Had a nice, low key weekend at Thunderhill. Neat track in the middle of
nowhere. Well, it's close to Willows, CA., and that's pretty much nowhere
unless you grow rice.
Didn't see any Huffacker TR8, Cary, but there were several of his specials
there--neat cars.
Anyone contemplating a west coast track swing should include this pace in
their list. Very long, very challenging, and not many place to hurt yourself
or your car (though a couple of guys were killed there recently--what might
have been a heart attack and subsequent accident that took out the second
racer).
There's a fiddly, blind up-turn-down spot that's kind of a miniature
corkscrew, a long left that's a miniature carousel, an off camber right that
I never figured out, a bunch of high speed turns that don't require any lift
or brake but sure look like they would, and a high speed left that turns
slight right as you crown the hill that I managed to drop a wheel off
several times. Very technical track, I spent a lot of time trying to
remember which turn was fast, slow, right or left and trying to work up the
nerve to keep my foot in it through the curve at the end of the front
straight (I finally did, so at least I know I can). Fortunately there was a
45 minute enduro on Saturday, so I finally learned the track. I think I won
the enduro, but mostly because I kept going when everyone else got tired of
going round. Had a great dice with Tony Garmey in a very fast MGB, but he
ran low on gas and had to pit.
Sunday I had a fun time first trying to hold off Tony in a Costin Lister
with Corvette power (gorgeous car) and then trying to stay in touch. Tony
scared the pants off me when he passed me--I was draft-passing the Elva that
was in first and had just swung out when Tony blasted by about two inches
off my elbow going about 60 MPH faster. The exhaust is on the left of the
car and I could FEEL the wave of sound as he blasted past me. Knowing Tony
the main reason I managed to stay in touch the next few laps was because he
was laughing too hard to drive well.
By the time he was well away from me the rest of the field was way back
(though not as far as I thought). I decided to just back off a little and
learn the turns I was having trouble with. At the checker I lifted and
suddenly saw a little swarm (a Ginetta and couple of Elvas) in my mirror.
Darn, if I'd known they were so close we could have played some.
Peyote rocked, of course. Today I start my winter teardown. It's looking
pretty shabby after a long year of use and abuse. What a car. People are
just stunned when they see that Triumph running gear and frame.
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