On The 2013 Runoffs

 Memories are frangible, but this is how I remember it, 12 years later...

The Swap

In 2013 I was experimenting with various configurations in the Super Touring Light Integra. Its B18 (1.8L) engine gave me good service but in STL the compliant weight is dependant on displacement. I thought maybe I could do better with a lighter car powered by the B17 (1.7L), built up to maybe make comparable horsepower. So I found one and sent it to Blake to rebuild for me. Its debut was to be the 2013 SCCA Runoffs at Road America.

But..."Road America" the USA's other dyno track (along with Daytona). You'd think that I would have considered that, but..."nope". I probably thought that the reduced weight (about 125 pounds?) would make up for that horsepower reduction but "nope". After three days of qualifying I realized that our B17 was the wrong horse for this course as we were three seconds per lap slower than the prior year and I was gridded in something like 13th. Not pleased.

As Dick Patullo and I were sitting in the enclosed trailer discussing the situation over beers, rain beating outside, I pointed to the back of the trailer where our tried-and-true B18 engine was strapped against the wall (I brought it as a backup in case something happened to the new B17).

"No", Dick replied (quite substantially, as I recall).

I reminded him that it was only Thursday evening and we weren't racing until Sunday and that I've swapped engines in a good solid evening...

"No!" Dick replied, even more substantially.

Mostly defeated, I grabbed a pull from my beer when at that very moment there was a knock on the door of the trailer...it was Tom Lepper. Tom was a fellow competitor from California, also driving a B-series-equipped Integra, and he'd done-blowed-up his engine in Tuesday's qualifying session.

"I heard you guys brought a spare engine", Tom notes. "Any chance you'd be interested in selling it...?"

Huh. Well, I was hesitant to give up my primary engine (at that point I was probably going to swap it back in when I got home).

I glanced at Dick - quickly looked away - and kinda mulled it over. "Well, it's really my primary engine and this B17 was an experiment...so I'm a bit hesitant to let it go."

But then I remembered that Tom's car was DA-chassis 1992 Acura Integra GS-R and its stock engine was...the Honda B17!

Quick note on Runoffs qualification procedures. The SCCA lets you change equipment on your car during the event, including engines, as long as it's comparable equipment. But if you change something that would require you to change your classified minimum weight - such as engine displacement - then you lose your qualification lap times.

I thought it over..."OK", I offered, "but if I change to the B18 I'd lose my lap times." And Tom says "yeah, plus if I borrowed your B18 then I'd have to find a way to get it back to you in CT from California after we get home".

I looked over at Dick again; he was glaring at me pretty substantially by then (and surprisingly silent)...but then I saw that mischevious look in his eyes...

And after some quick back and forth, Tom and I came to an agreement on his buying the B17 that was installed in my Integra, and I would install my spare B18 back into my Integra.

Dick I and drank more beer that night. Then it began.

The rain had passed and the next morning was bright and sunny. I drove my Integra down to Tom's larger paddock spot, in the middle of of Road America's competitor paddock and right along the main drag, in front of everybody, God, and His Cousins. We began crowd-swapping B-series engines, two cars pointing noses at each other with everything in between. I worked on removing my good B17 while Tom worked on removing his broken B17. I don't remember all the details but on that Friday, with two disassembled cars and engine parts, tools, and equipment scattered everywhere, it looked like someone had dropped a bomb in the paddock.

We became a spectacle along the main drag for two days. We saw people driving and walking back and forth multiple times, looking at what was going on while trying to pretend they weren't looking, and even a couple people set up lawn chairs to watch; I swear we could have put up some bleachers and charged admission. Even Randy Pobst stopped and took a classic photo of the disaster and posted it on Facebook, increasing the foot traffic even more...

After a lot of work - a lot more than just "a good solid evening's worth" - both cars had engines installed and were running on Saturday...and ready for the start of Sunday's race. Tom would retain his qually times from Tuesday, but with my displacement change I'd be losing my laps times and starting from the back...of a 39-car field.

