Michele Abbate Crowned 2015 SCCA US Majors Tour Champion!
 

Just got the Darkhorsepros notification email, so I thought I'd share it.

@MicheleAbbate Crowned 2015 SCCA US Majors Tour Champion!
http://m1cheleabbate.com/wp-content/.../2015champ.jpg
I could have some of this wrong, but I'll give it a go...

@MicheleAbbate was fast & consistent throughout the season racing 6 weekends with 11 of 12 finishes podium finishes for a total of 155 pts with many top 3s. This looks to be the best participation of any team. Really a testament to her ability to both develop AND drive. Also her team, the terrific 86 platform, her ability to manage her equipment, her dedicated sponsors, and fans that keep encouraging her to GO!

http://crbscca.com/staffAdmin/points...wideReport.php
STU class

For the class championship Michele beat an array of sports and touring cars (M3s, S2Ks, IS300s, Miatas, Integras, GTis, et all). Many experienced drivers and teams (JR!).

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Speaking of managing equipment, her terrific account of the final race at PIR is on her website.

http://m1cheleabbate.com/michele-abb...-stu-champion/

She could have broke the car trying to get our front. She was faster, but the car was running hot. Instead she showed the self-control, maturity, and discipline to finish (again!).

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Plenty of shout-outs to her sponsor's which are some of our favorite vendors on the board:
@Nameless Performance Inc.
@Mishimoto
@CounterSpace Garage ; @CSG David ; @CSG Mike
@DeliciousTuning

Other board vendors that support M1chele
@Innovate Motorsports
@Wonderbar (Driveway Labs (correct?)

Full list of her sponsor's here
http://m1cheleabbate.com/sponsors/

Finally, for those who contributed a while back to her DarkHorsePros campaign. How about dem results!

https://www.darkhorsepros.com/campaigns/87

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And if you haven't gotten a chance to watch her win at Pacific Raceways, check out the multiple gut checks. Exciting and worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6WCDOyhMFn8?start=
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...40#post2263640

http://seiboncarbon.com/wp-content/u...7/DSC00863.jpg

http://www.garagefrs.com/wp-content/...s-1024x675.jpg

Thanks for posting up! :D I appreciate all of your support :)

We had 11 podium finishes out of the 12 races (would have been 12 had we not faced issues with the fuel pump pick up on the banking of Auto Club Speedway). And I am excited to announce we are also still leading the points for STU Nationwide championship :)

No problem, thanks for reppin' to the fullest. :) I'll update with 11 of 12 instead. That's gettin it done.

Dayam, you scary! Must be that whole GRRRRRRR thing. XD

Congrats! One of the best color schemes I've seen on a racecar btw.

Thank you very much :)

@MicheleAbbate

I love this, I love everything about this. I like watching grassroots racers living the dream. I like watching women win in this sport as well, the more the merrier. Congrats! I watched the in-car race (all of it) @ Pacific Raceways since that's my home track and the battle with the Mustang was fun to watch.. nice pass, nice win!

I have some logistics questions about STU, the potential of the FRS and the popularity of the class if you're willing.

You ran 12 races with 5 being dropped. The championship being based on the best 7 finishes. What is the reasoning for settling on 7 to determine the championship? Specifically the number 7.

Your closest points competitor did a total of 8 races (so 1 drop) and everyone did 6 or fewer events. That's a pretty thin herd. Do you see STU growing or shrinking? There's lot of people (55) but very few put together a championship run, do you think that will change?

It appears you've done well garnering support and sponsorship which I'd like to know as much about as you're willing but more importantly, how much did this endeavor as whole cost? Racing is fun but I think few folks understand the monumental time/money reality of it. I understand if you don't want to divulge.

Finally.. speed potential of the car and the class? Going back to the Pacific Raceways video I see the times being set were between 1:38's and 1:40's and I understand you were door-to-door for most of it therefore I know you're probably 2 seconds faster. I ask this because the fast ITA/SpecMiata/H4 cars turn 1:38-1:40's which leads me to believe that STU is faster but probably not by a significant margin? Or do you feel that the FRS still has more speed potential to be found in STU trim?

Thanks in advance for whatever time you to take to respond and congrats once more!

:burnrubber:

edit: I ask these questions because I have been thinking about other cars and classes to race in when I eventually get bored of what I'm currently racing and STU and the FRS (and S2000) are all on the short list of considerations.

wow congrats!

And the frs is not competitive..? Not!!!

Congrats on the championship.

Some of my favorite people! Thanks Michelle for including me in your program!

