Infineon Raceway consists of
a wonderful combination of challenging corners, elevation changes, and even an intimidating
wall and hairpin, to boot. ACR Progress driver, Joseph Duarte, set out on March
21st to begin his quest for what many enthusiasts seek at one point
in their lives: a professional racing license.
To achieve this goal, Joseph
will have to work tirelessly in order to progress up the ranks of HPDE-1, 2, 3,
and 4. After becoming a seasoned driver and receiving satisfactory remarks and
grades from his various instructors, he will finally gain the opportunity to
prove that he is a fully competent and prime candidate for a NASA racing
license.
Sporting a daily-driven 2005
Honda Civic-Si (or, EP3, as many Honda fans prefer to call it) Joseph Duarte
has performed only the most basic modifications that will enable him to acquire
useful information in pursuit of a more refined driving technique as well as
responsive HPDE car.
With driver skill and car
modification on opposite ends of the priority spectrum, ACR Progress intends to
focus full energy on driver development. Therefore, car modifications will be
limited to simple (yet invaluable) changes--primarily, tires and alignment.
Upon graduation to HPDE-4, the team has determined that it would be most
pragmatic to retire the EP3 as a HPDE/daily driver and upgrade to a dedicated track
car, such as an early '90s Civic or Miata.
Being the first time at
Infineon, ACR Progress did not truly know what to expect. However, NASA and
Infineon presented a warm and friendly atmosphere for amateurs, as well as
exceptional, well-maintained facilities. Joseph's assigned instructor, Dave, was a substantial asset in Joseph's driving education, as Dave was a
seasoned Civic (EH) racer himself.
The first session was slow and easygoing, as Dave was extremely adamant that Joseph learned the proper racing line, practiced proper safety etiquette, and became fully aware of the walls that could, needless to say, cause irreversible damage to both car and driver. To Joseph's pleasure, Dave asked Joseph to practice following him in sessions two and three, in order to further bridge the racing line synapses in Joseph's mind. In the fourth and final session, Dave rode shotgun and allowed Joseph to demonstrate what he had learned. Dave praised Joseph's learning curve and etiquette, and indicated his satisfaction with Joseph's first day with superb marks on his driver review sheet. As a rough estimate, Joseph was clocking a steady 2:37:XX at Infineon towards the end of the day. This was a significant difference in pace, from the 3:00:XX that HPDE-1 was averaging during the first session.
And so begins the ACR
"Progression" of one of the many steps to be taken. Each step will be conducted
prudently and conscientiously, as we aim to earn our rite of passage into the
world of professional motorsports.