For those with any interest....
Great Race 2002 (20th running) officially starts in San Antonio Texas on
Saturday, June 15th, at the downtown train station (near The Alamo). Team
Scrappy is sponsored by Moss Motors this year: make sure you thank 'em next
time you talk to them. Our TR3 is the only Triumph entered this year. So far
of the 129 entrants there are only a few sports cars: a Healey 100-4, an 356,
a MG, and a Jag E-Type (S1) running 'tour'. Of the interesting machines that
always show up, one will be a rear engined Tatra: frankly, I'd rather be in
the TR. So once again, it's the TR3 against all that American iron.
Pre race coverage begins this Thursday, June 6, on the Today show, where a
half dozen teams will have their cars in Rockefeller Center (New York) for
live coverage and interviews. Obviously Team Scrappy won't be there for it,
but the navigator of the VW, Guy McDorr, will be: he substitute navigated for
Janet in Great Race Texas, where we tied for first in the Trophy Run (62
cars) and finished second in expert by :01 yet again. So he at least has TR
seat time, and a trophy for his trouble...
The route was shortened this year because of sponsorship cuts after Sept. 11,
but it's still 2500 miles across the southwest deserts and western Texas, a
hellish route if ever there was one. We've been warned it will be tougher
than usual: short of providing tornados I'm not sure how that's possible. The
TR should be ready to face any challenge on it's third cross country jaunt:
by the time we finish in Anaheim it will have logged about 10,000 competition
miles so far (how's that for track time!).
The overnight stops will be San Antonio, Houston, Ft. Worth, Clovis, Rio
Rancho (NM), Williams (AZ), Scottsdale, Chula Vista, then Anaheim. The race
route is on the greatrace website: greatrace.com. If you are anywhere near us
please stop by and say howdy.
Over the last 2 years we've really appreciated the FOT'ers and other Triumph
folks that have come out to cheer us on, and we hope to see more this trip.
You can follow the daily reports on mossmotors.com. Sorry we won't be further
east, but I know there are a lot of Triumph fans in Texas, and we've already
been to Boston and Atlanta. We are displaying the FOT decal and Householder
promises to have the Mid Ohio grille badge to us in time. Sorry we can't make
the big show, sure wish we could, but we can only do one deal like this a
year.
We'll do our best to keep our winning ways going, but we all know anything
can happen to an old car. Plus, we're facing stiff competition in the
'Expert' division this time (we achieved this status by having the lowest raw
score in Sportsman last year, not because we are so smart...), so if we
finish still in competition and we place in the top 3 or 4 we will be very
happy.
Please cross post this to other TR lists and clubs you think will be
interested.
Steve & Janet Hedke
"Moss Motors Team Scrappy"
Great Race #45, 1957 Triumph TR3
britpac@aol.com
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