Homestead March 10, 2010

What a whirlwind weekend for the team of Dempsey Racing. Starting out with the usual….getting on a plane and heading to Miami, the team then got to qualify for their second race of the season on Friday the 5th.

This is the second race where Dempsey Racing is fielding two cars. The number 40 that has raced for years and now the number 41; Another Mazda RX-8, but with three different drivers and is mostly run for charity.

A little bit to learn about qualifying:

Five cars are randomly drawn for a head start to go on the race track, and a call from race control to the competitors, as well as the issuing of the green flag begins the official qualifying session. Each session has only one class and lasts for 15 minutes.

During the session, drivers try to set the fastest lap. The driver setting the fastest lap will earn the pole position, while the second fastest earns the position next to the polesitter. Third place starts behind the polesitter, and fourth starts next to third. This pattern occurs throughout the field, and following this, a provisional starting lineup is issued.

While each driver is working on setting his or her fastest lap, they must be aware of certain variables during qualifying. The first five cars that go out have the opportunity to space themselves out, giving them clean air and no one around. The rest of the group must try to figure out exactly when there is a break for them, so they too can qualify with as little interference from others as possible.

Prior to qualifying, teams sometimes put on new tires, which allow drivers to achieve their fastest times. Using their tires for only a few laps can still produce tire wear, which can slow times. Since the session is only 15 minutes, teams usually put less fuel in, which in turn produces a lighter, faster car. Because starting positions can be so important, teams may opt for new tires and less fuel for optimum performance.

The checkered flag flies after 15 minutes to signify the conclusion of qualifying. Teams may then circulate around the track until pit lane, where they must enter and return to their paddock space. Once one session is complete, there is a short break before competitors of the next class are allowed to qualify.

Drivers and teams may opt to use the entire 15-minute qualifying session, but it’s not mandatory. Drivers may come in and out of the pits in order to make minimal changes with the permission of GRAND-AM officials. There cannot be a driver change during qualifying. Competitors will participate in a variety of weather as well.

In addition, if a driver causes a caution period during qualifying, that driver will lose the best time they had achieved up to that point. They will also not be permitted to continue until the end of the session.

“Qualifying is a very good opportunity for you to learn what other competitors are doing, and gain a little confidence in the process,” said Jeff Segal, who competes fulltime in the Rolex Series.

Dempsey Racing qualified at position 9 on Friday and Team Seattle (#41) qualified at position 7. This is where they started in line for the race. Qualifying for Dempsey Racing was Patrick Dempsey and for Team Seattle was James Gue (Pronounced Gooey)

The next day was the fan event that the team had set up. Fans would pay $40 for their tickets to the race and 1/2 of that goes towards Patrick Dempsey’s Cancer Center for Hope and Healing. A center which provides help and encouragement along with many other things, free of charge to those who are dealing with cancer.

First they put together a Q&A for the fans to learn about the team. Then the did a small meet and greet and everyone took pictures with the team.

And then to top it all off, the team planned a Mazda promotional commercial. Needless to say this team makes the most of their time together!

I should also note here that the #40 car was yellow for this race only to help promote a program called “Share a little Sunshine” This program is put together to help make people aware of how much their tourism means to Florida and helps support the state. Read more at www.sharealittlesunshine.org

The race started later in the day than usual. 5pm eastern time, 3pm my time. We started out with Patrick in the drivers seat where he seems to have speed on his side as we watched him go from position 9 all the way up to 6 in a matter of an hour.

Patrick only raced 1 hour out of the 3 that we watched. The last two hours were spent with Joe Foster behind the wheel. The car went back a few spaces with the pit. Started Joe out at position 11. He very quickly moved that position up to 5. By the end of the race, Joe had the car in position 7 and that is where Dempsey Racing’s #40 car finished at.

Team Seattle and #41 is a different story. Starting out a few cars ahead of DR at position 7, they stayed in front of the #40 car and finished out with Leh Keen driving into position and a first time podium finish of #3! Congratulations to Dempsey Racing, Team Seattle and the #41 car!

The next race up for the team is in April at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Its exciting to see how good this team is getting.