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| Chip Herr Takes First Win In SPEED World Challenge |
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Chip Herr Wins At Mid-Ohio And Chats With JustRacing.com
By Mark Dadgar, JustRacing Staff
Chip Herr, fresh from his first SPEED World Challenge Touring Car win at Mid-Ohio in the STaSIS Engineering Audi A4, was kind enough to spend some time with us for a quick interview.
You guys had some pretty unpredictable weather conditions over the course of the weekend. How did that affect your preparations?
Yah, you are right. We were doing the rain dance the whole time. I actually never had a chance to run in the rain with the STaSIS Audi but I knew they would have a decent setup that would work for me in those conditions. As far as prepping for the rain, we softened up the suspension and made the car as easy to drive as possible without having to raise it up. The session went well and we were the fastest in the wet. With a little testing we could even be faster but with the limited time we had I was pleased.
You are showing a nice progression over the first three races of the season, going from 10th-ish at the Sebring weekend to 5th-ish at St. Pete's and now right at the top of the time sheets, including your first SWC win, at Mid-Ohio. Where have you focused your development to build and sustain that ramp?
We have been working really hard to have a great team with quality drivers in the cars. We all work very well together and this season will be not only a lot of fun but we are going to be very competitive. The Audi A4 is a wonderful car and an even better racecar. With the standing starts it is really nice to have AWD. I knew once STaSIS and I got together as a team it would be hard to beat us. There are going to be tracks that might not suit our car the best but there definitely are some that do. I love the street courses and look forward to Denver where I had my first pole in qualifying last year.
SCCA Pro has been very quick to add "competition adjustments" to dominant cars. Are you expecting anything for the A4s going forward?
I dont think so because we aren't dominant cars. This weekend was great for the Audis because of all the hills and slow momentum turns that with the AWD we can get traction coming out of the turn better than some other cars. As for me winning the race, the times are all within 3 tenths between the top 5 or 6. Also when the second place car gets pressure from the competition behind him he has to drive a defensive line which is what Pierre had to do to hold his second place spot. In the end that is the only reason why i was able to pull a small gap because I was able to drive a qualifying line, not a defensive one.
The Mazdas and Acuras are very strong this season and it's never safe to count the BMWs out, either. You're in a strong third place in the points standings after three races. What is it going to take to hold them off long enough to take the championship this season?
What else is new. The Mazdas and Acuras have been strong every year - that doesn't change. The good thing is Bimmerworld and STaSIS are coming on strong with great development and good drivers. This series is all about manufacturers and the more different ones in the top 5 the more people want to watch because you never know who will win or be qualified on the pole. I am very excited for the rest of the season. I really think Mazda and Acura are going to have to work for this championship this year.
Which race on the tour are you most looking forward to? Which track is your favorite?
Denver and Salt Lake city. The reason for that is I love street courses and I love new tracks that no one has any data from so that everyone is on a clean slate. That shows how good a team really is to get the car setup and the driver up to speed.
You spent some time in the Air Force Reserve Ford Focus in past seasons and now you're running strong with STaSIS Engineering. Can you talk a bit about your racing career before you broke into World Challenge?
I was racing Spec cars. Anything that was a drivers class. When you have identical cars and it comes down to setup,prep,driver and tire conservation that is what makes winners. I am really glad that I did that because you learn to be a momentum driver and you can carry that knowledge into anything you drive with or without horsepower. A few weeks ago I won the Inaugural MX-5 race at Laguna Seca and that series is really close racing with identical cars.
Making the jump to Pro Racing is a tricky thing. Is there any advice you can give to ambitious amateur racers?
You never know who you will meet and what that might lead you to. I have met someone new at every event I have gone to and sometimes it comes down to who you know, not what you know. In the end it is both but until you make it in pro racing where you are making money it is who you know. The best advice is stay positive and if racing cars and public relations is your passion go for it and do your best and keep your head up. Drive fast, Take chances!
Chip, many thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Congrats on your first win and good luck in the rest of the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car season!
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Posted On 5/24/06
 Del.icio.us
This story has been read 54219 time(s).
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