Good Racing, Good Coffee in The Haus of Racing
Texas World Speedway, College Station, TX, CVAR Fall Festival, Oct. 2000
Jeff Wilt, 1959 TR3A #39
It seems I have a duty to talk about CVAR Group 4 (Vintage) and Triumph
racing in general for the Friends of Triumph (FOT) and the Red River
Triumph Club. My capacity to talk may have had something to do with two
Triumphs and a third car-less FOT pilote coming from the ends of the earth
(Wisconsin and thereabouts) to our big event. In looking for the unifying
theme - this has to be about the next generation of vintage racers, first
and foremost.
The next generation, from my perspective, looks good. Group 5 in CVAR is
the exhibition event each day. Sundays' run was something special in that
two sons ( a.k.a less-than-vintage drivers) of current drivers
(more-vintage-like gentlemen) took cars to the track for, I understand, the
first time. None were Triumphs, more about that later, but Austin Taylor
took out his father's DP - MGB, and young Master Walton apparently took out
his father's BP 65 Mustang. There was not another car on the track.
We happened to be loading-up where and when Master Taylor pulled into the
garage area after his run. The look on his face - pure joy, huge grin, and
oh-my-gosh - well it brought tears to Mrs. Wilt's eyes. Nearly got me.
His Dad? "Have Fun? Great! Now give me the helmet, get out of the way,
- I have the enduro to run in 3 minutes." AJ would have been proud!
Then my daughter pipes up with "That's me in 8 years!"
While not a new generation, Tired Dog Racing is new to this stuff,
completing our Rookie Year in Class VB in 2nd.. Can't describe how much
fun we had as a family, how much we learned, and how tired I am of seeing
the rear end of Orlie's Porsche.?. This was the first time I have competed
in motorsports of any kind, and a first for the family in supporting
someone who has the fever. Need I say more. If racing is a disease, that
explains why I'm already in search of an overdrive transmission. I know
owning a TR is one, as nobody owns just one. Special thanks to Furlows
Junior and Senior, Bob Kramer, and everyone else.
An encouraging word to the FOT crowd about Triumph reliability - it can be
done! My engine (a 1999 Kramer special) ran flawlessly throughout the
entire season of 2000. I never even pulled a spark plug. Couldn't tell
you what is under the valve cover (yet). Changed the oil. Twice.
Tightened a belt - once. See thanks to Kramer, above.
I bragged, out loud, about this reliability on Sunday after the first race.
The water pump seized on the first lap of the very next race. I should
learn something here. Welcome to the sophomore blues. I'm glad Sunday's
events were between seasons!
My wife, Beth, wanted to become a part of this year's new generation of TR
drivers. On Saturday, it was raining lightly and there was this bright
green IROC Camaro on the Group 5 grid - somehow postponing her first outing
with the TR until Sunday. On Sunday, the water pump failed. Some accused
me of doing anything to keep her out of the car, some just wondered how I
got it to rain!
Group 4 (Pre 1960) provided the ability to run with some wonderful machines
this weekend - 19 cars in all. Imagine getting passed by a '54 Porche
Cooper down the front straight, then passing back in the tighter turns.
Ever run (however briefly) beside a '56 Lister Jaguar? (The Fiat Abarth
lives in the neighborhood so I see it all the time - going the right
direction.) Healeys. Porcshe Speedster. Elva Formula Juniors.
Stangellini. Bandini. Bugeye Sprite. MG TD.
And did I mention the red TR3 from way up north (defined as anything north
of Dallas) driven by Kent Howard, relatively new to TR racing and a TWS
newbie. We had a blast all Sunday morning and traded positions for 20
minutes, letting those big beautiful cars with too many cylinders run off
by themselves. Afterwards, Kent kept mentioning my Big Texas Lasso, or the
Star Trek tractor-beam when discussing the esses and how he stayed on
course a couple of times. Heck, I showed him most of the line through
there.
FOT was represented in the faster , newer Group 2 by a brace of red TR4.
Joe Alexander - teamed with wiley strategist Uncle Jack, and Bob Kramer
ran well together all weekend. I heard Bob ask where Joe's tractor-beam
was when he needed it most, but that is another 'Tractor Story' best told
by others. We did get a good TR shot of the 4 cars for the FOT.
Hopefully we can have more TR on track next year. That invitation was
aimed at YOU !
Remember Andy Griffith in the Ritz commercials, "Good Cracker!" ? (Don't
you know that "next generation" has no idea what we're talking about!)
This weekend it could have been "Good Coffee" thanks to one of our
sponsors, if not just "Good Racing."
Yessir, Good racing.
Jeffrey Wilt, PG, CPSM
Rone Engineers, Inc.
8908 Ambassador Row, Dallas, TX 75247
V: 214.630.9745 C:214.729.8475
F: 214.630.9819
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