SAE SoCal Presents Engineering For The Blancpain GT World Challenge America

For those of you who watched yesterday’s video stream [from St. Petersburg], you saw what a hard hit the KTM took. The Marco Polo Motorsports crew had a long night but excited that Nicolai was fine and then had a spare chassis to build overnight and roll through tech this Morning! #spgp #srogt4 #sroamerica Image & Caption Credit: Jim Jordan SRO America via FB Timeline (2019)

SAE SoCal Presents Engineering For The Blancpain GT World Challenge America

A presentation by SRO Motorsports America hosted by SAE SoCal Section and Automobile Driving Museum through the support of the Motor Press Guild's Motorsports and Car Culture Committee.

Nicolai Elghanayan Steps Out Of Marco Polo Motorsports No. 71 KTM X-Bow after striking the wall in Turn 3. The accident was caused when a wheel on the left-side of the KTM X-Bow came off as driver Nicolai Elghanayan was traveling through the short chute between turns 2 & 3 at an estimated 85 mph. Track safety and SRO World-Challenge personnel helped Nicolai to the responding emergency vehicles for a physical assessment before transferring to the mandatory visit at the track's medical center. Nicolai was cleared to participate in Race 2 of the 2019 Pirelli GT4 America Sprint Series sanctioned by SRO Motorsports America. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks via CBS SRO Motorsports America Live Stream (2019)

The following video is the live stream posted at Facebook of the roughly 90 minute presentation put on by SRO Motorsports America (formally titled the Pirelli World Challenge) entering its 30th season of sanctioning sports car focused racing events.

The 2019 season represents a new era in GT and Touring Car racing for North America now with three distinct series – Blancpain GT World Challenge America, GT4 America, and TC America – SRO Motorsports America offers a wide-range of customer racing based series at top-tier circuits throughout the United States.

The SAE is the leader in connecting and educating mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We promote education in automotive and aerospace technologies for today’s and future engineers.

AUDIO Begins At The 8 Minute Point Of Presentation Video 
Blancpain Engineering Begins At The 24 Minute Point Of Presentation Video

Great to have Robbie Montinola and Honda talk racing with SAE SoCal. Thank you to the SRO for sharing with Jim Jordan and Greg Gill of SRO Motorsports America.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: SRO Motorsports America, SAE SoCal Section, SAE, ADM, Automobile Driving Museum, Motor Press Guild, MPG, Motorsports And Car Culture Committee, Dean Case,Robbie Montinola, Jim Jordan, Greg Gill, The EDJE

MPG Track Day 2009: Along For The Ride

Signature logo tower of the Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California. The track, originally known as California Speedway, holds the distinction as having the fastest recorded qualification and at speed during the race, speed records ... both records were established by CART IndyCars on the main 2.0 mi (3.23 km) "D-Shaped Oval". Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

MPG Track Day 2009: Along For The Ride

I took a ride with a photo-journalist named Jon Barrett around the infield road track at Auto Club Speedway during the recent 2009 Track Day put on by Motor Press Guild (MPG).

Star Mazda Series standout, Joel Miller of Hesperia, California, sits in the driver's seat (P1) as we check out the track and get some driving tips from a budding professional open-wheel race car driver. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

A carload full of Journalists ready to see the infield road course at Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

Actually, I was able to take several rides with people (journalists, and professional drivers) throughout the two days of testing new automobiles provided by manufacturers for the motor press writers to get to know, and write about. To be able to drive ... then ride, imparts balance and perspective.

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

I write about the ride with Jon because this was a man who was prepared to document his experience through the use of a pedestrian style (nothing fancy) digital camera. He had a friend who had designed a specialized camera mount that employed a large suction cup to hold the camera to the inside windshield of any car Jon decided to drive ("guesstimated" cost at about $70.00).

Motor Press Guild's Track Day 2009: Every year, the Motor Press Guild (an association for people involved with motorsports, automobile manufacturing & marketing, and observers of automoblie culture) organizes a day on a race track for its members. /// The automobile manufacturers bring out many of their new cars, trucks and SUVs, and full journalist members of the MPG are invited to drive them on the track and on the streets that surround the track. The event is a great opportunity to drive vehicles that occupy the similar demographic back-to-back for direct comparison, to explore the incredible range of vehicles available, and to refresh one's journalistic memory about what's out there to meet the demands of a consuming public. /// Additionally, it's a fantastic networking and social event, a chance to see old friends and make new ones. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

Director Of Communications of Mazdaspeed Motorsports, Dean Case (left), ducks in to consult with Mazda professional driver, Jeremy Barnes just before having me sit in the passenger seat for some "hot" laps around the track in the Mazdaspeed 6 Safety/Pace Car! Video Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

The car was the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR-Touring sedan and one of the more interesting activities a Journalist could participate in is to fill the P2 seat in a track test car driven by someone who is familiar with, and likes the car they are taking out onto the track. The process allows one the additional dimension to take in the emotional involvement of the driver, himself ... along with the behavior of the car in a road test stress situation in the many and varied corners laid out by MPG track management members, Don Fuller and John Dinkel.

Infield course a pictured by Auto Club Speedway. The course, as laid out by Don Fuller and John Dinkel, restructured some of the corners on the West end (left side of photo) of the track to allow the challenge of a double apex. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR-Touring sedan on the infield track at Auto Club Speedway. On-Board Video Credit: MPG Member, Jon Barrett (2009)

It may seem strange to say that sitting in the passenger seat was as satisfying an experience as actually driving a nice, road-worthy vehicle (many, actually) but isn't that the ultimate position a chronicling observer takes ... P2, with a view?

2009 CURB/Agaganian/3G Racing IRL driver, Richard Antinucci and NowPublic's Motorsports Feature Page manager, Edmund Jenks, after three laps in a $290,000, 680hp, Murcielago Lamborghini LP670-4. An "E" ticket ride to remember ... and Richard loved the experience too. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

For any MPG Track Day, being in the passenger seat is an opportunity and position never to be missed. It was really special to be along for the ride.

... notes from The EDJE