That is a very thin heard. Of the races that Michele attended these were the STU participation numbers:

5
4
2
3
3
3

Guaranteed podium in 4 out of the 6 race weekends. They did have 14 at SIR where a couple older Hondas dominated. NOLA had 7 where a BMW E46 dominated. With this points structure of dropping so many races and only 7 races counting, what happens if 2 racers each only did 7 races and won each of those 7 races. Who gets the championship? Looks like there are still 6 more weekends, so I guess the championship is still way up in the air for anyone that wants to show up.

Many may not realize that while the STU classed cars are not abundant, she's still on track with a full group of cars from other classes. Likely 25-50+ car run groups.


I'd be curious to details of the full build. Please keep us posted on your progress.

No matter the format, this is Michele's team. She's not only the driver. She's the owner. She has put the right people in place, the consistency, and resources (time, money, expertise), and leadership to achieve a series win.

I know you have some experience Tut. I don't question your expertise. With that being the case you know that sometimes even showing up and being able to run the full weekend can be a challenge. She's experienced too. She certainly can drive and has the 1st place (not just podium) finishes to back that up. She's also achieved something here that not many of us have in a platform we love. Good on her for building a career of it. The props and encouragement are deserved. I definitely wish her luck in winning the national championship.

I'll refer back to this post by @Dezoris in regards to USTCC in her build thread a while back. With this class win I think she's answered his question.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...2&postcount=99


:respekt:

Her website has some info about her build:

http://www.m1cheleabbate.com

More details about her build can be found in her build thread:

www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58531

and at Drivewaylabs sponsorship page here:

http://drivewaylabs.com/Michele.htm

Lastly, to get an idea of the level of dedication she's undertaken to pull this off, check out her Instagram. The P.T./fitness is driver mod to the extreme. My GF even went :confused0068:

https://instagram.com/m1cheleabbate/

Even if there is only 1, 3, or 5 competitors in a class winning is still winning. You can't control who else shows up and you can't be blamed for their attendance. It's not easy to show up every event ready to race; especially when the events are all over the country.

Congrats on the championship!

First of all, thanks for your support and for watching the (long but entertaining) race!! :)

I'm happy to answer and and all questions that you have - so thanks for asking them.

I am not certain why they choose the best 7 races. For regional divisions they take your best 8 races and for nationwide points standings they take your best 7.

The FRS can be classed into several SCCA classings (EP, GT3, GTL, STU, T4, and now, thanks to my team, STL). It was unfortunate for our team that our car was built in 2014 for the NASA USTCC Pro series, because a lot of our (non-power) mods threw us into STU. STU is pretty much a powerhouse class that allows motors swaps and FI. Our FRS is so extremely underpowered [for STU] but we were lucky with our consistent podium finishes to gain some good points. As for things changing - yes. I think a lot will change. Right now the FRS is only allowed to run the JR supercharger in STU, i think with time, other options will be made available as manufacturers dig into the SCCA racing world. For example, after our first event at Auto Club Speedway I submitted a letter requesting the legality of running in STL, a slower class than STU - this was finally approved this month but with a high min. weight). Also, there were many more STU cars on the west coast competing last year bc runoffs were at laguna seca, as opposed to Daytona this year (go look at all the STU cars on the east coast).

Sponsorship is the toughest bit, and it is never easy. I'd be happy to get into this topic further on PMs because it is easier to answer individual questions, rather than a whole generic paragraph about getting money and supporting companies. I can't even begin to total the amounts of money I have spent (personally) to get to where I am and even to just campaign in this series this year. As some of you know, I raised over $13,000.00 to help fund this season in SCCA, and we never bought a new set of tires. Everything we did was very very low budget and it is proof that no matter what you can do something, even if it seems impossible (much like winning the STU championship with a NA FRS).

STU is definitely NOT the correct class for an NA FRS. But like I said, due to our mods - mostly weight reduction components, we were immediately classed for STU. At this point, in my opinion, the best place for the FRS with how the rules are currently written, T4 would be the place I would start if I could've started from scratch (I would've saved a lot of money but wouldn't have been able to utilize all the partnerships we currently have).

Hope this helps!


