2014 SCCA World Challenge

[Coach Ep]

Mike Hedlund is now missing from the Detroit entry list, what's up with that Mike?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Mike Hedlund is now missing from the Detroit entry list, what's up with that Mike?

Could it be something to do with the fact that the Le Mans test day is on the same weekend?

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Could it be something to do with the fact that the Le Mans test day is on the same weekend?

He'd wish!

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Mike Hedlund is now missing from the Detroit entry list, what's up with that Mike?

I didn't feel like I was getting my moneys worth from the program (with a relatively tiny budget) to show what I could do and Barber qualifying was the last straw. I had a bad enough year in 2013 wasting money looking like a chump, vowed I wouldn't make that same mistake again.

I'm still a huge fan of the series and I think it's the best value for both drivers, teams, and sponsors at the moment. A few people are interested in my car so I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up back on the entry list with a different team/driver for at least Detroit.

Thank you guys very much for the support this year! Seriously, I'm not a professional who's used to meeting hundreds of people every weekend who follow my progress and I've been lucky enough to meet a dozen or so folks from the forums at the races and it means a lot.

Not sure what I'll do next... haven't been able to show my speed to enough people to get the Pro-Am budgets low enough in the endurance series and I'm burned out on spending a lot of coin to go racing. Maybe GRC or Baja...

-mike

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Could it be something to do with the fact that the Le Mans test day is on the same weekend?

Well, I did submit my paperwork at the urging of some guys I know who work for teams in the WEC. Just last week I was blessed w/ an FIA Bronze rating.. and with the new Bronze requirements in the WEC Pro-Am classes you never know.

-mike

[Breitling24]

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

Well, I did submit my paperwork at the urging of some guys I know who work for teams in the WEC. Just last week I was blessed w/ an FIA Bronze rating.. and with the new Bronze requirements in the WEC Pro-Am classes you never know.

-mike

Best of luck, Mike. If Ricky Taylor can score a Le Mans drive,( )you're just as deserving!
Seriously! I hope good things happen for you.

[ttdriver2009]

Makes sense. When you are spending the sponsors money, you have to look after them. If the team won't, then you probably need to go elsewhere. There has to be another team out there in PWC that you could run with. Has it got to the point where PWC is growing so fast that there is too much demand and not enough cars? It would be a loss to see you go to the WEC as PWC is the best thing out there in the states. Maybe contact Dyson? They could possibly run another Bentley (I'd like to see more of those neat looking cars out there).

[TF110]

Drive a Viper Mr. Hedlund! Sorry, just my favorite GT out there.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by ttdriver2009

Makes sense. When you are spending the sponsors money, you have to look after them. If the team won't, then you probably need to go elsewhere. There has to be another team out there in PWC that you could run with. Has it got to the point where PWC is growing so fast that there is too much demand and not enough cars? It would be a loss to see you go to the WEC as PWC is the best thing out there in the states. Maybe contact Dyson? They could possibly run another Bentley (I'd like to see more of those neat looking cars out there).

WEC & Bentley, just two names that are not at all associated with burning a couple of those nice smelling green-and-white pieces of paper...

Anyways, good luck Mike, please keep us in the loop of the 'backdoor gossip' as much as you can! Hope to see you compete somewhere soon again!

[Brownj]

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

I didn't feel like I was getting my moneys worth from the program (with a relatively tiny budget) to show what I could do and Barber qualifying was the last straw. I had a bad enough year in 2013 wasting money looking like a chump, vowed I wouldn't make that same mistake again.

I'm still a huge fan of the series and I think it's the best value for both drivers, teams, and sponsors at the moment. A few people are interested in my car so I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up back on the entry list with a different team/driver for at least Detroit.

Thank you guys very much for the support this year! Seriously, I'm not a professional who's used to meeting hundreds of people every weekend who follow my progress and I've been lucky enough to meet a dozen or so folks from the forums at the races and it means a lot.

Not sure what I'll do next... haven't been able to show my speed to enough people to get the Pro-Am budgets low enough in the endurance series and I'm burned out on spending a lot of coin to go racing. Maybe GRC or Baja...

-mike

Sorry to see you won't be continuing in PWC, Mike! I've enjoyed watching your progress, and appreciate the perspective you share with the fans. Hoping you can turn up in something else this year.

[schmidder]

Originally Posted by Brownj

Sorry to see you won't be continuing in PWC, Mike! I've enjoyed watching your progress, and appreciate the perspective you share with the fans. Hoping you can turn up in something else this year.

