Two great write ups! Especially with well deserved mentions on our 944spec Champion.
It's been over a month of wanting to share some hi lites from the AutoClub weekend, but in the name of not boring you, all I will say is it's been really busy for Susan and I!
Great Track, Great weather, Great garage's for keeping us all together and tons of family and friends to balance it all out!
Saturday's race start was picture perfect as seen in the picture floating around with the 17 944's, only thing that I would have liked better would have been a checkered flag instead of the green! Hat's off to the Palmer Team for a near if not perfect 944 spec car, from the drop of the green flag to turn #3 Tyler and I had that NASCAR start, appearance going DEAD NUTS EVEN, now that's what defines a driver's class! Thanks to Greg and John at Black Forrest for building a car with the class's intent in mind. Starting from pole, I had the advantage going into T3 with the lead and after a couple of laps, I was the one with a rooky move thinking it would be a good idea to change my braking point going into T3 resulting in Tyler "The Champ" taking advantage of it, so for the next few turns I am inches away from Tyler's bumper and going into one of the squiggly parts, are not one but two big cones that are not visible looking through the rear hatch of a 944 and I hit just enough of them to break the right side of my front spoiler folding it under the front of my car (Eric has a great shot of the cones going airborne) some how that effects aerodynamics and my opportunity to run with the champ was done. I wish I could post pictures on this forum, there are some great pictures in the garage of Greg Palmer, Tyler, Greg's brother, John from Black Forrest....just about everybody in 944spec was pitching in to fix the spoiler, Greg P "the body man" was the lead fixer, Jim Richmond supplying sheet metal, screws, bolts etc...after getting it back together with a few layers of 200mph tape, the entire field of drivers, friends and family sign the damaged area (like you would sign a cast for a broken arm) This is our (me and Susan) prize possession from the weekend and maybe even from the past 6 years of spec racing. The #99 car is at German Auto in Phoenix with the most valuable spoiler in the world (to me) so when it gets home, it will be hanging in the garage for many years to come! So back to racing, Eric, Everette, Peter, Jim...where all over me fighting for 2nd the entire race, it seemed after 12 hours, the white flag finally came out and looking in my mirror, Eric (a first class racer!!!) passes me I think in nascar 1,2 or in that area and with much thanks to him not driving his own car on a track he has only seen maybe once before, his braking point must have moved a bit going into T3, kinda like I did earlier and I was able to sneak by to keep second place, it was one of those 2nd places that you were never so happy to get!!! Sunday was an emotional day after hearing of my favorite uncle's passing, but long story short, I can't help but to think he took a ride with me for the first time. Probably would have scared him to death if he was living! I pushed pretty hard for an inverted start for the field, but like many times in the past it was turned down, with all of the spectators, I didn't want it to be boring to watch, so the top four were OK with starting from back, now this is one of those idea's that can end up being a great idea, or really stupid! Fortunately it was blast and many spectators called it one of the best races they had ever seen! After about 15 minutes, Tyler had worked his way up to first with the class and poise of a professional race car driver, while me, Eric, Everette, Peter, Rafi...were battling and changing positions all of the way to the white flag, So it was like watching a thriller movie two days in a row, here comes the white flag and so is Eric, I hated to keep doing it, (making my car as wide as a tractor/trailer) but hey, I had my deceased Uncle riding shot gun and I am already losing to a 17 year old! So, some how, we hung onto 2nd and I was again never so happy to come in second.
It's amazing how a group this large can come together from all over the country and many of us have never raced together, but from a spectator's view, it looks like we have been racing together for ever with no contact, but some really, really close racing! I am not a big roval fan, but this one is so fast, excess of 120mph and inches away from other cars is sooo cool!
May 4th and 5th NASA-AZ with BMWCCA-DE is at Indie Motorsport Ranch in South Eastern AZ, (Wilcox) this is a true road course and a must drive!!! Try to make it if you can, you won't be disappointing. My car is having compression issues (175 135 135 175) leak down is next to see why, but I am hoping it's not anything too serious so I will be there racing.
Again, big congrats to Tyler, our 2011 class champion for two big wins at Auto Club!
Ok, maybe I can post pictures!