October 13-14, 2001 -- Virginia International Raceway

Roy Yother and Will Perry took their ITC Honda CRX's and Vesa Silegren his ITC Civic for the event. Rusty White rented an ITA Honda for the event. Art Thompson co-drove with Roy. Teresa Makemson and Bill Perry crewed.

Saturday's one and a half hour Enduro was run by Roy and Art, sharing, and by Will, soloing. All three were seeing the track for the first time (19 turns, 3.29 miles and complex). Yet Will took first place in what was to be the final complete race for the CRX. Art started and Roy finished the Enduro. They finished about 6th of 9 cars in their first race here.

Vesa and Will ran the SARRC race. In qualifying they drafted to a great time. With Vesa's square back leading and Will's slant back following they qualified at just under (Will) and just over 2:28. They were first and second qualifiers in ITC.

At the start they were side by side but two Spec Miata's pulled up between them. For some reason the one beside Will and about 8 feet away, turned hard left into his CRX. This spun the CRX. Another car hit the rear of the CRX, suddenly reversing its spin rotation. Will was knocked unconscious in this hit. The third hit was the biggest; head on with Harry Puckett's fine Scirocco. Then two more cars hit the CRX. According to the video, which survived (on a VS Camera Mount) he was out for about one and a quarter minutes. The race was stopped for a big cleanup and ambulance run.

2001 Races

November
   ARRC
October
   VIR SARRC/ECR/ECR
September
   Roebling SIC
   Road Atlanta SARRC/SARRC
July
   Road Atlanta ECR/SARRC
April
   Roebling Double SARRC
March
    Memphis Mid-Am/IT Tour
    VIR SARRC
    Atlanta SARRC/ECR/ProIT
February
     Memphis Regional
     Roebling School

<< Older            Newer >>

 
Eventually medical released Will with a recommendation for a CAT scan. (Don't know what his cats had to do with it; they were all safely at home?) But he was fine afterwards, with not so much as a headache.

The CRX was totaled by the five hits. (The second Honda to be totaled for the Perry's this year.)

Vesa went on to win the shortened race, pulling away from the competition. He set a new race lap record in the process, at 2:28.2.

Rusty had just one session in the rented Honda, and was feeling a bit lost on the big track (as everyone does their first time there - lots of corners you can't see on approach). But in the race he did fine, finishing and earning his Regional License.

Roy started, and Art finished Sunday's two hour Enduro. It was a clean race. They finished third of seven cars in ITC.

Next Event: The American Road Race of Champions at Road Atlanta on November 10-11. Confirmed as attending are Vesa in the Civic, Roy in the CRX, co-driving with Art, Jamie Blair (poppa of Ian Clark Blair) in his CRX and Will in the last surviving racecar of three, the half prepared Honda Accord.

-- Bill Perry
 

Requiem for a Racecar

The white #36 Honda CRX ITC racecar, built and raced by Will Perry, exists no more as a racer. See details of its passing below.

#36 CRX was born in April 1998 as a racecar. It perished on October 14, 2001.

In its first year it won the most challenging race available to a regional class car, the American Road Race of Champions.

Will raced it 48 times, taking first place 26 times and second 12 times. It never finished worse than second place in a sprint race except as a result of an on-track incident. Bill raced it twice for a total of 50 race starts. It never had a mechanical DNF.

#36 was used by Will to win the Harvey Templeton Club Racer of the Year Award three times. It won the SARRC Invitational Championship and finished second in the SARRC championship twice, despite never having run the six points races that can be counted in a year.

#36 was entered in only one ClubRally, but took first in class and first overall at that event.

#36 CRX, Rust in Peace.

Yes, Will does plan a new #36 CRX to be built this winter.

-- Bill Perry