2002 Season Race #8
Enduro at Buttonwillow Raceway Park 11/24/2002

A small field of S2 racers showed up for the final 4 Flight race of 2002. The low turn out could be explained by a number of factors: many positions in the Championship were already decided, many drivers worried about the longer Enduro format putting too much wear on their cars/engines, it was late in the season so some cars were still suffering failures from previous races, and there was a conflicting ACRL race on the same weekend.

Even so, the four S2 teams that came out for the Enduro were in for a treat. The longer Enduro format allows drivers to share a car and it adds the drama of pitstops to what are normally just 20 lap sprint races. Not to mention driver fatigue, pacing, and mechanical stamina. As fast Sports Racers, the S2 drivers had the unique option of choosing to run in the 90 minute Open Wheel Enduro or the 4 hour Closed Wheel Enduro, or both. All four of the S2 teams ran in the 90 minute Open Wheel class. They were:

• Bruce Allison (solo)
• Jeff Anderson (solo)
• Jeff Littrell (solo)
• Bob Lovenson and John Page

Saturday's drivers meeting pointed out that this year's Supp Regs mentioned nothing about mandatory pit stops or minimum times. This was a shock to the Cal Club Enduro veterans because in previous years stops have had a minimum of 5 minutes and two have been required.

Having no minimum changed things drastically -- suddenly speed of stop was important. Can an S2 go 90 minutes on one stop? How fast can the driver get out of the car and back in, fully buckled? What's the fastest, safe way to fuel the car without spilling any? Sunday would prove interesting.

Littrell took S2 pole and 4th overall in Saturday's qualifying. Bob Lovenson was 2nd in S2, followed by Bruce Allison and Jeff "70%" Anderson (who was having some minor car troubles).

Car No	Driver		Make	Qual Time	Qual Pos
41	Jeff	Littrell	Swift	1:49.463	1
11	Bob	Lovenson	Swift	1:51.974	2
7	John	Page	Swift	1:51.974	2
87	Bruce	Allison	Lola	1:55.999	3
24	Jeff	Anderson	Tiga	1:58.261	4

As is typical with any group of competitive racers, there was no consensus on what the best pit strategy would be. Over dinner Saturday night everyone debated the merits and feasibility of single versus double stops. Lovenson and Page were trying to convince Littrell that the Swifts didn't hold enough fuel to make it 90 minutes on one stop. Littrell offered his opinion that they could. At another dinner table, Bruce Allison tried to convince Anderson that two stops would be required. Although he didn't mention that his Lola holds 7 gallons to Anderson's Swift's 6.

Sunday

Sunday's Open Wheel Enduro was scheduled to start at 9:00 AM. Drivers arrived early and quietly discussed their strategies. Littrell and Correll could be found in Correll's new shop working on a one-man funnel apparatus to allow the quickest possible fill up. Allison was scratching his head, wondering how he was going to remove the tail from his Lola, refuel, and replace the tail without giving up too much advantage to the Swifts.

Cal Club started the race right on time Sunday morning, or maybe even a couple minutes early. Many cars were late to grid but two pace laps allowed them to catch up to the back of the field.

At the start, Littrell followed a Formula Mazda and Les Phillips' FC into turn one but a damp track and cold tires resulted in a spin into the dirt for him. Of course, by the time he could re-enter the track, the entire pack had gone by. He quickly worked his way through the pack and got up to 3rd spot before the pit stops began.

Jeff Anderson was the first of the S2s to pit, having been schnookered into a two stop strategy by Allison. But both his stops were very fast. Lovenson and Page were next, on a one stop, despite their claimed concerned the night before. A full tank going out allowed Littrell to go 43 minutes before the first hint of starvation was felt. When he came in the Lovenson/Page team were still there, having to execute a driver change in addition to refueling. Littrell was back in the car and out of the pits while Lovenson/Page were still working. Allison's Lola would prove to time consuming to fill, despite his one stop strategy.

Late in the race John "Pinata" Page fell victim to Moran's USC Voodoo when a formula car tagged him hard in the left rear attempting an ill advised pass. This put Lovenson/Page out of the race.

The other 3 solo drivers soldiered on, with Littrell taking the class win, followed by Anderson and Allison (who are now the proud new owners of 4 Flight S2 Cup hats). Actually, Littrell's fast pace and optimal pit strategy was so effective that he beat all the formula cars and took 1st place overall. A nice kudo for the sports racers.

As testimony to the durability of these S2s, and the good preparation by the crews, no one suffered any mechanical difficulties whatsoever.

The 2002 4 Flight Season is now concluded. Congratulations to everyone who participated -- you've revitalized the class and are largely responsible for the 32% increase in National S2 participation. You're completely responsible for the over 200% increase in S2 participation on the West Coast!

Of course, special congratulations to Chris Tryon for handily winning the Championship, and a lot of 4 Flight hats in the process! See the Final Standings for complete list of who finished where.

The 4 Flight S2 Cup is going strong and the 2003 Schedule looks to be even better. See you at the track.