jrbabbitt
Premium
- 2,293
- Charleston, SC
- TCR_JimyBee
This is a work of fiction. (but based on my running the F1 Championship)
Have I got a story to tell you, It all started shortly after I had lost my ride for racing with unapproved engine mods (our team had over boosted our racing 350z) and I was in our garage with my alternate driver Popeye Doyle. We were tearing down the car and prepping it to be legal to race again when an unassuming man, impeccably attired in a nice suit, politely interrupted our work to ask us "Which one of you is Mr. James?" Popeye immediately pointed a greasy finger at me. Our visitor proceeded to tell me that he is a representative of a wealthy man who wished to remain anonymous at this moment in time and that this person wished to see me about me driving his F1 car in the upcoming F1 championship. The representative handed me a card and told me that his client will call shortly. I look at the card and all that was printed on it was the name Mr. Grant Urismo. I recalled hearing about a wealthy oriental by this name from another driver by the name of TomVale13 from Australia. Tom was sponsored in another race series by this Mr. Urismo. Toms story was all over one of the message boards I read to keep up on the GT scene (its a good read click here to read https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=62670)
No sooner than after the man left my garage, my phone starts ringing. I answer and the voice on the line asks me to hold for Mr. Urismo. After a few seconds and a series of clicks I find myself talking to Mr. Urismo and he comes right to the point asking me if I want to drive his car in the F1 Championship and if I do that me and my B-driver (Popeye) were to go to the airport where 2 tickets were waiting for us to go to Japan and meet him face to face. I tell him thanks and goodbye and hang up, looking over at Popeye, I tell him to clean up and we are going to Japan. We close up the shop and hop a taxi to the airport and on to Japan we went.
We arrived in Tokyo to be greeted by a limo driver with a sign with my name on it and we were taken to see Mr. Urismo at a garage facility much larger than what I have. In the middle of the first bay is a Polyphony F1 04 all decked out in white with Mobil as the main sponsor. A door opens on the far wall and a small man walks towards us. An outstretched hand greets us as the man says "Im Mr. Urismo but you can call me Grant" he continues on, " I will be paying for the tires, fuel, and the pit crew. You will keep your winnings and you will be responsible for your travel and lodging. Do we have a deal?"
I looked at Popeye and he looked at me and smiled (he doesnt really say much) I reached for Grants hand and without any hesitation I told him "yes we have a deal". Grant introduced us to our pit crew (which didnt speak a lick of English, I wonder how we will communicate during the race?) After the intros, Grant informs us of our race schedule and we were to get a good nights rest for the Tokyo Gran Prix is in two days time.
TOKYO GRAN PRIX 60 laps.
Race day came with our team not fully prepared. We were in such a rush to get ready we didnt get the chance for qualifying so we were put in the 6 spot on the line. All of the cars in this race are basically the same type of F1 car; they all had the same engine with equal horsepower. I did a brief glance at the rulebook (found a copy in English) and found that absolutely no horsepower modifications are allowed and no different tires allowed either. (This is for the entire series, not just this race!). I told Popeye that I would start the race and get a few laps under the car and then turn it over to him and then relieve him when he gets tired.
The green flag drops and we are off and running. I have to get used to this car and the cold blue tires. I am familiar with the course layout for I have driven here in other class racing (sport sedan class). This is my first time behind the wheel in an open-wheel car and things are going smoothly as I slowly pass the opponents by the third lap and slowly build up a gap between second place and me. It is around lap 9 when my tires are going and I have to pit, I have about a 20-sec lead when I pit and it is a long pit road. I grab a splash of gas and 4 tires and head out and find myself now in third place but close behind the leaders. Most of the opponents pit shortly after I did (lap 10-11).
Driving in this car is a dream, the handling is a bit touchy but firm to the road. I find I have been taking a lot of the turns without touching the brakes, all I do is let up on the gas a bit and then accelerate out. I dont know what gears are set in the transmission (mechanic doesn't speak English) but we are pulling slowly and most assuredly ahead. By the time I give the driving over to Popeye, we have a 45+ second lead. The remaining laps of the race were uneventful and to make the story a bit shorter, we came in first place at the drop of the checkered flag.
I honestly tried to find out the details of the race but the language barrier between me and the pit crew is becoming a hindrance. I will go find a Japanese-English dictionary and translate their race notes for the records. Mr. Urismo congratulated us on our win and told us our next race was at the Super Speedway at Motegi, and to get ready for it was only a week away.
MOTEGI 190 127 laps
Its a bright sunny day here at Motegi Super Speedway, and our team is ready. I am slowly beginning to understand the crew chief with help from a translator. I look over at Popeye and he is not looking well, I guess it was too much sushi and sake last night. I ask him if he is okay and he weakly smiles at me and gives me thumbs up. I wiggle into the seat of the Polyphony Formula GT and warm up the engine. Once again, our team missed a deadline for race registration and wound up in the 6th spot on the starting line. We will be running a rolling start today.
Im in the back of the field and the green lights flash on with a screaming roar from both the cars on the track and the crowds in the stands. I am following the cars and drafting to get position to pass and I didnt realize at first but I was taking the turns 1 & 2 full bore and dropping into 6th gear around turns 3 & 4 then up-shifting into 7th down the front stretch.
Pit windows come up on us quickly because I start losing lap seconds and slipping around in turn 4. I had the lead with about 16 seconds on lap 10 when I came into the pits for fuel and four fresh tires. Things were going so fast here I didnt know what my total time in the pits was. (I have to get this info from my crew chief.) As I leave the pits I see the orange F1 car pass me by in turn 2 and I neatly tuck in behind him for a few laps of drafting to save fuel. But that didnt work because the lead car pitted on the next lap along with most of the rest of the field. That placed me back in the lead.
I had gained about 25 seconds over 2nd place around lap 20 with me having to pit for new tires. When I got to our pit stall I looked for Popeye and I did not see him. Oh well I was thinking this race is going to be easy all I have to do is get a rhythm for going around this track and our team will have another victory under our belts. Zooming out of pit road I see the orange F1 coming up behind me fast but I get on the gas and stay just out of touch from him drafting off me and passing me. He follows me for two laps and ducks down pit road. The other racers soon follow suit and give me a larger lead over 2nd.
