Coop Cronicles

Star Mazda EAST Championship

The 56th Glen Nationals

Watkins Glen June 13, 2003

I told them it would be a great relief from the Atlanta humidity. That this time of year in southern NY State it is absolutely beautiful. That if we left tomorrow right after dinner, we’d arrive 18 hours later. The fact that neither of my crew for the weekend (comprised of veteran Austin Poole, and my good buddy, Personal Trainer/Nutritionist/Spiritual Advisor Richard Cheadle), had no experience whatsoever towing a trailer couldn’t even deter me. Why I’d just enroll ‘em in the ol’ Teddy Roosevelt School of Trailer Towing... Northwards!

Friday Test Day

We’d have 3 sessions, and this year they actually separated the open wheel cars into 2 groups; Fast & Slow, rather than the free for all last year. In the first session I was out right behind Will Haney in the Racer’s Edge Toyota Atlantic powered, Zeus C Sports Racer. This thing looked like a blast to drive, and according to Will, it’s actually easier (!) to drive than the FM. While drafting him down the straight on the way to the inner loop, suddenly I found myself on the receiving end of a massive water leak (or so I thought). I pulled out of the draft, sure that the thing was gonna blow, but it kept on spewing, until that is, he started to brake for the turn. Then powering off the next corner it did it again. I was now a little further back and could clearly see it was in fact the fattest contrail I’ve ever seen. Evidently the morning dew point / humidity level was optimum for this effect – it was pretty cool. Almost immediately it appeared that my FM Lap Record from last year (1:57.950) would be in danger of falling into someone else’s hands. Chris Schanzle, and Victor Seaber were the main protagonists, both of them running the East Series race as well, and both of them currently in the top 2 spots, with yours truly in 3rd.

Saturday Qualifying 1 of 2

Man, talk about not being able to get a clean lap! Some of the guys appeared to be running in the newly formed Formula Valet class. Suffice it to say there was much parking (on corner entry) going on... At the end of the session, Schanzle had posted a 1:56.2 (almost 2 seconds under the track record!), I had the 2nd fastest time at a 1:57 flat, with Brian Sullivan 3rd at 1:57.9, Seaber 4th with a 1:58.3, and rounding out the Top 5, Mishael Abbott’s 1:58.5. After the times were posted and I knew I had to find almost a second, I decided to have a talk with Seaber; maybe we could hook up and get some drafty draft goin’. He’s of the same mind, and we seal the deal with a Double-Secret-Squirrel handshake. I mention to him that if it’s not happening (for whatever reason), I’ll wave my hand high.

Saturday Qualifying 2

I’m first in line to go out, having arrived a full session early, trying to avoid the dreaded slower cars, the plan being run about 5 or 6 laps and come in. After a lap or 2, Victor and I hook up, but the draft just isn’t happening; I’d pull him just enough in some corners, that by the time we got to a draftable bit (front straight, or T1 to T5) he wasn’t close enough. After the 2nd lap like this, I threw up my hand. I’d try it alone, hell, Schanzle did his lap that way… Groan…, just like the first session, I’m getting held up yet again. Between the beautiful primer gray (with duct tape accents) FA of NY Region’s Glenn Pashley, and the stunning yellow DSR of Chicago Region’s Jay Lovett, it’s not going my way at all. By the way, when exactly did a DSR get the horsepower to absolutely SMOKE an FM on top end? After another lap or so, the session has been red flagged, and I pull behind the wall – I’m done. The times are posted and I’ve gone faster, yet the 44/100ths improvement is just not strong enough to snare pole. In fact, I’m now shown in 3rd! As Schanzle did not even run, electing instead to save what was left of his rubber after the record first session run, it’s Seaber who has gone and improved over 2 seconds from his first session time! After the session he tells me something to the effect of “Yeah man, after following you for a few laps I realized I was way slow entering the Inner Loop, and Turn 1 as well”. Note To Self – I may want to start charging for this, think about it, what’s a second per lap worth? $500? $1000? Easy.

