This past weekend, Laguna Seca Raceway in Salinas California was host to the 2007 Redline Time Attack Finals. It was down to the very very last minute for the Relentless Autosports and Double Down 350Z crew to get the car to the event, but they arrived at the track at 4:00am Saturday morning after a 7 1/2 hour drive up from San Diego. Suspension swaps, wheel problems, and other gremlins left the crew tired and us drivers with almost no practice come race time.

Mike Bonanni got absolutely no practice in the 350Z before going out for his timed session in Street RWD and did his best to adapt as quickly as possible to an unfamiliar track and an unfamiliar car setup. Fortunately, the set up that Scott Bush (WA2GOOD) was able to struggle to come up with was good enough and Mike was able to drive the Z to a 1st place finish in the highly competitive Street RWD class despite the situation!

Scott Bush (WA2GOOD) had very little practice time to sort the car out for the team as well before heading into his timed sessions for the Modified RWD class and fortunately the set up that Scott put on the car for Mike in the street class was good enough for the R compound tires as well as he was also able to adapt quickly and make the best of the situation driving the car to a 2nd place finish in the notoriously competitive Modified RWD class!

So what seemed like a potentially bad weekend for the Double Down 350Z and its crew ended up being a great one and this was a great way for them to end he 2007 season. Check them out in 2008!!!

The team would like tosend out a very special thank you to our sponsors who have helped us get through 2007...

Relentless Autosports
GTSPEC
Jim Wolf Technology
World Motorsports
Stance USA
Axis Wheels
SPL Parts
Toyo Tires
Megan Racing
TH Motorsports
ModifiedGuide.com
LOT USA / Bride
Kognition Design
J&J Vinyl Co.
Fabulous Graphix

And of course the team and other friends who have helped along the way...

Scott Bush
Mike Bonanni
Mark Brent
Jim Wolf
Clark Steppler
Chris Frick
Pat Laughlin
Noah Marques
Heather Davis
Kelli Walthers
Jordan Swanson
Mike Mishler

They also would like to say..... THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYBODY FOR MAKING 2007 A BREAK-OUT YEAR FOR THE DOUBLE DOWN TIME ATTACK 350Z!!!!!!!


Here is the link to the post in the Motorsports section, but it deserves to be here in the FI section as well.... ................. https://my350z.com/forum/autocross-road/314708-double-down-350z-victorious-at-laguna-seca.html


Most people on here have NO idea what it takes to compete at this level, so, GREAT JOB GUYS

 

Congratulations.....

......isn't one thread enough?

 

I'm mentioned...SO NEVAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

why the hell aren't I mentioned? I broke in the tires for Scott!

 

Hahaha, yes you did. You scuffed up the new front street tire for the Z for us on your car. LOL. That is true.

 

congrats

 

Congrats also.

 

Thanks superchargedg, go-fast, shamrockg, Noah, fallenromeo, and buzzardmountain. This year was a learning experience and it ended up going pretty well. We learned alot of what not to do and some things that we need to do. I am sure we could be even faster with a little more help and support and $$ to help implament the changes that I would like to make. Now we just need to find sponsor funding for next year to help with the expenses, otherwise we will only be able to do a couple local events.

 

Congrats guys

 

Is this the same car was had a picture in Modified Mag earlier in the year, from some time attack event. You guys must have really stepped it up, because I just remember that some CRX (pictured next to it) was around 6 seconds faster. That's just wrong! Nice to see that you got the Z tweaked and tuned and layed some smack down.

 

Thanks, but show me where a CRX, any CRX (that meets the rules for the Redline Time Attack street class like our Z does) is faster on the track. That must be a mistake. Our time attack Z still has the factory glass, door pannels, doors, dashboard, etc. and is made to fit into the rules of the RWD street class. We do however change just the tires to a R compound and to a racing slick to be able to race it in the more advanced modified and unlimited classes where we usually still place and do pretty good with a "street class" car. We will do some more work to the car next year as the car will no longer run the street class.

 

I don't know about the classes, but I found the mag (next to my toilet. )
It is the May 2007 issue, page 146. The Z is the picture is owned by "Mike Bonanni." is this the same car? it looks similar. Anyway, I was mistaken. The Crx went 1:15 and the Z went 1:18.....3 seconds faster.

I was referring to the driver quote from the Z driver. he said "..... we have been battling to get the car setup properly....." Recalling that, I was complementing on how you must have gotten it properly setup now.

 

Thanks, we keep getting quicker and quicker in this car. We are still batteling the car, and probably always will be....you can always find a way to go faster.

That CRX you mention is in the UNLIMITED FWD class and that is the time it posted in that class on racing slicks. The Z's time in that magazine was from the street class on street tires (about 6-10 seconds slower than slicks). For a reference, at that event, I was clocked at a 1.10.18xx in the Z on slicks (not too imprerssive), it was not fast enough to place in the unlimited RWD class amongst the million dollar budgetted cars in that class (the winning time was a 1.08.xx) that is why it got no press for that class, at that time .

Progress is always being made on the car. We realy do not ever have any money to test new set-ups and parts so every time out is a calculated guess by me on what to do to improve it from the last time attack. We have yet to show up at any event without some major wholesale changes thrown at the car, and I guess I have been lucky cause we get quicker and quicker everytime.

 

Great news! Keep it up for 2008!

 

Following motorsports my entire life (and I am old) I know that motorsports and most all forms of racing is money driven. Dollars often determin just how fast you can go. I am very impressed with (Scott and Mike's) team Dowble Down's performance in their Time Attack debut year with this Z, ESPECIALLY after learning what type of budget (or lack of a budget) they are working with . This should also reflect on Relentless Autosports and the type of vehicle's they can turn out. I hope the team can find corporate funding so we all can see just how fast the Z's have the potiential to be.

Good luck guys, I am impressed and as part of the G/Z comunity.....I am proud of your acomplishments.

 

Thanks ShamrockG! Wow, it feels just as good to have someone recognize that as it does winning! Even if we win, it is still frustrating knowing what potential that car, us as drivers, and our team has if we had the resources to test and practice before hand.

 

+1

 

Congrats Scott, Mike, and great driving!!!!!

I am gald you guys were able to make it out there, and clean up shop.
Great work once agian, bet those CAMs helped out.
Hopefully you guys can make it down here next season.

 

good job RA, for making our Z 's proud.

 

Thanks eagletanggreen, shamrockg, roadster, and the rest of you. We apreciate the congrats