I pit at the end of lap 30 and wanted to give Popeye a chance to drive a few laps around here, after all, this is a team effort. I still dont see Popeye and the translator comes over the radio saying something about he will be ready by lap 40 to drive.
Lap 40 comes up and I have a healthy lead over 2nd and even lapped the 6th place car. As I am getting new tires and a full load of fuel this time (I was running laps with a partial load of fuel for speed), I jump out and Popeye settles into the seat and zooms off to do his laps. The first thing I notice is that he is not going full speed, his lap times are slower than mine! I get on the radio and ask him if things are okay and he calls back to tell me things are fine. I forget about it for the time thinking he is getting used to the car and the track. When I really noticed is when 6th place regained the lost lap by lap 65 and the 2nd place car (orange) is slowly catching up by lap 70 pit schedule. I traded place with Popeye in the pits and drove the remaining laps myself.
By the end of the race I had lapped the entire field including the car in 2nd place (orange car) and was lapping the 6th car a second time. Needless to say that we won this race and I pocketed another cool $100,000. After the race Mr. Urismo told me to get the team packed and ready to go to New York for the Manhattan Grand Prix on Tuesday. New York here we come.
MANHATTAN GRAND PRIX 74 Laps
We arrived at JFK airport after a long flight and was quickly ushered off to the Plaza Hotel on the south side of Central Park. Our car will arrive in a container at the piers later tomorrow. After checking in to our rooms we head downstairs to the race HQ (its in the same hotel) to register for the race. Race officials need to see the car before we are allowed to race and that is a problem. Rules are rules and we are penalized again for this infraction and have to start at the end of the field (this is getting to be a bad habit)
Race day is here and Popeye is doing better and I am at the back of the line doing warm-up laps before the green flag. The pace car has dropped off and we are heading south on Broadway towards the start/finish line. Green lights on and we are racing, screaming down Broadway. Turn 3 is a hairpin just past Times Square on 42nd Street. We head north on 7th Ave. and I pass 2 of the slower cars (still do not know what the pit crew has done to this fine car). The pack starts braking hard for the sharp right hander onto W 55th St. as I pass another on that turn and head east for the left turn on 6th Ave. From there we go to the right turn onto 57th St. towards 5th Ave. After Im on 5th it will be a series of turns at the Grand Army Plaza and then heading west on Central Park South towards Columbus Circle passing in front of the Plaza Hotel. I pass the leader going around the circle and head south on Broadway for the first lap.
The race is going well and my pit window is around 9 laps or so depending on how hard I push the car. My main trouble spots on this course are the hairpin turn at Times Square and the chicane at the Grand Army Plaza. I am always rubbing the walls there. The other racers pit windows stagger from 10 to 12 laps apart and I see that they also have trouble with rubbing the guard barriers around the track.
After the halfway point in the race at lap 45 I come into the pits with a large lead of almost a minute over 2nd place, Popeye and I switch places and I get a rest behind pit row. Popeye is having a wonderful time going around the streets here and putting most of the others a lap down. Popeyes driving style is more conservative than my style and he is able to stretch our pit window to 10-11 laps between pits. With no difficulty at all Popeye takes the checkered flag with a lap over everyone else on the track. We had a wonderful celebration at the Plaza Hotel where Mr. Urismo was waiting to tell us we have to pack soon for a trip Europe for our next race at the High-Speed Ring.
HIGH-SPEED 190 77 laps
The High Speed Ring is a track I do not know too much about. I believe it s a testing track for one of the major auto manufacturers in Europe Its location is in France near the German border and is used extensively by Renault, Opel, and Lancia for their race tests. We arrive early Wednesday for practice on the track but it had rained earlier and the track was still wet. Because we couldnt practice we couldnt qualify either and put us at the back of the field again. Popeye is looking all worried, so I ask him what is bothering him. He tells me that he has never driven at this track and is a bit nervous. I tell Popeye not to worry that this track has only 6 turns and is an easy track.
The field is lined up for a standing start and waiting for the green to get us going. The engines race and howl as the crowds stand in their seats when the green lights blink on and the race is started. My pit crew are wonderful mechanics and I still do not know what or how they do it but this car (and my driving) has passed the entire field before the 1st lap is complete
I slowly develop a 23-second lead by the time I have to pit at the end of Lap 11. There is a small problem here at the High-Speed ring, the entrance to pit road is not clearly marked and is not where I thought it should have been. I found the entrance at the beginning of turn 6 and not on the beginning of the main straight. Im glad the translator came on the radio to give me that info for if I had taken the entrance off the main straight I wouldnt be allowed to pit. I lost my lead when I was in the pits getting fuel and tires but shortly after I was back on the track the others started their pitting on the end of laps 12-14.
I was getting better translating the crew chiefs notes and found out 2 little bits of info. My average lap time was 51 seconds and my total pit time (from starting onto pit road to exiting pit road) was roughly 50 seconds. By the time I had entered the pits on the end of lap 22 I was 48 seconds ahead of the 2nd place car.
This race I had in the bag because the competition just wasnt there. On the end of lap 33 I pitted with a one lap lead. Popeye drove the remaining laps to victory. At the end of the race we had lapped the entire field 4 times.
Mr. Urismo met us after the race to congratulate us on doing so well. He asked me if I was having a good time racing for him. "Frankly Mr. Urismo" I said, "this has been too easy. "Dont worry Mr. James, you will soon see harder competition" "One more thing Mr. James, you can call me Grant ok? I do prefer working on a first name basis" Grant continues " And I can call you Dick, yes?" "Sure Grant" I reply, "no problem at all"
"Dick, you need to get the team packed and ready, the next race is Sunday at Grand Valley" Grant told me as he was leaving the pit area. I look over at Popeye and the crew and say " well, lets get ready, Grand valley is just down the way a bit." Popeye looks at me and says "I didnt know your first name was Dick"
GRAND VALLEY GRAND PRIX 62 Laps
The Grand Valley track is not too far from the High-Speed Ring so it was no problem getting there on time. We set up shop in the garage and put the car out on the track to run practice laps and qualify. Well luck was with us this time and not only did we qualify but we also won the pole position.
I did a little research on the race here. Total race length is 62 laps and just a hair over 3 miles around for a lap for a total mileage of 190 miles (hmm, almost all the races are that long)
Popeye told me that during practice Mr. Urismo showed up in and was talking to the crew chief but he couldnt make out what was said. Popeye continued on about how the two of them laughed a bit and Mr. Urismo went away.
