AEM Sponsored Gardella Racing Takes a Strong Second Place at Formula D Throwdown
- Jul 27, 2010
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How did the rounds go for you over the weekend at Throwdown? Can you describe your races? The rounds at FD Throwdown went really well; many of the top competitive cars had mechanical issues or early crashes and were unable to advance, which helped us get through a few rounds more easily. However, we weren't banking on rookie Charles Ng; he really impressed us with his driving and took us to a "one more time" round. Gardella Racing's spotter, Steve Angerman, was giving me very good feedback after each round. He explained to me exactly what I needed to do to advance to the next round; it worked perfectly.
How did the final round go? The final round had its ups and downs, haha. Tanner is a very tough opponent on the track. I had a good strategy for my lead lap that I was saving specifically for the final round; it worked well, I ended up throwing down the most solid line I had all weekend. On the follow lap, my crew was telling me I need to stay as close as possible on the bank and I would get the win. So I did what I had to do and was following super close on the bank, but I was too close nearing the end and Tanner had pitched his car into full angle, slowing down way too quickly for me to adjust in time.
Were you having any challenges with car setup? What contributed to your consistency? Shorter wheelbase? The Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice is setup very well. The Gardella Racing team always has the car very close to where it needs to be. It usually only takes us one practice session to have the car setup correctly and for me to be comfortable. My consistency is contributed to having a great team behind me who works hard round after round with the desire to win. The short wheelbase of the Solstice helps with maneuverability on the track, especially during tandem rounds.
How did the hot weather affect your driving this weekend? How were the track conditions? I had just come from a very, very, HOT east coast heat wave so the heat in Seattle didn't affect me at all. I'm a pretty healthy and fit guy so I can stand most conditions. The track conditions were good this year. The layout was basically the same as previous years so we had a really good baseline to go off of. How do you feel about your team's performance this weekend? I am very happy with the performance of the Gardella Racing team this weekend. We didn't have it easy by any means. With the Solstice being caught up in a wreck in Thursday's practice, the whole team really had their work cut out. It all paid off when we were sitting on that podium spot. How do you feel about the other teams' performances this weekend? The other teams were all working hard. I heard of a lot of breakdowns this weekend, so everybody was working hard trying to get their cars back together in time for the tandem rounds. What changes (if any) are you looking to make for After Dark in Vegas? We won't be making too many changes to the car before Vegas; basically just the routine maintenance such as changing the Mobil 1 oil and AEM intake, as well as maybe freshening up the Quaife transmission. Other than that the Gardella Racing crew will just go through the entire car to make sure that everything is tight and nothing else needs to be replaced. Having just passed the halfway mark of the season, stakes are high as Formula D slides into Las Vegas for some After Dark drifting August 20th and 21st. With just 31 points separating 1st place and 3rd in the race for the championship, and just 7 points separating 1st and 3rd in the Tires.com Triple Crown, Lady Luck doesn't have much room to lend a helping hand. It's going to come down to the drivers and their teams going all-in every race, and Gardella Racing isn't going to be bluffed out of this round. To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you. |
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