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American LeMans
WHITE: Mid-Term Report
Drayson Racing's Dale White fills us in with the latest developments from the season.
Dale White  |  Posted August 06, 2010   Lexington, OH
Drayson Racing's best finish came at Miller Motorsports Park in July. (Drayson Racing)
Mid-Ohio is the mid-point of the season for Drayson Racing. We have as many races in front of us we have already taken the checkered flag for. Looking at the calendar that is hard to believe because we have put a lot more days in the rearview mirror than we have left out the windshield. It is going to be a real whirlwind between now and that long flight home to Bozeman from China in November!

The last column was written prior to Le Mans and it has been very busy since then. The tales of our trials at Le Mans are well known by now so I won’t bore you by going through all the details again. However, the best thing that came from surviving Le Mans – and that was what it was, survival; the whole thing held together by the desire of the entire team not to just pack it in and little else – was the camaraderie that it built within the team. We have a strong, core group here but Le Mans was a baptism by fire. It really brought everyone together, pulling in a single direction. Nowhere was that more evident than at Salt Lake City. That is getting a bit ahead of ourselves though.

Following Le Mans I tried to take a few days just to put things into perspective but that didn’t work too well. I didn't sleep for a week thinking about all the problems we had and what we learned. I ran through every detail trying to streamline what we had done and how we could avoid some mistakes and headaches in the future. I think we all learned some things that we need to do differently not just when we go back to France but also how we do every event! The downside with the schedule this year is you don’t have much time to make things better. There really wasn't much of a break after Le Mans as Salt Lake and the very busy summer schedule was right around the corner. Me and the family did have time to camp and enjoy a three-day, country music festival back in Montana. That was a welcome mental distraction but not much time passed before I was right back to thinking about how we could do things better. I know everyone on the team was doing the same!
The Dale White-led team continues to make progress this season. (John Dagys)

You can do all the planning you want but, in the end, some things are just going to come out of the blue to throw you off. Just one week (June 28) before we were scheduled to arrive at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City Utah for testing I received the news that Paul had injured his ankle. He was already undergoing treatment but with all the swelling it was too early to say whether or not he would be recovered for the race. We decided to give it a few days for the doctor to make a good assessment. By July 1, Paul and the doctor didn’t think it was possible for him to drive and risk further injury that could affect all the remaining races. I immediately contacted Emanuele [Pirro] so he could rearrange his schedule as he did have prior plans. We tested July 7 and had a very productive test. The race went well: ending up in second place after starting on the front row and leading a lot of the race. The Lola-Jud was really quick and the Michelin tires were just awesome all day. In the end we just lost-out but it all went very well. For me it took some time to step back and see it for what it was. I wanted to win, we all did, and we came close. Ultimately, looking back, we have to be pleased with the performance but that took some time to sink in. Also, although we had good pace and the race went well, it was very disappointing for me since Paul was not able to drive. I joined this team to race with Paul and it was just not the same without him behind the wheel. He is the heart of this team and it is tough to be too excited when you know such an important part of the program is not there doing what you want him to be doing.

I do think the performance shown at Salt Lake was a great example of what Le Mans did for us. We were all pushed to the limit in what we had to do at Le Mans but we worked through it. Everyone supported everyone else and that has carried through. As hard as it is to make it through an event like Le Mans was for us this year it did do one great thing. It brings everyone together and that, to me, was the single greatest reason for our strength at Salt Lake. We would also go on to show that at Lime Rock.

Just one week in the office and we were off to Lime Rock. All the logistics were done for the next four races in six weeks so it was the usual: draft a detailed team schedule, prepare a race week To-Do list, catering guest list, order fuel, room list, travel itinerary, pit stop analysis, analyze statistics, formulate race strategy and take a day off to float the Madison River with family. Man doesn’t live by racing alone you know.

