The biggest news from the debut Track Attack event at the FIRM? Despite recent issues with the FAA due to the track’s proximity to an active runway, the facility’s Lance Williams relayed hope that a temporary use permit can be granted to return the track to its previous 10-turn, 1.8-mile layout.

If that temporary waiver becomes active, the track could function with the old FIRM layout while some new asphalt is laid in preparation for a highly revised layout that would extend the overall length of the track and clear any aviation safety drama.

While this potential reality still has some hurdles to clear, from the FIRM’s side, anyway, track officials believe they have solid legal and logistical standing and seem to have at least a good-faith nod from all parties involved that this solution–or a comparable one–is workable on all sides.

We’ll certainly miss the OG FIRM layout, but the motorsports landscape, both literal and metaphoric, is ever changing. Heck, they paved Pikes Peak, and it’s still cool.

But while the assembled drivers were treated to that hopefully great news, the real reason we were all there was to launch the FIRM’s new Track Attack series–an event, we should add, supported by Grassroots Motorsports. With a simplified ruleset, low bar to entry and a safe, supportive and casual environment, the Track Attack series is the perfect entry point to competition for folks looking to do their first track work, or experienced track drivers looking for a chill, fun scene to compete in.

The February 16 event used the track’s one-mile short course–basically the half that doesn’t use the esses and hairpin. We’d skip the shoebox, too.

Drivers like Rob Rabenstein–better known on the GRM forums as wvumtnbkr–came all the way from coastal South Carolina to get in some timed, low-stress laps, and the weather even cooperated for enough of the day to let everyone get some clean laps.

Morning rain left parts of the track wet for the first session, and lunchtime rain dampened the afternoon, but most of the morning was wide open with plenty of track time available.

Top time of the day in the official TA classes for production-based cars was set by Jason Kempf with the only sub-40-second run for a closed-car in his C8 Corvette Z06. Mike Herlevich showed everyone the fast way around the FIRM’s truncated 1-mile loop in his F1000 formula car in the exhibition class.

The most hotly contested class was actually the TA4 class that we ran in our BMW 435i project, itself certainly a FIRM veteran. Our 42.2-second lap made on a drying track during the first session would be our best of the day, as subsequent sessions on a better track revealed a boost leak that was lowering power precipitously. This allowed the E36 BMW M3 endurance racer of Shannon Kennedy to take the win in TA4 by a little over 0.2 second with some great late-morning sessions.

The next event is two months away at the end of April, and the hope is to have it take place on the traditional FIRM course. More news expected.

Top finishers from event 1:

TA1:

Jason Kempf, 2023 Corvette Z06: 39.261
Joseph Chang, 2020 Acura NSX: 41.643

TA4:

Shannon Kennedy, 1997 BMW M3: 41.996
JG Pasterjak, 2015 BMW 435i: 42.200
Rob Rabenstein, 2004 Mazda RX8: 44.639

TA5:

Grant Trautweiler, 2005 Mazda MX-5: 49.170

TA6:

Micheal Maddox, Mazda Miata: 47.515

TAExhibition:

Mike Herlevick, Vaan Diemen F1000: 38.165

Remaining schedule:

• Sunday, April 27
• Sunday, July 13
• Sunday, October 19
• Sunday, December 7

 

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