Latest News & Results
10.12.09 - SCOTT WEBB & SCION WIN FIRST PROFESSIONAL ROAD RACE
5.30.09 - SCOTT WEBB & DAN GARDNER'S WIN AT THUNDERHILL PROVES SCION STAYING POWER
4.25.09 - WEBB, GARDNER & JACKSON-DAWSON RACING GIVE SCION ITS FIRST ENDURANCE WIN
4.26.08 - WEBB & SAMPSON DRIVE TO SECOND OVERALL AT BUTTONWILLOW ENDURO
10.28.07 - SCOTT WEBB & PRESTON LERNER TAKE 3RD AT LAGUNA SECA ENDURO
10.13.07 - WEBB & SAMPSON SUFFER DNF AT BUTTONWILLOW RACEWAY
7.07.07 - WEBB & SAMPSON SUCCUMB TO MECHANICAL FAILURE AT WILLOW SPRINGS
4.22.07 - SCOTT WEBB DRIVES STOHR 01D TO SCCA NATIONAL PODIUM FINISHES
4.14.07 - WEBB & SAMPSON SLOG TO VICTORY IN WET NASA PRO RACING ENDURO
'07 NEWS & RESULTS - '06 NEWS & RESULTS - '05 NEWS & RESULTS -
'04 NEWS & RESULTS - '03 NEWS & RESULTS - '02 NEWS & RESULTS -
'01 NEWS & RESULTS - '00 NEWS & RESULTS
Scott Webb & Scion Win First Professional Road Race at World Challenge Season Finale
Team JD Takes Victory in Touring Car 2 Class at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
MONTEREY, Calif. — This past weekend, at one of the best road racing venues in the world, Jackson-Dawson and Scion came away with the win in the newly-established Touring Car 2 (TC2) class. The pro win makes for another world-first for Scion. Even more impressive is the fact that this is just the third pro event the team has entered, after dabbling in Grand-Am’s KONI Challenge series.
Veteran racer Scott Webb, one of two drivers for the JD team, took the win during the 50-minute Touring Car race. His TRD supercharged and intercooled Scion tC put on a great show for tens of thousands of fans, as he not only won the class, but actually mixed it up with the TC cars.
Said Webb, “This was a tremendous experience, and it’s super cool to come away with the win. The crew did a great job taking care of the car and perfecting the chassis setup for me on the practice day. As they say, ‘Scion For The Win!’”
For Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, team manager and two-time NASA national champion driver, Dan Gardner, had decided that Webb’s experience at the track made him the best fit to pedal the car in the SPEED World Challenge debut for Scion.
“I knew Scott was the better choice due to his experience here, and the win proves it,” said Gardner. “It was great to see him hustling the Scion out there, mixing it up with the big boys. I think we surprised a lot of people, and I’m thrilled to bring Scion home their first pro win.”
On Thursday, during promoter test day, Webb got settled in, coming into the pits several times, as the team made setup changes to try to get the car to work even better. Webb radioed in after each change was made, giving feedback. By the end of the day he was getting more and more comfortable, but the team still was trying to get some push out of the car.
Gardner and crewmen Sean Morris and Jeff Lew made even more drastic changes that evening, based on driver feedback throughout the day. The team was determined to figure out a way to get the car to rotate in the slower sections without making the car undrivable in the fast bits.
Friday’s morning practice would prove that the team’s changes had helped make the car turn in better. In Turn 6 Webb was caught a bit off guard, as the car dove quickly down to the apex. As it did he managed to drop the inside wheel, hooking it on a deep sharp curb. The tire instantly flattened, and Webb went into the team’s pit to see if there was time to fix the car and get him back out again.
The crew got to work quickly. In addition to the tire being flat, the left front wheel was mangled beyond repair. The car was put up in the air, and the wheel was removed. The team checked for anything else bent and couldn’t find anything. There was, however, a bit of fluid on the front control arm. It didn’t appear to be anything severe, but extra time was taken to make sure.
After the crew was satisfied that the car was safe to drive, another wheel was put on the car, and there still was a decent amount of time left in the session to send Webb back out. Once back on track, Webb reported that the car felt better than it did the previous day.
Because of the incident the team had grabbed a different type of wheel, but apparently the hubcentric ring was not a perfect fit. After the first practice session the wheel was slightly loose. The crew tracked the issue down, and elected to go back to their Enkei RPF1 wheel.
As the car was being looked over, the team noticed even more fluid on the left front control arm. Based on the location, they began to believe that it was coming from the shock. Luckily Lex Carson and Kent McCray from sponsor Moton were on site to lend a hand.
Moton did a quick check of the reservoir before the team took the suspension apart. Indeed they found that the canister was completely empty. The crew then hustled to remove the shock, and Carson and McCray got to work refilling the reservoir. They then pressurized the shock to see if they could locate the leak.
A small leak was seen on the bottom of the shock by one of the welds. It perhaps had been broken by the curb contact earlier, or was potentially a combination of that and a hit Gardner had taken just weeks ago at NASA’s Nationals.
Again the team was fortunate, as the Bimmerworld guys were ready and able to get a small tack weld in place. Bimmerworld also was gracious enough to let the Scion team pit in one of their four bays, making everything easier for the JD team during the entire time at Laguna.
With everything now reinstalled, the team thought they had their troubles licked for the afternoon practice session. And things started off great, with Webb saying that the car felt good. His 1:41.8 lap time showed improvement as well.
About two-thirds of the way into the session, Webb came on the radio to say that something in the front end of the car had let go. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he wasn’t confident that he should try to limp the car back into the pits. Webb found a safe spot and parked it until a wrecker could pull him off.
Upon arriving back in the team’s pit, the crew saw that all but one of the front left studs had completely sheared off. Fortunately one lug nut remained, holding the wheel in place…barely.
