Kamikawa Doubles Down at 2014 Rapids GP

 

Everet Kamikawa winning on his home track of Rapids International Raceway, while not uncommon, isn't routine either. Even more rare is Kamikawa sweeping events on a race night.
The last time that Kamikawa won both events at an ISF event was July 2005 at the Turtle Trot.

The wins were not easy. After taking pole position in the F1 division, Kamikawa had to fight to the very last second of the final with Mike Lack. In fact it was only after the checkered flag flew that Kamikawa even knew he was in the lead. A lane jump had given Lack an extra lap in the scoring and throughout the second half of the race track announcers and TV reporters were giving credit to Lack for lead of two laps over the Ferrari. A few spins by Jaguar brought the Ferrari back to one lap down with 30 seconds to go. Slowing down believing he still had a lap lead, Lack let Kamikawa past believing time was on his side. In reality it was a pass onto the lead lap for Kamikawa who gassed it all the way to the line. When scoring was examined Kamikawa was declared the winner.
"It's kind of a cheap way to get the win," Kamikawa said quietly. "Mike drove a great race and it was a good battle all the way."

Kamikawa and Lack finished ahead of Two-time defending champion John Wiedemann. In fourth was rookie Todd Wolf who won his second heat race in as many starts to advance tot he final. "I'm in way above my head," Wolf said over the radio during the race. In hanging on for fourth, he became the first rookie to win two heat races in his first two starts. Returning racer Nick Bartolone finished fifth and fellow rookie Keith Lindbeck finished sixth.

The LMP event was not as hotly contested, but provided many surprises of it's own. John Wiedemann, again the defending series champion, took pole position.
In the heats JW also took one win. The other heat winner was Nick Bartolone.

Bartolone, a former winner of the 2.4 hour race, made his first ISF start since 2010. Competitive in F1, he surprised some in the field with his speed and handling to win the second LMP race.
"I wasn't surprised," said Wiedemann. He's a good racer."
Another driver making his mark in LMP was Keith Lindbeck.
"I'm not good in F1 cars," he explained. "These LMP cars feel better to me."

One near calamity of the event was the collapse of a stage building in the warehouse district. The building was erected for the set of the movie "KittenZilla Times Two." The production company left the building up. Fans thought it would provide new sightlines and immediately rushed inside only to have their weight on the scaffolding collapse the building.
Driver Todd Wolf was closest to the tumbling tower but was unhurt.

In the end Kamikawa's Black Knight Audi R15 too the victory for the second LMP win of his career. "I still suck in this division. Just not quite as bad as before."

 

The next race is the Muskego Grand Prix at Badger Raceway on November 21st.

Until next time...It's not bad being in the pits!
Steve The Wrench Ratchett

INTERNATIONAL SPORTSCAR FEDERATION
Official Finish, Event # 2014-02
Rapids Grand Prix presented by Too Clean Laundry
November 14, 2013
Rapids International Raceway

F1 Grand Prix Category -- 16 Minute Final
Pos. Driver Car

1. Everet Kamikawa-Ferrari
2.  Mike Lack-Jaguar
3. John Wiedemann-Jaguar
4. Todd Wolf-Caterham
5. Nick Bartolone-HRT
6. Keith Lindbeck-Lola F1

Fastest Qualifier -- Kamikawa
B Main Winner -- Lack

Heat Winners -- Wolf, N/A

LMP Category -- 12 Minute Final

Pos. Driver Car

1. Everet Kamikawa-Audi R15 Black
2.  Mike Lack-Toyota Peugeot
3.  Nick Bartolone-Peugot 
4. John Wiedemann-KIA Peugeot
5. Todd Wolf-Design Engine Peugeot
6. Keith Lindbeck-Audi R15

Fastest Qualifier -- Wiedemann

B Main Winner --Bartolone

Heat Winners -- Bartolone, Wiedemann

2014 ISF Rookie & Mega G Rules

Clarification that no one has to provide meal. Drinks would still be great.
IF you want to provide a meal that is up to you but please make drivers aware of that before time.

All the rules the same  for racing except the following:
1. Any rookie driver gets unlimited deslots in heat races, and B-main                               (after every fourth de-slot they will serve a time poenalty just like veteran drivers)
2. Floor rule stays in effect for rookies in B-main and final.
3. Rookie Drivers get 16 deslots in final race instead of 12.
4. At the end of their rookie season, or eigth race whichever comes later, the veteran drivers vote on if they are no longer a rookie (thanks JW for this idea)
5. Drivers that have rookie status revoked by veteran drivers receive four extra deslots per heat and finals for second season only
(no matter if they run once or the whole season)
6. Once a driver completes 16 races or their second season, whichever comes first, they receive the same amount of de-slots as veteran drivers
7. Drivers that return to the league but have more than 16 previous starts (i.e. Cory or Nic)
get an extra four deslots in the heats and finals for the first eight races in the season in which they return or
total of eight races over two seasons if they are part-time racers
8. Drivers who have been away from the series for three years or more and have more than 40 starts (i.e. Chad Sorce or Jim Iverson), receive an extra four deslots in all heat races and finals for one-off races or for a total of five races in their first season if they are returning as full or part-time drivers

After agonizing and many opinions I decided it is time to move to the Mega G chassis for 2013.
GTP will remain the super G+ however F1 and LMP will be the Mega G 1.7 chassis.

After conducting several tests I figured out a way to:
1. make...

the field fair
2. not invalidate previous purchases of Mega G's

F1 and LMP cars must be run box stock including rims, chassis, motors, bodies. The exceptions will be painting and gluing wings that are broken. Both the original Mega G, pictured on the right, and the newer version with the fully enclosed traction magnets, as pictured on the left, will be eligible to run in either F1 or LMP (both bodies use the same chassis).

The difference will be in the tires. Both divisions will be able to run driver's choice of stock tires, pvt01 (the tires we currently use) or the pvt02 (tires used the last year of the ARA superstocks on the lifelikes). In comparing the three tires on stock mega g rims and the new 1.7 chassis version, the lower profile pvt02 tires gripped the best. When compared to a stock tire it gripped a little better, but the stock tire had more top end and glide through the turns while still sticking pretty well. The Pvt01 had more top end and glide than either of the others, however wasn't as grippy. With the variety of tracks the ISF runs on in terms of design and smoothness this will provide an interesting strategy choice. The exception to the tire rule is that if you choose to run the original Mega G, you will not be allowed to run the lower Pvt02 tires. This is because more of the magnet is exposed and sits a little closer to the rails providing better grip even with stock tires. At Rapids the difference between an original Mega G with stock tires and a 1.7 version with pvt02 was very very slight with the 1.7 better in the corners but slower on the straights.

This tire rule does not apply to GTP where the current rule package will remain in effect.

For F1 the rule remains that you can run any team in the history of F1 and can paint the car to match. In LMP there are only two current bodies, Audi R15 and Peugot. You can run any team that appeared at Sebring or Petit LeMans or Road America in the ALMS from 2005onwards.
If you want to run a closed top team you have to use the Peugot body (i.e. Mazda or Astin Martin) if you want to run an open cockpit team (i.e. Porsche, courage, Riley & Scott) you use the Audi body. Since there are multiple Audi teams that have run, there can be multi Audi teams (one designated driving Audi R8, R10, R15, R18) same with other teams. Real teams like Dyson who ran a Lola open cockpit and a Mazda closed cockpit can also be reprensented by two different teams claiming to be Dysons).

Questions?
Feel free to ask.
Ev