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South of the border the slicks were replaced by Bridgestone RE71R's. GTA's ruleset no longer allowed Hankook TD's in Limited Class, so as Chris was checking out various options for rubber he decided to stick with the RE71R's that had performed so well for him in 2015. Obviously, his research and consideration of the data was right on. The RE71R's were a great choice and the results/records speak for themselves.
At Gingerman for Gridlife Midwest, Chris ran the Civic in the Track Modified class and really enjoyed the event. With a huge enthusiast crowd, a very hot weekend, and a wide range of cars the setup was perfect for Boersma Racing. Chris broke the record with a devastatingly fast time of 1:35.7 – which was five seconds faster than the previous record. And I thought that last year's 3.5 second lead was gigantic!
Of course, the Global Time Attack Super Lap Battle on the 13CW course at Buttonwillow is the pinnacle of Time Attack in North America. All competitors were in the shadow of the huge battle that took place in the Unlimited FWD class between Dai Yoshihara in the Spoon Civic, William Au-Yeung in the Vibrant Civic, and James Houghton in the K-Tuned Type R. That is unfortunate because they missed Chris and his multiple record breaking laps.
Chris knew that the car was faster than 2015's Street class record of 1:52.122 but the heatwave that Buttonwillow was experiencing proved challenging for the tires. He would go out with the tires at 20 lbs, do one hot lap, and come in to tires that were at 37 lbs. The downforce that Professional Awesome helped set up was working beyond expectations as Chris found himself going flat in corners where a lift or brake tap had always been required in previous years. He proved that the car was faster when he broke the 1:51.789 time (set by the PZ Tuning RSX in 2014) on his first session out. Then it seems like each time out he bettered his own new record. He finished 2016 with a Limited FWD Super Lap Battle record of 1:49.834. Even better, he finished with a car that was still performing flawlessly.
MotoLyric truly captured the essence of Time Attack with this photo. The solitude of Time Attack as the driver is out on their own as they run against time. Dedication as the drivers all run from the moment the track opens until the track is shut down. Pure competition – regardless of whether the event is in Canada or the United States. Camaraderie – whether it is Global Time Attack, Gridlife, or Canadian Sport Compact Series the chatter among the drivers in the pit area is incredible. That is why you see people travelling across the continent to compete. That is why we need to see more spectators out watching these fantastic competition events. Rommel caught Chris two wheeling through the bus stop in the middle of fourth gear at about 130 kph. Photo by MotoLyric/Rommel Estrada.
What's next for this record breaking car? Well, Chris just picked up a new Garrett Gen2 GTX3076R at PRI in Indianapolis. Look forward to even more power from Boersma Racing in 2017. Working with the guys at Speed Factory Tuning who are a dealer for Australian based Albins, Chris is also seeking to access a more robust final drive for his transmission. While there were no issues with the transmission at Buttonwillow, it was a fresh replacement to be sure that it performed flawlessly. As the final drive has been the proven weak point, installation of the Albins' final drive should provide the security necessary going into the new year. There is no question, Eric at R-Division has some work lined up for the off season! Chris has some business to attend to at Road Atlanta in the spring. When Boersma Racing is back at Buttonwillow next year, continuing to set the stage in the Limited FWD class, I wonder how many seconds he will take off of his own record!
Sources:
Michael Boersma (Thanks Dad!)
R-Division – Eric Lavigne
Professional Awesome Race Design
