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Road Race Report '97 Road Race ReportsRockingham Double SARRC -- May 11-12, 1996Bob Forsten had the misfortune of burning a piston in the first practice in his GP Datsun. He still doesn’t have the engine together, but is staying busy working races both as a corner worker and as steward. John Leigh took two more firsts uncontested, in the HP Sprite. Handly Templeton qualified first in the Formula Ford and led until a spin when a sudden shower hit. During Sunday practice he discovered a handling problem, caused by a broken bollt so DNS’d. Wally Robinson had mechanical problems with the Z28 (turned out to be loose screw in the distributor - a much less serious problem than the frequently-seen problem of drivers with loose screws). Despite the problems, he finished third of four AS cars both days. Will Perry took uncontested ITD wins in the Midget both days but had some spirited races with ITC cars. Road Atlanta National -- May 26, 1996Rick Gerwe took his Spec Racer to a fine second place in a field of nine national competitors. Road Atlanta SARRC/ECR -- June 8-9, 1996John Leigh finished an uncontested first in the HP Sprite. Wally Robinson started second of three American Sedans in the Z28, fell to third but advanced back to finish first when his competitors tried some "agricultural racing". Carl Blevins took his MR2 to sixth of fourteen ITA cars. Will Perry took first in ITD with the Rivergate MG Midget after a side-by-side race with another Midget. This battle excited the race announcer but ended prematurely when the other Midget blew a head gasket. Carl and Will shared the MR2 for an Enduro. Carl started the race in the rain which stopped a few minutes into the race. At the pit stop and driver change we switched to dry tires, finishing fourth of twenty one ITA cars. Bill Perry started the small IT enduro in the Midget on dry tires but the track was soon flooded so badly that hydroplaning was a problem even under the inevitable full course yellow. During the pit stop, wet tires were installed. Will then passed about a dozen cars in a downpour finishing 16th of 30 ITB & ITC cars, and uncontested first in ITD. Several other drivers expressed amazement at the Midget’s wet track performance. (Creeks and puddles on the track are a big horsepower equalizer.) Charlotte Double SARRC -- June 23-24, 1996John Leigh got another uncontested first in HP on Saturday. As this was his sixth first place in a SARRC points race this year (only best six count), he withdrew from Sunday’s race. Handly Templeton was leading the Saturday race when he spun, finishing fourth of eight. On Sunday he finished second of eight Formula Fords. Gateway International (St. Louis) School, School, Regional -- July 12-14, 1996Andy Felker took his Miata to Gateway for the busy weekend of two Drivers Schools and his first Regional Race. He successfully completed the two schools and was signed off to compete in the race the next day. In the Regional, he finished second of three in Showroom Stock C. Charlotte Motor Speedway ECR -- July 14, 1996Will and Bill Perry took the ITD MG Midget to first place in another enduro. The Midget was once again troublefree despite revving well above the redline in the draft on the big trioval. Eric Strelnieks, who generally pits with the Rivergate Racing Pod at Enduros, had the misfortune to get involved in a five-car tangle on the start and never made it to the first corner. Memphis Motorsports Park Regionals -- July 27-28, 1996Memphis Motorsports Park—Will Perry finished second both
days in his Will hoped the rain would continue for the Saturday race. He thought it give him a better chance for a win. It had quit before the IT race and only a few puddles were left. It did rain during the Production race and Ed Thomas from Nashville took his first win in E Production in his MR2. Sunday’s race was very exciting from inside the MR2. There was never more than two car length between the MR2 and someone. Carl started out in a four car train. He passed an ITS Z car several time only to be repassed on the straight. Later it became a battle for third in ITA with an RX7. The ITS Z was still there, the ITE 300ZX had spun off, and the two ITA cars were trading positions at least every other lap. The grand finally started two laps from the checkered flag. The RX7 tried to out brake Carl going into turn one. Carl keep the MR2 along side the RX7 through turns one, two, the kink, and most of the Ms. The RX7 won the skirmish by running over the curbing in the last part of the Ms. On the next lap the RX7 got loose in the 90s and Carl went around him in the canyon. The RX7 had pulled up to the door of the MR2 by the finish line as the checkered flag flew. The Midget performed well in a higher class than it was built