There was significant damage to the corner, and the team didn’t want to take any chances. They started the hustle to replace the wheel and tire, knuckle, hub, bearing, studs, brake caliper, and front rotor and hat. It was a grind, but once done the team did a full brake bleed, front-end alignment, and then headed back to the hotel to get a few hours of sleep.
On Saturday, the team had only one task, get through a 20-minute qualifying session. Webb took to the track and reported that everything felt great. The team knew that if he didn’t get his fast lap early in the session, it probably wasn’t going to happen later, as the tires had a tendency to go away.
Indeed, in his second lap, Webb posted a 1:41.3, a nice half second faster than the day before. Gardner got on the radio to advise him that if the tires went away it might be better to come in early and save the car for the race. Webb agreed and came off just a few laps in.
The time was enough to secure Scion their first-ever professional pole position. The car seemed rock-solid again, and the team now had plenty of time to look everything over before leaving the track. The goal was to give Webb a flawless car for the big race.
On Sunday’s race day, the morning would prove to be quite chilly, perhaps not optimal for track grip, but perfect for the TRD supercharged and intercooled Scion tC to make good power.
“We all know the benefits of forced induction, especially when it gets cold,” said Gary Boler, TRD business operations manager. “I’m sure our blower was thriving in the cool morning air for the race, making for quite a rocket ship.”
For the first time this season, the team would be performing a standing start, a longtime tradition in World Challenge. Webb had done a couple practice starts during the days prior, so he had an idea about the launch. Still, the team is used to flying starts, so the standing start would be yet another x-factor.
As the lights on the light boxes went out, Webb and the Scion propelled forward, but cars were everywhere going into Turn 2, and Webb didn’t want to get in the middle of a battle for the season championship between the faster TC class cars. In backing off a bit he let a couple of cars by.
A few laps in, he would take positions back, and gain another due to a mistake made by one of the Acuras. He was running his qualifying pace and was keeping it consistent, turning times only three seconds off the TC cars. The second place TC2 car was quite a ways back by now, and Webb was starting to mix it up with the TC class cars.
On lap 8, a car went off-track and got stuck deep in a gravel trap. The full course yellow came out, and the pace car picked up the leader. The restart would be a flying, single-file type, something the team was well acquainted with.
Gardner went over to the starter’s stand, and got ready to call out the green to Webb. It would be four laps before the pace car’s lights would go out and racing would resume, but the team was ready. Webb said the car felt good, and he was getting into a rhythm.
As the green came out Gardner shouted over the radio, and Webb rocketed the Scion forward, getting very aggressive in Turn 1 as he took two more positions, getting further into the back of the Touring Car field.
On lap 15, Webb was trying to give Touring Car driver Eric Curran some room and so he moved over to the right in Turn 10. As Curran went by, the number 23 Ford Focus didn’t give the Scion any room. He slid into Webb and the Scion, forcing him off-track. The Scion spun to the inside, came across the track, and settled in the dirt.
Webb quickly got back on track, but not before losing two positions. Karma came back to bite the Focus though, as he was forced to pit shortly thereafter due to axle troubles. The Scion kept going, and appeared to be only a bit banged up, with the door and fender pushed in and the driver’s side mirror broken.
Webb kept banging off consistent laps after getting back on track. No one else would catch him, including the TC2 RX-8. On lap 26 the white flag came out, as Webb concentrated on turning one last clean lap. He crossed the checker at the 50-minute mark, bringing Scion home their first professional road race victory.
“A national title followed two weeks later by our first pro win in road racing,” said Steve Hatanaka, Scion auto shows and special events manager. “The highlights keep coming. I can’t help but be proud of what this team has accomplished for Scion this season. I know the fans at Laguna got to see an awesome race, proving yet again what Scion is made of!”
The Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca race is set to be nationally broadcast on SPEED on Tuesday, November 3 at 2 p.m. EST. The team now readies for the next round of the WERC endurance series, as Webb and Gardner take on Infineon Racway in Sonoma, Calif. on October 25, for a three-hour enduro. The talented group at Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center, headed by Chuck Wade, will again be an invaluable technical asset as they help the team prepare the car for the next battle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWWWorikqR0
Scott Webb and Dan Gardner's Win at Thunderhill Proves Scion Staying Power
Team Nabs Decisive Victories in Both Northern and Southern California
Willows, Calif. — After a strong come-from-behind sprint race victory for Dan Gardner at Willow Springs the weekend prior, the team had to scramble during the three days available to have the car ready before making the 500-mile trip north of Sacramento to Thunderhill Raceway Park. Of key importance was ensuring the car could go the distance for the second Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC) race of the season.
“What a grind,” said Gardner. “There are few teams in this sport that only have two or three days to prepare a car for the next race. Most teams either run a sprint or an endurance series. Running both, especially with the same car, is a big strain on the car and the crew, but they’re both up to the challenge.”
Gardner tapped the experts at Toyota Motorsports to help the team hustle to get the car ready. Marty Schwerter was able to tackle wrenching on the car while Gardner nailed down final logistics and preparations.
The team travels lean for the sprint races, but the added dynamic of pit stops in endurance racing means a larger crew. Fortunately, pit crew members Brad Allen, Sean Morris, John McNulty, Ryan Walton, and Mark Miller were ready. And co-driver Scott Webb was again prepared to bring a powerful one-two punch to the driving duties.
On Friday before the race, the team had a test day just to get acquainted with the track. Gardner had never been to the facility, and neither he, nor Webb, had run Thunderhill backwards. The race was to be run clockwise, which is reverse from the standard direction, bringing with it an entirely new challenge.