I am not sure where you pulled those numbers but just for reference here is the list of participation numbers for each event:


Jan. 16-18 - Auto Club Speedway
5 saturday and 4 sunday

March 21-22 – Chuckwalla Valley Raceway
4 saturday and 4 sunday

April 11-12 – Thunderhill Raceway Park
2 saturday and 2 sunday

May 1-3 - Buttonwillow Raceway Park
4 saturday and 4 sunday

May 23-25 - Pacific Raceway
3 saturday and 3 sunday

July 3-5 - Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
3 saturday and 5 sunday

For clarity, I am in no way saying this is a large field by any means, but I do think it is a strong point to say we never finished without someone behind us except for the first race of the year and at Thunderhill because of the low turn out - and that is a huge feat especially in STU. Our car needs a lot of work to be in the front of the STU field competitively - but we can only do the best with what we have and you still have to finish a race to get the points, so as our debut year in the SCCA I am pretty damn proud of how we did and to keep a race car maintained to finished 40+ minute races is an accomplishments in itself. There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to take a checkered flag, and I'm always proud to finish any race, it doesn't matter what position we're in.

Noticed you edited. Yes the national championship is definitely still up for grabs. I never said I won it, just leading it.

I won the Western Conference Division SCCA US Majors Tour Series and I am leading points in the Nationwide championship for STU.

There is nothing done to our motor except for intake, headers, and exhaust. We have a tune for e85, which gives us great power, but e85 is illegal in the SCCA. :(

We have a ton of suspension mods, weight reduction, and ummm that's about it. ;)

This, exactly. Thank you for this comment, and thanks for appreciating something that a lot of people take for granted. Racing isn't easy and being in a competitive platform is even harder.

I'm so grateful for you and people like you and @DAEMANO who can appreciate the uphill battles we face as pioneers of the chassis with such limited funding. It's a part of our story that really motivates me and makes me proud to be doing what we can with what we have. :)

congratulation as well. The car looks fantastic and it must have been a hell lot of work to put such a venture together and even more to make it successful ! RESPECT :)

Do you have a build journal on your car ? I see the engine is pretty much stock aside of the exhaust and intake, can you detail the chassis mods you have done to it ?

Thanks very much. We even vinyl wrapped it ourselves :) #budgetracing

I started a build journal when we first started with the car last year, you can find it here:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58531

As for chassis mods, here's my most up-to-date list that should cover about everything suspension-wise:

Wedsport SA-10R Wheels 18x8
ARP Wheels Studs
Muteki Extended Lug Nuts
AST Suspension prepared by MANN Engineering
Whiteline Front and Rear Sway bar
Whiteline Front and Rear Endlinks
Whiteline Rear brace
Whiteline Anti-dive/caster Correction Kit
Whiteline Roll Center Bump Steer Kit
Whiteline Rack and Pinion Bushing
Whiteline Rear Camber Correction Bushing
Whiteline Rear Control Arm Bushings Camber Correction Kit
Whiteline Rear Crossmember Bushings
Whiteline Gearbox Bushing
GTSPEC Rear Adjustable Camber Arms
GTSPEC Rear Adjustable Toe Arms
GTSPEC Rear Subframe CNC Reinforcement Panels
GTSPEC Rear Trailing Arms
GTSPEC Rear Lower Subframe Reinforced Tie Brace
GTSPEC Rear Lower T Brace
GTSPEC Front 4 Point Ladder Brace
GTSPEC 3 Point Front Strut Tower Support Brace
WinMax W4 Brake Pads
Driveway Labs Type 3 Diffuser
APR Brake Ducts

so you manage to race just fine with the brake ducts and some OEM caliper !
that is good to know :)

Absolutely. I love my brake set up, they even lasted for our entire 2 hour endurance race. I just wish they weren't so damn heavy.

Off topic, Michele, but I gotta tell ya, Sunday at the Olympia meet, my wife and I were both quite moved by how personable and generous you were. Spending all day with us yahoos? Sister, you are truly a class act. I wish you all the best.

Thanks so much for the comment and thanks for coming out to support Toyota of Olympia! I loved being a part of the event and helping out the enthusiasts of our platform and racing in general. :)

Congratulations! I love your car :cheers:

I am glad I upgraded to the sprint kit and not the endurance kit so at least I get some weight savings, if not it seem the stock caliper are perfectly able to do the job. bah I hope I'll save on pads over time, at least they look cool ;)

did you log your oil pressure / temperature and fuel pressure during the races ?
I am curious to know if you experienced any trouble in that department.

what kind of oil are you running ?

@MicheleAbbate

Thank you for taking the time. Thanks for the being willing to discuss financials in PM.

I don't want you to think I was downplaying her team or her strategy. I was just looking into the numbers that @rice_classic was asking about. I prefer to race in large fields where you know you will always have someone to race with whether that is racing for first, mid pack, or last. If you don't have someone to race, then it is really just hot lapping. That isn't the way to win championships or keep sponsors happy though, but I am just an amateur racer fighting for a plastic trophy and maybe some Toyo bucks.