Back at the track, Paul had been treating his foot while on vacation with his family. It seemed to be making good progress so we decided not to have a back-up driver at Lime Rock. There were no test days at Lime Rock and both practices and qualifying had heavy rain. We kept Paul's run time to a minimum to look after his ankle and he was immediately up to speed in the rain and went very quick during the dry warm up on race day. Despite being a track that didn’t really suit a P1 car as well as some of the P2 cars, we seemed to pick-up right where we left off in Utah! Jonny wasted no time in moving up two spots by the first turn of the race and eventually took over the lead less than ten laps into the race. I don’t say this too often but that race was ours. Unfortunately, we had an issue where the car cut-off several times while in the lead. We had to pit for over 45-minutes to try and solve it. We eventually got it going again and Jonny went back out and was blistering the track. We then put Paul in for his stint and he was right up to speed. Despite taking it easy – since we were so far back – there is no one in the paddock who wasn’t impressed by his lap times. Paul is really comfortable in this LMP car and is showing just how good of a driver he is. Seeing his smile after the race made the disappointment of Salt Lake a little easier to take. It was good to have him back in the car.
Electrical problems at Lime Rock created some challenges for the team. (John Dagys)

After the event we packed up and were at the Dyson Racing shop just an hour down the road the next morning 08:00. Three days were spent there re-prepping for Mid-Ohio before most of the crew returned to the UK. Everyone at Dyson Racing was great and very hospitable. Working there was a blessing, especially the air conditioning. Our sincerest thanks to Rob and Chris and everyone at Dyson Racing. They epitomize what this sport is about and it is a pleasure to race with them each weekend.

My work for Mid-Ohio is much the same as it is before any race. However, coupled with the challenges of this race weekend, we also have some major logistical challenges coming-up! Prior to Mid-Ohio I spent a lot of time planning logistics for Silverstone, Petit and China. This is what I meant earlier about half the season remaining for us and trying to do it all in a lot less time!

Looking ahead, immediately following the Mosport race, we will pack up everything for shipment back to the UK for Silverstone re-prepping. We only have ten days before moving into the Silverstone paddock and three or four days will be lost getting the shipment there and through customs. Due to the difficulty (red tape) of shipping from Canada, everything will be transported back to the USA for air shipment to the shop in England. After Silverstone, we will re-prep for Petit at our UK workshop. We only have eight days to re-prep before the shipment leaves for Road Atlanta. After Petit we will pack up everything for shipment back to the UK for China re-prepping. During that time we must finalize the team details for China and get work visas sorted for each member of the team. Nothing is too difficult but it is all time consuming and every detail has to fall into place.

On top of everything we are doing for this year, we are also looking at 2011. Since Le Mans, I have been working on options and budgets for next year. There is a lot to prepare with that and we have a policy to look at every option: every series, every race, every class, every platform, every partnership. Anything and everything that makes-up Drayson Racing is reviewed each and every season. That takes a lot of time in research, chasing budgets, balancing the objectives with the reality of what is out there, discussions with Paul and Elspeth, the marketing department and the engineers when the time is right. We have been really privileged to have been approached by a number of potential partners for next year but that takes a great deal of due-diligence and making sure everyone’s goals work together. It is fun once it all comes together but I can tell you that it is a stressful process in the beginning.

In planning the rest of the season I have already sorted-out a lot of what we need to do. So, in some ways I feel like I have already seen it all and checked it off my “To-Do” list. Of course, in reality, we have a lot of work ahead of us. It will be a challenge, it always is, but it is also going to be a lot of fun. We are right there on the edge, ready to take that BIG step up to the top of the podium. We have all the ingredients and we are working hard to overcome the challenges we face everyday. We are getting there. The view is great from that top step and I want to breathe that rarified air up there again! Hope you’ll come along with us!

~Dale

Dale White joined the Drayson Racing ALMS/LMS program as Team Manager in 2009 after one season as strategist/consultant. White is the founder and owner of White Lightning Racing.

Since 1999, White has directed over 100 professional racing series victories, seven team championships, two 24 Hours of Le Mans victories and multiple pit crew championships in Trans-Am, World Challenge, the USRRC, Grand American Rolex Series and American Le Mans Series competition.

White is an avid family man and outdoorsman, and lives a simple lifestyle in Bozeman, Montana with his wife Jackie allowing the couple to be closer to nature.

Learn more about the Drayson Racing team at www.DraysonRacing.com

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The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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