys asked me what I thought about the pending race at Road Atlanta. I told Justin and Jman that I didn't think I would win that weekend and was hoping for a podium (2nd or 3rd) to win a bit of money. I said it would be a good weekend if I could finish 2nd or 3rd but that since I had driven the "3" at Road Atlanta last year and wasn't impressed with the car at that track (thought my Civic Si was a better car there) that I didn't have a chance to win. At the same time I was a bit pumped that Road Atlanta had been repaved and I knew it would be fasttttt. To make matter worse, the fastest Mazda 3 and Mazda 3 driver in the country was coming to Road Atlanta and had already won 7 races out west this year. He also is who I bought my race motor from and he runs a business that includes building/prepping and transporting customers Mazda's. His nickname is "McTexas" and he and car are BAD FAST. I already didn't think I could do better than 2nd or 3rd. Now that McTexas was coming I actually though 4th would be equally a good showing for me this weekend. Qualifying: 2 qualifying sessions, 1 early in the morning (perfect conditions) and 1 that would be late in the afternoon (hotter and not as fast). I did not have time to get my 17" tires mounted in time for the qualifying session so I was going out on 16" 710 Kumho's which I have not seemed to be faster on in testing etc. I went out in the first qualifying session and started running my laps. While I had hoped to run 2 or 3 laps and park it hoping for the best, I never really got a good lap without traffic or someone pinching my lap or a corner. I realized on lap 8 during qualifying (too many) that I was not going to get any faster than I had already gone and probably was eating up some tire life that I needed for the race. At the same time I was glad to get the laps in on the new pavement. When I pulled off the track though I was shaking my head and did not think I had done very well and certainly thought I would do better in the afternoon. I also had not seen "McTexas" Mazda 3 out there in qualifying so I wondered how fast he was and how ugly I may have been. After qualifying they impounded all of our cars for technical inspection. While sitting in line to go over the scales to get weighed I pulled off my helmet somewhat in disgust and could hear the track announcer "On the pole by a comfortable margin is Tim Myers from Marietta, GA in the Kumho/Mazdaspeed/Alan Cox Automotive Mazda 3. I about poop myself. The very next thought was "how was McTexas not faster" and darn how much faster could I have gone with a cleaner/less traffic non-compromised lap"? I had run the fastest lap by .6 second (nearly .7) which again is a pretty large margin for our class. Qualifying session 2: As I started to get ready for qualifying session 2 I had had ordered my tires and had them drop shipped to the track. I did this because the usual place my tires ship from was late so Kumho had to bypass a set from Tirerack and have them sent to me, the size I needed 225/45/17. I went up to the office to get my 17" tires and freaked out. Turns out Kumho asked Tirerack to send me the 17" tires, but 16" 710's had been sent instead. This is a secondary size I can run and use, but not what I wanted, nor expected. I was pissed and this stressed me out a bit. I had hoped to strap on the 17" tire that I believed I was faster on and go out in the afternoon and run faster, and more importanly holding off McTexas. I got the tires mounted and did some gameplanning with my step father. He said I didn't have anything to sweat about because it had gotten hot enough that nobody was going to be faster in the afternoon, and certainly not as fast as I had run away in qualifying. I again sat in the pits watching lap times to see if anyone was going to take the pole from me. They did not, although they were getting a bit closer. McTexas dropped his lap times every lap. I finally threw down the ICard timer and headed out. I needed to scrub my sticker tires and was going to run 2 laps and bring it in, regardless of what I ran, but I was going to try to run as fast as I could. I not do faster. Immediate suspense waiting to hear from the announcer that I was still on the pole from the morning. FINALLY he said it "Tim Myers is still on the pole. Everyone ran faster except Tim Myers in this session, but not fast enough". McTexas had gone the fastest of everyone in this afternoon session but only fast enough for 5th overall in qualifying. I was shocked to hear this, but knew "he will be a coming" Pre-Race gaming: McTexas is a great guy, great racer and had come a long way to Atlanta from Texas (16 hours 1 way). I knew this and so did everyone else. McTexas came by and in a nice way that had a bit of an understandable tone he said "I would love nothing better than a 1-2 Mazda finish for Mazda". I said I agreed. He then said "I will try to get to you and work together with you OR if I get around you try to work with me and we will leave these other guys and then fight it out between us". I said I agree. Then his parting comment: "With all that in mind, don't lose fact that I didn't drive 32 hours here and back to NOT win this race". My response: "I know that McTexas, but I didn't come to my home track and qualify on the pole to lose it to a guy that is coming in to try to take it". Good chuckle but it was clearly ON. Race: 1st concern for race, was I on the inside = YES . I got a great start and held off a Toyota Corrolla XRS (lots power, lightweight) down the front straight and into turn 1. Now this is key to get through turn 1 at Road Atlanta because you go up the hill to a right hander that being on the inside is superior. The reason for this is because a guy to your left wants the track where you are to make the right hander and either has to make a low percentage move to take it OR give up and fall in line behind the guy to the inside (turn 3). He gave up and fell in behind me nipping my bumper. I was sure that this XRS would kille me on the long straight so I was concentrating on hitting my marks and driving a superior line to try to get a couple of car lengths distance to try to hold him off on the straight. I got a better run through turn 7 and had a few lengths and the long drag race was on. At this point in the mirror is everyone in my class bumper to bumper. The XRS pulled to my bumper between the bridge and the "crest of the hill" before turn 10 heavy braking zone. I was pumping my fist up and down and telling the XRS "bump draft me when you get to my bumper and let's leave these guys". I was a bit shocked at he couldn't quite get to my bumper and then we entered the brake zone. I was WAYYY late (but perfect) in the braking zone and was shocked that when I came out of turn 10-B that I had pulled a few car lengths. I had just owned the XRS in braking and immediately knew this is where I would be better. At the same time I could see that McTexas (who had fallen to 6th at the start) was moving up. My step dad on the radio told me as I came by start/finish line in front of where he was standing that I had had a great start and now to run good/fast and clean laps and to concentrate. I did exactly that and put my head down. On lap 2 again the XRS pulled to my bumper on the long straight and I pulled away some in the braking zone. I was already crapping thinking this is going to be a tough dealio. Rest of the race? Hate to say it this way (maybe Chris and Justin will offer their opinion) but on lap 4 or 5 I was wayyy in the lead. I had just run really fast laps back to back (actually within .1 seconds) while the rest of the guys in my race were battling a bit and frankly the XRS seemed to be way back this early in the race. My step dad kept feeding me info and telling me I was PWNING and to keep concentrating. I got a radio message from my step dad at the half way mark and started talking to myself (out loud) COME ON, and CONCENTRATE as I knew the only way I would lose this race was if I lost my mind or concentration for a millisecond. This was almost too easy at this point and I knew the only way to get beat was to beat myself (has happened before). With 6 laps left I was in a comfortable 7.9 second lead. I had another car in another class again right behind me and gave him a signal that I would let him go to the inside in turn 1. He took this space/little extra brake from me and he cleared me. I got back on the gas and now was pinned on his bumper trying to keep my momentum. At turn 3 he spun out and I was hard on the brakes as he crossed the track twice. I was yelling in my brain "2 feet in in a spin" as I taught most of you guys so that he would get predictable in a hurry and I could clear him and he did exactly that and finally swooshed off the track and I cleared. I had a nastly flashback of a few years ago, similiar situation in turn 1 where a car crossed the track 3 times in front of me, didn't put 2 feet in and "snapped" around and I T-Boned him. Well? I won the race by 6.6 seconds and if I must say so myself (keep me honest Justin and Chris) in somewhat dominating fashion and never really had a threat from behind. Now make no mistake McTexas was coming, but I ran fast enough and consistent enough laps that he just couldn't eat into my lead enough lap after lap to get to me. Next race: Daytona International Speedway (yup yup) May 5th. This is unless I go far to an April race to pick up some points out of my area...
Qualifying Time I will find out about his Qualifying Time. He did take the Pole and never lost the lead. J Man