Cog-zio's Tidbits: ADi Motorsports Part II; Shawn Bayliff

By Derek Meluzio

Derek interviewd Shawn Bayliff...

What is your racing background? Which cars have you driven? and what races have you competed in?
This could get windy- I began racing at 10 in karts, I won 7 National Championship as well as several big karting events etc. I won the first big SKUSA Shifter Kart event, the little 500 in Plymouth, MI. I will have to tell you about that sometime. Growing up in Ohio, I was then asked to race my Shifter Kart engine builders Midget and won 6 of 12 features with 3 seconds, 2 thirds and a DNF at the Finale that knocked me out of the championship. That same season I was asked to race a World of Outlaw Sprint Car and lead all but the last few laps at the 1993 Michigan State Championships. I continued the next couple years racing Sprint Cars and won the 1995 Michigan State Championship as well as the Avilla, IN night before the 500. 1996 I moved into SCCA Formula Atlantic won several poles and races. 1997 I was runner up in the SCCA National Championship in Formula Atlantic after a battle from the back because I had to take a rain qualifying for being to light by a pound and half on a pole run. I was awarded hard charger, pass of the race, and drive of the race. SCCA then awarded me with National Driver of the Year in 1997. That same year, friend Tom Kelley tried to run me at Indianapolis although we came up short. That was the first year of the new IRL Chassis and engine package, the last day I could get my rookie test done was the same day we got the engine in- so we elected to put Mark Dismore in the car. 1998 Team Pelfrey, entered me in the 500 and politics got involved and I sat on the wall again. I was however asked by Jim Downing to drive his Kudzu at my home track Mid-Ohio at the USRRC event, those Mazda are a ton of fun and I will always remember that 4 rotor coming on.. 1999 to 2001, I did a lot of development driving, a NAMARS Super Truck. I also signed a 10 year contract to drive for Price Cobbs-CBR IRL team, we worked real hard on that program and that is how I ended up at G&W. Price took the position as Managing Director and about a month later Price asked me to come to VIR and help him run the shop, and be a test driver. I occasionally raced for Cole and did the brunt of set-up for Danny and Steve Marshall in Steve's Championship in the SRPII. Hassel and I got together and first became friends and then we started ADi Motorsports this past winter.

What is your favorite track ?
That is a tough question, that all depends on what I am driving.. If it a WoO car then it would be I-96 Speedway in Michigan. If it is in a sports car it is a tie between Mid-Ohio and VIR, they both are outstanding although now I have a ton of time around VIR since I have drove through the gates nearly every morning for the the past 4 years.

What is your favorite car you've driven?
Well my child hood dream has always been to win the Indianapolis 500 so I would have to say the 1998 Dallara/Oldsmobile IRL car- to bad they didn't road race them back when I was doing it.

What is the relationship between ADi Motorsports and Synergy?
I worked for them for 3 years and we are both located at VIR, Price is my oldest sons Godfather (Finnegan Price Bayliff) and good friend, ADi does a fair bit of their repair work but other than that there is none.

You plan on a two car effort in 2006? What chassis will be used for the second car?
We have Picchio Chassis GP01 and plan on doing the same mods as we are currently doing to chassis MC-01

How much assistance do you get from Picchio?
We have just opened up the discussions, in all reality Picchio SpA is the most state of the art chassis builder of the current approved constructors. ADi Motorsports hopes to build a mutually benefiting relationship that will escalate the Picchio's DP effort into a front runner. If we can build that relationship then I see no reason why it can't happen, we just have to have an open communication that is based around the best way to gain results.

What changes have you made to the car to make it faster?
This is what is exciting to me, we are addressing the major issues that I found as a driver/manager of the Picchio effort. The rear engine bay was very weak in torsional stiffness, we have strengthened this area nearly 75%. The car would not stop in comparison to the competition- We have updated the calipers and rotors to the best available as well as the master cylinder/pedal cluster. The Picchio also suffers from a lack of rear grip both aero and mechanical, the torsional stiffness of the chassis should eliminate the lack of mechanical grip and the aero will be addressed by bringing the body mods up to the current rule changes- the body will also have some changes done that will just help the mechanics and the ease of working on the car in pit lane. The other changes of course I feel are very important- the car was absolutely the hardest car to see out of. I have totally gutted the driver compartment and worked on the driver ergonomics, new seat and position, power steering, shifter ergonomics and instrumentation placement. I am a firm believer in if you are not comfortable you will not go fast, you are unable to drive at the subconscious level if you are constantly brought out of that state by hindrances in sitting position or visual impairments. So I am very excited about returning the car to the track.

What do you know about the "new" Picchio chassis that is rumored to be coming to the series later in the year?
As I mentioned before we have just opened up the communications with Picchio, I probably know just about as much as you do. I have read what they have done and looks like they have addressed the changes we recommended at G&W, I believe we are taking the development to the next level but until I know first hand on the mods they have done I am only speculating. I am very excited about the possibility of providing assistance to the factory and building that relationship, but as far as the chassis ADi is developing the only thing that is really the same is the serial plate. So we are starting from scratch in development.

Any comments for the many Picchio fans who are excited to see the car back on track soon!
Please be patient it is not going to happen over night and I think you share in the passion for the Picchio, it does have beautiful lines and we are going to try our hardest to make it a good race car. Also please support ADi Motorsports as April and Hassel Moran have went out on a limb with this effort and I can't thank them enough for believing in me and trusting that we can make a go at the Picchio. It would have been far easier to have bought a Crawford and went racing, not as interesting though.



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