It was a standing start to this race and I was sitting on the pole (what a wonderful view). The green flag drops and we are off and speeding to the 1st hairpin (turn 2), after that a few gentle left and rights leading to the 2nd hairpin (turn 6). The only other trouble spot I see is the chicane (turns 15 & 16) just before the last turn before the main straight.
Around the end of lap 7 my tires are getting quite worn and I pit with 28 second lead over 2nd. My average lap time is a minute and a half. When I leave the pits I find myself in 3rd place but not for long as the rest of the racers choose to pit at the end of the 8th lap. At my next pit window at lap 14 I had a 48 second lead and Popeye jumped in the drivers spot for the nest run.
Popeye was, as usual, conservative in his driving but maintained a lead over 2nd place. When the end of lap 22 came around and Popeye pitted, he had a minute and 6 seconds lead. On his second pit stop at the end of lap 30, Popeye still had the same lead of 1 min 6 seconds. At the end of lap 37, his third pit stop, he had lapped the field and we switched drivers.
As I left the pits at the beginning of lap 38 2nd and 3rd had regained their laps. Not longer after that I put them both down a lap. By the end of the race I was only able to lap the bottom 3 racers once more. It was another victory for us and the competition is getting stronger. Winners circle is becoming a familiar place for us and rumors are floating around we wont be here much more.
After receiving another $100,000 check I get a message that Mr. Urismo needs to see me asap. I was brought up to one of the skybox rooms above the track where Grant was waiting for me. "Dick, please have a seat" he continues " You and your driver Mr. Doyle have been very good to our team. We are very pleased with the attention you are bringing us." "But I want to warn you, it will not be easy much longer, the other teams are going to do all they can to beat you. The next race will be next week at Le Mans. I will be looking forward to your winning the grand prix there"
I return to the garage and call everyone around and give them the good news that Grant is very pleased with our performance and we will have stiffer competition at the Grand Prix at Le Mans next week.
Grand Prix At Le Mans 23 Laps
We arrived at the Circuit de la Sarth with plenty of time to qualify for the Grand Prix. The pit mechanics were tinkering around the car getting it ready for the run. I was summoned over by the translator and he told me the car was ready. I take the car out on the track and I blew it, I lost my concentration on the qualifying run and wound up in the gravel at the end of the Mulsanne Corner and blowing my chance to the pole position.
I start the race in 6th place and work my way towards the front and I do just that by the time I get to the 2nd chicane on the main straight on the 3rd lap. I keep this lead until the end of lap 4 when the others decide to pit but I stay out on the track for one more lap and when I exit the pits at the beginning of the 6th I find myself with only a 9 second lead over 2nd.
I return to the pits at the end of the 9th lap and I now have a 20 second lead. That is ok because Popeye radios me to tell me the rest of the field is pitting now also so when I leave pit road I will have the 20 sec lead still.
When I come in for my 3rd pit window, (with a 31 sec lead) Popeye and me switch places and his driving stretches out the laps to 5 between pits. At the end of the 18th lap Popeye comes into pit for fuel and tires and a 45 sec lead. I hop in the drivers seat to drive the remaining 5 laps but with my heavy foot and my driving I find I have to pit at the end of the 22nd lap. When I exit pit road I have a 56 sec lead and one lap to go to win this race. I get myself in a bit of trouble with the cold tires and Im in the gravel before the straight and lose a few seconds there but not enough to lose the race. I cross the finish line with only a 40 second lead.
Our race team is very happy we won at this track and we are all smiles at the winners circle. Mr. Urismo arrives for the celebration and looks very pleased. Grant calls me over and says to me " You think that was hard, just wait until Monaco grand prix"
Monaco Grand Prix 78 Laps
Monaco, the crown jewels of F1 racing, many racing careers have been made at the venue. Here we are and we have a spot in the race. Because we are the rookie team here we do not get to qualify (I think that is a crock, I think that the others are getting tired of getting beat by the rookies) So we start in 6th place again. During practice I find out my pit window is every 7 laps, but this info soon proved to be misleading.
The green flags wave and we are racing and I try to make a pass at the 1st turn and get punted into the wall and lose precious seconds. I continue on and by the end of the 1st lap Im in 3rd place. It is near the chicane on the back stretch on the 3rd lap when I make the pass to claim 1st place. I slowly develop a gap between 2nd place and my car and by the end of lap 6 I find my tires a worn. Im forced to pit now or risk losing it on the track. When I leave pit row Im in 3rd place again and close on their heels.
The field pits on lap 8 and puts me out in the lead, a lead I held until I had to pit 4 laps later. When I pit on the end of lap 12 lost the lead but I was in 2nd place when I left the pits. I shortly passed the lead car and never looked back. I was wrong, I wound up trading the lead 2 more times in the race during the pit windows.
Grants words about harder competition were echoing in my head and he was not wrong. This is the hardest race I have run so far, both in the track is very demanding and the other racers are gunning for me. By the end of the 24th lap Popeye trades places with me in the pits and leaves back in 2nd place but passes the lead before the hairpins. Popeyes conservative driving proves well, he stretches the pit window to 7 laps and built up a strong lead over second.
I resumed driving after the 59th lap pit stop and was knocking on the back door of 6th place to put him down a lap. This continued on slowly for the rest of the pack and just before I was able to lap the 2nd place I wound up in the pits with worn tires. On the beginning of the 66th lap when I exited pit road I was right behind 4th place and put him down a lap and chased after the others.
I never got a lap over 2nd place when I crossed the finish line for the win at Monaco. We earned this race and the $100,000. After the race Grant found me at the hotel and told me the good news. We have passed the halfway mark in the race series. Grant also told me to look forward to the Seoul Grand Prix. "Korea?" I ask. Mr. Urismo smiles and walks away waving.
The Seoul Grand Prix 113 Laps
The team and car arrived the day before the race but we missed out on qualifying. So we went out to see the sights around town. Before we could hit the streets, Grant showed up and asked where Popeye and I was going. I told him I have never been to Korea and wanted to see it but Grant didnt think it was a good idea for Americans to be walking the streets here unescorted. He didnt want to see his driver in the hospital or worse the morgue. We returned to our room for the night.