I pulled the numbers from this link in the first post:

http://crbscca.com/staffAdmin/points...wideReport.php

It was a quick glance, and I did miss some of the finishers at the bottom of the spreadsheet. I am not an SCCA racer, so I don't know if STU is one of the classes that competes at the Runoffs, but will you be at the SCCA Runoffs at Daytona this year? I was thinking about making the trip over to at least watch the Spec Miatas race under the lights at Daytona.

The main thing is that the s2000 in STU didn't finish first in points...:thumbup:

Season isn't over, and the S2000 in third still has a shot if he does some more races. By the way he did beat a certain FR-S in 5 out of 6 races. :thumbsup:

:thumbsup:

This is what matters, and part of the reason I'm so supportive too. There are tons of drivers, sadly more than a few have the kind of bro-ish fanboi attitude that makes us all look bad and makes people shy away from motorsports. Not Michele.

Quick story. Last year my S.O. was going to her first HDPE in her new Fiat Abarth (Auto Club Speedway in Fontana). On a whim, I asked Michele for some advice for her to help break some jitters. No exaggeration, Michele writes what had to have been a 1000+ word letter filled with tips, and encouragement for that specific track directly to her. We went to what ended up being an 8 hour track day and she had a blast, part of which I definitely attribute to that letter. Ends up Michele took the time to write all that while she was prepping her USTCC FR-S, and working on her website (with Reklawdesign). Much like the classier contributors to the board, she shows what @Ultramaroon and his wife experienced last weekend.

Wow! And amen! We felt it hard, Michele. That's not just PR. You are giving from the heart.

The (western conf) season ended at the last race in Portland... Unless you're talking about Nationally.... Assuming your talking about Carl Young - who is based in CA and will not be running and of the north/north eastern events because he is prepping for National Run Offs at Daytona - so is Toby Larsson.

And assuming again that you're talking about Carl Young, that s2k is the Driving Ambitions STU car that finished 2nd at the 2014 SCCA National Run Offs. Not only is it a fully prepped purpose built STU car, including its sequential gearbox... lol. Pretty cool to say our FRS finished in front of him at Chuckwalla - regardless of the circumstances. Yes, he definitely beat us 5 out of the 6 that he competed in, but you can't be serious if you're saying our frs is fully capable of turning a better lap time than that s2k.... (even though we got dangerously close in the race on sunday at +0.3)

I can appreciate your point, but at the same time, I feel like you're discrediting our efforts and our championship win. :thumbdown: To each his own, but I'm still proud and humbled to show that winning a championship isn't impossible, even when you don't have close to what is "necessary". Consistency, persistence, passion, and a whole ton of teamwork is what made this seasons championship possible, and there are so many people that are a part of this year's title.

I can only sit and patiently wait to see how we end up nationally... but to sit in the top 5, even top 10 nationwide in our first full season with a brand new chassis AND our rookie year in the SCCA is outstanding; and no one can deny that! :D :thumbup::thumbsup:

and a super MEAN s2k at that!! ;)


Always happy and more than willing to help out anyone that has questions. It is something that I've always been a huge stickler for, because when I started (even autocrossing) I didn't really have anyone to turn to, and I was one of those people that was too shy to ask for help and questions. I never want anyone to make that same mistake.

Knowledge and advice can be a huge help, especially if its free and from a credible source.

I'm no perfectionist, but I definitely want to help people learn from my mistakes :P

:) So heartwarming to read this. You guys are truly awesome, thank you :)

Are you prepping for the National Run Offs? I didn't bring up the S2000 up, @Lonewolf did. I am not discrediting anything, just stating facts. There is no doubt that showing up to races and finishing races are the first two steps to winning championships. It seems like winning the National Run Offs is what really matters, so I hope you will be there to show what you can really do against a large field of cars.

Not at this time. I'd be a fool to spend the money (if I had it) to travel from NV across the country to FL without a SC or engine swap bc our NA frs would get destroyed in the National STU field.

We are in discussion with a few companies regarding nationals but we do not have a solid commitment from anyone yet to make the trip worth the costs - so, at this point we do not have plans on attending.

Maybe Toyota will change this :)

Well, I will be hoping for it. It seems like getting Crowd Funding/Sponsors for the Run Offs would be even easier as it will get much more exposure with such a large National field.

Tentative plans for Mid-Ohio in 2016?

Yes, absolutely. 👍😉