Gardner and Webb both worked quickly to get up to speed. Fortunately the Scion tC’s baseline setup proved to be a good compromise, and the crew made very few setup changes, though they carefully monitored tire temps, pressures and alignment settings. At the end of the day, the team did take some preventive measures, replacing the left front wheel bearing and hub along with the outer tie rod end. Going clockwise meant that this corner of the car would see most of the side loads and stress of three hours of hard racing.
On Saturday Webb entered NASA’s Time Trial category for some additional track time and not only won the TTC class, but did so with a time that set a new lap record for the class; and then later qualified the car on pole with an equally quick 2:05 lap time. The team decided Gardner would take the first stint, and Webb would bring the car home. But nothing would happen until the team solved some radio problems.
With just 30 minutes left before the race began, the team was still chasing down gremlins in not one or two, but four different radios, all different kinds. None had the same problem, but each had an issue that would potentially leave the team with no contact between crew and drivers.
Northern California road racer Tom Lepper was kind enough to loan the team two more radios, but a harness problem plagued those radios as well. With a lot of diligence, the team found the area of the harness that was faulty, and began to see if there was a way they could temporarily fix it. Two tie wraps cinched down very tightly seemed to fix the problem, at least for the time being.
With less than 10 minutes before the start of the race, Gardner pulled the Scion onto the grid. During the start, Gardner waited and waited before a late green was finally thrown. Another good start put the Scion right on the bumper of an unlimited class Pro Truck. Gardner fended off a couple challengers, one in the Scion’s E1 class and one out of class.
A couple of laps into the race, World Challenge and Grand-Am driver Jim Daniels would be hounding Gardner in the new E1 Mazda RX-8. Gardner fended the Mazda off for a few corners, but eventually let the car go heading up and over The Bypass, where the Scion would catch air, with three or four tires routinely off the ground.
About halfway through his stint, Gardner became heat exhausted, finding it difficult to breathe. He would later learn that at least one other driver would be taken away in an ambulance due to the same condition. Temps that moved into the mid-90s were making it hard on everyone.
Gardner took a lap to focus on breathing, regained his head, and then began to get into a rhythm. The Mazda had a 12-second lead at that point, but shortly would begin to have issues that would slow its pace. Gardner made the pass a few laps later, but he had a challenge of his own. Although he could hear his spotter on the radio, the crew was unable to hear him. With one-way communications only, the team devised a method to communicate with Gardner. Flashes of the headlights down the front straight would prove effective, as Gardner flashed “yes” or “no.”
At just over the hour mark, the car’s main pump bobbled, and Gardner hit the two supplemental pumps. The team counted out five more laps, and then brought the car in just under halfway into the race. Gardner released the harnesses and managed to unplug the radio connection as well. John McNulty helped Gardner out and began to get Webb into the car, as Morris and Allen started fueling the car. Miller had the fire extinguisher at the ready while Walton spotted, making sure no one made a mistake. The stop wasn’t perfect, but the car was off and motoring down pit lane, spending less time in the pits than most of the other teams.
Webb immediately began rattling off consistent laps. The team knew they’d have to perform at least one more fuel stop, but it was uncertain whether they’d have to change a left front tire. As the car bobbled an hour or so later, Webb hit the secondary pumps, and then came in four laps later.
The team quickly checked the front tires, ready to swap one or the other once the fueling was completed. Fortunately, the long-lasting Nitto NT-01 tires were up to the task and had plenty left to go. The team dumped 10-gallons into the car at lightning speed, and the car was off again. The stop was perfect, including a cold drink for the driver.
During the last part of the race, Webb really stepped up the pace, hammering out a blistering-fast 2:04.9. The question now was whether the team could make it without another fuel stop. It was going to be close, very close. With 15-20 minutes still left, the main pump starved. Webb hit the supplemental pumps, and then was advised to back it off a notch, as the team didn’t want to risk having to make another stop for fuel.
After 79 laps, the Scion would cross the finish line with less than a gallon of fuel left in the tank. It would spell back-to-back WERC endurance wins for the Scion team in the E1 class. The team also managed to finish an impressive sixth overall, having zero mechanical issues to speak of.
“Talk about bulletproof,” commented Webb. “The JD Scion tC was fantastic today. Dan gave me a great car, and I was able to drive it hard, lap after lap. The car had good balance and power, leaving some of the more expensive European cars scratching their heads. It’s another great win for Scion Racing.”
With their second WERC win in as many races, the Scion Racing team now has a perfect 200 points in the series in the competitive E1 class. The team looks to make it three in a row as they prepare for the next race, which will end under cover of darkness at Buttonwillow on Saturday, June 27. The team will also compete in Performance Touring for two sprint races that same weekend.
A short exterior compilation video of Gardner’s come-from-behind win at Willow Springs can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNuTClHifY
And in-car video of Webb securing pole position at Thunderhill can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90OxoPLgX3Q
Webb, Gardner & Jackson-Dawson Racing Team Give Scion its First Endurance Racing Victory
April 25, 2009 (Buttonwillow, CA) – Endurance road racing is perhaps the truest test of durability. And this past weekend at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, the team simply listed as “Scion Racing” pulled off an amazing victory in the E1 class in the season opener of the Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC) series. The Scion tC would take the checkered on Lap 81, logging more than 225 race miles. Put simply, it marks Scion’s first endurance racing win in the world.
Less than three hours after winning a nail-biter sprint race in Performance Touring C that saw driver and team manager Dan Gardner cross the finish line a scant half second ahead of the second place Mazda RX-8, the very same Scion tC racecar was prepped and ready to be put through the wringer for the three-hour Enduro.
Gardner teamed with veteran endurance driver Scott Webb for the season opener, and the two would prove to be a potent combo. But the win would not have been possible without an amazing overall team effort. Pit crew members Brad Allen, Sean Morris, John McNulty, Patrick David, Sean Bradley, and Chris Earl pulled off the single fastest pit stop of any car regardless of class during the race.
