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Mid-Ohio VSCDA Race Report

To: fot@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Mid-Ohio VSCDA Race Report
From: Henry Frye <henry@henryfrye.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 17:22:15 -0400
Looking at the results sheets for the weekend it was a fantastic weekend 
for Triumphs. VSCDA wisely has taken the approach at smaller gatherings to 
group to the car/driver potential, as opposed to strictly by car class. 
There were two open wheel groups, and two closed wheel groups. Four race 
groups meant for the opportunity for tons of track time, and the chance to 
race with cars you might not get to race with otherwise.

First the fast-but-not-as-fast closed wheel group. Triumphs swept the 
podium! One of those insanely fast Spitfires snuck in and dominated. Wayne 
Obry ran a blistering 1:49.7 and took the first in the feature. Randy 
Williams has beaten down the curse, his first race weekend that he did not 
DNF, and took second place while turning a 1:51.6 in his TR3A. Dale 
Oesterle with his orange Spit rounded out the podium finishers. Everybody 
had a great drive, congrats, guys!

The other closed wheel group had Mark Wheatley in his ex-Charlie Kates 
TR4  and me battling it out with everything from the superfast Lotus 23b's 
to the ground pounders to other neat vintage British iron. Two notables 
were a '58 Allard Coupe on VSCCA tires with a 520 horsepower Chrysler Hemi 
and the KIKI MK3, a Canadian built special that looks like a Lotus 7 with 
big V8 power. Way cool.

During our Qualifying Race Saturday afternoon, Mark's TR4 went off song 
after one lap. He came in and discovered a very dry rocker shaft and a 
mushroomed push rod. The needed spares were located and we went to task 
getting more oil flow to the rocker shaft. Mark took it around Sunday 
morning in warm-ups and turned a couple 1:53's. All looked good for the 
feature, as Mark was trying to figure out who to bribe to get a better grid 
spot! His only lap in the Qualifying race turned a 1:58, so he started 
towards the back.

Our feature race was pretty exciting on lap 1, with Dave Jahimiak spinning 
his cheating dog Sprite on turn 1, then on the first trip around the 
keyhole Rick Gurolnick and one of the 911's spin to opposite sides of the 
track. Luckily no carnage, and a fast Midget and I went side by side down 
the back straight trying to hold back the "insanely fast on the straights 
but no where else" Allard. The strategy worked for one lap, as the Allard 
blew the doors in the second trip down the back straight. But winning the 
race means finishing, and the Allard retired a couple laps in as he thought 
a head gasket was going. I'm thrilled with a 10th place finish out of 28 
starters in front of three 911's, Gurolnick's 356, four Mustangs, a 
Corvette and the ailing Allard. Mark battled his way up to 15th with a 
great drive.

I bested my best time at M-O by a second, turned a 1:51.8, two tenths 
slower than Randy Williams in his TR3. Randy, we are expecting great things 
from here on!

Oh, and it was cold. And sometimes wet. And sometimes the precipitation 
that fell from the sky wasn't wet, it was hard. But the wind was blowing so 
hard it blew the hail right off the track, so we were fine!

Am I going back next year? You bet! Thanks to Bob Wismer, Bill Dentinger 
and the rest of VSCDA for putting on the event.

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