Sunday Race

I’m third FM, and 12th on the combined grid, directly behind Pashley, with Schanzle and Seaber 1 and 2 rows ahead respectively. I’m straped in and motion over Pashley’s crew guy. I mention to him that I’m locked into a pretty tight series point battle with the 2 guys directly ahead of his driver. I ask him to check on his intentions on the start. Well I guess I really must have pissed him off yesterday in qualifying when I pointed him by on the approach to the toe of the boot, and he couldn’t get it done. C’mon pal, I back off early to let you by with all that horsepower, then you wuss out on the brakes? Yer darn right I stuffed it under him, and was gone. A lap later and he’s off into the sand trap of the 2nd to last corner. We get the 1 minute whistle and the crew dude walks off, not even a glance in my general direction. That’s fine I’m thinking, that thing’s gonna need a lap or two to get those meaty meats up to temperature, and in the meantime, I’ll be checkin’ out. We take the green, and heading into T1, Seaber drifts wide on the approach, and I go under him and nearly nip Schanzle as we make our way up the climbing esses. I’m mid track, and Seaber is coming up fast on my right. I guess I really did have the wrong gearing, shoulda kept the Road Atlanta stack in, Damn! As we’re into the braking zone for the Inner Loop (that’s Redneck/NASCAR for chicane), up ahead Schanzle has gotten it waay wrong – not sure if he got tapped or what – but he’s starting to go around. My first reaction is to drive on in, but I quickly change that as he’s actually staying in the track as he’s spinning, effectively blocking the way. I elect instead to take to the grass, and reenter about mid loop. I glance in the mirrors on the exit and Seaber is nowhere to be seen. Within a few turns we’ve gone full course yellow, and use the normal track, detouring the chicane. We stay that way for 3 laps or so. As we come by the cleanup area for the last time, I crane my head to see the safety crew has actually hosed down the track, leaving the chicane a soaking mess. Turns out there was gearbox lube from where Seaber’s and Schanzle’s (sounds like a new flavor Icee, eh?) cars impacted. I’m thinking we’ll go through there behind the pace car one time, then go green. Imagine my surprise when the pace car drops into the hot pit and we’re green. I’m absolutely certain some of the guys are not aware of the wet track and 99 % believe there’s soon to be an even larger get together. Amazing. We all get through clean. The race for me is now effectively over, and it turns into basically another lapping session. There’s $500 available for a win; all I’ve got to do is bring it home. I notice in the mirrors that Brian Sullivan is 2nd FM. This guy may be an anchor during the week (on Bloomberg Television’s Morning Call), but he’s anything but on this day, keeping me on my toes. I notice a little dust in the ankle of the boot one lap; careful Bri – 2nd place money’s not that bad!

After a while I’ve opened it up to a real nice gap and settle in to maintain it. A classic tale of going slow enough to win. Before I can get my head fully around this concept, having traveled all this way to not even race, we’ve gone full course yellow again. I’m 7th overall or so, first FM when we take the green, and I’m coming up fast on a late model 008a Swift Toyota (Formula) Atlantic (!) I pull out and go by on his right side. This is probably the first time in recorded history that this scenario has played out. For the uninitiated, this is akin to a Ferrari 550 Maranello passing Schumi in his F1 car. OK, maybe more like a real nice 2nd Gen RX7 Turbo out accelerating a hopped up NSX, you get the idea. It just doesn’t happen this way. I’m guessing the guy was having engine trouble (Ya think? – Ed.). Coming to the stripe for the last time (or so I thought), I’m comin’ up fast on a dog slow DSR and elect to take it easy, follow him through the last turn, and casually cruise across the stripe, taking the win. As I’m coasting along, Austin keys up the mic, and offers up “Coop, there’s one more lap left!” real concerned like. Well I snatched that thing down a gear or two, and took off, Sullivan now within sight and sensing something may be wrong. We run kind of close for the last lap, and I hold him off at the checker by a ½ second or so. Coming home third was Mishael Abbott, Rob “Burgermeister” Nicholas 4th, and Velocity Head Honcho Ken Erb 5th.

Epilogue

With that win, and the misfortune of the 2 S’s, I’ve now inherited the lead in the East Series. We’ve got 3 rounds left, and as series competitors are allowed one “drop” race, Seaber will merely use this as his, and Schanzle will now be forced to incur a NPS (no points scored) as he too, missed the first round, just like your randy reporter. Next up is Pocono for an SCCA National, first weekend in August. Of special note, CSR was won by the little fire engine that could, namely the new MSR / Mazda Sports Racer, piloted expertly by STAR Mazda Pro Series regular John Faulkner, out of the Racer’s Edge stable. Going up against cars with near nearly 80 – 100 horsepower more, this 220 horsepower, street ported rotary (based heavily on the 180 hp FM), on it’s maiden voyage/shakedown run may have just provided a glimpse into the future of affordable/low maintenance Sports Racers. And what of the lap record, you ask? As the time has to be run in a race to be considered a record, I had figured that the wet chicane would preclude anyone wrenching it away. WRONG! In the waning moments of the race, it had dried up enough for Brian Sullivan to snare it away by just over a ½ second, with a 1:57.436. Nice job Bri, but don’t get cocky! Yet another planetary alignment took place in our corner of the paddock, as every one parked within spittin’ distance won their race. FA (part time FM’er Nastasi), SRF, and GT-5 as well. I’m now battin’ 1000 in my 2 appearances here. Perhaps next year they’ll change the name to “The Glenn Nationals”. Doh! “If ultimate (horse)power corrupts, then I say bring it on”!

Glenn Cooper Formula Mazda 43

Place

Driver

Best 7

Total Points

Race 1

Race 2

Race 3

Race 4

Race 5

Race 6

Race 7

Race 8

1

Glenn Cooper

101

101

_

29

21

25

_

_

_

2

Victor Seaber

100

100

29

19

26

19

7

_

_

_

Chris Schanzle

87

87

_

21

29

5

_

_

_

Brian Sullivan

83

83

DNF

16

17

23

_

_

_

Rob Nicholas

74

74

17

DNF

15

17

_

_

_

6

Mishael Abbott

69

69

_

17

16

19

_

_

_

7

Bryan Watts

56

56

16

DNF

14

_

_

_

_

8

Doug Falcone

47

47

_

15

13

_

_

_

_

9

Shane Doles

24

24

19

DSQ

_

_

_

_

_

10

_

_

_

_

_

11

John Faulkner

22

22

DNS

DNF

12

_

_

_

_

12

Sergio Musacchio

21

21

21

_

DSQ

_

_

_

_