"This couldn’t have happened without perhaps the best teamwork and planning in the paddock,” said Gardner. "I can’t believe how well everyone worked together. This win belongs to guys in the pit. They set a new benchmark for every other team to live up to. And our Scion tC racecar was simply bulletproof, being forced through practice sessions, qualifying sessions, time trial sessions, and a brutal sprint race before the Enduro even began!”
“I echo Dan’s comments about the teamwork, which was second to none,” said Webb. “The preparedness of the team was impressive, especially considering that this was the team’s first real plunge into endurance racing. Talk about a flawless series of pit stops! As for the car, well, I don’t think anything more needs to be said when you find yourself outrunning machines costing two to three times as much. What a great overall performance.”
Webb qualified the car well, putting the Scion in P2 in the E1 class pack, ahead of many higher class E0 cars as well. Team strategy put Gardner in the car for the first stint, and when the green flew Gardner rocketed ahead, immediately taking over the lead in E1, as he passed just about every E0 car as well. This was all without a spotter on the radio, as the team had a minor issue that would be resolved by the second lap.
Gardner fended off the purpose-built Mazda RX-8 endurance car, fielded by Mazda VP Robert Davis. Shod with Hoosiers, Mazda’s strategy clearly was more hare out of the gates. After a couple laps, Gardner let the RX-8 go, sticking to the game plan the team had set with their longer lasting Nitto NT-01 tires.
A blistering single lap is great for Qualifying a racecar, but endurance racing requires steady, consistent quick laps over and over again. On top of that, pit stops play a major part of the equation, as huge pieces of time can be won or lost any time the car pits.
Gardner was rattling off lap after lap with great consistency. All the while he had an E0 BMW in his mirrors, but the Scion was slightly faster, and Gardner couldn’t afford to let the car past, lest it slow him up in the places the tC was quicker.
A Porsche has lost a piece of its front-end in the Bus Stop, and Gardner slid the tC wide, running it over, and hoping it wouldn’t result in a flat tire. Fortunately the Scion kept moving forward, but not before Gardner would get lost in a thick dust cloud at Off-Ramp, and drive the Scion off-road. Standing in the gas, Gardner motored along the outside, until the car was under control, and then drove back on track in time for Cotton Corners.
Aside from some tires in the dirt, and having to contend with the BMW in his mirrors, the stint was uneventful, as Gardner took care of the car for 30 laps. At lap 25, the main fuel pump starved slightly, and Gardner flipped on the other two pumps. The team counted out five more laps before choosing to pit the car.
Before coming in Gardner discussed possible options on the radio with the crew. The main decision at hand was whether to just dump fuel, or perform the driver change. It was only a bit over an hour into the race, and the original thought was to do the change halfway through.
After some quick discussion, the team decided to go ahead and get the driver change out of the way, forcing teams who would do the change later to lose time with less of the race left to go.
As the car rolled into the pits, the crew was ready. Gardner leaped out of the car after the radio harness was unplugged, and Webb jumped in. All the while the team fueled the car, dumping the maximum 10 gallons in. The windshield and all the headlights were cleaned, and the 4 HID Xenon Pilot Automotive driving lamps were turned on.
Less than a minute later, Webb was off and motoring down pit lane. The crew had just pulled off a phenomenal stop. Webb banged off lap after lap of solid times, and was gaining on the leading RX-8. On Lap 48, Webb came in for fuel and to track down an issue with the radio. The team fixed a connection that had come loose, dumped 10 more gallons in, and sent the car back out again.
On the next lap, the Scion would take over the lead, showing the way in E1, and moving into sixth place overall. Webb would maintain that position for 13 laps, and on Lap 62 he would end up pushing the Scion into the vaunted Top 5, holding that overall position for five laps, before the unexpected occurred.
Webb came on the radio and complained that car was doing strange things under braking and wasn’t handling right, with lots of vibration coming through the wheel. He rolled into the pits, and took on 10 gallons of fuel.
Series rules prohibit any work being done on the car while fueling, but allow you to look over the car. The team found that the left front tire was corded and flat-spotted severely. Gardner poked his head into the window to tell Webb that he thought the ABS system had malfunctioned, causing the car to go into standard braking mode. This would indeed prove to be the case, as the team would later find a left front wheelspeed sensor that had been severed.
The Scion’s crew sprung into action, quickly and efficiently getting the car in the air, taking the wheel and tire off and installing a new one. An extra few seconds with the torque wrench were taken to ensure no issues would crop up.
When Webb got back out, the team had only fallen two slots to seventh overall, but still had a commanding lead in E1. A lap later, Webb could again complain about a vibration, and on the next lap would come in again. The team found the right front tire had the same condition, and went to work to change it immediately, as they didn’t need to take on any more fuel.
The fourth, and final pit stop of the race went smoothly, though it was gut-wrenching to have two unscheduled stops. The team had now fallen back to 11th, and the second place E1 car was not far behind.
Webb maintained a consistent pace, getting on the radio to say the car felt perfect with the two new front tires. He would bring the car back up two slots to ninth while at the same time putting a massive gap between the Scion and the second place E1 car.
During the closing laps of the race, Webb would be impaled by an out of class BMW who almost took out the Scion’s right rear wheel and tire. Though banged up in the right door and fender, the tire actually held air despite the chunked wheel. The Scion crossed the finish line not seconds ahead of the second place car, but an entire lap ahead, even with the unscheduled stops.
“What’s not to love about another world-first for our Scion brand,” said Steve Hatanaka, Scion auto shows and special events manager. “Endurance racing really torture-tests our cars, and it’s truly awesome to see how well they’re up for the challenge. Speed and durability make for a combo that’s tough to beat. My hat’s off to the entire team.”
