Wednesday, September 15, 2010

BFDracing PTR 2010 Campaign

BFDracing PTR 2010 Campaign in 3 different cars, 2 different series and one off specialty race:

SCCA Safe Racer National Series (racing my 1964 Lotus Super 7 in FP):
6 national races:
-4 wins
-a 2nd
-and a DNF
-3 track records
-First top 3 overall, retired from 2nd overall with the DNF
-Finished 7th overall in National Points out of 78
-2nd in the Colorado Division.

SVRA (racing 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint in group 3 B/S):
4 vintage races:
-1 win (top 10 overall out of 40)
-a 3rd (14th overall out of 55)
-DNF
-DNS
-Awarded something for improvement

Kohler International Challenge (racing 1973 240 Nissan Z in group 8 CP):
One off Vintage event, with a huge field of cars
-2 4th places in CP out of 16 cars
-22nd overall out of 65 cars in group 8

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Thoughts during the season

From Me to my Dad, GF and Crew Chief:

3 races left, lets win them all...

With my SCCA division title hopes possible on ice after seeing that my closest competition raced 2 races that I didn't, the only thing left to do is go out and win my last 2 SCCA races of the year. He can have the division by stacking points, but he wont get it by beating me!
It is time to turn my disappointment into determination to win. Not to do something stupid or crazy but to go out and go fast and set a simple precedent if I raced every race you would not have beaten me.
It has been a good a year, the goal was to prove that I was a fast and competent SCCA racer this year and I did. The goal was to grow as driver and prove to myself that what I believed was true and live up to that and I have. With 2 SCCA National Races left and the US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen I just need to keep up the good work and enjoy myself.
I have many years to compete in SCCA for division titles and championships. So far 2010 has shown one thing I can get it done!

My Dad response:

There's damn little satisfaction in winning a division just because your best competition didn't show up. BTW, great attitude and outlook - shows you're looking at things like a sensible, responsible grown up.

My Crew Chief Paul's response:

This is a great attitude to take Pete. I think in the first focused season. You can already put this on the books as a win for the season "job well done brother!" it has ben a pleasure enjoying these races with you, and thank you for involving me. Our racing porous is only growing. Besides Jensen has had lots of mechanical fortune who know that will last... Especially if I cut that fuckers break line in the pits wile he's not looking oups!" just kidding I want to beat his old ass fair and square. No matter how the season turns out you can hold your head high because this is a great start to a long life of racing.
~Crüe member Paul

Thursday, August 19, 2010

3 races left so lets win them all

With my SCCA division title hopes possible on ice after seeing that my closest competition raced 2 races that I didn't, the only thing left to do is go out and win my last 2 SCCA races of the year. He can have the division by stacking points, but he wont get it by beating me!

It is time to turn my disappointment into determination to win. Not to do something stupid or crazy but to go out and go fast and set a simple precedent if I raced every race you would not have beaten me.

It has been a good a year, the goal was to prove that I was a fast and competent SCCA racer this year and I did. The goal was to grow as driver and prove to myself that what I believed was true and live up to that and I have. With 2 SCCA National Races left and the US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen I just need to keep up the good work and enjoy myself.

I have many years to compete in SCCA for division titles and championships. So far 2010 has shown one thing I can get it done!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Am I a amature racer or just a pro traveler?

Just realized pro racecar drivers have more days off than me. I work 4 days 8-5, fly out to, race 2 or 3 sessions for 3 days, fly back go back to work. In last 4 weeks I technically had 2 days off!

I know I know don't cry for me, it was my choice. They say: seat time, seat time, seat time well I have gotten it. Racing 3 different cars in 4 weeks on different tracks

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

BFD Racing 2010- Halfway Point (Brooklyn Branch)

It is the beginning of July and I have 6 of 12 races I am going to run this season in the books. So far we have competed in 4 SCCA races and 2 SVRA (sort of, get to that in a sec).

