Truth is, I have hesitated to keep this blog updated because it is such a pain to log into the website, type the blog, publish the blog etc. etc. The good news is that I just learned how to update and post to this blog via email. This is going to make things a whole lot easier to keep Bud's Blog updated and hopefully moderately interesting,

So, how about a little background on this whole thing before we dive into the Michelin Encore race weekend.

Over the past several years I have been blessed with the the opportunity to help out ANSA Motorsports at a few race weekends each year. At the time, 2016 if I recall correctly, they (ANSA) were running KTM X-Bow's in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class. 

My occasional involvement with ANSA started when, pretty much out of the blue, I got a text/email or facebook message (I don't remember) from an old friend, Tom Brown. (and not that he is that old!, but he has been a friend for many years) He asked me if i wanted to "fill in" (me? fill in for Tom Brown? talk about an oxymoron, it didn't make sense! haha) for him at a Pirelli World Challenge race at Sonoma. 

Tom is a race engineer extraordinaire, and an even more delightful human being, who(whom?) I met and got to know back in (or around) 1998.  I believe Tom and I met when we attended engine meetings at Ilmor Engines in Detroit. At the time I was one of the team managers at Players/Forsythe Racing and Tom worked for the late Tony Bettenhausen Jr. 

So that is how my friendship started with Tom, and hence the reason for my involvement with ANSA.  I would not have had the opportunities with ANSA Motorsports if it weren't for him.

Fast forward to mid-October 2018, I get a text from Tom saying that ANSA was running 3 cars at Sebring in November and he asked me if I would like to go and help out.  As usual, I text back right away saying yes of course, figuring I would sort logistics later. This was going to be great  because Tom would be there and I would get to work with him and more importantly, learn from him.

To wrap up Part 1, let me give you a glimpse of my mindset going into the race weekend.

First of all, this event was a bit unusual in the sense that I found out about 3 weeks ahead of time, giving me plenty of time to get prepared, get my notes and runs sheets organized. The early notice and scheduling also gave me time to get re-acquainted with Magneti Marelli WinTax data acquisition software, which is not my favorite DAQ software to work with.

My role for the Michelin Sportscar Encore at Sebring, was to be a race support engineer on one of the three cars that ANSA would be running. At the time, I did not know which car or who my drivers would be. The only thing that was certain is that Tom was engineering the #4 car, his normal role. 

For ANSA Motorsports, at this event, Tom Brown is the head race engineer, and the genius behind the winning setup on the Ligier JS P3 prototype. My role is to be a race support engineer. Basically, for the event, I am the primary "engineer", chassis tuner, race manager, and strategist for the two or three drivers who are assigned to my car. 

However, in my mind I like to make it simpler than that. My role as a race support engineer, under Tom Brown, is to  1) don't mess up, or mess with the chassis setup and 2) don't run the car out of gas!  

That's it in a nutshell! Easy right? No pressure at all!? 

Now that you understand my thinking going into the race weekend, tune back in for PART 2, and see how it all worked out.  I will try and convey what it is like to walk into a race weekend only knowing a few people on the team. People I have never worked with before. No less than a 3 car team with probably 40 people under one transporter tent!! It was interesting and fun to participate in. One thing I love about racing is watching a group of individuals come together from (literally) around the world, with diverse backgrounds, personalities and skills, under pretty intense pressure and circumstances, coming together as a unit to operate at a high level and accomplish a goal.

Stay tuned for Part 2

BL