During the race the TRD supercharger and intercooler helped keep cars with bigger engines at bay, while the TRD big brake kit bled the speed off flawlessly. The pedal remained firm and responsive despite the wheelspeed sensor getting severed.
“You just can’t get a better test bed than when you put your parts through any kind of endurance racing,” said Gary Boler, TRD business operations manager. “The WERC series win this past weekend is proof of just how strong our components actually are. If they can withstand the abuse Gardner and the Scion Racing team subject them to, they can get through just about anything.”
The team now prepares for their next Performance Touring sprint race at Willow Springs on May 23-24. Plans are to follow that up with the next WERC endurance race at Thunderhill the following weekend, May 30th.
Webb & Sampson Drive to Second Overall at Buttonwillow Raceway Enduro
April 26, 2008 (Buttonwillow, CA) – Crossing the finish line under the cover of darkness at 9:10 pm, Shawn Sampson secured second place overall and in class for the Sampson Racing Communications team at NASA Pro Racing’s 3-hour endurance race at Buttonwillow Raceway Park on Saturday, April 26. Shawn Sampson had qualified the team’s rotary-powered RX-7 in sixth place in the heat of the day, but with two teams no-shows to the grid, Scott Webb took the green flag on the outside of row two. From that point forward, the team concentrated on quick and consistent mistake-free laps. Featuring a formidable field of cars including Porsche’s, BMW’s, V8 muscle and lightweight, purpose-built sports racers, eight cars posted faster single lap times than the Mazda RX-7 during the race; however, Webb and Sampson were able to keep times within a few seconds lap after lap, even through traffic and at night. It was this steadiness for three hours straight that enabled the team to keep the faster cars at bay.
Much of the consistency in performance can be attributed to excellent preparation from Mobicanics, the predictable and stable Tein suspension, the reliable rotary engine from Mobius Motorsports (and lubricated by Motul), a single set of Toyo’s endurance-proven RA-1 tires and PIAA racing lamps that turned night into day – not to mention excellent spotting and strategy communicated to the drivers from pit lane via the Sampson Racing Communications radios. Next on the road racing schedule is a challenging 6-hour NASA endurance race at Buttonwillow Raceway Park on Saturday, June 7- http://www.nasaproracing.com/enduro/werc/schedule.html.
Complete results can be found at: http://www.mylaps.com/results/newResults.jsp?id=789631&ShowPerClass=0
Click the image or link below to take a ride along with Scott Webb at the start of the race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c__UVzIpAQM
SPONSORS:
Sampson Racing Communications – www.sampsonracing.com
Mazdaspeed – http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/
PIAA – www.piaa.com
Tein USA – http://www.tein.com/
Star Shield Armor – www.starshieldarmor.com
Sparco – http://www.sparcousa.com/
Motul – http://www.motul.com/
Mobicanics
Mobius Motorsports
================================================================
Scott Webb & Preston Lerner Take 3rd at Laguna Seca Enduro
October 28, 2007 (Monterey, CA) – From their 8th place starting position in class (16th overall), Scott Webb and Preston Lerner steadily moved up the leader board during four hours of close racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to claim the final class podium position in 3rd, as well as 9th overall. From the outset of the weekend the Team Automobile Magazine Nissan 240SX struggled to find front-end grip on the newly repaved Laguna Seca track surface. Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions ended with a broken exhaust system just aft of the collector. Thankfully, the Rennwerks team for whom Webb drove in April, came to the rescue by providing a welder necessary for teammate Frank Honsowetz to affect temporary repairs. With the exhaust now somewhat whole again, and after several attempts to recover the Nissan’s normally impeccable manners with some chassis tuning, the team decided to sit out the final session to save tires, brakes, and other components for the four hour main event.
Unfortunately the Nissan 300ZX of teammates Frank Honsowetz, Mark Kalemkiarian and Mark Jones was involved in an incident of contact during the final session, sending the team scrambling to repair front end damage. Collecting crash repair equipment from Rennwerks, Hooverspeed and Larry Oka Racing, the team swarmed the car and was able join the race only a few laps after the drop of the green flag.
Webb was selected by the team to start the race, and by the end of lap one he had passed five cars to cross start/finish in 11th overall. After moving up to 8th overall, team tactician Emily Young called Webb onto pit lane on lap 34 at the onset of a full course yellow flag for a tank of fuel. Webb rejoined the race in 23rd spot before clawing his way back up to the 8th spot on lap 57 just prior to the team’s driver change.
Lerner was next behind the wheel and he quickly settled into a groove after hitting the circuit in 23rd spot. Within a matter of ten laps he’d already regained several spots, and Lerner’s ability to run error free laps one after another was a key factor in the team’s success. By lap 104 Lerner captured 7th overall and 3rd in class, but a last-lap splash for fuel saw the team drop two spots in the overall order. After completing 117 laps, the Team Automobile Magazine Nissan crossed the finish line 3rd in class, bested only by two Porsches in the over 1.7 liter production class.
Complete Results - http://www.mylaps.com/results/newResults.jsp?id=693526
Video Clip of Team Automobile Magazine Nissan 240SX - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS7gGyxpJVM
Automobile Magazine - http://www.automobilemag.com/
NISMO - http://www.nissanusa.com/nismo/
Technosquare - http://www.technosquareinc.com/
Rennwerks Motorsports - http://www.rennwerks.com/rennwerks_motorsports.htm
================================================================
Webb & Sampson Suffer DNF at Buttonwillow Raceway
October 13, 2007 (Buttonwillow, CA) – After experiencing victory in their last outing at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, the Sampson Racing Communications team was disappointed that the failure of $5 wheel spacer took them out of the October 13 round of the Western Endurance Racing Championship after only five laps of competition. This was especially true after so much effort went into improving the mechanical performance and reliability of the car in the weeks preceding the race.
