It's this weekend gang. Here's Scott strutting his stuff last year. Whatever the outcome, expect my usual picture and video post next week

 

oops...... should read:

"No way in hell. He's too emotional and rusty. Besides, he hasn't even driven his racecar in over 8 months"

 

Is the #22 ITR off the rack?

Is Victor from Victoria up to the pressure?

Will the new RS rules give the Mazdas an edge?

Did Scott get his mojo back at the kart track?

Who knows... I'll have a burger. Hold the onions!

Greg ~ who'll enjoy the battle regardless of the outcome (Go Scott)





Modified by bulldog_RS20 at 7:23 AM 6/14/2003

 

I'm running T2 this year so that a whole other group of people can beat up on me. I told Scott to run his precious RS race and then run ITE and I will be in his group for the regional race.. He doesn't even have a car... I would be freekin' out. See you guys soon

Victor from Victorious

 

Go SCOTT. Should be a great time down there for everyone. Have a great time down there, I will try to make it on Saturday if at all possible.

 

It's true - I got no car. Should have it by Friday sometime.

This weekend is not going to be a tour de force like I had planned before I ran out of both money and time, but the gears and the diff ought to give me enough machine to do the job assuming the driver does his.

I'll just relearn how to drive during qualifying - which I'll run on a set of Hoosiers from last year that have one(?) working heat cycle left. I'm not going to worry too much about qualifying - whatever it is will be good enough.

I'll put on a set of new unscrubbed Hoosiers for the race (another deviation from the plan - I would have liked to scrub them).

I'm going to pull off the Mugen wing. It's a half inch too high for this years RS rules and I've run out of time to make up new end plates. I'll have that done and finish the lip and splitter by the July double regional.

So far the entry list doesn't compare to last year. Joe Harlan in the 240SX, Greg Bell in the Golf, Cindi Lux in her 325, and some guy from the north in an RX7 have registered early. There were supposed to be more, but this year there's no attraction like last years qualifying for the CART support race to bring people out of the woodwork. Maybe there will be some interesting late registrations. Greg is my main concern, unless Joe picks up a second or two.

Scott, who isn't really freaking out...I just have to get the job done...

 

Regardless of the outcome I am quite pleased that I will be there to cheer both he and Victor on!

I will do my best to contribute to the photo and video post next week.

Nash

 

Hey you guys - Registration is in a grey trailer in the parking lot just outside the giant tinker toy main gate - not at the expo. See you soon.

 

Thanks When do you go out first?

 

Victor schedule:
Friday - Practice - 1:50
Friday - National Qualify - 3:30
Saturday - National Race - 10:10
Sunday - Regional Qualify - 9:25
Sunday - Regional Race - 2:40

Scott schedule:
Friday - work on car
Saturday - Qualify - 5:00
Sunday - Race - 4:20

Scott, who noticed a short stack of shaved Toyo RA1's in 205/50-15 at A-n-T's Support Truck today....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RR98ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Scott schedule:
Friday - work on car
Saturday - Qualify - 5:00
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Let me know if you need some thrashing help on Saturday.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RR98ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Scott, who noticed a short stack of shaved Toyo RA1's in 205/50-15 at A-n-T's Support Truck today....
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Fred supports using home-equity lines of credit! Run the Hoosiers to the rims...

 

Thanks Greg - I'll be alright.

I plan on being done Friday night, and spending Saturday morning watching the National races.

I wasn't thinking about those Toyo's for myself - just mentioning them in case anybody who couldn't find any needed them - Chris said he'd really like to sell them before the weekend is over - and I'm pretty sure he will....but not to me (I've already got a set)....

Scott, who if he was bucks up would buy a set of 17 inch wheels just to run some Toyo 205/40-17's at TH...but I don't see that happening...the 17's that is...I still see TH happening...but exactly how is still a bit fuzzy...

 

May I be so bold as to ask which person in the podium photo above is Mr. Scott?

Perhaps it should be obvious, but I can't be sure...

Allenp -- who really enjoys putting faces with H-T personalities... And has had precious few opportunities to do so in person...

