Yo Chaps!
The V8 meet at Sebring continues....Monday was much as I expected...lots of
tyre kicking, B.S. (not Levy)..and the arrival of numerous conversions.
First....the non-V8s....an MGB with a Volvo transplant (ala the 1950's MGTD)
... two V6 conversions ... and a GT Ford kit car with
V6 Buick powerplant. Also in attendance was a three wheeled Morgan (1936),
three Tri**ph TR8s, three TR6 conversions, a Sunbeam Tiger, and a Morgan +8.
Monday was great...lots of time for sunburn to kick in...which manyh of we
transplants had the opportunity to experience. As mentioned before, the
autocross was cancelled...we looked for an empty, unsecured lot to set up
some cone....we failed.
Tuesday brought sunny skies and 65 degree weather. We signed our lives away
at 9:30am (otherwise known as release waivers for Sebring International
Raceway) ... and were lead out to the track.
Sigh....the Panoz pace car as promised was a no show.....we were lead by a
Chrysler Sebring convertible. There was some disussion with the event
coordinator and track officials as to what the speed would be.....thankfully,
the driver of the pace care assured Don that we would NOT have to drive
single file at 45 mph!
We got four laps (at a semi-unrestricted speed) of the 3.7 mile, 17 turn
course. I thought the V8s would pull away from the MGC with ease...I was
pleasantly surprised to find that I outdrove most of them in the
corners...the V8s capable of hitting 100mph+ on the straights....I was able
to hit 90mph (with the auto trans)....
It went by much too quickly....at the end of our four laps, we spent about an
hour for photo ops at the starting grid...then back to the hotel.
A quick drive into Sebring for lunch...we had no clue where to go...but the
Chief of Police pointed us to a great deli (no donuts, through).
This afternoon, most of us drove over to an airplane hanger which wahome of
Bob Tullios' Group 44. A musem containing most of the Group 44 Jags and
Tr**phs, the last TR6 produced (with 800 miles on the odo), the last TR8
produced (with 300 miles on the odo), and some really neat warbirds from
WWII. (All American.) The shoppe had the obligatory cat, donations were
accepted for the local humane society.
Tomorrow's activities incude a police escort to historic downtown Sebring
(read controlled speed)...a car display for the locals, and a banquet
tomorrow evening with keynote speaker Bob Tullios.
Sorry if you could not attend.....you have missed a GREAT time!
Rick Ingram
1969 MGC
"Two cylinders short of a full load....this week."
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