I'm heading back to Thunderhill this year to try and overcome my curse of never having finished a 24 or 25 hour race. This year I'm teaming up with RJ Racing in the #23 E2 class Mazda Miata for the effort. RJ Racing is a top notch west coast team that scored podium finishes at the NASA Championships, and had an excellent showing in last year's 25. We're honored they invited us aboard for a backstage look. We'll have a full story from behind the wheel in the April issue.
Here's some shots of the car from last year's 25
Connectivity at the track is pretty good, so I should be able to post with some frequency. Feel free to post questions or just to let me know if there's anyone you want me to go poke for you.
I'll also be Twittering as time permits. Follow along @JGPasterjak (http://twitter.com/jgpasterjak)
And, finally, for the folks that will be there, I'll have a special treat for everyone Saturday night. We're commandeering a Thunderhill concession cart and serving coffee, hot chocolate and whatever else is on the cart until it runs out, courtesy of GRM. Look for me sometime between 9 and midnight Saturday, rolling through the paddock.
jg
Sweet. Have fun, stay safe, and good luck.
Cheering for ya, JG..that would be a nice one to have under the belt.
And he's off! In theory, JG's plane takes off soon. In fact, he might be boarding this very minute.
Nasa says it will be shown on Versus, but in early 2010 
I hope RJ racing is aware that you are a hexed individual...
Capt Slow wrote:
I hope RJ racing is aware that you are a hexed individual...
Fully aware. They're hoping to be the first to help break my curse.
jg
GRM at the 25 has historically been my favorite article. I have missed it on the years you have not gone. Keep it up!
maroon92 wrote:
GRM at the 25 has historically been my favorite article. I have missed it on the years you have not gone. Keep it up!
Aww. You're sweet. I love doing those stories. More than that, I love being taken under the wings of various teams and getting to be a part of the team spirit that makes these efforts possible. So much fun, and so fun to write the story.
Remember, I'll be posting in this thread, twittering http://twitter.com/jgpasterjak
and Facebooking at http://www.facebook.com/jpasterjak
in addition to posting in this thread. There's also a Photobucket albumhttp://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc241/jpasterjak/Thunderhill%202010%20mobile%20uploads/ for pictures that don't seem to go anywhere else.
Chances are I'll be using all four as time and resources allow. This should make reading the story a lot more fun in a couple of months as you can go back and see where I tried to embellish. Like by adding a hot tub to my hotel room. Which totally exists tonight.
jg
Yesterday was a bit of a blur, and I never even got over to the tower to hook up my computer. And when I got back to the room I fell asleep in a chair.
Long story short, the RJ Racing Miata feels fantastic. All we did yesterday was drive. No thrashing, no finishing the car, just driving. It's a PTE car, not a Spec Miata, so they were able to take advantage of a few rules to make it a bit of a better enduro car, and make some suspension tweaks to help t handle a bit better. Long story short, Miatas are awesome.
The manual steering bucks and slaps you around a little on the bumpy Thunderhill surface, and I guessed completely wrong on my driving position on my first try. we made another seat insert and now I'm humping up on the wheel NASCAR style, which should make the kicky wheel a bit more of my bitch and help fight arm fatigue.
I uploaded a bunch of random photos to my gallery here
I'll also be doing an hour in Mazda's "25 in 25" car. They're trying to set a record for finishing a 25 hour race with 25 different drivers. I'm filing in for Patrick Dempsey because he couldn't make it, probably because he had a nervous breakdown after he realized he'd never be as handsome as George Clooney. Because, you know, when you can't get Patrick Dempsey, I'm clearly you're second choice.
Heading to the track now and I'll set up in the media center and post a little more throughout the day.
jg
Some new shots up here.
Already a few guys down after just a few laps, and a few cars parked in the pits that never started. It's just a merciless race. Sports racers and Porsche GT3s leading, followed by seemingly every BMW 3-Series in the world, followed by a gaggle of Miatas.
While I'm here, a gratuitous plug for http://www.weekend-racer.com/. He's supporting RJ racing this weekend, and crewing as well.
So far things are smooth in our little corner of the world. We took a little rub from a BMW, but there were no ill effects.
jg
Hey,
Don' take no rubbin' from no E30! 
If it helps, think of it as an endurance , not a . Shuffle the faster cars past you as smooth and quick as you can. Look for simple passing opportunities on the slower cars; they're slower, it shouldn't be risky to make the pass. Watch out for turn 3. And all that goes double in the dark.
Good luck! Wave the GRM flag with lots of pride! We're all rooting for you.