 

Scott,

Would it be worthwhile for John and I to bring 10X10 tents down? If you think it is just say the word.

Must resist the pull of the toyo's while I am there....

Nash

 

Good idea Nash...

Scott, I also have a EZ-up if you and Victor need it...

 

He's the one holding the roses.

 

Guys - maybe just bring one 10X10 Canopy. We're with Rugh and Billings about where we were last year and it's kinda cramped and we'll be doing a little shuffling so too much stuff will get in the way, and there's lots of canopy shade already. Thanks.

Scott, who started getting more anxious last night around 2:45, and again at 4:45...

 

Good Luck on the race Scott. I wish I could be there to watch, hopefully you got yo MOJO back. Good luck

 

Good luck, Scott!

Warren

 

Good Luck, and best wishes, SCOTT!

Kiwi
JDM#66 WCHC

 

So, were Scott & Victor triumphant? Hopefully, all had fun & everthing is in one piece.

I know it is still early. I just gots to know.


Modified by civicrr at 12:15 PM 6/15/2003

 

Fun yes.

No victory for me - I lost my race and finished second. My competitor Greg Bell in the Golf got ahead of me at the start, and I failed to get past him - and I tried pretty hard. I made alot of mistakes, and didn't drive as well or as smart as I'm capable of - but that's racing and next time I'll drive better and I'll beat him.

Greg for his part said he'd never worked so hard in his life - it really was a great race and I'm happy for him. We both went thru alot to make the grid, and it was worth it.

Scott, who's got some mixed feelings about the weekend: satisfaction and disappointment - but it was a very high quality loss...I'll write more about it later...

* Both Victor and I are in one piece - though Victor took a couple of hits and has a bent front end (the nose is pushed about 1/2 inch sideways.

 

Technically you did get in front of him... by about ten car-lengths!

Good racing man.

I stopped and chatted with Harlan on the way out. He thinks the rules package you guys put together should ensure real tight racing in the future. I'm looking forward to the next one...

Greg

 

Glad you had a good race & everything is one piece.

Sometimes, the act of driving well, even if you don't win is enough.

 

The RS race was one of the most exciting races I've seen in a long time! Some even said it was the race of the weekend. I was watching from the pit wall, and about half-way through the race, as things sorted themselves out, the announcers at both ends of the track stopped reporting the PCA classes and only talked about the RS race.

At one point they said something like this; "...and Rinde looks to be making a pass on the outside of Bell...... he's forced wide and goes off in the grass!..... Oh my!.... Rinde gets all four tires in the air, and is able to get it back on track safely!" There was another mention of gravel at one point as well

I put my video camera in Scott's car for the race and watched it on my TV when I got home last night. All I can say is, that VW has some serious power, and Scott is as clean and heads-up of a driver as they come. There were more than a few occations where a little shove would've made the race turn out different in Scott's favor, but Scott kept it clean and left just enough room. The only difference between Scott's in-car video and SWC in-car video is the sheetmetal damage.

I'll put my wheels next to Scott's any time.

Victor has a new opinion of Miata's after this weekend. In the National race Saturday, he was hit from behind by a Miata in turn 1, which turned him sideways and was hit in the front by another Miata. Victor kept the throttle down to avoid disaster and finished the race, but the impact to the front right corner pushed the radiator support over and tweaked the hood hinges, not to mention damage to sheetmetal, plastic and spirits.

We took the front-end apart, worked over the sheetmetal, futzed with the fender mounts, hood hinges, alignment, and finally got things to fit back together reasonably well, but the front portion of the car is a little further to the left than the rest of the car.

Victor's group for the Regional race was huge. Something just short of 60 cars with a swarm of SM's right behind him. He was a bit uneasy in grid envisioning a gang tackle again in turn 1, but he's a good driver and knew what he needed to do, and he did. He got a great start and drove a great race. He said the car felt really good and had the drive of the weekend.

John -- who's tired and sunburned, but just had a top quality weekend
PS, pictures and video to follow soon, most likely in a new thread