The list of upgrades to the Mazda RX-7 since the last race was extensive. The original analog gauges were replaced by an AiM MyChron MXL data acquisition system and LCD display, the springs and shocks were swapped out in favor of a Tein Super Racing fully adjustable racing suspension, the tired OE transmission was upgraded to a Jerico four-speed racing gearbox and even indiglo number plates adorned both doors. And what a difference it all made. Tein’s 16-way electronically adjustable dampers at all four corners were pre-tuned by Tein to match spring rates calculated to be ideal for the RX-7’s weight and suspension design. What was a car that felt disconnected and a bit unstable now felt solid and confidence inspiring. The Jerico racing gearbox transformed shifting from a chore to a pleasure. And the new MyChron dash features pre-set warning levels for all systems it monitors, meaning that the driver can concentrate on driving instead of watching gauges. Not to mention the night-piercing PIAA racing lamps the team had installed for the previous race but hadn’t yet been able to use in competition.
Positive results from the car improvements were quick in coming. In the morning practice session team principal Shawn Sampson turned a lap that put the RX-7 at the top of the time sheets in the EO class. Qualifying wasn’t quite as kind to the team, however, as Scott Webb was balked by slow traffic and a full-course yellow for all but his warm-up lap, only managing to put the RX-7 20th on the grid of 25 cars (6th in class). Despite the threat of rain, the skies remained clear for the start of the race, occurring just as the sun set. By the time the field crossed the start/finish line for the first time Webb had already passed two cars, and he made quick work of traffic from that point forward. At the end of lap one Webb was up to 12th, and by lap four Webb had passed five more cars to find himself in 7th overall and 3rd in class.
But all was not well with the car, and Webb felt the emergence of a left-side vibration on the first lap of the race. After a brief radio conversation between crew chief Mona Sampson, Shawn Sampson and Webb, the belief was that “pick-up” on the tires from the previous session was the culprit and that over time the tires would come into form. However, the vibration began to worsen, and heading into the turn known as the Sweeper on lap five, Webb felt the car move sideways under heavy braking; indicating to him that there was a problem with the rear suspension. Accelerating through the Esses the car that was so impressively stable during qualifying became quite a handful. Webb radioed pit lane to tell them he was going to come in, but just as he approached pit lane and began to slow another car snuck in between Webb and the entrance to pit lane. In the darkness it was difficult to see additional traffic behind, so Webb made the decision to take another lap rather than risk collision.
Another full lap was not in the cards however. As Webb continued to slow, the car became increasingly difficult to control, and upon applying the brakes heading into a corner aptly named Off Ramp, the rear of the Mazda began to hop violently and the car veered off course. Webb managed to steer the RX-7 through a section of dirt and onto and unused portion of the track as the car ground to a halt. Upon inspection behind pit wall, it was learned that a wheel spacer had fractured. The resulting lateral wheel movement eventually put so much stress on the wheel studs that four of the five snapped off, enabling the wheel and tire to leave the hub and slap around inside the wheel well. Thus endeth the race. Complete results can be found at:
http://www.mylaps.com/results/newResults.jsp?id=685285&ShowPerClass=1
Despite the disappointment of a retirement so early in the race, the Sampson Racing Communications team was upbeat based upon the stellar performance of the car prior to the failure. The improvements to the RX-7 will make the team a formidable force at the upcoming NASA Pro Racing US Air Force 25 Hours of Thunderhill on December 1-2 (http://www.nasa25hour.com/).
Sampson Racing Communications – http://www.sampsonracing.com
Tein Suspension Systems – http://www.tein.com
PIAA Racing Lamps – http://www.piaa.com
AiM MyChron MXL - http://www.sampsonracing.com/sampson_racing_new/home_f.htm
================================================================
Webb & Sampson Succumb to Mechanical Failure at Willow Springs
July 7, 2007 (Rosamond, CA) – As lucky as 7/7/07 was supposed to be, it didn’t help the Sampson Racing Communications team at Willow Springs Raceway. After qualifying 8th overall and 3rd in the competitive EO class, Webb and Sampson failed to finish the 3-hour enduro after a combination of mechanical failures forced an early retirement for the team’s normally bulletproof RX-7.
About 30 minutes into the race Webb noticed smoke in the cockpit each lap exiting the downhill turn 5. Soon thereafter Shawn Sampson radioed Webb that smoke was visible from across the track and that he should keep careful watch on oil pressure and oil temperature from that point forward. Neither gauge gave any indication of trouble for the next half-hour, at which time Webb noticed a distinct change in tone from the 13B rotary engine. The team confirmed the audible change as Webb sped down the front straight. Under hard braking for turn 1 the decibel level increased markedly once again, and Webb radioed the team that he was heading for pit lane.
Upon arrival in the paddock, Sampson immediately had the car on the jack stands as Webb optimistically stayed belted into the Racetech seat. After a cursory inspection of the underside of the car it was obvious that the race was finished for the team, as the majority of the exhaust system had left the vehicle, and the transmission was leaking badly; a potentially combustible combination given the high exhaust gas temperatures generated by the rotary engine. So for the second race in a row Sampson never turned a lap in his own car after the drop of the green flag; and he didn’t have a chance to enjoy the competitive advantage of the new array of high-tech PIAA racing lamps installed just prior to the race weekend.
Hopeful that the bad luck is behind them, the Sampson Racing Communications team will regroup before competing again on October 13 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park for another day-into-night 3-hour endurance race – the last race of the season before the arduous 25 Hours of Thunderhill on December 1-2 at Thunderhill Raceway north of Sacramento, CA.
