VitaRenovatio

S2K Challenge Event #2 - Auto Club Speedway - Race Summary
Article by VitaRenovatio

February 25, 2012 - Fontana, California: The second installment of the Speed Ventures S2K Challenge was held at the world famous Auto Club Speedway. Over 30 S2000's were present, and 21 would participate in the Challenge. This event also welcomed several newcomers to the Series, likely attracted to what is arguably the fiercest S2000 time trial competition in the world.





Drivers enjoyed the cool winter weather, as track temperatures hovered around 70 degrees. There was also intermittent tailwinds down the front straight, which helped many drivers to consistently reach speeds of 130-140 mph into Turn 1. To make things even more interesting, the track steadily rubbered in as the day went on, allowing progressively faster times through the Infield.



Stock Class Results
The track was truly a test of manhood versus madness for the wingless Stock Class. Without the aid of rear downforce, drivers teetered on the very edge of pure mechanical grip as they slingshot past Turns 1 and 2 at absurd speeds. It was a competition for who could drive the tidiest lap while driving ... flat out.

Albert Castro took 3rd place with a solid 2:05.366 in Green 2. Victor Huang took 2nd place with a 2:03.158. Sadly, neither of them realized that Chris Johnson's yellow S2000 could double as a school bus, as Chris took both of them to school by posting a 2:02.798 to take 1st place in his first Challenge event this year.





Street Class Results
Street Class also saw some new competitors at this event. Here, the veterans demonstrated precision driving and competition.

JC Gutierrez took 3rd place with a time of 2:00.620 in his last session of the day. Jeff Ringer ultimately could not catch up to Mike Kang and had to settle for 2nd place with a 1:57.293, losing by less than seven hundredths of a second. Mike nonchalantly took 1st place during his second session with a 1:57.229, while his busted CV joint continued to sprinkle grease onto the track, like salt on fresh wounds.



Modified Class Results
Modified Class saw the closest competition in this all-veteran crowd. Mike Tsay threw down the gauntlet early in his second session perhaps in collusion with another S2K Competitor in a different class to reach unfathomable speeds down the front straight. He posted a 1:54.494 that would be the time to beat by all other competitors.

Dustin Dessero posted a respectable 1:56.211 before a suicidal spark plug ended his day, earning him 6th place. Justin Taylor's S2000, still busted from the mishap at Buttonwillow, showed up in a mix-and-match Honda to take 5th place with a 1:56.105. Albert Gavieres took 4th place with a 1:55.831, struggling to find his pace around the crowded and oddly disorganized track.





Chris Elders took the plunge into "Setup B": like Dustin, he ditched his fancy splitter and gigantic Voltex Type 7 wing in favor of R-compounds and a more reasonable Voltex 1S wing. A low-drag, high-grip setup would be ideal for ACS. However, his plan backfired on him when he realized that his new setup required the use of an OEM catalytic converter, choking the life out of his high-revving engine. He and his pit crew hustled to remove the CR lip so that he could reinstall a test pipe, and he immediately regained pace around the track, posting a Hail Mary 1:54.642 in his very last lap of the day.



Nam Yoon found himself both under the weather and underprepared, and barely broke into the 54's with a 1:54.856 in his last session. Ultimately, Mike Tsay's time remained unbeatable, resulting in the same podium lineup as the last event with Mike on 1st, Chris on 2nd and Nam on 3rd.



Super Modified Class Results
Super Modified also enjoyed new competitors. Victor Flores represented with a 2:08.720 to take 2nd place. Shu Yamawaki posted a 1:57.064 in Green 3 to take 1st.











For Official Results, visit the Speed Ventures S2K Challenge Page.

Round Three of the S2K Challenge Series will be on Sunday, March 25 at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. It is a fantastic track that has a great flow to it, and it is a very safe track with plenty of runoff room and virtually nothing to hit. PLEASE NOTE: there will be four separate challenges that day: S2K Challenge, Miata Challenge, HFF Challenge and Bimmer Challenge. This means that spots will sell out extremely fast, so sign up ASAP!

To participate, register here: S2K Challenge Event 3 - Chuckwalla Valley Raceway
- Be sure to register for AMB timing and select your appropriate S2K Challenge class

For rules, click here: 2012 S2K Challenge Rules

If you have questions about the S2K Challenge, please feel free to PM any of the Advisory Board Members:
Aaron Bitterman (desert tortoise)
Nam Yoon (VitaRenovatio)
Mike Kang (psychoazn)
Mike Tsay (dipstick)

VitaRenovatio

Does anyone know how to recover images from a corrupt SD card? It is completely unreadable and is not recognized by my computer at all. It's as if the card is not even inserted in the SD slot. The recovery programs that I've tried do not recognize the card, either. I took a lot of videos on the SD card, but I do still have all the pictures that I took, which were on the CF card.

f20kills

My wife used a program before like you mentioned and it recovered all but one image from the SD card. Unfortunately, I dont know the name of the program. My phones SD card crapped out on me a while ago and acts like there is no card in the slot. A little research on the interweb said the sucker was long gone with no recovery possible

On a random side note.....I met Corey Feldman yesterday at my place....he needed to borrow my gate card to let his GF out from the secured parking area. He locked her behind the gate and ran up to me in my s2000 as I was getting ready to go out and wash my car lol Point of the story....if my damn SD card worked in my phone...I would have taken a pic with him and I in front of the S!!!!

f20kills

More pics to come....Ill be out of town for the next 3 days. Hope to get them up if I find time, if not, then by the end of the week

f20kills

[attachment=17086:corey_feldman.jpg]

adrs2k

^ You live in the same place as Corey? LOL

albertg

The goonie?

f20kills

Mouth!!

I dont think he lived there....just his gf does.

//steve\\

Back on topic. More pics. More vids. This is the only way I see track time.

psychoazn

Figured out why I felt like my car just had no grip... I was literally driving on grease. The outermost CV joint on my rear left axle (same one thats been giving me problems) is/was leaking and the grease was getting onto the rim, and then eventually working its way out onto the tire. I have a nice line of grease all along my fender and rear bumper where it was being slung, as well as all over the inner sidewall of the tire.

On the other hand, I think thats why I was able to hold the low line through 1/2; the inner tire was "slipping" and helping rotate the car.