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KONI Challenge: Playing in a New Arena
Mike Skeen heads to VIR to compete in the KONI Challenge Series.
Michael Skeen  |  Posted October 11, 2008   Charlotte, NC
Skeen qualified the #147 Atlantic Retail Construction/Palmetto Motorsports Club Mazda in 6th place for the race.

Having the chance to drive with the Freedom Autosport crew for the final race of the 2008 KONI Challenge series at Virginia International Raceway was a great experience. For those of you that didn’t catch the pre-event article, Atlantic Retail Construction gave me the opportunity to run the #147 Mazda MX-5 with series regular Jon Miller and veteran driver Brian Smith that some of you may know as the track manager at Carolina Motorsports Park. Check out MikeSkeen.com for that article and more background on how I got to this point.

Thursday’s promoter test day was an excellent time for some reconnaissance laps to get accustomed to the new car and the way this new team works. Learning names is just as important as learning the team procedures or what gear to run through Oak Tree. Fortunately for me, the Freedom Autosport crew’s hospitality is excellent, making it easy to get up to speed.

Whether the team is preparing for a club race, checking tire temperatures on Derek Whitis’ Nissan GT-R during the Redline Time Attack event, or changing transmissions between sessions on the MX-5s, this team upholds a high level of professionalism while simultaneously enjoying the independence we have in this country to go out and play at a race track.

The weekend officially began with the Friday morning practice session at 11:15. I was put in the car for the start of the session, with a driver change scheduled in the middle to allow for Jon to get some seat time. After doing a couple of slow laps in traffic looking for track position, I decided to duck into the pits for a small adjustment and an opportunity to get open track. After returning to the track, I managed several 2:12 laps with a fastest of 2:12.2 that put me in second overall. By the end of the session, I dropped to third, but to get such a good result with the other two team cars right nearby in fifth and seventh was very confidence-inspiring.

See the VIR Video

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Michael Skeen

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