Enthusiast Shares His Time Attack Experience

The week before RTA Autobahn:

Wow, what a crazy few days.

I have been working on redoing my brakes seals as they’ve started to leak. I got everything together but came home to a big puddle of fluid on the floor Tuesday night (with RTA-Autobahn fast approaching). I ripped apart the caliper and found a chuck missing from one of my new seals. I made quick calls to AMS for brake fluid and Girodisc for a few replacement seals. Gotta love overnight express! Thursday everything got delivered. I put in the new seal, bled all the corners again and went for a testdrive. A quick stab of the brakes (with my eyes closed) and the car slammed to a stop. I pulled some more speed and pushed them hard and locked up a front tire. SUCCESS! Did a few more stops to bed in my new pads to the new calipers. Then rolled back home to finally register for the event about 10pm on Thursday night and pack up for the trip!

Bottom line, got the car loaded and ready to make the trip towards Chicago to compete in my first Redline Time Attack event!

Redline – Autobahn Event:

Saturday Practice – I started out running 1:49’s. I had to switch out my intake, install an MBC and switch to my 100oct tune. The first 2 parts I did in the morning between sessions; the last proved a bit more difficult as my new laptop did not have the needed software installed. I hunted around and found Jorge from P&L with the needed software. I passed him my map via a zip drive and we got it installed. The extra 50hp were sure to be needed! I also had a minor off because of overheated brakes late in the day. Fortunately I was coasting and just rolled through T10 and safely back on track. I borrowed a brake bleeder kit and bled the brakes by the twilight and through the mosquitoes long after the track was ‘cold’. Ready to rock for the event!

Sunday Event:

My first ever experience with Redline Time Attack. It’s a different animal getting just 3 hot laps in 2 different sessions! Not a lot of time for mistakes! After the first session I was in 3rd (had no idea). Ended up with 2nd place in Street AWD and got my picture taken with a super hotty on the podium.

Street Class AWD Overall: 1st – Tony Weisenhahn – 1:35.708 2nd – Nathan Pitcher 1:40.389 3rd – Dylan Peterson 1:40.796

**I’ve got to give huge thanks to Ivo and the whole AMS crew. I came in Saturday in my NASA TTB trim. I was frantically changing out parts between practice sessions and could not have got it done w/o help.

The car ran flawlessly on Sunday; on a day when a LOT of other cars had issues. Even in the high temps and pushing a ton of boost on the stock turbo. It was also a treat to watch the crew work feverishly all at once on the TAX car. We all know it’s still under development and everyone really kept at it to make constant adjustments. Things that take me an entire weekend they performed between sessions!**

**Vids: Here’s 2 laps from the first TA session. Wouldn’t ya know, my camera tape ran out before the 2nd session started…. First vid – my best lap of the first session (no idea why the sound gets off). YouTube Video 1

2nd vid – first lap of the session – caught some traffic at the end unfortunately: YouTube Video 2**

Time Attack session #1! I came out pretty hard and was coming towards the last series of corners when I saw I was catching a car really quickly. It looked like it was barely moving. There were no flags from the corner workers and I was trying for my hot lap, so I kept going and hoped I could get around the car before the next corner. Not so lucky. The car went into the corner on the inside and slowly crossed towards the outside. I had to waste the lap. So I braked hard – locked up a little and jerked right to the inside to make it around rather than risking a collision. I ran a 1:44x. Since my tires were hot, I decided to toss away the next lap and even let a car or 2 around. I wound up for the 3rd and final lap of the session and fired a 1:40.873 I had no idea, but I was actually in 3rd at this point. I knew the practice times the Turn In Concepts WRX was running and new it was out of reach. I was just hoping to make the podium somehow!

Time Attack session #2! Judging by the fact 2 AWD cars were ahead of me I assumed I was in 3rd. Either way, I knew I needed to just go out and put down the best lap I could and let the times sort themselves out. I fired 3 hot laps, according to my Traqmate, I ran: 1:40.922 – 1:40.396 – 1:40.383 and had no idea where I sat. I suppose if my radio was hooked up I could have been listening… I squeezed my way into 2nd place. I knew first was out of reach. The Turn In Concepts WRX was a good 3-4 seconds ahead of everyone. I later found out this is the car that won it’s class in this years One Lap of America and finished 4th overall! Not too shabby; and Tony’s a nice guy.

Big thanks to AMS and Girodisc for overnighting me parts on Thursday to get me fixed up and able to attend. Big thanks to AMS for an awesomely safe tune that I ran hard with confidence and also for a little on-site tech support Saturday! Also thanks to Mueller for some very neutral handling JIC coilovers.