This past weekend was a fantastic event with the SCCA at Virginia International Raceway: the SARRC/MARRS Challenge, which is a super-sized event with both the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions.
Over 70 Spec Miatas turned out for the event, which was thrilling to see. The purpose of my presence was coaching Rob Trollinger, who had his new Spec Miata there. Rob is a longtime Porsche driver and, recently, a racer who decided that the best way to continue honing his race craft and getting more seat time would be a cost-effective method in a Spec Miata. What better way to do it than with 70 other cars on the track, all fighting for position?
Lap 1! @msfr17 @VIRNow @MazdaRacing @SCCAOfficial pic.twitter.com/u8RY2Ogm5o
— Leslie FR (@LeslieLFR) May 7, 2016
The test day saw rain and sunshine, which was a great learning tool, allowing Rob to practice some wet driving techniques while also giving us a chance to get the car setup dialed in during the dry sessions.
Saturday’s races included a 30-minute sprint as well as an hour-and-a-half enduro. An enduro is the perfect way to get a lot of seat time and find a rhythm, with 90 minutes to work on repetition skills. After a busy day of racing on Saturday, Sunday’s qualifying for the sprint race saw Rob set a new personal best lap time. Eight cars were within half a second of his time, so he really had some competition!
Rob executed an excellent race, taking advantage of his developing race craft skills to make passes and stay focused, which gave him his best results of the weekend. He finished in the top 25—not too shabby in a 70-car field!
Rob was pleased with his progress throughout the weekend, not only with his lap times but also with his comfort in the car and the improvements in his race craft. I know he’s excited to get the Porsche back out to utilize his developing skills. There is more racing to come for him over the summer, and I’m looking forward to seeing his continued progress.