Fellow Thickos....
I knew I was in for an interesting weekend when stopped for gas near Watkins
Glen, a TV crew came up to me and asked if they could do an interview. The
topic? Seat belts.
Reporter: Do you think seat belts are important?
Black Bart: Duh, you idiot.. see that car behind the truck? See the
shoulder harness, lap belt, anti-sub belt? Ya, I think they are important
and anyone who doesnt is a dumbass.
Reporter: So, do you always wear a seat belt?
BB: Duh, you idiot, see above. (I was getting annoyed by now)
I doubt that interview made the 6 pm news.
Ok, done with that, get to the track. Unload the car at the tech garage and
push it in. Suddenly I feel like General Custer. I am surrounded by Tech
Guys, licking their chops, bow and arrows drawn. One comes over...
"Ahhhhh, I see you made it, Mr CHEATIN DOG."
Huh?
"Mr Thompson warned us about you...open the hood."
Yes sir.
"We want to make sure this car is 100 percent legal."
Go for it.(thinking to myself...Christ, I cant even get away from the
Flounder 800 miles from home)
The car is scrutinized. The biggest thing I had to explain was The Grill.
It was in the trunk, next to the fuel cell. I tried to explain that nowhere
on the tech sheet did it say WHERE the grill had to be, just that the car
had to have one. I lost that one, the grill went on in its proper place.
Ok, the car passes the tech inspection and off we go to find Roger Garnett,
fellow TT Bugeye driver. Find him and begin setting up "shop". The car is
off the trailer, and I notice this nice person looking at it, walking around
it, and even taking pictures of it. Finally he comes over to me and
asks.."Do you have a few minutes? I am a reporter for the AA garble garble
magazine."
I think to myself, .."COOL BEANS! Team Thicko featured in the Antique
Automobile Club magazine!"
So he starts the interview.. how much does it cost to "go racing"?
What year is the car? How long have you been retired?
WOOPS!!! WHAT??? What magazine did you say you were from again?
"AARP"
I am dying now... I tell him I am 47, not quite retired yet and he gets
this look on his face like his best friend just got run over by a
locomotive. He tries to save face and continue the interview, but I could
tell I had been disqualified. Another interview bites the dust. I tried
WST, really.
Next stop.... Walgreens. What aisle is the Grecian formula in Ma'am?
So that was Wednesday. Pretty eventful day, and I havent even started the
car yet.
If you are on the vintage race email list, you may have been reading all the
accounts and discussions on the big accident that happened in the "esses".
Very sad situation, with at least six cars pretty much demolished. No
serious injuries, thankfully.
It happened in the opening laps of one of the enduro's.
WG uses flashing yellow lights at some points on the course, in leu of flag
people. I found this very disconcerting. I didnt always notice the lights,
as you are not accostumed to looking for lights, but rather for real people
with real flags. And this happened in one of the several "blind" spots on
the course. There was much confusion as to whether the lights were
flashing, but that was cleared up by Paul Meis who obviously saw them,
albiet probably too late to keep from spinning his car when he saw the track
completely blocked.
It was pointed out that the MGC that piled into his sports racer had the
brakes locked up and still was going fast enough to do severe damage to both
cars. He obviously had NOT seen the flashing lights.
To be honest, I had not seen them until after we were told they were there.
Even then, I had to look real hard to see them. Its just not something you
look for on a race track. I like real people with real flags.
The red flag confusion was very real. The hand out material given to all
drivers indicated that when a red flag was displayed, we should slow down
and drive in single file back to the pits. This was contrary to what I had
learned in drivers school, etc etc. The black flag meant the same thing, so
whats the difference? The hand out material was wrong and the poor SVRA
official who had put his foot in his mouth looked rather silly trying to
explain the mix up.
In our qualifying race on Saturday, we again saw the red flag. This was
AFTER the drivers meeting where it was NOT made clear as to what SVRA, or
the track wanted us to do when we saw it. Luckily, in this instance, a
brave corner worker woman ran to track edge, waving the red flag, and
putting her hand up in the STOP! position. We all stopped right there. She
needed to get emergency equipment on the track NOW and could not worry what
the hand out said, or what the SVRA guy said, or what the Track said. She
did the RIGHT thing.
After all cars were stopped on the track, and the rescue vehicles were on
the scene, she did allow us to continue to the hot pits. These instructions
came down from race control, which she relayed to us.
This woman was a PROFESSIONAL corner worker who made a decision trackside
that enabled the emergency vehicles out on the track as soon as possible. I
applaud her for it. She was also concerned about us drivers that had
stopped at her station, offering us cold ice water while we waited for
further instructions.
Now, as far as the event goes. I LOVE this event. I LOVE this track. I
cannot encourage fellow racers enough to give it a try. I didnt find it
inherently dangerous. Yes, there is lots of armco, but it is the prettiest
shade of blue you have ever seen and it is NOT all that intimidating.
I had great races with Chris Gross in his Bugeye. Two more evenly matched
cars and drivers would be hard to find. We swapped leads many times, often
on the same lap. In the feature race, mid way through the race, we were
both going for Corner 1 and we were both determined not to be the first one
to brake. We were side by side, at top speed. He had the inside, I had the
outside. I should have braked to make the corner, but I didnt, and I ended
up in the pea gravel. He went on to win the Class.
Afterwards, he came up to me, I congratulated him on his win. He looked at
me and said.. "Gar, thats the same move YOU made on me two years ago."
(That time I was on the inside, I took the corner and beat him) Although I
know he was not happy I ended up in the gravel, I could tell he enjoyed
"getting me back". And you know what? So did I. It was great fun racing
with him. I could have braked and not gone into the gravel...but damit, I
WANTED that corner! Oh well, next time will be different.
Now dont go thinking this was a case of the "Red Mist". Nowhere near that,
just good old racin and I Love it!
Gary aka Black Bart
Team Thicko Bugeye #55
Plover Wi
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