Well mike...I think you are a smart guy for assessing as you go..best of luck to you. Hope to see you racing again sometime soon...

[pederb]

Maybe we should start a crowdfunding program here for Mike?

https://www.kickstarter.com is just one of many

[Coach Ep]

I believe Mike has enough money on his own, he just does't want to overspend it on an expensive racing program.

Now me on the other hand...

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

I believe Mike has enough money on his own, he just does't want to overspend it on an expensive racing program.

Now me on the other hand...

Well... you can never have "enough", but I do appreciate the thoughts pederb! Even if I was a billionaire (which I'm not), I still wouldn't spend multiple millions per year on racing indefinitely. There's just to many other things that money could go to in the world for me to sleep easy at night.

Now spending some of that to prove you're fast enough to get a Pro-Am ride somewhere w/ a heavy discount... that's a reasonable risk to me.

But back on topic-- the PWC series is going to be strong the rest of the year. I'm anxious to see how Dyson starts out with the Bentleys and how RealTime gets on with the new Acuras.

I might be testing the 458 GT3 car for the new owner at Road America in a few weeks and I'm really curious what the lap times will look like compared to GTE last year. I'm not sure if anyone's ran a full GT3 car at RA yet...

-mike

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

I might be testing the 458 GT3 car for the new owner at Road America in a few weeks and I'm really curious what the lap times will look like compared to GTE last year. I'm not sure if anyone's ran a full GT3 car at RA yet...

-mike

Should be fun, keep us posted on your times.

[rwintle]

And best wishes from here, too. I've enjoyed your insights both here and on the ALMS fan forum (as was). Was looking forward to saying "hi" at an event in the future but not to be I guess (at least, not WC this year).

Richard.

[ttdriver2009]

Reiter has that second car that won St.Pete sitting around. That would be the perfect car to hop into. It's shown that it's a proven front runner.

[PointDSM]

Originally Posted by ttdriver2009

Reiter has that second car that won St.Pete sitting around. That would be the perfect car to hop into. It's shown that it's a proven front runner.

Any car on the PWC grid can win a race or come in last, depending on the effort the team puts forth. $/effort is the key thing to remember here.

I would be up for a short trip over to RA to see some practice...haha.

[NaBUru38]

The Mosport round is this weekend. There's 25 entries: 7 TC, 6 TCA and 12 TCB.

Race 1 - Friday, 5:25pm Eastern
Race 2 - Saturday, 10:35am
Race 3 - Sunday, 10:30am

At Barber, the TC polesitter had a 1'38.9 time and the TCA polsitter a 1'41.9. Wouldn't it be better to merge both classes by reducing the air intake of the TC cars?

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The Mosport round is this weekend. There's 25 entries: 7 TC, 6 TCA and 12 TCB.

Race 1 - Friday, 5:25pm Eastern
Race 2 - Saturday, 10:35am
Race 3 - Sunday, 10:30am

At Barber, the TC polesitter had a 1'38.9 time and the TCA polsitter a 1'41.9. Wouldn't it be better to merge both classes by reducing the air intake of the TC cars?

Sure, but someone would go home without a trophy and we can't have that, can we?

[ttdriver2009]

What is the difference between TC and TCA? I see MX-5's and Civics in both classes. I figured out the difference with the TCB cars but it does seem that TCA was formed to give everyone a trophy.

[Matt]

TCA is just like GTA.

[Kartracer88f]

That's incorrect. TCA is more of a showroom stock category, with less engine and suspension modifications than TC. They are trying to get everyone to move that way to allow club racers to go pro racing easily. I'd bet TC will go away next year to be replaced by TCA (though they'd prob rename TCA TC)

[ttdriver2009]

Are the TC cars like the ST cars that run in IMSA? The Hondas and Mazdas look the same but I noticed in ST there are Caymans, Altimas, Genesis', three different types of BMW's, in addition to the Hondas and Mazdas. In TC and TCA, it's Mazdas, Hondas and a pair of Kias. Why isn't there more variety in TC and TCA?

[Kartracer88f]

They are very similar, though there's a few more things you can do in TC. TC is really a class they've ignored and diminished to where it's hardly a pro race. At this point it's so low tier, with so little coverage and prize money that it's really a club race occasional pro drivers. With entries rather high, and prize, tracks, events, and status so low most people would much rather run ST than TC.