A few months after my first time in a rental SRF3 during a time trial event at Barber Motorsports Park, I decided I wanted to pursue a full competition license with SCCA. Fortunately, I had recent driver’s school experience at PoleCat Training Center and didn’t need to attend another school before applying for an SCCA Road Racing Novice Permit. My next hurdle was to complete three race weekends. Of course, I planned to do a lot more than just three races in the coming year.
First Race Weekend: Ohio Valley Autumn Classic at Mid-Ohio, October 2023
The forecast for my first race weekend called for intermittent rain throughout. I’d had a few driving school events in the rain but this event would be entirely new to me. I was also using a different rental SRF3 equipped with a SADEV sequential transmission, data logging, and camera setups that weren’t available in my first rental. I had a LOT to take in that weekend.
The first race on Saturday greeted us with light rain and a completely soaked track. Puddles, standing water, and even some mud kicked up from a few off-track adventures were all over the course. We were all on treaded rain tires as opposed to racing slicks (another new experience for me). Even the formation lap at low speeds proved challenging to keep the cars pointed in the right direction. I started near the back of the pack of around 20 cars due to my mediocre qualifying result earlier.
Early in the race I kept pace with the handful of cars around me, passed a few slower cars, and began to gain more confidence in how the car handles in the rain. After a few hair-raising laps I misjudged a corner exit and put my left-rear tire on a slippery painted exit curb in the Keyhole (turn 2). This mistake spun me into the grass and I hit the wall with a crunch at my right-rear. The wall strike was at a low speed and the car seemed OK from the driver’s seat. I was able to get moving again but just a few laps later my right-rear tire was flat due to the rear bodywork puncturing the tire during the wall strike. I retired the car before finishing the race.
The B2 Motorsports crew quickly repaired the car (minor bodywork and suspension damage) and fitted a replacement rain tire for Sunday’s race. Sunday’s race still featured a wet track with some standing puddles but without constant rain the track was beginning to dry out. Some drivers opted for slicks while others stayed on rain tires. I stayed on rain tires as the skies were threatening more rain and the track itself was still mostly wet. I started in 16th and made my way to 12th place finishing the race without incident. My first of three races to gain my full competition license was in the books.
Second Race Weekend: American Road Race of Champions (ARRC) at Road Atlanta, November 2023
The ARRC has a long history in the SCCA and was the home of the National Championship Runoffs from 1970-1993. Since then, this regional race in late October/early November has remained popular with both regional and national competitors drawing large fields every year. In 2023 25 SRF3 entries joined me on grid.
Temperatures were below freezing for qualifying with some overnight rain/drizzle which kept the track damp in spots. Curbs were icy and my tires were so cold and hard that it felt like running on stone wheels like the Flintstones. My car also had a few spots of ice on the bodywork that slid off and hit me in the face as they started to melt. My helmet visor was fogging constantly. This time of year at Road Atlanta, the sun comes up just over turn 1 which meant that we’re all completely blinded going into the ~90mph turn.
I’m back in an older rental SRF3 with an H-pattern gearbox and an electrical issue intermittently cutting power during long straights. Fortunately, my goals for this weekend were only to finish cleanly and gain seat time while improving my track knowledge. I finished 19th on Saturday and 20th on Sunday without incidents.
End of 2023 Racing Season and SRF3 Purchase
After completing three events with rental SRF3 cars, I decided it was time to purchase one of my own. I had good experiences with rental cars overall and had already learned a lot, but I had a few other goals in mind that I’d need my own car to realize.
I felt like I needed some consistency in my car from race to race so I could focus more on my own inputs. Changing cars every race gave me different handling characteristics, different data logging and camera setups, and different seating positions. Each of these factors would be a minor inconvenience for a seasoned driver, but with my limited experience the differences between cars were limiting the attention I could give to the actual driving.
I had already proven to myself and my family that I was hooked on racing and would continue to pursue it. I had at least eight events planned for the following year so there was little chance the car would sit idle.
I also wanted the opportunity to maintain my own car with help from the crew at B2 Motorsports. B2 would continue to transport, store, and support the car at events but also agreed to train me to maintain it myself. Gaining the experience to work on my own car could only help my driver progression, in my opinion. If I understood how the suspension works, how to diagnose handling issues, and could perform simple maintenance I felt like I would start to gain more confidence in the car’s capabilities. I could also gain the knowledge to start making setup changes to suit my own driving style (yet to be developed).
My per-race cost renting versus owning my own car was largely identical since I still wanted B2 to store, transport, and support me during races. However, if I became proficient enough to maintain the car, purchased a trailer and all the requisite tools, and convinced my family to be my crew then I’d start to see some savings from ownership.
With all of this in mind, B2 Motorsports helped me source a blue and white used SRF3 that had a motor and transmission with only a handful of races on them. The car also came with a bunch of spares (some useful, some not). The car needed some basic updates and minor tweaks but was largely ready for action starting in 2024. The biggest change I made early on was to replace the installed Butler seat with a customized foam/bead seat molded to me. Many drivers prefer the Butler seats, but I found it uncomfortable and the seating position seemed too high. I felt like I was sitting on the car rather than in the car. A bead seat sits much lower and put me in more of a reclined position rather than completely upright (this is adjustable during fitting). With that change made along with a few more track days at Barber and Road Atlanta, I was ready for my first race of 2024 and the last race needed to earn my full competition license: Roebling Road.
Third Race Weekend: Jim Stark Double SARRC at Roebling Road, April 2024
Roebling Road Raceway is a deceptively simple 9-turn course located outside of Savannah, Georgia. I had a brand new seat as well as a new camera setup that automatically records and synchronizes with the onboard data logging and dash systems.
Most of the practice day was spent ironing out the new camera system and working with B2 to understand how to analyze the data so I could go faster. We immediately realized I wasn’t holding the throttle at 100% in turn 3. Neither setup changes or driving line changes helped my confidence in keeping the throttle pinned. I always felt like the car was going to slide off the track if I kept my foot in the throttle. This issue would become a persistent problem in future races.
During Saturday’s race I only managed fifth out of a small field of eight cars which was disappointing since I had the pace to run in the top three. I wasn’t confident running in the draft during the long straight at Roebling and was still nervous about running wheel-to-wheel generally. I ended up yielding corners instead of challenging the competition. Sunday’s race was far more satisfying as I was able to find a bit more pace and keep up with the leaders while earning second place and my first podium!
I had finally reached my goal of earning my full competition license. This achievement opens up an entirely new tier of racing for me which I was already planning on my long drive home from Roebling.
More from B2 Motorsports
Read more on the B2 Motorsports blog, see how an SRF3 weekend works on Race With Us, or learn about the Driver Development Program. Questions? Contact us, call or text 256-910-0658, or email info@b2motorsports.com.