SARRC, Pro IT, ECR -- July 24-25, 2004
(and in Bill's case July 22, 23, 24, 25)

As Seen from the Starter's Stand

I went to Road Atlanta hoping to get another page of my Steward's training signed off. Managed two pages. I went down Thursday to help with Paddock arrangements before the test day. Helped Paddock Chief Fletcher Williams and especially Sandy Pence, his wife, who does most of the work. Worked until after dark Thursday, started at 7 AM Friday, and finished up after Registration closed Friday night. Huge number of rigs over 55 feet in length! Three hundred entries. Like packing 5 quarts into a one gallon jug.

Vesa did the test day on Friday.  We were joined by new members Oliver Heyer and his sons, Tanner and Nathan. Expect to see them at a Solo II soon.

They didn't need me Saturday in Paddock so I went to the tower to get another assignment. They assigned me as Black Flag Steward. Stood on the Start/Finsh flag tower all weekend, except when talking to drivers at the start-finish line in the pit lane.

On Saturday, I handled 44 requests from control, some of them just notifying a driver that his number was hard to read (Hester, #14) or that his transponder wasn't working (Hester, #14)!

2004 Races

November
   ARRC
October
   SIC
September
   AMS
July
   Road Atlanta
   Barber
June
   Low's
May
   Memphis
   Kershaw
   VIR
April
   Roebling
March
   VIR
   Memphis
   Road Atlanta
Feburary
   Roebling Road

<< Older            Newer >>
 

 
An IT7 driver that I was sent to admonish due to his going out with his window net down at Barber two weeks ago was Black Flagged for the same thing his first session at Atlanta. The next two sessions I had to talk to him about a Pass Under Yellow and then handle a directive to see the Chief Steward. His final session out I didn't even have to talk to him. I bet he was relieved - I was.

I was pleased that over 75% of the drivers I had to stop to talk to behaved as gentlemen. A few didn't, but no one was a total H.A.

Had a great view of our guys on the track from the Starter's Stand. What did I see?

Will Perry and Vesa Silegren in their Hondas qualified one-two and finished the same way, totally running away from the remaining ITC cars in their race late Saturday. They ran among the wild Spec Miatas as usual. Chuck Fullgraf, Theresa, Jamie and Gail crewed.

Micheal Hartberger ran in a borrowed Spec Miata in this race. He finished 37th overall in a 51 car field.

Everyone knew that the aggressive style of driving in Spec Miata would lead to trouble sooner or later. It happened to a driver who was at Road Atlanta for the first time. He spun in at turn five and hit the wall sliding backwards. Fourth hand reports of little credibility say the seat pulled loose letting his head go back into the cage. Rumours say broken nose, skull fracture and broken rib. I HATE seeing our drivers leave the track in a medivac helicopter. Just Sucks!

So many SCCA volunteers work so hard to keep our drivers safe. Writing rules, enforcing rules, watching over them, teaching schools and all. It seems a bit like we have failed somehow when someone is seriously hurt. Workers NEED the satisfaction of a safe race when they work so hard for it.

In the Enduro in the cool of Sunday morning, Micheal co-drove with the car owner. But the car only lasted 12 laps. Didn't hear the problem. I hope it wasn't contact. Actually the drivers in the enduro did a good job of taking care of business. Not lots of wrecks (but some). Micheal was our only Enduro entry. Shame.

Next up was our favorite school teacher/driver, Anthony Henderson in his pretty Formula V. Painted to match the tow VW van. Misty had checked his tire temps with an infared thermometer borrowed from the Silegrens. Her data indicated too much negative caster on the rear wheels as I recall (hot inside, cool outside). Handling in Anthony's race proved Misty's data to be correct. He qualified third but promptly took second at the start. (I love it when our guys make their passes where I can see). But the oversteer caught him out soon with a spin that put him back to third. He chased hard but never caught back up.

Our Ken Walker in his G Production Honda CRX didn't seem to be up to his usual speed. But he finished second in class but a ways back.