Memorial Day Weekend:
The first race of the season was "Rock the Peak" a SCCA Double National at PPIR in the FP Lotus Super 7 , we went out and won both races plus set 2 track records. Our main competition came from a racer's whose day time job was to manage the track, so a pretty good win. Last year I ran my first race in the Lotus and came home 3rd and 2nd. I knew the car was capable of winning so it was very nice to get my first SCCA national win in the Lotus that crewed to several championships. I want to thank Leith and Paul for all their help.

June 25th, 26th and 27th:
The second race of the season was "Mid Ohio Vintage Grand Prix" with the Alfa's. I love this race and love this track. Over the years I have gotten faster and faster at this track driving into the top 30, then top 20 and now the top 10. With the help of Chip, Paul, Chris and Graham it has always been a pleasure to compete at this track. We qualified 8th overall, we were the fastest Alfa all weekend at Mid Ohio. We came home 8th in the Qualifying race and 1st in class. Then Chip and I went to run the enduro, I missed a shift on 10th or 11th lap and bunged the motor, I should have brought it in to reduce the damage but I kept running. I let Chip get in the car and motor let go. My bad Chip, regardless I am looking forward to The Glen. So I did not get to run the feature race. Never forget you most first finish to finish first!

4th of July Weekend:
"Freedom Sprints" at HPR. This race was part of the SCCA Super Sweep Championship. Back in the FP Lotus 7 to defend my 2 early wins. Minus a couple small issues getting the car to the track, we came to compete and win. Saturday was the Super Sweep race, we qualified 9th overall and 2nd in class it only took a couple laps to take first in class and 7th overall. This secured my first hat trick in SCCA national racing. The following day we were not so lucky, after a oil tank issue forced us to miss qualifying we started 16th overall, even though I was able to drive to 8th place overall I could not catch the 1st place in class car and was forced to come home 2nd in class. I once again want to thank Paul for all his hard work on the car. Plus my Willis, Sunny and my Mom for coming out and cheering me on.

I want to thank my Dad for all of this, with out him I would most likely just be watching racing and Lauren for putting up with my and the overall insanity that comes with racing from the travel to my own personal neurosis!

So half through we have record of 4 out 6 with 3 SCCA wins a SVRA win and 1 Driver error DNF

Coming up:
Kohler Historic at Road America, with the help of Tim we should do pretty well
SCCA Labor Day Double National, looking for 2 more wins
(possible the SCCA Miller Double National in August, if necessary to win the division)
and
US Vintage Grand Prix at The Glen, make up for the mistakes at Ohio and bring home a checkers

Here is the video of the last lap at HPR winning the Super Sweep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85lMncKvw2s

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

and it begins...

...not sure the last time updated this blog but I doubt people are losing sleep between my posts.

Regardless My racing season has begun. This weekend will be my first race of the 2010 calender. So far 2010 has been very productive. Ran the NYC 1/2 marathon and finished in 1 hour 45 minutes. Bought a 3 family building in Brooklyn NY and was promoted from Product Designer to Senior Designer and Project Manager. So I accomplished three of my main goals in 4 months of the year.

My 4th goal, have a good racing year. The problem with racing is, you never know what can happen. So I will say this I intend on racing smart and hard. I have had a strong off season conditioning program and plan to keep it up through the season. The goal is to win the FP Colorado Division Championship. This will requiring taking care of the car getting good finishes and with a little bit of luck I will be hoisting the trophy by the end of the year.
I fly out to Colorado tomorrow for the 1st National race weekend where I will compete in two 35 lap National Races at PPIR a track I have never been to but have been studying with video and track maps (see below). It is a 1.4 mile (i think) road course inside of the a oval track. The tracks looks like it will suit the Lotus Super 7 in a few places and not in others. Plus in 35 laps a lot can happen.



Wish me luck!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

2010 goals and musings

Well I can not remember what Font I was going to use for what entry so I will just push on.