The Race

I won't get into the boring details of the race; you can watch the YouTube in-car video here (the first lap is kinda fun). Race summary was I started 33rd of 33 cars (the other six didn't make the race) and by the end of the first lap I was up to 18th! I'd gained my three seconds per lap back and put my head down to move forward...and move forward I did! 16th place on the second lap, then 13th place, 10th for a couple laps...and then on Lap 7 Peter Keane made a braking mistake in T8 and hammered me in the rear, spinning us both off into the runoff. There was no major damage to the car so I recovered quickly and re-entered the race in 13th, and put my head down.

From there it was a bit of a slog - I'm now arguing with cars that are faster than the ones I passed on the first lap - and snagged 11th, then 9th...and with 3 laps to go Dick called on the radio and told me that I had a shot at 8th or 7th place, so I dug in further.

On the final lap, I had 8th in my sights. As we went through the Kink I knew I could take him on the front straight if I drove out of the last corner well, then as we approached Canada Corner the 7th place Miata spun out under braking in front of us! A poor recovery later on my part, but 8th and I went nose-to-tail into that last turn and I made a reasonably-enough clean entry and exit to take him up the hill to the checkered flag.

From 33rd to 7th.

Here's the fun part (like it wasn't already fun): I've long had a credo for the Runoffs, "Podium Or Seventh". That came from some years babysitting my Showroom Stock car in Impound all weekend, waiting for SCCA Tech to go through the top-3 cars for compliance checks (and hoping I don't get called up for disassembly). The idea is that I'd accept the "being torn down to the crankshaft in the tech shed while sitting around doing nothing" part in exchange for the podium, medals, glory, and photos, and champagne and all that. But it is absolutely miserable to be sitting outside the tech shed with your fourth- through sixth-place car for hours, if not days, having gotten none of that. Instead, I'd rather finish 7th and go back to our paddock spots and hoist beers with friends (I have, in fact, argued backwards from 6th place to 7th on the last lap a few times to avoid it). I've finished 7th and 8th at the Runoffs more times than any other position...and that's not random.

Some later asked "are you mad at Peter" for having knocked me off the track...well, no. I wasn't really  that mad at the time - I knew it was an error, not intentional - but even without the hit I don't think there was any way I could have gotten third place as Drago's P3 best lap was six seconds faster than mine. So, in the end, seventh was the best-attainable finish for us -- and Peter did me a favor, protecting me from myself and sixth place!

Thanks, Peter. ;)

We scored both the GoPro Hero Move of the Race ("for an engine swap early in the week and a charge from 39th to 7th") as well as the Sunoco Hard Charger Award. The GoPro Move of the Race got me a nice new GoPro camera.

And as for that post-race tech shed action? Dick and I went back to the paddock, had a beer and packed up our stuff, and hit the highway; we were eastbound on the Turnpike in Indiana before the STL results were made final ("Podium or 7th", baby!!)

So was the B17 experiment a failure? I don't think so. I think that engine with its lower weight would have been a good engine for specific tracks like Mid Ohio (2016 Runoffs) and Lime Rock (my home track). Blake was convinced that with some tuning (I didn't do much of it) it had a shot. He's probably right. But with STL quickly becoming a horsepower class, I decided to stick with Old Faithful.

And it made for a fantastic story.

Postscript

But wait, there's more! This is another part of the story that I absolutely adore.

I didn't ask Tom for any money on-site for the engine; I've "known of" Tom for quite some time - we live on opposite ends of the country - and I knew he was good for it. But as we went through that winter  and into spring I got to thinking...the next year's 2014 Runoffs were happening at his home track, Laguna Seca in Monterey California, and I knew he had, or had access to, two Acura Integras. And I wanted to drive that track. I hadn't given serious thought to going to Cali to participate in the '14 Runoffs, but now...?

So Tom and I work out a deal to cover that engine purchase by my driving his blue DA Integra - the one equipped with my old B17 engine - at the 2014 Laguna Seca Runoffs...and another legendary week was well-enjoyed with friends that led to a lifelong friendship between us and his family and friends (I'd love to get out there again soon).

THIS is why we race. I wouldn't change a thing.