Race day came and we were ready to run. It was a running start and was very easy to pass the others to the front for the track is very wide at the stretches. By the middle of the 2nd lap I was in front and working up a substantial lead over second place.
I had a 16 sec lead over the next car when I had to pit on the end of lap 18. When I left pit road I was in 2nd place and close on the tail of the leader and had him passed by the next lap. I find out that the field chooses to pit at the end of the 19th lap, which puts me way out in front for which I never looked back.
The mechanics we have on our team are miracle workers. I have yet to complain about the handling or the speed of our car. The only thing I had trouble with is finding the brake points around the track. I heard of using the shift light to be the braking indicator but I usually find a landmark or signpost on the side to be my braking point. When I see the landmark in the right spot I apply brakes before the upcoming turn.
This was turning into a very easy race for us I radioed in to let Popeye know that I was going to drive the entire race myself. Popeye objected and I came in and we switched places at a little past the halfway point. By that time I had lapped everyone twice, and by the end of the race, Popeye had also lapped the entire field twice. We won this race with surprising ease and four laps over everyone else.
Winners circle is becoming a very familiar place for our team and during the celebration Grant and his personal assistant joined us. Grant took me aside to ask me how the car was handling. I told him I was very happy with how the team was getting the car ready for me. Grant asks "How do you think you will do at the next race?" "Where is it?" I ask, not really knowing what to expect. He replies with a grin "Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, I heard you are good there" "I do not know who told you that but I am not that good at Sears Point. In fact I have never finished better than 4th in any race I was there" I reply. Grant continues "yes I know of your track record there and Im a bit concerned. I do wish to sweep this race series. I tell him that I will do my best. "I count on it" Grant tells me as he waves goodbye.
Sonoma Grand Prix 76 laps
Nestled in the hills north of San Francisco in Sonoma County is a racetrack that is known to a lot more race fans because it hosts a NASCAR race every summer. It is this track that gives me the willies. I was never comfortable driving on this track. Going uphill after the start/finish line are the two most treacherous turns I have ever encountered. The 2 blind right handers, if you are not careful you can easily wind up on the grass or worse. I never did well here in my short career.
Race practice and qualifying was a disaster, when I was out running practice laps one of the other drivers punted me off into the grass and the car suffered because after that incident, I couldnt handle the car and was all over the place. We obviously qualified in last place, and the mechanics went to work on the car to fix the handling problem.
We lined up behind the pace car for the rolling start. The pace car left the track and we were heading for the start of the race. The green flag drops and we are off, I get a good jump and I am right on the 5th place tail and I pass him before the first right hander. (One of the blind ones) As I am going around the turn I get punted off into the grass again. That little action puts me back into last place. I get back on track and get close to 5th place and he runs me off into the gravel on the long sweeping downhill left hander. This really ticks me off but I quickly get over it as I work myself back on the track and continue racing.
I expect to do around 9 laps before I have to pit but with my excursions off track my tires were worn by the end of the 8th lap. I pitted from second place and resumed racing in 6th place. My last place position was short lived for all the other cars went to the pit at the same time at the end of the 9th lap. I maintained the lead until I had to pit at the end of lap 16. I wound up close behind the lead when I came out of pit row and fought my way to the front.
I built up a good lead and turned over the driving to Popeye, and he is really great here at Infineon. So much that Popeye finished the race in 1st place. He earned the race prize because I was all over the place and still cannot drive here. Popeye was the hero of the hour and he was the prince of the winners circle. Grant came over to me and asked what was the matter with me on the track. I replied that I was never good at this place and todays racing showed it. Grant was happy that we won but he was concerned that I would be just as bad at our next race. "When and where is the next race?" I ask. Grant answers as he is walking out the door "Laguna Seca". I smiled to myself because I knew that track very well.
The Mazda Grand Prix at Laguna Seca 85 Laps
We traveled just down south of San Francisco to Laguna Seca, a track I am well familiar with. I was happy to be here, I just knew Id win here but I didnt know by how much. When we put the car on the track to qualify we were informed by a ruling decision made by the race officials. We were not allowed to qualify for any more races of the season just to make it fair to the others. Grant went to protest this decision but was denied. They told him we were too good and the other teams were asking for any help at all and this is what the race officials came up with.
So a rolling start found us in 6th place and by the end of the 2nd lap I was in the lead. I guess the other teams were not as prepared for this track as I was. Rainey Curve was the trouble spot for all of us but mostly the others. I had trouble there with this car until I realized how to handle the turn properly. The key is after you come off the corkscrew, accelerate up to just before you enter the turn. Then coast through the left hander, never exceeding 125 mph or you will be putting crop circles in the grass better than the little green men do. Upon exiting the curve you then accelerate to the next turn. All of the other racers were sliding off into never-never land at one time or another. During the race I even noticed that some over-corrected and went skidding across the track to the other gravel area on the left.
At the end of the 8th lap I was in the pits changing tires and filling up on fuel and lost the lead. When I returned to the track I was in 3rd place but really close to the 2nd car and had him passed by the end of the lap. The others decided to pit between laps 10 and 11 and when that happened it put me back in the lead. A lead that I never lost for the remainder of the race. There were times when I was driving around the track that I was the only one in sight, there was nobody behind me and nobody in front of me that I could see.
Popeye was waiting for me in the pits after lap 27 and he resumed driving for the team. Popeye is just as good as I am here at Laguna but he got caught at the Rainey curve just like the rest of us and lost a few seconds lap time there. Popeyes conservative driving kept us in the lead and also stretched our pit window to 11 laps. I took over driving when he returned to the pits at the end of lap 58.
Back on the track with fresh blue tires, I was not concentrating about the race and it showed. I was slipping and sliding all over the track, nothing I did was working at the moment. I even slid off the track at the Rainey Curve. When that happened all I could hear out of the radio was Japanese and it didnt sound too friendly. I straightened out and resumed racing. By the end of the 70th lap I was ahead by 2 laps and won the race before I could put a third lap down on the field.
The team was having a great time after the race celebrating our victory and our winning streak when Grant Urismo and two other gentlemen joined us. Grant was showing the team off to his friends and walked over to Popeye and I to ask how things were today. I told him it was a walk in the park and I had the race won before I had started it. "Well I hope you enjoyed it because the Motegi Grand Prix will be harder" Grant tells us as he leaves the party with his friends.