Sampson Racing Communications - http://www.sampsonracing.com
PIAA Performance Lighting - http://www.piaa.com
NASA Pro Racing Western Endurance Racing Championship - http://www.nasaproracing.com/enduro/werc/schedule.html
================================================================
Scott Webb Drives Stohr 01D to SCCA National Podium Finishes
April 22, 2007 (Buttonwillow, CA) – Driving a Rennwerks prepared Stohr 01D D Sports Racer owned by Harvey Goldman, Scott Webb raced onto the podium with 3rd and 2nd place finishes in SCCA National races on Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22 respectively. This was Webb’s first time behind the wheel of this type of sports car, and although the learning curve was steep, with help from the Rennwerks crew and fellow drivers, he managed to get a handle on the car relatively quickly.
The weekend began much as the previous one had ended at Buttonwillow Raceway – under heavy rain and cool temperatures. Webb, team owner Kevin Mitz and lead mechanic Mike Johnson made the most of the down time by getting Webb fitted to the car and familiar with the various systems and controls of the Yamaha R1 powered Stohr, including the left-hand sequential gear shifter. With the sky finally clearing after noon, Webb took to the track for the first of four Friday test and practice sessions. “I hadn’t driven a sports racer or on slicks in nearly four years, and certainly nothing with this type of power-to-weight ratio or a sequential gearbox ever before. So I took my time to learn how the car behaved before leaning on it too hard,” commented Webb. Oddly enough for the second weekend in a row Webb had to deal with tachometer problems, although this time from a digital dashboard as part of a data acquisition system. Luckily the folks from Veracity Racing Data were on hand to diagnose and correct the problem quickly, and Webb lost no track time as a result.
Saturday morning meant the first qualifying session for the weekend and the first official times that would enable Webb to see just how well he fared compared to his competition. Webb was pleasantly surprised to find himself 4th out of 10 DSR cars and 10th out of 42 cars in the overall group that also included Formula Atlantic, C Sports Racer, Formula Mazda and Sports 2000. Webb was a bit more than ½ second behind teammate Fabian Okonski in a similar Stohr, and several seconds behind Nancy James and Joshua Held in newer and considerably faster Stohr WF1 DSR’s. Webb had been suffering from low and high speed understeer during the session, so after consulting with Kevin Mitz, the team decided to change the front splitter and dive plane angles on the nose of the Stohr in search of more front downforce.
The green flag for Saturday’s race flew at 2:30 pm, and using the larger and more powerful CSR engine to his benefit, Rennwerks driver Renny Damon made a banzai move down the inside to pass several cars heading into turn one. Despite some minor contact with a Formula Atlantic as a result, the field headed off to the second turn none the worse for wear. Webb slotted in behind Okonski in the opening laps as they both chased down Damon. Okonski had a header collector break and pulled off line on lap three while Webb, with his new-found high speed grip, drew closer to and eventually passed Damon. Meanwhile Nancy James, who had found herself caught out in turn one at the start, was making up ground behind Webb at a rapid rate as the race wore on. When Webb got balked by lapped traffic heading onto the front straight, James drew along side heading into turn one. The two cars turned in side-by-side with Webb able to hold onto the position around the outside. A lap or two later James made the move stick heading into the Star Mazda turn, but Webb kept the pressure on from behind with the hope that James would make a mistake. It was not to be the case, however, and Webb finished the race in 3rd place (7th overall) behind James and DSR winner Josh Held, who had simply walked away from the field at the start.
After Saturday’s post-race debriefing, Kevin Mitz and Renny Damon conspired to donate a set of Damon’s less-used Goodyear tires for Sunday’s qualifying and race. The tires that had been on Webb’s car had survived many more heat cycles than they would normally have been asked to provide, and it was surmised that their lack of grip was a significant contributing factor to the low speed understeer that still plagued the Stohr. In addition, lead mechanic Mike Johnson made corner weight, camber and toe adjustments in search of even more speed. The changes worked, and Webb dropped his lap time by three seconds overnight (averaging 97.6 mph), and qualified 2nd in DSR and 7th overall for Sunday’s race. This put Webb ahead of the faster CSR cars and even a few Atlantics. Starting just behind Webb was David Arken in a surprisingly fast and powerful AMAC, and Fabian Okonski in another Stohr.
As the field piled into turn one for Sunday’s race, Webb noticed an unnatural movement from Josh Held’s WF1 as contact with an Atlantic sent Held’s car into a spin. Arken had used his power advantage already and had managed to sneak by Held as the incident happened. Webb and Okonski were forced to take to the dirt at the exit of the corner in order to avoid contact, and both lost a lot of ground and positions as a result. Okonski was able to rejoin the racing surface ahead of Webb as the two began to give chase to new leader Arken. Within a few laps Webb was able to make the pass on Okonski into Star Mazda and began work on reeling in the AMAC of Arken, who was quite a ways off into the distance at the time. With only a few laps remaining Webb closed in behind Arken as the two drivers headed into turn one. As the two exited the next corner Webb snuck along side Arken heading into a tight right hander. Unfortunately the gearbox didn’t cooperate leading onto the next straight and Webb surrendered the lead he held ever so briefly. Webb began sizing up his next passing opportunity when the red flag was thrown for two formula cars that had gotten together in Star Mazda a couple of laps prior.
