Velocity Motorsports' first wet race of the season! - September 5, 2006
Prospect Hill, NC- The Velocity Motorsports team just completed an exciting race weekend at one of North America’s most challenging track in the dry. But on this weekend the team and drivers experienced it in the rain. The team with rookie driver Logan Gomez had participated the prior week in a test on the 2.549 mile Mosport International Raceway. The results left the team both optimistic and ready for the event. Master Class contender, John Pew, arrived at the event with a shore shoulder that would affect his race weekend.
During practice Logan again demonstrated his speed by consistently posting times in the top ten gaining his highest practice position of P3 during the second session. John, who was in considerable amount of pain, struggled just to get in and out of his car and the team had to limit his practice laps. He was not able to show his true speed and many of his Masters series competitors stopped by the Velocity paddock to ask how he was. While the series is very competitive, there is also quite a bit of comradely between the drivers.
Since Logan showed so much speed so consistently, we decided to continue some development work with the car and not worry about lap times until qualifying. Unfortunately, during his second lap in Friday’s first practice session, one of the less experienced drivers in the series followed Logan, who was going slowly bedding brake pads, off line taking himself and Logan out. Not only did we miss all of the track time during the first session but also we had to use the second session to make sure there were no other hidden mechanical issues caused by the crash. With John’s shoulder still keeping him out of the car, he helped the team by spotting for Logan. John’s plan was to pray for rain for the race so he could drive without the excessive G forces generated by the high speed turns at Mosport.
Due to the possibility of rain, the qualifying session was not split into two groups. Instead the entire field was on track trying to find space to lay down a fast lap. Logan was able to run several competitive laps and was fourth quickest of the group. Upon the post qualifying inspection, a competitor was moved to the back of the grid for a technical infraction. This moved Logan up to third which made it three consecutive races in which Logan started in the second row. John started from the back of the grid due to a highly questionable decision by the series officials’ for continuing a full course caution at the previous race.
The Velocity team saw Gomez gather eight place points that would also place him in eighth place in the Championship. Pew’s race tactics would provide some valuable Masters points and he would remain in fourth place in the championship. The team looks to the next round of the Star Mazda Championship at the petit Le Mans weekend at Road Atlanta on Friday, September 29th.
Ken Erb, Team Principal;
"As the time for the race drew nearer so did the rain and John got his wish. He was able to fight off the intense pain and would have kept on the lead lap if it were not for being pulled in to check his slowly failing rain light. Logan was running near the front until the rain soaked track sent him spinning. He was able to join the pack after his short off course excursion and work his way back up to a respectable tenth place. Since two of the drivers finishing ahead of Logan were not entered into the series, he scored valuable 8th place points. John would also finish ahead of several Masters Series competitors despite battling the sever shoulder pain."
John Pew, Driver, Star-Mazda #15;
"I arrived at Mosport with the absolute lowest expectations since I wasn't sure how my shoulder would handle the high speed turns at Mosport. I know the track well, so I figured on not spending too much time practicing. I passed up the first test in Thursday morning. I went out in the second. Man, it hurt at the bottom of turn two. I could barely hold on to the wheel. Turn two is a six gear flat or nearly flat turn going down hill. I did just a few laps and came in. I did not want to cause further damage since Road Atlanta was about three weeks away. Also, under the new rules I had a penalty to serve for causing a full course yellow in the last race. The penalty was losing all my qualifying times in the next race. When the weather looked like it was going to take a turn for the worse, plan "B" was hatched. If it was raining and real wet, there would be no grip and hence very little G force and my shoulder should handle it. We had a plan in place to get some points for the Masters Championship, just stay out on track as long as possible. The full course cautions played into our hands and we picked up some points for the weekend."
Logan Gomez, Driver, Star-Mazda #23;
"Qualifying went pretty well and we ended up third after tech inspections. I was actually looking for a dry race. But that did not happen. So I got to experience my first wet pro race. The start was not the best since I was behind the pole guy and we took the inside part of turn one, not the fastest line. I ended up in 6th after turn one as our line was greasy. After an early full course caution, I was able to work my way up, but unfortunately I had a spin at turn #5. I got back on track back in the teens and worked my way back to a top ten finish."