Motegi Grand Prix 64 Laps (Road Course)
To be continued in a posting further down...
Have I got a story to tell you, It all started shortly after I had lost my ride for racing with unapproved engine mods (our team had over boosted our racing 350z) and I was in our garage with my alternate driver Popeye Doyle. We were tearing down the car and prepping it to be legal to race again when an unassuming man, impeccably attired in a nice suit, politely interrupted our work to ask us "Which one of you is Mr. James?" Popeye immediately pointed a greasy finger at me. Our visitor proceeded to tell me that he is a representative of a wealthy man who wished to remain anonymous at this moment in time and that this person wished to see me about me driving his F1 car in the upcoming F1 championship. The representative handed me a card and told me that his client will call shortly. I look at the card and all that was printed on it was the name Mr. Grant Urismo. I recalled hearing about a wealthy oriental by this name from another driver by the name of TomVale13 from Australia. Tom was sponsored in another race series by this Mr. Urismo. Toms story was all over one of the message boards I read to keep up on the GT scene (its a good read click here to read https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=62670)
No sooner than after the man left my garage, my phone starts ringing. I answer and the voice on the line asks me to hold for Mr. Urismo. After a few seconds and a series of clicks I find myself talking to Mr. Urismo and he comes right to the point asking me if I want to drive his car in the F1 Championship and if I do that me and my B-driver (Popeye) were to go to the airport where 2 tickets were waiting for us to go to Japan and meet him face to face. I tell him thanks and goodbye and hang up, looking over at Popeye, I tell him to clean up and we are going to Japan. We close up the shop and hop a taxi to the airport and on to Japan we went.
We arrived in Tokyo to be greeted by a limo driver with a sign with my name on it and we were taken to see Mr. Urismo at a garage facility much larger than what I have. In the middle of the first bay is a Polyphony F1 04 all decked out in white with Mobil as the main sponsor. A door opens on the far wall and a small man walks towards us. An outstretched hand greets us as the man says "Im Mr. Urismo but you can call me Grant" he continues on, " I will be paying for the tires, fuel, and the pit crew. You will keep your winnings and you will be responsible for your travel and lodging. Do we have a deal?"
I looked at Popeye and he looked at me and smiled (he doesnt really say much) I reached for Grants hand and without any hesitation I told him "yes we have a deal". Grant introduced us to our pit crew (which didnt speak a lick of English, I wonder how we will communicate during the race?) After the intros, Grant informs us of our race schedule and we were to get a good nights rest for the Tokyo Gran Prix is in two days time.
TOKYO GRAN PRIX 60 laps.
Race day came with our team not fully prepared. We were in such a rush to get ready we didnt get the chance for qualifying so we were put in the 6 spot on the line. All of the cars in this race are basically the same type of F1 car; they all had the same engine with equal horsepower. I did a brief glance at the rulebook (found a copy in English) and found that absolutely no horsepower modifications are allowed and no different tires allowed either. (This is for the entire series, not just this race!). I told Popeye that I would start the race and get a few laps under the car and then turn it over to him and then relieve him when he gets tired.
The green flag drops and we are off and running. I have to get used to this car and the cold blue tires. I am familiar with the course layout for I have driven here in other class racing (sport sedan class). This is my first time behind the wheel in an open-wheel car and things are going smoothly as I slowly pass the opponents by the third lap and slowly build up a gap between second place and me. It is around lap 9 when my tires are going and I have to pit, I have about a 20-sec lead when I pit and it is a long pit road. I grab a splash of gas and 4 tires and head out and find myself now in third place but close behind the leaders. Most of the opponents pit shortly after I did (lap 10-11).
Driving in this car is a dream, the handling is a bit touchy but firm to the road. I find I have been taking a lot of the turns without touching the brakes, all I do is let up on the gas a bit and then accelerate out. I dont know what gears are set in the transmission (mechanic doesn't speak English) but we are pulling slowly and most assuredly ahead. By the time I give the driving over to Popeye, we have a 45+ second lead. The remaining laps of the race were uneventful and to make the story a bit shorter, we came in first place at the drop of the checkered flag.
I honestly tried to find out the details of the race but the language barrier between me and the pit crew is becoming a hindrance. I will go find a Japanese-English dictionary and translate their race notes for the records. Mr. Urismo congratulated us on our win and told us our next race was at the Super Speedway at Motegi, and to get ready for it was only a week away.
MOTEGI 190 127 laps
Its a bright sunny day here at Motegi Super Speedway, and our team is ready. I am slowly beginning to understand the crew chief with help from a translator. I look over at Popeye and he is not looking well, I guess it was too much sushi and sake last night. I ask him if he is okay and he weakly smiles at me and gives me thumbs up. I wiggle into the seat of the Polyphony Formula GT and warm up the engine. Once again, our team missed a deadline for race registration and wound up in the 6th spot on the starting line. We will be running a rolling start today.
Im in the back of the field and the green lights flash on with a screaming roar from both the cars on the track and the crowds in the stands. I am following the cars and drafting to get position to pass and I didnt realize at first but I was taking the turns 1 & 2 full bore and dropping into 6th gear around turns 3 & 4 then up-shifting into 7th down the front stretch.
Pit windows come up on us quickly because I start losing lap seconds and slipping around in turn 4. I had the lead with about 16 seconds on lap 10 when I came into the pits for fuel and four fresh tires. Things were going so fast here I didnt know what my total time in the pits was. (I have to get this info from my crew chief.) As I leave the pits I see the orange F1 car pass me by in turn 2 and I neatly tuck in behind him for a few laps of drafting to save fuel. But that didnt work because the lead car pitted on the next lap along with most of the rest of the field. That placed me back in the lead.
I had gained about 25 seconds over 2nd place around lap 20 with me having to pit for new tires. When I got to our pit stall I looked for Popeye and I did not see him. Oh well I was thinking this race is going to be easy all I have to do is get a rhythm for going around this track and our team will have another victory under our belts. Zooming out of pit road I see the orange F1 coming up behind me fast but I get on the gas and stay just out of touch from him drafting off me and passing me. He follows me for two laps and ducks down pit road. The other racers soon follow suit and give me a larger lead over 2nd.
I pit at the end of lap 30 and wanted to give Popeye a chance to drive a few laps around here, after all, this is a team effort. I still dont see Popeye and the translator comes over the radio saying something about he will be ready by lap 40 to drive.