for. The MR2 was lots of fun in two close races (exactly what it was designed for). Daytona International Double SARRC -- August 17-18, 1996Handly Templeton took the HR7260 FF to this Double SARRC event. Both days he spun in the Bus Stop chicane, but still was fast enough to finish third both times in a field of nine Formula Fords. Wally Robinson attended with his Z28 Camaro American Sedan. He finished second and third in a field of about ten cars. During the second race he did get some body damage when a GT1 car missed a shift in front of him. Road Atlanta Double SARRC/Pro IT -- August 31-September 2, 1996The Chattanooga area was very well represented at this Labor Day event with 6 drivers, four of them members of this region. Overall, this was a very full field of race cars with every bit of paved paddock taken and about 300 cars registered. Even spectator areas were well populated. It was "Worker Appreciation" weekend. The case of Valvoline contributed by Rivergate Racing for the drawing for gifts to workers was apparently appreciated by the worker receiving it - he waved the case of oil at our drivers when they came by his corner on cool-off laps. Workers from this area included at least Bob Forsten (Steward) and Dave Hester (F&C). Andy Felker brought the SSC Miata to compete in only his second weekend of racing. He performed very well, staying out of trouble, and steadily improving his racing lines on this difficult-to-learn track. He finished third of four SSC cars both Sunday and Monday (16 of 32 overall and 13 of 27 overall in the wet). Andy shows promise of being another of the competitive road racers from this area. Despite working on breaking in a new race motor, Carl Blevins raced in a couple of huge fields with the ITA MR2. After a bit of a "rubbin" with an RX7 on Sunday, he finished 12 of 26 in class. (It’s easy to find someone to rub fenders with when there are 51 other cars, each with four fenders; at least they start the race with four.) On Monday he selected to run the ProIT, finished 11 of 22 ITA cars, 25 of 52 overall. He started the Pro race on rain tires but a drying track caused him to lose a few places due to overheated tires. Will Perry raced the ITD MG Midget in both SARRC races finishing uncontested first in each (19 of 32 Sunday, 8 of 27 overall in the rain, on dry tires Monday). The Rivergate Racing Pod has perfected the selection of the incorrect tires whenever the weather is in doubt. We put the car up on jacks with 2 rain tires and 2 dry tires. This way we can wait until just enough time to change two tires before we select the wrong tires for race conditions. Wally Robinson raced the American Sedan Camaro both days in a field of four. He took second Sunday, third Monday. John Leigh raced the HP Sprite in a tune up for the SARRC Championship race, as he already had scored the maximum 72 points this year. He finished first when his competition had problems. Handly Templeton raced the Formula Ford to second of four cars Sunday. On Monday their were only two FF cars. Handly won but had a spirited dice with an S2000 car. He raced on slicks on a track getting wetter with each lap. Road Atlanta ARRC/Sunoco 500K -- September 26-29, 1996The Rivergate Racing Pod went to the ARRC--Sunoco 500K with three cars: Carl Blevins' ITA Toyota MR2, the Perry's ITD MG Midget and Erik Strelnieks' ITC VW Scirocco. In Friday's qualifying seven lap race, Carl finished 15th of the 39 registered in ITA. Will, in the Midget, finished first in ITD, as the only car in class and 14th of the 21 overall, running with the ITC & IT Trucks. Erik Strelnieks finished second in ITC and overall in the VW. In Saturday's American Road Race of Champions races, Carl started 15th in the ITA race in a hard rain. To the surprise of the PA announcer, he was up to fourth by lap 2. As the rain eased up and the track dried, Carl fell back, finishing 10th of the 39 registered. This was a very entertaining race, watching from turn one, proving that the CRX-Si's have the horsepower but are a nightmare in the rain. In the ITC, IT Truck, ITD race, Erik held third most of the race, but fell back to fourth at the end. In turn 13 (tech shed) he pulled up to second when two Sciroccos ahead of him were found illegal. Then Erik also "crashed" in turn 13 when they found a part missing in his carburetor. All the Sciroccos had the same part missing, thinking it was part of the pollution control system. There may be appeals. Will took the ITD Midget to 1st, as the only car in class. He ran the race as a roadster because tech decided the hardtop they approved in March was now illegal. This cost 3 seconds per lap due to aerodynamics (7 mph in the dip). As the only racer in his class, he had no one to spray with his Victory Lane Champagne, therefore we had to drink it that evening (yuck). Sunoco 500K (4 hour) enduro.The Rivergate lineup was: ITA MR2--Carl Blevins & Will Perry (starting) ITC VW--Erik Strelnieks (starting) & Beth McClure ITD MG--Art Thompson (starting) & Bill Perry The MR2 started 21st, the VW last, due to disqualification of qualifying times, and the MG 61st of the 75 starters (with a waiting list of other cars). The MR2 ran great, with its fresh engine, pulling up steadily and making only the required two pit stops. They finished fourth in class (after a fifth and fourth the past two years). Jim Lovett & Peter Cunningham (professional touring car driver) finished first in class and first overall in the ITA Honda CRX-Si, beating a fine field of ITS cars. The MR2 was the first ITA of the non-CRX cars. The MG ran great until just after the second (of three planned) driver changes. As Art drove thru turn five, a rear hub broke and the wheel and axle fell out. He skillfully parked it in the grass on three wheels with no further damage. Before the MG broke, the VW, with Erik still at the wheel, broke a throttle cable, coming to a stop near turn 6. Art, after he broke, was able to walk up to where Erik was parked and offer help. He and Beth brought Erik a new throttle cable which he installed. He was able to get underway and make his way back to the pits. Beth took over the car at this point and drove to the end. Unfortunately they were disqualified because Erik received outside help in his repair. Rules require that he walk himself to the paddock for any parts needed, and walk back. The pit crew of Tom Shirley (signaling & timing stops & windshield), Gus Veness (fueling), Chris Rehberg (extinguisher) and Gail Perry & Rita Person (timing & lap count) all performed their duties to perfection. They even received a compliment from the pit steward for their calm, organized work.
Roebling Road SARRC Invitational Championship -- October 26-27, 1996Will Perry went in to the Invitational Championship races with the points lead in ITD, with the MG Midget. The SARRC championship is unusual in that it is a year-long points championship, but the final race, the Invitational Championship, counts three times the points of the other 16 races in the series. Will took first place in the race to clinch his championship. John Leigh ran his HP Sprite unopposed. He had an insurmountable lead going in, so he is SARRC Champion for HP by a 108 to 27 point margin. Handly Templeton, Wally Robinson, and Carl Blevins qualified for the Invitational Championship race but did not attend. Handly Templeton and Wally Robinson were both third in points going in to the championship race and both fell back to finish fourth in the points Total Points Best Six Carl Blevins 261 146 Will Perry 260 115 Handly Templeton 98 79 Bill Perry 71 71 Andy Felker 49 49 Art Thompson 39 39 Chris Rehberg 10 10 YEAR END WRAP-UP:Chattanooga Region started 1996 with only two licensed road racers, Will Perry and Handly Templeton. Will ran 18 races with championships in SARRC, ECR and the ARRC. Handly ran at least 9 races with a first at Road Atlanta and several 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the Historic Formula Ford, the HR7260. We ended the year with seven licensed or permitted drivers. Carl Blevins transferred from the Mid-South Region. He ran 14 races this year. Best finishes were several seconds and thirds at Memphis in sprint races. He also co-drove with Will to two fourth place endurance race finishes, including the Sunoco 500K. Andy Felker was our latest new racer, but he got off to a fast start. He ran a double school and a regional at Gateway, St. Louis, in July and a double regional at Road Atlanta. He finished third in all three races. Bill Perry was re-issued his racing license based upon previous experience (back to 1964). He ran six races, all enduros, two co-driving with Art Thompson. He co-drove the ITD Midget with Will to first place in the year long Endurance Championship Racing series. Chris Rehberg completed the drivers school at Road Atlanta, showing enough skill and maturity to have his second school waived. His F440 required a complete chassis rebuild so he didn’t make any other races. Art Thompson also completed the Road Atlanta drivers school in February and was waived the second school on some previous experience and demonstrated ability. He drove two enduros and one sprint race. He has advanced to his regional license. We expect all these drivers to return next year, perhaps adding Brian Flanagan to the list in American Sedan. Anyone else? If so, let me know. Gus Veness served well as crew for many of these racers in 1996, but he has moved to south Florida. Is there anyone around that would like to take his place in 1997? Red Sand in My Shoes
Updated November 29, 1996
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