The ChumpCar Cup Challenge

  14 Hours at Charlotte Motor Speedway

4.23.11  The Celica's Maiden Voyage

The time had come to show what all our work was worth.  After a Friday tech inspection, we arrive at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 6:30am to set up for the ChumpCar fourteen hours of Charlotte.  The race was set to begin at 8am and run until 10pm.  With less than half a mile's drive on the car at the start of the race, we didn't know what to expect.  With our pit stall chosen, our five drivers ready, and the Celica primed for a fight, we set out with one goal in mind: finish the race.

The race began in misty-wet conditions, which cleared up by mid-day.  Our leading driver was Kenny's friend Glen from Clemson University.  He had raced in a couple LeMons races before and had experience in the rain so he was the perfect fit for the first shift.  Next in line was Kenny followed by Matt (also from Clemson), Johnny (one of Ken's co-workers), and then Andy.  Each driver had an hour long shift and then the order was switched.  The beginning of the race went without any big hitches except for when Kenny spun the car on the second lap of his shift.  The battery had not been properly grounded and was losing charge faster than the alternator could recharge it.  When Kenny went to restart the car, the motor wouldn't turn over.  After sitting on the track for some time, he got a push from a tow truck, roll started the motor, and was back to racing.

The second shift began again with Glen.  This time, a bolt backed off on an exhaust hanger, and Glen was brought into the pits for repairs.  Then came Matt, followed by Andy, Johnny, and then Kenny to end the night.  Matt's second shift was flawless like his first, except that when he came in a cut in the tire prompted the replacement of the tire.  During the change, it was noticed that a bolt backed off the lower shock mount, and the strut was only hanging on by a thread.  Unable to find a bolt that fit, we held the left rear shock in place with a hose clamp and safety wire, which held for the remainder of the race.  Andy had a couple run-ins with other drivers on track, but neither resulted in more than a small ding in the left front corner.  Johnny's second run proceeded like the first without flaw, and then it was time for Kenny to finish the race under the lights.

Despite dim headlights, Kenny brought the #14 Celica home in 23rd place and 98 laps behind the leader.  At 10pm the race concluded and we all celebrated in pit lane as the car came to a halt.  In the end we completed 310 laps and over 700 miles of racing in our little crapcan.  Despite, being severly outgunned (the Celica has little more than 100hp!) we were proud of our finish and are looking forward to making our Celica even more competitive.  Thank you to Tom Mendola, The Bagnal Family, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, and all the drivers for making this day a huge success!!  We couldn't have done it without the spotting help of Tom, the gas running of the Bagnals, mom, and grandpa, the crew chiefing of dad, and the careful racing of the drivers.