Lap 40 comes up and I have a healthy lead over 2nd and even lapped the 6th place car. As I am getting new tires and a full load of fuel this time (I was running laps with a partial load of fuel for speed), I jump out and Popeye settles into the seat and zooms off to do his laps. The first thing I notice is that he is not going full speed, his lap times are slower than mine! I get on the radio and ask him if things are okay and he calls back to tell me things are fine. I forget about it for the time thinking he is getting used to the car and the track. When I really noticed is when 6th place regained the lost lap by lap 65 and the 2nd place car (orange) is slowly catching up by lap 70 pit schedule. I traded place with Popeye in the pits and drove the remaining laps myself.
By the end of the race I had lapped the entire field including the car in 2nd place (orange car) and was lapping the 6th car a second time. Needless to say that we won this race and I pocketed another cool $100,000. After the race Mr. Urismo told me to get the team packed and ready to go to New York for the Manhattan Grand Prix on Tuesday. New York here we come.
MANHATTAN GRAND PRIX 74 Laps
We arrived at JFK airport after a long flight and was quickly ushered off to the Plaza Hotel on the south side of Central Park. Our car will arrive in a container at the piers later tomorrow. After checking in to our rooms we head downstairs to the race HQ (its in the same hotel) to register for the race. Race officials need to see the car before we are allowed to race and that is a problem. Rules are rules and we are penalized again for this infraction and have to start at the end of the field (this is getting to be a bad habit)
Race day is here and Popeye is doing better and I am at the back of the line doing warm-up laps before the green flag. The pace car has dropped off and we are heading south on Broadway towards the start/finish line. Green lights on and we are racing, screaming down Broadway. Turn 3 is a hairpin just past Times Square on 42nd Street. We head north on 7th Ave. and I pass 2 of the slower cars (still do not know what the pit crew has done to this fine car). The pack starts braking hard for the sharp right hander onto W 55th St. as I pass another on that turn and head east for the left turn on 6th Ave. From there we go to the right turn onto 57th St. towards 5th Ave. After Im on 5th it will be a series of turns at the Grand Army Plaza and then heading west on Central Park South towards Columbus Circle passing in front of the Plaza Hotel. I pass the leader going around the circle and head south on Broadway for the first lap.
The race is going well and my pit window is around 9 laps or so depending on how hard I push the car. My main trouble spots on this course are the hairpin turn at Times Square and the chicane at the Grand Army Plaza. I am always rubbing the walls there. The other racers pit windows stagger from 10 to 12 laps apart and I see that they also have trouble with rubbing the guard barriers around the track.
After the halfway point in the race at lap 45 I come into the pits with a large lead of almost a minute over 2nd place, Popeye and I switch places and I get a rest behind pit row. Popeye is having a wonderful time going around the streets here and putting most of the others a lap down. Popeyes driving style is more conservative than my style and he is able to stretch our pit window to 10-11 laps between pits. With no difficulty at all Popeye takes the checkered flag with a lap over everyone else on the track. We had a wonderful celebration at the Plaza Hotel where Mr. Urismo was waiting to tell us we have to pack soon for a trip Europe for our next race at the High-Speed Ring.
HIGH-SPEED 190 77 laps
The High Speed Ring is a track I do not know too much about. I believe it s a testing track for one of the major auto manufacturers in Europe Its location is in France near the German border and is used extensively by Renault, Opel, and Lancia for their race tests. We arrive early Wednesday for practice on the track but it had rained earlier and the track was still wet. Because we couldnt practice we couldnt qualify either and put us at the back of the field again. Popeye is looking all worried, so I ask him what is bothering him. He tells me that he has never driven at this track and is a bit nervous. I tell Popeye not to worry that this track has only 6 turns and is an easy track.
The field is lined up for a standing start and waiting for the green to get us going. The engines race and howl as the crowds stand in their seats when the green lights blink on and the race is started. My pit crew are wonderful mechanics and I still do not know what or how they do it but this car (and my driving) has passed the entire field before the 1st lap is complete
I slowly develop a 23-second lead by the time I have to pit at the end of Lap 11. There is a small problem here at the High-Speed ring, the entrance to pit road is not clearly marked and is not where I thought it should have been. I found the entrance at the beginning of turn 6 and not on the beginning of the main straight. Im glad the translator came on the radio to give me that info for if I had taken the entrance off the main straight I wouldnt be allowed to pit. I lost my lead when I was in the pits getting fuel and tires but shortly after I was back on the track the others started their pitting on the end of laps 12-14.
I was getting better translating the crew chiefs notes and found out 2 little bits of info. My average lap time was 51 seconds and my total pit time (from starting onto pit road to exiting pit road) was roughly 50 seconds. By the time I had entered the pits on the end of lap 22 I was 48 seconds ahead of the 2nd place car.
This race I had in the bag because the competition just wasnt there. On the end of lap 33 I pitted with a one lap lead. Popeye drove the remaining laps to victory. At the end of the race we had lapped the entire field 4 times.
Mr. Urismo met us after the race to congratulate us on doing so well. He asked me if I was having a good time racing for him. "Frankly Mr. Urismo" I said, "this has been too easy. "Dont worry Mr. James, you will soon see harder competition" "One more thing Mr. James, you can call me Grant ok? I do prefer working on a first name basis" Grant continues " And I can call you Dick, yes?" "Sure Grant" I reply, "no problem at all"
"Dick, you need to get the team packed and ready, the next race is Sunday at Grand Valley" Grant told me as he was leaving the pit area. I look over at Popeye and the crew and say " well, lets get ready, Grand valley is just down the way a bit." Popeye looks at me and says "I didnt know your first name was Dick"
GRAND VALLEY GRAND PRIX 62 Laps
The Grand Valley track is not too far from the High-Speed Ring so it was no problem getting there on time. We set up shop in the garage and put the car out on the track to run practice laps and qualify. Well luck was with us this time and not only did we qualify but we also won the pole position.
I did a little research on the race here. Total race length is 62 laps and just a hair over 3 miles around for a lap for a total mileage of 190 miles (hmm, almost all the races are that long)
Popeye told me that during practice Mr. Urismo showed up in and was talking to the crew chief but he couldnt make out what was said. Popeye continued on about how the two of them laughed a bit and Mr. Urismo went away.