The last couple months I have not made an entry partially due to the fact that racing season was on break and that I have been busy with so many other things that my mind has kept itself at peace. As I originally said I created the blog or whatever to get things off my chest and put my thoughts in line sort of virtual public diary, I mean that is all blogs are peoples thought and opinions!



2010 is here and has been for almost 3 months. I always feel like I waste the first the 3 months of the year, because it is cold and I am inside and I dont travel a lot. Not 2010. I had 3 major goals in 2010, buy a house, run a half marathon and win some SCCA races! Well it is March 23rd and I finished my first half marathon on Sunday and I (we) should be closing on our house in less than a month! So it is time for some more goals, but first I need to reflect on what I have already accomplished.



The house/building thats right not only did I get a place it is whole building in BK, but I will make that entry once we have closed and I am sitting by my Koi Pond, thats right I said koi pond!



As I begin to figure out what other goals

Thursday, January 14, 2010

PS1 was my high school

As a pioneer student at PS1 it sad for me to see it close, but not surprising. I went through all of high school at PS1 and graduated as the valedictorian 10 years ago. PS1 was good to me in those 4 years and I believed that it offered students a place where they could explore learning based on their interests.

I spent time studying art, design and science. Under the guidance of Micheal Gadlin (a respected painter in the Denver area and Pratt Graduated) I decided I would pursue art and design school. While I was at PS1 I sat on the neighborhood planning board for the newly developing Golden Triangle neighborhood and interned at Fentress Bradburn a world renowned architecture firm. Using everything I learned from these experiences I applied to multiple art schools for Industrial Design and was accepted to all of them with scholarships. I ended up attending Pratt Institute where my mentor had gone.

PS1 did not teach me stuff -it taught me to learn. It taught that if I enjoyed what I was studying I would work harder on it. This has served me well my entire life through college into the working world. I am self directed learner and worker and I attribute that to how PS1 was structured.

The other thing that I learned at PS1 that has been invaluable to me was critical and creative thinking and the ability to present my ideas to peers and teachers. Now they are closing my high school and I understand why.

Our founder Rex Brown never envisioned PS1 to house students who had no other place to go or educational/behavioral problems that other schools could not handle. This is what PS1 became. PS1 was created to prove that if you give students the resources they will want to learn and teach themselves. The identity of PS1 was strong even when we were in the 6th floor of the Library. The School tried many different structures to get the student to respond to this form of learning. What has happened is PS1 has lost its leadership and identity, the year I graduated I feared that this would one day happen.

As Rex Brown taught me this Jeffersonian style of learning needs to not only be embraced by the faculty but the students as well for it to work. Hopefully at some point the loss of PS1 can be replaced by something else that encourages self learning and explorations, internships, community outreach, portfolios and student-led presentations.

PS1 was a utopia in myopic school system that overlooked different way to teach students.

http://www.westword.com/2010-01-14/news/p-s-1-didn-t-make-the-grade-but-can-anything-replace-denver-s-longest-running-charter-school/

The Technicolor coolness!

Racing and Design rarely overlap and I am constantly looking for a way to combine my 2 largest interests and make a living. I guess I should have been a engineer.


Anyone have any ideas? Racing supply products? Safety equipment? Helmets? Racecar toys?


Well if I was graphic designer there would be a easier bridge between racing and design, over the years the graphic designs for races have gotten worse and worse (especially NASCAR which screams redneck)! Today I came across ( I guess another blog) that has posted several of the Porsche Posters that were produced in the 60s, 70s and 80s that are incredible!


See the link below!




Wednesday, January 13, 2010

2010 PTR BFD racing Schedule

2010 I will compete (with luck) in more races than any year before. I have set some high goals for this year and I am planning on training hard through the season to be best prepared for the tasks that I have set forth for myself. I know my skills are growing but it also requires luck.


Below is my tentative racing schedule for 2010!