Sad day I sold my race car. If all goes well I hope to get into vintage racing.
Not much new, some fun in Vermont.
A hill climb may look like a ride in the country, believe me its more like a race or an auto-x where the guard rails have been replaced by cliffs, where the cones are trees and large boulders!
Yes thats me ice racing in my tow vehicle
New for 2003 I have emptied my pockets and moved up a class to KP.
On my first day during qualifying I was four wheels off through the gravel track heading for the tire wall! Of course this was turn 6 the fastest corner down hill and bumpy at the apex. If I am going to screw up it is usely at the worst possible place! Anyway I got the car pointed away from the wall - no damage except to my pride and some gravel in places that the sun does not shine. The rest of the race went very well. Lime Rock is a short interesting track with a nice flow and rhythm. I will be back.
Ending my first year 2001 of Racing on a high note: I won the Bob Attrell Trophy for best new driver from BARC (British Automobile Racing Club - Ontario).
New For 2002: Gave my one man team a name (anagram for my last name); I removed my GTA battle scar; painted the car white and applied some fancy graphics. Now it looks much faster then it is!
The New Look for 2002
Mid-Ohio October 2001 BMW Club Race
After this, my 4th race weekend, I am beginning to understand what racing is all about.
Halfway through Sunday's enduro race, Rob Calisi, my very experienced co-driver, handed over the car, saying it was running well, a real race car, but with quite a bit of understeer. The meaning of these words soon became alarmingly clear.
At the braking zone for turn 6, the right-hander at the end of the back straight, I applied the brakes lightly, then full on, not much happening, eventually slowing enough to turn-in. With heavy understeer all the way to the apex I just made the corner.
The next lap was even worse. At turn 6, with even less brakes, accompanied by a grinding, crushing sound and a sudden yaw to the right, the turn was executed with a very late turn-in and a particular lack of grace.
After an equally stylish turn 11, the right-hander at end of "MadneSS", I was passed by an e36 M3, whose driver must have been wondering how I ever got my racing license.
From that point on, timidity and caution went out the window. Turning in very early, and scrubbing off enough speed to make it to the apex, I made my way around the track with only minor use of my now pathetically ineffective braking system. The last 7 laps of my race were consistently fast, with my fastest time of the weekend coming on the checkered flag lap!
Postscript: all that was left of my rear EBC brake pads was a pile of metal powder and 4 backing plates with circular dimpled impressions of the pistons.
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