Rob Bunker - Road Atlanta preview

Rob Bunker wrote the master plan for his final two races in the 2005 Formula
BMW USA Championship. After racing under the careful watch of his Speed
Secrets coaches Ross Bentley and Bob Perona this season, Bunker was given
the chance to craft his own plan for the Sept. 29 and 30 races at Road
Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. The Bridgewater, N.J., teen settled on a mix of
new and proven strategies.

 

"I wrote my own coaching plan for this race. That was a lot of fun! I want
to experiment a bit, but I stayed within the limits of what they taught me,"
Bunker said. "It's the last race of the season, so it's time to shine. We
tried to think of a formula, but it's really simple – if we want to win, I
have to put the car on the limit and drive the wheels off it."

 

Bunker is familiar with the 2.54-mile Road Atlanta road course, which he
considers his home track. Although it's a challenging circuit with fast
turns and elevation changes, Bunker thinks it will suit his No. 18 AIM
Autosport Formula BMW FB2 car. "There's not too much rotation with the car
because the corners are long and sweepy," he noted.

 

The Formula BMW cars will share the race week with American Le Mans Series
cars as they prepare for the 10-hour or 1000-mile Petit Le Mans race on Oct.
1. When he's not on track, Bunker will be avidly watching the ALMS prototype
cars he hopes to drive later in his career. 

 

"All ALMS events are my favorites," he said. "There are a lot of different
cars and a wide variety to watch. It's good to be in that company."

 

futures

 

Bunker tested his skill in a Formula Mazda car last weekend. Driving the
higher-powered car for the first time, he consistently turned laps as fast
as the car's full-season driver. The results bode well for a future step up
into the Star Mazda Championship.

 

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Sylvia Proudfoot
HYPERLINK "mailto:sylvia@spurcom.ca"sylvia@spurcom.ca
403 287 3945