- 12/16/2017
- 2 Min Read
- By: Anthony Magagnoli
Driver's Log - 2017 PWC Season Rounds 7 + 8 - Utah
Headed back from a fantastic weekend in Utah with my Rooster Hall Racing team. The high altitude and hot temperatures posed additional challenges beyond that of competing in a hotly contested 30-car TC field. We struggled a bit to maximize our pace in qualifying, setting ourselves up in 8th position to start the first of the two races yesterday. But, what an unexpected surprise to see, when I walked into the trailer after qualifying and was greeted by my father, Angelo, and his cousin, Tony Magagnoli, coming all the way from NY/PA!
I got a decent start down the long straightaway and picked up one position before Turn 1. The leader, Paul Holton, went off oh his own in T1, while I watched the M235iR of Ruud brake too late and push wide. I thought he clobbered Nick Wittmer, but Nick was heads up and was able to steer out and avoid the impending contact. As we cleared T1, there was quite the melee behind us that brought out the full course caution. After 4 laps of caution, we resumed the race and I gave chase to the 350Z of Tony Rivera and the M235iR of Toby Grahovec. Only a couple laps in, my car hit a coolant temp limit and stopped accelerating down the front straight.
The engine performance recovered after I got through T1. But, over the next several laps, I had to modify my driving more and more severely to keep engine temps down. The thin air at our ~5000ft elevation was hindering heat transfer from the radiators and oil coolers, creating problems for almost everybody and really putting our #RoweMotorOil to the test. I was seeking "clean" air on the straights (no drafting), short-shifting everywhere, and generally driving the entire track in a gear higher than I normally would. I was eventually able to keep the temps low enough to keep the engine from going into protection mode, but lap times were suffering from this, combined with very hot track temps.
I watched Rivera lock up under braking and go off in the Attitudes section, which closed me in on him. As I gave chase, he suddenly stumbled (presumably overheating) and I cruised on by into 3rd position. For the remainder of the race, I just focused on managing the car and the rapidly degrading tire performance as Ruud was gradually closing on me. I had enough buffer, though, and crossed the finish line in 3rd, giving myself and the RHR team our first podium finish in professional racing. I must say, that moment ranks in my top 3 ever in racing!
Race 2 was only a few hours later. We were lucky (I feel that I partially make my own luck) to not have any damage to fix, unlike several of our competitors. We made a setup change and fit ready for an even hotter race. My best lap in the first race set my qualifying position for the standing start in the second race, again starting in 8th, so the outside of the 4th row.
Again, I got a decent start, following Jayson Clunie into T1. At the last moment, as I was closing in on him, he braked a little earlier than I thought was necessary, and I dodged to the right to take him on the outside. As we turned in, I sensed another car coming in hot (call it a 6th sense). I opened up the wheel and drove into the runoff area as Jayson got clobbered by the other car. I drove out as far as I needed to to not be collected, narrowly staying in the runoff and not getting out into the gravel. As things got sorted out, I found myself in 6th place, with 10 cars caught up in the T1 incident.
Once we resumed green flag conditions, I gave chase to Mason Filipi, while opening up a gap from those behold me. The gap to Mason would close and open from lap to lap, but I never got quite close enough to make a passing attempt on him. I continued managing the temperatures and the tires while trying to ignore that my feet were getting extremely hot. Simply holding the gas pedal down for the entire length of the straightaway was turning into a very uncomfortable situation as the heat transferred through the sole of my shoe. I managed to bring the car home in 6th place, with no damage incurred through the weekend, earning very solid season points.
I'm very proud of our Rooster Hall Racing team for our performance this weekend and thankful to Todd and Michelle Brown for providing this opportunity for me to represent the team on the podium. Crew Chief Eric Meyer, Mechanic Marshall Papadopoulos, Race Engineer Gary De La Rosa, and new team manager Kevin Tuuri all did a fantastic job of giving me the best chance of creating a good finish for the team.
Thank you to #FCPEuro for their support and partnership to realize our mutual goals. #HRX #BespokeMotorsport for outfitting me in the most incredible race suit, Nomex undergarments, shoes and gloves to keep me protected and comfortable. We look forward to Rounds 9 and 10 in less than 3 weeks at Circuit of the Americas!