It was a standing start to this race and I was sitting on the pole (what a wonderful view). The green flag drops and we are off and speeding to the 1st hairpin (turn 2), after that a few gentle left and rights leading to the 2nd hairpin (turn 6). The only other trouble spot I see is the chicane (turns 15 & 16) just before the last turn before the main straight.
Around the end of lap 7 my tires are getting quite worn and I pit with 28 second lead over 2nd. My average lap time is a minute and a half. When I leave the pits I find myself in 3rd place but not for long as the rest of the racers choose to pit at the end of the 8th lap. At my next pit window at lap 14 I had a 48 second lead and Popeye jumped in the drivers spot for the nest run.
Popeye was, as usual, conservative in his driving but maintained a lead over 2nd place. When the end of lap 22 came around and Popeye pitted, he had a minute and 6 seconds lead. On his second pit stop at the end of lap 30, Popeye still had the same lead of 1 min 6 seconds. At the end of lap 37, his third pit stop, he had lapped the field and we switched drivers.
As I left the pits at the beginning of lap 38 2nd and 3rd had regained their laps. Not longer after that I put them both down a lap. By the end of the race I was only able to lap the bottom 3 racers once more. It was another victory for us and the competition is getting stronger. Winners circle is becoming a familiar place for us and rumors are floating around we wont be here much more.
After receiving another $100,000 check I get a message that Mr. Urismo needs to see me asap. I was brought up to one of the skybox rooms above the track where Grant was waiting for me. "Dick, please have a seat" he continues " You and your driver Mr. Doyle have been very good to our team. We are very pleased with the attention you are bringing us." "But I want to warn you, it will not be easy much longer, the other teams are going to do all they can to beat you. The next race will be next week at Le Mans. I will be looking forward to your winning the grand prix there"
I return to the garage and call everyone around and give them the good news that Grant is very pleased with our performance and we will have stiffer competition at the Grand Prix at Le Mans next week.
Grand Prix At Le Mans 23 Laps
We arrived at the Circuit de la Sarth with plenty of time to qualify for the Grand Prix. The pit mechanics were tinkering around the car getting it ready for the run. I was summoned over by the translator and he told me the car was ready. I take the car out on the track and I blew it, I lost my concentration on the qualifying run and wound up in the gravel at the end of the Mulsanne Corner and blowing my chance to the pole position.
I start the race in 6th place and work my way towards the front and I do just that by the time I get to the 2nd chicane on the main straight on the 3rd lap. I keep this lead until the end of lap 4 when the others decide to pit but I stay out on the track for one more lap and when I exit the pits at the beginning of the 6th I find myself with only a 9 second lead over 2nd.
I return to the pits at the end of the 9th lap and I now have a 20 second lead. That is ok because Popeye radios me to tell me the rest of the field is pitting now also so when I leave pit road I will have the 20 sec lead still.
When I come in for my 3rd pit window, (with a 31 sec lead) Popeye and me switch places and his driving stretches out the laps to 5 between pits. At the end of the 18th lap Popeye comes into pit for fuel and tires and a 45 sec lead. I hop in the drivers seat to drive the remaining 5 laps but with my heavy foot and my driving I find I have to pit at the end of the 22nd lap. When I exit pit road I have a 56 sec lead and one lap to go to win this race. I get myself in a bit of trouble with the cold tires and Im in the gravel before the straight and lose a few seconds there but not enough to lose the race. I cross the finish line with only a 40 second lead.
Our race team is very happy we won at this track and we are all smiles at the winners circle. Mr. Urismo arrives for the celebration and looks very pleased. Grant calls me over and says to me " You think that was hard, just wait until Monaco grand prix"
Monaco Grand Prix 78 Laps
Monaco, the crown jewels of F1 racing, many racing careers have been made at the venue. Here we are and we have a spot in the race. Because we are the rookie team here we do not get to qualify (I think that is a crock, I think that the others are getting tired of getting beat by the rookies) So we start in 6th place again. During practice I find out my pit window is every 7 laps, but this info soon proved to be misleading.
The green flags wave and we are racing and I try to make a pass at the 1st turn and get punted into the wall and lose precious seconds. I continue on and by the end of the 1st lap Im in 3rd place. It is near the chicane on the back stretch on the 3rd lap when I make the pass to claim 1st place. I slowly develop a gap between 2nd place and my car and by the end of lap 6 I find my tires a worn. Im forced to pit now or risk losing it on the track. When I leave pit row Im in 3rd place again and close on their heels.
The field pits on lap 8 and puts me out in the lead, a lead I held until I had to pit 4 laps later. When I pit on the end of lap 12 lost the lead but I was in 2nd place when I left the pits. I shortly passed the lead car and never looked back. I was wrong, I wound up trading the lead 2 more times in the race during the pit windows.
Grants words about harder competition were echoing in my head and he was not wrong. This is the hardest race I have run so far, both in the track is very demanding and the other racers are gunning for me. By the end of the 24th lap Popeye trades places with me in the pits and leaves back in 2nd place but passes the lead before the hairpins. Popeyes conservative driving proves well, he stretches the pit window to 7 laps and built up a strong lead over second.
I resumed driving after the 59th lap pit stop and was knocking on the back door of 6th place to put him down a lap. This continued on slowly for the rest of the pack and just before I was able to lap the 2nd place I wound up in the pits with worn tires. On the beginning of the 66th lap when I exited pit road I was right behind 4th place and put him down a lap and chased after the others.
I never got a lap over 2nd place when I crossed the finish line for the win at Monaco. We earned this race and the $100,000. After the race Grant found me at the hotel and told me the good news. We have passed the halfway mark in the race series. Grant also told me to look forward to the Seoul Grand Prix. "Korea?" I ask. Mr. Urismo smiles and walks away waving.
The Seoul Grand Prix 113 Laps
The team and car arrived the day before the race but we missed out on qualifying. So we went out to see the sights around town. Before we could hit the streets, Grant showed up and asked where Popeye and I was going. I told him I have never been to Korea and wanted to see it but Grant didnt think it was a good idea for Americans to be walking the streets here unescorted. He didnt want to see his driver in the hospital or worse the morgue. We returned to our room for the night.
Race day came and we were ready to run. It was a running start and was very easy to pass the others to the front for the track is very wide at the stretches. By the middle of the 2nd lap I was in front and working up a substantial lead over second place.
