A busy June for IARG/P6 Racing!

Well folks June continued to heat up both with ambient temperatures climbing and with our race program!

Most recently our on-track adventure has taken us back to Putnam Park Road Course for a day of testing on June 18th.  The format was a Friday "open lapping" day with instructors for the Bluegrass Chapter of the BMWCCA.  Really a great group of people out of the great state of KY.  The focus of the day was on suspension setup.  It was crazy hot that day with a heat index of 96F which tested both the car and my fitness.  Fortunately the off-season training prepared me physically for being in the car for extended periods of time in high temperatures.  The experience also taught me about how important mental conditioning is as well, since it was stifling hot which made even breathing difficult much less driving a race car at speed.  I was able to spend more than 2 continuous hours in the car without exiting before lunch.  During the lunch break Doug, Calvin and Geoff adjusted the rear by changing to a softer set of springs and made a few adjustments to the front camber and shock settings all around.  Through the course of the day we made numerous runs and made significant progress in getting the car set up.  Indeed, we were by far the fastest car on track.  Here is a small clip of the action (note the helmet hook as an ad hoc gyroscope).

We left the track overheated and exhausted but with a good feeling about the progress that we had made during the day.  Most importantly we had gained a lot of confidence heading into our next race weekend at BeaveRun Motorsports Complex.  The car setup was working well, the motor had great power, and I was able to drive the car hard with confidence.  Again a great job by International AutoSport Racing Group for making such big improvements in such a short timeframe to get us ready to race.

 Next on the weekend schedule was a benefit fund raiser sponsored by IARG/Project6 Racing for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).  The event was held at Sun King Brewing in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday June 19th and featured a pork barbecue from Ron Harris of Locally Grown Gardens, beer from Sun King Brewing and music from recording artist Cari Ray.  First, I must say that our sponsorship supporters really went all out for this event.  After a day of intense track time just 24 hours earlier, International AutoSport Racing got the car cleaned, shipped and prepared for the event in all of its glory.  Sarah from the JDRF and a few volunteers explained to the crowd the mission of the JDRF, and the racing sponsorship program.  Clay and the guys at Sun King Brewing had some awesome beers on tap.  Given that temperatures were again around 90F nothing was better than a nice cold Osiris Pale Ale (which is available locally in Indianapolis in cans from retail distributors).  This brew matched perfectly with the awesome pulled pork shoulder barbecue.  It was food and drink that was good for the body and soul...

 In preparation for racing in the high temperatures and humidity of the midwest, I have been training with Abby Fox (owner of Abby Fox Fitness) who is regarded as one of the best personal trainers in the Indianapolis area. Abby was on location at the Sun King Brewery concert event showing her support for me and the racing program signing autographs and pictures for the fans.  She has a tremendous amount of positive energy and generates a lot of attention wherever she goes (which is understandable...). 

We had a nice crowd given the high heat index, although with fund raisers there can never be enough people in attendance.  Several people joined our effort and bought signature decals.  Remember that the checkerboard hood is not just a design, but it’s so much more than that.  Each of those squares is a space available for anyone’s name who pledges or makes a donation to the JDRF through our organization. So far we’ve had a great response, but we’re always looking for more. It couldn’t go towards a more noble cause. You can find more information on securing your spot on the hood for upcoming races at our website or by attending one of our upcoming benefit concerts.  So listen people follow our website posts for events and get out there and show your support!  We can't do it alone!

But I digress...  As I was saying, Cari and her band got the music jamming around 5:30 pm and played two sets.  Cari Ray has been featured on radio stations throughout the Midwest and has been compared to the likes of Sheryl Crow. She put on an awesome show and really capped off the event.  Her bluesy/alt country version of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" caught a lot of attention from those in attendance that were unfamiliar with her work and opened the door exposing these new fans to her original music.  The band's sound was great and all that one could see were feet tapping and rear ends shaking.  ;-)  Everyone that attended had a great time and said that they could not wait until our next event.  Incidentally we are targeting a date sometime in August.  Stay tuned for more info...  So that wrapped up a crazy busy weekend with both on- and off-track activities for the race team.  It was fun, but we had to quickly refocus our efforts for the following race weekend...  Yes, June wrapped up with a race weekend!  This time we traveled to BeaveRun Motorsports Complex located about 40 minutes north of Pittsburgh, PA (my hometown!).  But that is the topic of the next blog...  :-)

All the best to you!  Cheers!
Michael S