Last group was the Ground Pounders, the big GT cars, SPOs (most look like a Nextel Cup car, and sound like it too). Included American Sedan. We had Dave Hester in the Mustang (sounds good too) and Rusty White in his SPO turbo RX7 in this race. Rusty has cut back the power of his Mazda to get some finishes after too many DNFs. Good decision, as he finished again, after his first Mazda finish at Barber. He passed and held off a Panoz GT2 car in a good, clean race. He finished third in SPO (first in class was Gene Felton, of Trans Am fame, in the number 88 Caterpillar car - Busch series I think). Dave ran hard in the oversteering Mustang (old tires bite). I once thought he was going to completely lose it in turn one but he powered thru the slide and continued. Apparently a wild ride all the way. Get new Hoosiers Dave. He finished third in class and sixteenth overall of 20 starters.

Good weekend. A few hints for drivers are needed, perhaps, judging from those I had to have a discussions with: Turn on the Transponder (Dave and several others). Don't have anything between the transponder and the track surface. Make car numbers so they can be read from a 45 degree angle above. Hood number is a good idea at Road Atlanta. Don't hit. Don't pass under yellow flags. If you have to be towed in wear ALL your safety gear until in the Paddock, even if it is hot. If you run enduro, fasten your exhaust up with both belt and suspenders.

I had the honor of training under Sue Rothel these last two race weekends. Getting steward training under Sue is like having Albert Einstein as your physics teachers. She was Chief Steward of the Runoffs for many years, and is often in that chair at the American Road Race of Champions. I am flattered that she has taken a personal interest in my training. She is one of the many volunteer SCCA treasures.

Next race will be CMP for some, Atlanta Motor Speedway for some. Anybody doing Sebring long course?

-- Bill Perry

As seen from Car 76

I qualified 3rd, about .5 from second and about 2 seconds off the pole. If the weather Saturday bothered you, you should have come out Sunday. Overcast and just into the 80s by race time. I Got a good start and was into second by turn 1, but spun on the track in 3 and lost a position. Although the car was "loose" the whole day, I should have known better. Sometimes it's hard to think "careful" when you're right behind the leader! I got a good look at the nose of the Vee right behind me as I spun 360 degrees. (Afterwards, I told Shannon I was trying to read his stickers.) The car was kind of a handfull on a pretty slick and dirty track (maybe too much rear camber. My inside rear tire temps were pretty high). Other than needing a suspension adjustment, the car did well, and I turned some times faster than qualifying, partly out of anger for my mistake! Finished third and drove it onto the trailer, so I can't complain.

-- Anthony Henderson

As seen from Car 14

HOT 'LANTA WOO WOO! So that's what it feels like to take a checker at Road Atlanta!

Saturday it was 99.5 in the trailer, as we got ready to go out to qualify. Didn't expect to fair real well against the other 2 A/SEDAN cars and I wasn't disappointed. We were 20 out of 21, 3rd of 3 in class, but nothing fell off the car. Did have a problem in practice when I stopped to talk to a Steward (nice guy) in pit lane about my numbers, and the car stalled. Couldn't restart, so had to be towed back to our pit. Of course, it started right away after I pulled it under the canopy. DOH

Sunday race, figured the only way to go was up. Talked to Jack Smith in a GT-3 RX7 (21st) and we came up with a plan to draft each other through the pack. "Yeah, we can draft right up to Hooker (who was running up front in a SPO MonteCarlo Cup car). "Maybe we shouldn't aim quite that high right off," replied Jack. At the start, as I watched everyone run off and leave me....I wondered what the heck I was doing out there. A spin on the front straight bunched everyone back up again, and I was able to stay behind Jack the next 2 laps after the green. A spinning car at 12, who pulled back out in front of us slowed both off us coming off the hill at 11. (Thanks 71 for the cracked windshield.) Car spun again in front of us at 3, but I stayed right on Jack's bumper and we didn't slow to let him back on till we passed. I was able to pull up on Jack now and planned to attack him out of 7 the next lap. UNFORTUNATELY, my plan failed when I found out we were on the last lap. Jack's missed upshift out of 12 (ever hear a Rotary redline right beside your ear?) let me cut inside him, but he finished 0.185 seconds ahead of me. With the fast guys spinning off, or breaking, still managed 16 of 20.

Oh, Yeah. Special thanks to my crew Linda and Matt and all the moral support from the other Chattanooga Members who were there! Man, I can't wait till the next event!!!!!!!!!

-- Dave Hester, DPh
(Hester, #14)

Anyone else doubting that the VW van toed that trailer?

© Copyright Notice