(C) 2008 Team MatherMotorsport, LLC All Rights Reserved.
For additional information please email us at info@TeamMatherMotorsport.com
For additional information please email us at info@TeamMatherMotorsport.com
June 1, 2008 Lexington, Ohio
Team MatherMotorsport Continues Their Top Ten Streak!
Team MatherMotorsport competed this weekend at the world famous Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio in the Great Lakes Division Race of Champions. The 2.25 mile, 15 turn road course is known for its high speed straights, elevation changes, and technical twisty sections.
Foul weather reared its ugly head for the first qualifying session on Saturday. There were severe thunderstorms Friday night and the track was extremely slick in the morning. Phil Mather kept the CG-Lock / Royal Purple SpecMiata on track and put in a strong performance. The weather cleared for the afternoon and Mather qualified in ninth place in class out of fifteen SpecMiatas.
Mather had been fighting handling issues during qualifying and wasn't satisfied with the car's performance. The car was turning left extremely well, but was losing grip in right hand turns. His day-job at Mechanical Simulation (www.CarSim.com) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, gave him the tools to help solve his problems. Using CarSim, the vehicle performance development software developed by Mechanical Simulation, he was able to run several simulations in his computer to determine what adjustments could be made to help improve the car's handling. And the adjustments worked!
At the drop of the green flag, Mather was able move up immediately three positions by the fourth turn. The car was able to drive anywhere on the track, and while his competition was trying to stay on the racing line, he was able to drive off line and make some daring passes and catch the other driver's off guard.
Out-of-class traffic played a role in the outcome of the race. For the first several laps of the 19 lap race, the fourth through ninth place SpecMiatas were battling for position along side two Minis (who were in their own battle). The Minis had better straight line speed than the SpecMiatas, but the SpecMiatas had the better cornering speed. This allowed the car behind Mather to catch up in the turn known as the Carousel, a long, slightly down hill, sweeping right hand turn. Mather took a slightly wider line into the turn, trying to get a run on the exit to attempt a pass on one of the Minis. The following car took an inside line. However, it were not able to hold the tighter line and hit Mather on the right rear bumper and wheel. This knocked the CG-Lock / Royal Purple SpecMiata sideways and towards the retaining wall. Luckily, there was only cosmetic damage, and Mather was able to regain control and keep the car pointed in the right direction, but the incident allowed two cars by and dropped Phil back. But a few laps later, Mather was right back in the fight, and was able to pass back into sixth place in class. With the tires beginning to lose grip and the seventh place car right on his back bumper, Mather was able to hold them off and finish sixth in class in one of the best races so far this season.
There will be a bit of a break in the racing action before the next race at Grattan Raceway in August. However, Team MatherMotorsport and Phil Mather will be busy. The racecar will be on display at Sesi Mazda in the near future, and at a car show or two. Also, Mather will be working on improving his driving skills through some coaching and physical training.
Also, stay tuned for more exciting news that will be announced before the next race. There will be a new and improved look for the team, and some new sponsorship deals are in the works!
Team MatherMotorsport Continues Their Top Ten Streak!
Team MatherMotorsport competed this weekend at the world famous Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio in the Great Lakes Division Race of Champions. The 2.25 mile, 15 turn road course is known for its high speed straights, elevation changes, and technical twisty sections.
Foul weather reared its ugly head for the first qualifying session on Saturday. There were severe thunderstorms Friday night and the track was extremely slick in the morning. Phil Mather kept the CG-Lock / Royal Purple SpecMiata on track and put in a strong performance. The weather cleared for the afternoon and Mather qualified in ninth place in class out of fifteen SpecMiatas.
Mather had been fighting handling issues during qualifying and wasn't satisfied with the car's performance. The car was turning left extremely well, but was losing grip in right hand turns. His day-job at Mechanical Simulation (www.CarSim.com) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, gave him the tools to help solve his problems. Using CarSim, the vehicle performance development software developed by Mechanical Simulation, he was able to run several simulations in his computer to determine what adjustments could be made to help improve the car's handling. And the adjustments worked!
At the drop of the green flag, Mather was able move up immediately three positions by the fourth turn. The car was able to drive anywhere on the track, and while his competition was trying to stay on the racing line, he was able to drive off line and make some daring passes and catch the other driver's off guard.
Out-of-class traffic played a role in the outcome of the race. For the first several laps of the 19 lap race, the fourth through ninth place SpecMiatas were battling for position along side two Minis (who were in their own battle). The Minis had better straight line speed than the SpecMiatas, but the SpecMiatas had the better cornering speed. This allowed the car behind Mather to catch up in the turn known as the Carousel, a long, slightly down hill, sweeping right hand turn. Mather took a slightly wider line into the turn, trying to get a run on the exit to attempt a pass on one of the Minis. The following car took an inside line. However, it were not able to hold the tighter line and hit Mather on the right rear bumper and wheel. This knocked the CG-Lock / Royal Purple SpecMiata sideways and towards the retaining wall. Luckily, there was only cosmetic damage, and Mather was able to regain control and keep the car pointed in the right direction, but the incident allowed two cars by and dropped Phil back. But a few laps later, Mather was right back in the fight, and was able to pass back into sixth place in class. With the tires beginning to lose grip and the seventh place car right on his back bumper, Mather was able to hold them off and finish sixth in class in one of the best races so far this season.
There will be a bit of a break in the racing action before the next race at Grattan Raceway in August. However, Team MatherMotorsport and Phil Mather will be busy. The racecar will be on display at Sesi Mazda in the near future, and at a car show or two. Also, Mather will be working on improving his driving skills through some coaching and physical training.
Also, stay tuned for more exciting news that will be announced before the next race. There will be a new and improved look for the team, and some new sponsorship deals are in the works!
Sponsors