I had a 16 sec lead over the next car when I had to pit on the end of lap 18. When I left pit road I was in 2nd place and close on the tail of the leader and had him passed by the next lap. I find out that the field chooses to pit at the end of the 19th lap, which puts me way out in front for which I never looked back.
The mechanics we have on our team are miracle workers. I have yet to complain about the handling or the speed of our car. The only thing I had trouble with is finding the brake points around the track. I heard of using the shift light to be the braking indicator but I usually find a landmark or signpost on the side to be my braking point. When I see the landmark in the right spot I apply brakes before the upcoming turn.
This was turning into a very easy race for us I radioed in to let Popeye know that I was going to drive the entire race myself. Popeye objected and I came in and we switched places at a little past the halfway point. By that time I had lapped everyone twice, and by the end of the race, Popeye had also lapped the entire field twice. We won this race with surprising ease and four laps over everyone else.
Winners circle is becoming a very familiar place for our team and during the celebration Grant and his personal assistant joined us. Grant took me aside to ask me how the car was handling. I told him I was very happy with how the team was getting the car ready for me. Grant asks "How do you think you will do at the next race?" "Where is it?" I ask, not really knowing what to expect. He replies with a grin "Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, I heard you are good there" "I do not know who told you that but I am not that good at Sears Point. In fact I have never finished better than 4th in any race I was there" I reply. Grant continues "yes I know of your track record there and Im a bit concerned. I do wish to sweep this race series. I tell him that I will do my best. "I count on it" Grant tells me as he waves goodbye.
Sonoma Grand Prix 76 laps
Nestled in the hills north of San Francisco in Sonoma County is a racetrack that is known to a lot more race fans because it hosts a NASCAR race every summer. It is this track that gives me the willies. I was never comfortable driving on this track. Going uphill after the start/finish line are the two most treacherous turns I have ever encountered. The 2 blind right handers, if you are not careful you can easily wind up on the grass or worse. I never did well here in my short career.
Race practice and qualifying was a disaster, when I was out running practice laps one of the other drivers punted me off into the grass and the car suffered because after that incident, I couldnt handle the car and was all over the place. We obviously qualified in last place, and the mechanics went to work on the car to fix the handling problem.
We lined up behind the pace car for the rolling start. The pace car left the track and we were heading for the start of the race. The green flag drops and we are off, I get a good jump and I am right on the 5th place tail and I pass him before the first right hander. (One of the blind ones) As I am going around the turn I get punted off into the grass again. That little action puts me back into last place. I get back on track and get close to 5th place and he runs me off into the gravel on the long sweeping downhill left hander. This really ticks me off but I quickly get over it as I work myself back on the track and continue racing.
I expect to do around 9 laps before I have to pit but with my excursions off track my tires were worn by the end of the 8th lap. I pitted from second place and resumed racing in 6th place. My last place position was short lived for all the other cars went to the pit at the same time at the end of the 9th lap. I maintained the lead until I had to pit at the end of lap 16. I wound up close behind the lead when I came out of pit row and fought my way to the front.
I built up a good lead and turned over the driving to Popeye, and he is really great here at Infineon. So much that Popeye finished the race in 1st place. He earned the race prize because I was all over the place and still cannot drive here. Popeye was the hero of the hour and he was the prince of the winners circle. Grant came over to me and asked what was the matter with me on the track. I replied that I was never good at this place and todays racing showed it. Grant was happy that we won but he was concerned that I would be just as bad at our next race. "When and where is the next race?" I ask. Grant answers as he is walking out the door "Laguna Seca". I smiled to myself because I knew that track very well.
The Mazda Grand Prix at Laguna Seca 85 Laps
We traveled just down south of San Francisco to Laguna Seca, a track I am well familiar with. I was happy to be here, I just knew Id win here but I didnt know by how much. When we put the car on the track to qualify we were informed by a ruling decision made by the race officials. We were not allowed to qualify for any more races of the season just to make it fair to the others. Grant went to protest this decision but was denied. They told him we were too good and the other teams were asking for any help at all and this is what the race officials came up with.
So a rolling start found us in 6th place and by the end of the 2nd lap I was in the lead. I guess the other teams were not as prepared for this track as I was. Rainey Curve was the trouble spot for all of us but mostly the others. I had trouble there with this car until I realized how to handle the turn properly. The key is after you come off the corkscrew, accelerate up to just before you enter the turn. Then coast through the left hander, never exceeding 125 mph or you will be putting crop circles in the grass better than the little green men do. Upon exiting the curve you then accelerate to the next turn. All of the other racers were sliding off into never-never land at one time or another. During the race I even noticed that some over-corrected and went skidding across the track to the other gravel area on the left.
At the end of the 8th lap I was in the pits changing tires and filling up on fuel and lost the lead. When I returned to the track I was in 3rd place but really close to the 2nd car and had him passed by the end of the lap. The others decided to pit between laps 10 and 11 and when that happened it put me back in the lead. A lead that I never lost for the remainder of the race. There were times when I was driving around the track that I was the only one in sight, there was nobody behind me and nobody in front of me that I could see.
Popeye was waiting for me in the pits after lap 27 and he resumed driving for the team. Popeye is just as good as I am here at Laguna but he got caught at the Rainey curve just like the rest of us and lost a few seconds lap time there. Popeyes conservative driving kept us in the lead and also stretched our pit window to 11 laps. I took over driving when he returned to the pits at the end of lap 58.
Back on the track with fresh blue tires, I was not concentrating about the race and it showed. I was slipping and sliding all over the track, nothing I did was working at the moment. I even slid off the track at the Rainey Curve. When that happened all I could hear out of the radio was Japanese and it didnt sound too friendly. I straightened out and resumed racing. By the end of the 70th lap I was ahead by 2 laps and won the race before I could put a third lap down on the field.
The team was having a great time after the race celebrating our victory and our winning streak when Grant Urismo and two other gentlemen joined us. Grant was showing the team off to his friends and walked over to Popeye and I to ask how things were today. I told him it was a walk in the park and I had the race won before I had started it. "Well I hope you enjoyed it because the Motegi Grand Prix will be harder" Grant tells us as he leaves the party with his friends.
Motegi Grand Prix 64 Laps (Road Course)
To be continued in a posting further down...
cant wait to hear your experiance at the Monaco GP 
