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Solo II Nationals Report -- ra-a-ather lengthy

To: Friends of Triumph <fot@autox.team.net>
Subject: Solo II Nationals Report -- ra-a-ather lengthy
From: Susan Hensley <susan@bearcom.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 18:32:47 -0500
Whew!

My first Solo II National event was GREAT!  The scope of the thing is
incredible -- 920 or so cars competing in four days!!! -- and the
variety of cars is awesome.  There was a guy with a real, old, AC Cobra,
and he thought he had the Most Expensive Car of the event... until the
REAL GT1 Porsche showed up!  The Porsche SMOKED the competition in his
class -- I watched him run and the car looked like it was taped in fast
forward -- and a member of my region in the same class protested him and
was denied, fortunately.  The car may totally overclass the field, but
that is where it was legally classed this year.  Watch for a GT1 jump to
Mod next year...

We dumped the car (1984 Van Diemen Formula Ford) in the paddock area and
went and "converted" the enclosed trailer to a campsite (air mattress,
12 volt fan, pump-up camping shower and custom shower enclosure,
Astroturf, awning, camp stove and gas grill).  It was fun, and quite
comfortable.  We felt silly next to the behemoth apartments on wheels,
but it worked for us!  

Phil and I took the trusty pit moped Mark through the paddock area
Sunday morning (we drove up Saturday and returned the next Saturday -- 8
hours each way) and I was awed by the breadth of the field.  So many
different cars in so many stages of preparation -- stock to wa-a-a-a-y
modified!  The first thing I saw was the British flag of Chris Moore and
JK -- they said look for it, not that it would be 30 feet up!  It
proudly waved above everything else in the paddock all week long.

Speaking of Chris and JK -- I putted Mark the Moped over and met them in
person at their trailer.  They are even nicer than their posts suggest! 
Chris' TR6 is GORGEOUS and well-maintained, and both of them did very
well driving it in their respective classes.  I have several pics of
them I will be happy to forward to those who wish to see the TR6 in
action.  JK's class, if I remember correctly (stupid me left the program
book at home) was won by a Lotus Elan driven by a very inspired
engineer.  He not only has tweaked the car 110%, he also drives it
there.  It was amazing watching him and listening to the whine of the
car exceeding redline on every shift.  Another car shot in fast
forward.  He went around the course like stink!

There were several other Spitfire entries -- one a gentleman named Chris
from Alabama who performed duck calls at the talent show.  He and his
wife towed the Spit from Alabama in their motor home, complete with
dog.  His trailer was unique -- someone gave him a small house trailer
and he took it apart and made it into a twin-ramp car carrier (one ramp
for each side's wheels, open in the middle).  The tongue is very large
(due to being for a house trailer) but he said it tows well.  He has a
unique "tie-down" solution -- he welded a small plate onto the front
bonnet hinge outriders and runs a bolt through that to a side-to-side
pivoting plate bolted to the trailer body, so the car is actually bolted
to the trailer but with side-to-side leeway.  Sure saved his
suspension.  I didn't get a photo before he left, but I can draw it and
scan it and send it to anyone interested.  When he gets on email I will
invite him to the list.

I was pleasantly surprised to come in 5th out of 6 in my class (CML) --
I was expecting and prepared to come in dead last due to my only having
half a season in the car, and most of that on bad tires, yet.  I ran
Tuesday and Wednesday -- Tuesday it rained a heavy sprinkle constantly,
but I did better on slicks (we can't afford rains yet) than several
ladies did on rain tires on one of my runs!  The leader Tuesday (who
also won the event) smoked an almost two-second lead on slicks!  She's
been doing this for 19 years...  Wednesday was dry and warmer and I did
much better.  I was a little discouraged to find I would have been in
about 36th place of 39 CM drivers in the open class, but hey, I did beat
three CM drivers, and they had dry runs Tuesday where I had wet that
slowed me down.  The courses were fun -- I wish I could have run the
south course in the dry, but the north course was a hoot!  It was high
speed -- I hit fourth, on "Miata Highway" -- and not too technical.  A
couple spots that caught the unwary, though.

I was very sad to find the classes I wanted to watch (Spits, TR7's,
Mini's, Sprites, etc.) were all during my runs and I had no time to see
them or take photos.  There were two Jensen-Healeys listed, and I
managed to spot one of them as it drove by the course I was on while I
was waiting for my next run.

I believe the FTD was set by a Dragon (AM??  Where's my book??) -- I
know it was on one day, but didn't hear if he got bumped or not after
that.  

And yes, Pat's cookies were great!  How does she find the time?!?

Highlights:
The late 60's white hearse with racing stickers towing a gorgeous TVR
(of which there were three total -- one coupe/hardtop and two
convertibles -- all in perfect condition).
The 50's Dodge truck (similar to an old Land Rover, complete with two
metal jerry cans strapped to the back doors) towing a beautiful black
Mini (I have a partial picture of this but missed the hearse, drat it. 
I had considered a hearse for a tow vehicle as well...)
The white Lotus screaming around the track like a rollercoaster on
speed.
Blowing toilet paper with my weed blower (I'll tell ya how to make make
one if you're really nice to me -- great for the CP party! ;) in Solo
City.
Three Texas Region members taking first-time National Championships
(Mark Madarash in ESP, Kurt Janish in CP, and Gary Kramar in FM) plus a
host of others in the trophies.
The screaming VERY modified TR7 (small-block Chevy?) -- I have a pic of
this too.  There were one or two other TR7's listed, but I couldn't find
them.
The AWACS plane and assorted cargo planes, tankers, fighters and private
jets taking off and landing immediately next to the event site (Forbes
Field is an active military reserve base) and doing touch-n-go's all
during the event.
The not-one-but-TWO Sikorsky Skycranes on the base -- I got to play all
around one of them and took lots of photos.  Neatest helicopter ever
made, in my opinion.
Meeting people I had communed with on the Net and looking at their cars!

It was a blast.  I am so glad I went!  I showed everyone pictures of
Tristan, and I'll try to get him competitive (okay, well, running) for
next year if the CM thing doesn't pan out.

Thanks for making it all the way through my missive!

Keep Triumphing,
Susan  :)

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