[edit - that was wierd from the site editor. What I typed was, an endurance event, not a race]
David
My first stint came and went without incident, although the sunset is absolutely brutal heading up into turn 9. I certainly wasn't what i'd call "fast," but I stayed out of trouble and held position.
One thing I'm learning quickly is that driving a "momentum" car like a Miata can be very frustrating when there are so many different types of cars on track. One tiny move, even to let a much faster car by, can kill momentum and cost a few second a lap if you aren't careful. underpowered cars like this are incredibly line-dependent, and when there's 70 cars of widely varying speeds you can't always be on line.
We did our first four-tire change at about the seven-hour mark under a full-course yellow. It was impeccably smooth and well-organized, which is a theme that seems to permeate the whole RJ Racing squad. They're not real intense guys–quite a nice friendly mix of folks, really—but the level of organization is stellar. Things are so much calmer when everyone knows what to do and when to do it.
I should be in the Mazdaspeed 25 in 25 car about 2am, and back in the RJ car around 4 or 5am. gonna give away some free coffee and snacks in a couple hours, and maybe even grab a nap.
A few new photos up here.
jg
First major incident of the race a couple hours ago. MER's crazy World Challenge-powerplanted MX5 had a major impact and roll which ended with our pal Charles Espenlaub being on fire for longer than he usually likes to be. He was airlifted to UCDavis' burn center, and the last word we got was that he's a little singed on the hands, but otherwise okay.
The RJ Racing Miata is up to 24th overall, and 4th in the E2 class. Solid as a rock so far.
jg
Good to hear Charles is OK. And I've got to give some "props" to see somebody like that (with a Pro ride in the Speed Cup) running just for the helluvit...
The RJ Racing car was involved in a pretty heavy crash at about 12:30am. Broke the right front upper control arm all to hell. A few smacks with a large object, a new control arm and a quick corner weighting and alignment later and the car was back in the race about an hour after the incident. Shortly after it went back out after the crash repair we turned our best time of the race by over two seconds. So here's your speed secret for the day: Have an Integra and a Spec E30 crash into you and your car will be faster.
In case I haven't mentioned it before (and I know I have, but it bears repeating) the RJ Racing guys have their crap together. After the crash, nobody freaked out, and when it was determined that the damage was repairable, they repaired it quickly and methodically, and damn well, too seeing as how the car was faster.
we're currently in 6th place in class, and 29th overall. Both darn good considering the crash. darn good crash or no crash, really. The sun is coming up and it looks like i may finally make it to the end of one of these things.
Als did my stint in the Mazdaspeed MX5 cup 25 in 25 car. mazda is looking to put 25 drivers in the car in 25 hours, and so far it's going well. I fet terribly in the car, as I hadn't even sat in it until it way my turn to drive, which was at 1am. and once I got belted in I realized I couldn't see a darn thing because I was sitting far too low. didn't let that stop me from helping Mazda make history, though. That car is currently 6th in Class and 24th overall.
More pic soon. gotta get a shower and a nap.
jg
How'd you make it through the overnight hours?? What's the temp there this morning?
Margie
Marjorie Suddard wrote:
How'd you make it through the overnight hours?? What's the temp there this morning?
Margie
I believe the meteorological term is "colder than a witches' tit." Mid twenties from about 1am on. That ain't Florida.
Currently in 5th in class, 27th overall. Actually the car just turned its fastest race lap the last time by.
jg
JG Pasterjak wrote:
First major incident of the race a couple hours ago. MER's crazy World Challenge-powerplanted MX5 had a major impact and roll which ended with our pal Charles Espenlaub being on fire for longer than he usually likes to be. He was airlifted to UCDavis' burn center, and the last word we got was that he's a little singed on the hands, but otherwise okay.
The RJ Racing Miata is up to 24th overall, and 4th in the E2 class. Solid as a rock so far.
jg
Word on the street (well, via Facebook) is that the driveshaft broke and flailed about, rupturing the fuel tank. Sounds like he's going to be okay but did get 1st and 2nd degree burns on both hands/arms. Let's hope it's more of a singing than a burning.
Charles will drive anything. He's been blessed with some great opportunities, but he can (and does) drive just about everything, from vintage to Grand-Am Rolex. And he's also a swell guy.
The E2 class leader is Steve Gorriaran ( '09 SCCA Spec Miata Runoffs Winner) and is apparently running the event solo 
.
There's actually two teams running solo drivers. our pit stall mate is running ironman in a Spec E30 (Team Brimstone Dynasties, car #1 in E2). His Entire crew is himself and two other guys. He's doing it in style, though, stopping every few hours to chill and hang out, and once for a massage.
jg
JG Pasterjak wrote:
I also set up a photobucket album for my mobile uploads... . ..
Ok enquiring minds want to know about this.