With all cars now stopped somewhere on the circuit, officials began to reassemble the field for a restart. Rennworks radioed Webb and told him that it was likely that there was only one lap remaining once the green flag waved. Unfortunately the line-up for the restart wasn’t correct, and cars took the green in positions other than where they should have been, including an Atlantic that was inserted between Webb and Arken, and several cars that were missing between Webb and Okonski. Heading into turn one on the restart Webb protected the inside line from a closing Okonski and followed Arken towards the apex of the corner. Arken slowed significantly as Okonski made his move on the outside, and caught off guard, Webb nudged Arken from behind. The resulting contact saw Arken speed away as Webb spun 180 degrees to a stop into the middle of the track while the entire field took evasive action to the left or right. Webb rejoined at the tail end of the lead lap, but still made several passes of slower cars before taking the checkered flag. During impound officials acknowledged the problems of the restart order and made the decision to revert to the last completed lap before the red flag to determine the race results. This put Webb back into 2nd place in DSR and 4th overall behind DSR winner Arken who was 3rd overall.
Webb’s first experience behind the wheel of a DSR was a tremendous success. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Kevin Mitz, Mike Johnson and the rest of the Rennwerks team (including tires from Renny Damon), as well as a George Dean built Yamaha R1 engine that never missed a beat, Webb was the fastest of the pre-WF1 DSR’s at the end of the weekend. Webb hopes to build upon this momentum by assembling the resources necessary to acquire a DSR car and drive additional races in 2007, including the possibility of qualifying for the Runoffs, SCCA’s national championship race. Complete race results should be available on the SCCA/Cal Club web site shortly.
Rennwerks Motorsports - http://www.rennwerks.com/rennwerks_motorsports.htm
Stohr Race Cars - http://www.stohr.com/
Veracity Racing Data - http://www.veracitydata.com/
SCCA Cal Club - http://www.calclub.com
Sampson Racing Communications - http://www.sampsonracing.com
================================================================
Webb & Sampson Slog to Victory in Wet NASA Pro Racing Enduro
Buttonwillow, CA (April 14, 2007) – After taking second place in their last two races together, Scott Webb and Shawn Sampson finally ascended to the top step of the podium with a class victory at NASA Pro Racing’s 3-hour endurance race at Buttonwillow Raceway on Saturday night. Conditions were aptly described as miserable throughout the race, with rain showers pelting the track at regular intervals. No two laps featured the same track surface conditions, but the team weathered the storm and finished 1st in class and 3rd overall after starting 28th (dead last).
The weekend began with an electrical problem for the number 60 RX-7 that surfaced within minutes of the first on-track session. The tachometer would suddenly drop to zero or behave erratically while exhaust gas temperatures would climb to uncomfortable levels. Diagnosis of the problem continued during the second session when it became apparent the condition only occurred in right-hand turns. The problem was finally discovered to be a tiny frayed area on the tach lead which would contact bare metal where it passes through a bracket on the engine. The ensuing short circuit would affect the trailing ignition coil (from which the lead acquired its signal), thereby sending unburned fuel into the exhaust and causing the elevated exhaust temperatures.
With great relief the team drove the car onto the pre-grid, but as they did, rain began to fall for the first time all weekend. Without rain tires and sun visible on the horizon, the team decided to keep a dry setup on the car in anticipation of a passing shower. Indeed, this particular shower did pass, only to be followed by many more throughout the night. Adding to the team’s challenge, NASA’s random starting order procedure found Webb starting 28th of 28 cars as the field rolled out onto a very wet Buttonwillow track.
Officials gave drivers two pace laps to acclimate to the conditions before the dropping the green flag at approximately 6:15 pm. By the end of lap one Webb had already passed a total of 10 cars, and by lap 14 Webb could see 23 cars in the mirror behind the Sampson Racing RX-7. Well, he would have seen them if he had any rearward visibility. As rain continued to fall, track conditions became exceedingly treacherous, with plenty of standing water and mud across much of the surface. “Since we were on dry tires, at one point in the race I couldn’t apply more than about 10% throttle in 3rd gear coming through the esses. Any more that than and the car would instantly spin or aquaplane off the track. It made for some exciting laps!” quipped Webb.
As darkness enveloped the circuit sooner than anticipated due to the cloud cover, the team’s strategy had to shift in order to make a stop for lights, fuel and a bit of window cleaning. Fortunately radio communication between driver and crew was flawless throughout the challenging conditions, and crew chief Mona Sampson kept Webb informed of strategy changes and on-track traffic situations. “I don’t think I could have made it without the help of another set of eyes on pit lane,” proclaimed Webb. After a pit stop on lap 22, Webb made quick progress back through the field, eventually running as high as 2nd overall by lap 41. At this point in the race the weather had not improved, and a decision was made by Shawn Sampson and the team to keep Webb in the car for the remainder of the race since he was already accustomed to the conditions.
One pit stop remained for the final fill of fuel and for some additional cleaning of windows and lights. The team called Webb onto pit lane on lap 53, and another rapid stop saw Webb rejoin the track in 3rd overall. Unfortunately within a few laps Webb encountered lapped traffic sliding off and on the paved surface that sent a wave a mud onto the nose of the RX-7, creating a visibility situation that he found uncomfortable, if not outright dangerous. “I drove right off the track at least twice on that lap because I could hardly see a thing,” said Webb. “I radioed the crew and told them I needed to stop again to get the mud off the lights and windshield or I was going to crash the car.” Although only about 15 minutes of racing remained, the crew brought Webb down pit lane one last time. Fortunately the stop was quick enough to keep Webb in 3rd overall and 1st in class, a position he would hold until the finish. The team looks to build upon the momentum of victory at the next round of NASA Pro Racing’s Western Endurance Racing Championship this summer. For detailed results and a lap chart visit http://www.mylaps.com/results/newResults.jsp?id=503836.
Sampson Racing Communications - http://www.sampsonracing.com
Western Endurance Racing Championship - http://www.nasaproracing.com/enduro/werc/schedule.html
Images Courtesy of http://www.HiRevOnline.com
Home | Racing Resume | Racing Photo Galleries | Aftermarket Project Vehicles | Sponsors & Links
