A New Track Record and the Season Only Just Started!
It was a little bit slower of a weekend with NASA Norcal at Thunderhill. After a long getaway in Lake Tahoe for some of the EDGE crew, that would be just fine. It was also our first race of the season so a smooth flow into the aggression of racing was just fine with us.
Funny how strapping into a racecar changes you and the relaxation and ease you were looking forward to is immediately forgotten. Personalities instantly start transitioning from chill and relaxed to focused and aggressive, and it was likely to be the case for these races.
The green #38 E46 M3 ST4 car was unchanged from last year. Why mess with a very, very good thing? The ST3 AUDI is staying at home but we’ll see her a bit later this year.
Saturday ST4 Qualifying - Shaun
Shaun Webster was in the #38 for Saturday’s qualifying and for Saturday's race. He was very fast this day and got into the 1:52s to grab pole position. This is a big milestone!
Saturday ST4 Race - Shaun
This was not an exciting race other than dealing with the Legacy Motorworks car in the first 3 laps. Philip Buffington was driving and Legacy was running an E46 M3 with more weight and more power but still in our class because of the Toyo Benefit. The Toyo strategy translates to more power, higher straight-line speeds, and less grip when compared to our lower horsepower setup with Hoosier R7s.
Shaun got a great jump at the start but the Legacy car, with more power, almost got by him on the outside into turn 1. Shaun was able to outbreak them and stayed in the lead on the inside through turn 1 and into turn 2 but the excitement wasn’t over yet.
On lap 3, Shaun had over a 6-car-length gap under braking into turn 15. Even with that BIG cushion, the Legacy car was still able to pass us on the front straight. That’s a lot of power! Shaun fended them off into turn 1 and from that point, we steadily increased the gap until the end of the race. It was clear that their tires had fallen off and had even less grip to try and keep up with Shaun.
With an over 6-car-length lead Shaun was still almost passed by the Legacy E46 M3.
After that, Shaun had a lot of clear track, even with lapped traffic, and was able to put down some fast laps. Conditions were near perfect and he was able to set the Thunderhill ST4 lap record with a 1:53.514. It’s almost needless to say, but we won, and with a 27-second gap.
Saturday TT
We ran a different car in TT4 with Anthony driving. In the #32 EDGE E46 M3, he was able to get into the 1:54s in TT4 and win. In TT3 Shaun was driving the #38 and won with a 1:55.116, much slower than his race laps.
Sunday ST4 Qualifying - Anthony
Anthony was in the #38 for Sunday’s qualifying and race. He grabbed pole position with a 1:53.791 and almost a 2.5-second gap to P2. Things were looking bright for the race.
Sunday ST4 Race - Anthony
This wasn't an exciting race but it was a good one with the #38 being incredibly balanced and so much fun to drive. The race wasn’t very competitive except for the #47 Liberty car, again, in P2. Liberty has a lot more power and got in front of us at turn 1. Tony was able to get by the #47 after a lap and proceeded to put down very consistent and fast laps to finish over 27 seconds ahead of second place.
A great battle at the start and a fast lap
Sunday TT
We ran the #38 in TT3 and won with a 1:55.201. Our EDGE Trackside customer John won TT4 with a 1:56.964 while our other customer wrapped up 2nd in TT4.
Wrapping Up
It sounds like racing this weekend was a little ho-hum with Anthony and Shaun having to find excitement in their domination. They're actually racing each other with one submitting an unspoken challenge to the other with lap times and racecraft. We know it's a luxury to be able to race like this but it didn't come easily. There were and are countless hours of work, development, and practice to get to and stay at this level.
Equate their relationship to a great band where there was an undeniable Magic and the music reflects it. That’s exactly what Anthony, Shaun, and the whole EDGE crew embody. What a band!
#challenges #camaraderie #edgefamily
/ / /
Race and Drive with EDGE Trackside
Our trackside support lets you concentrate on driving and racing. EDGE takes care of the rest:
- Car transportation and storage
- Race builds and modifications
- EDGE mechanics take care of your car and prepare your car for every session
- Driver coaching and development
- Setup prior to and during events