Amici:
I've seen no in depth reports of the recently completed U.S. ZIPPO VINTAGE
GRAND PRIX at WATKINS GLEN. I have this to offer:
1. A major event (440+ entries). Well above the average entry numbers for
recent years. WATKINS GLEN is an awesome circuit, but unless you enter an
ENDURO you only get five (short) sessions in four days. Regardless, it is a
fun event and a privilege to participate. The Friday night WATKINS GLEN
Street Race reenactment is a blast. The crowds in downtown WATKINS GLEN and
at the track were huge. SVRA did a good job.
2. A good TRIUMPH entry showed up, including Dick Naze in a TR2; Cornell
Babcock, Frye, Spiwak and Williams in TR3s; Stockton, and Wismer in TR4s;
Dr. Ed Ceilley in a GT6; and Konopka, Moore and Ward in Spitfires. Donny
Sopp was there as well, but without his broken Spitfire. Jeff Snook was
there with his Devin TR and I was there with the Tornado TR3 Thunder Bolt.
3. Frye and Snook went FAST! Jeff missed breaking the 2:30 barrier in the
Group 4 Feature race by .066 of a second. Henry actually got into the mid
2:20s, before he FRYED (you should excuse the expression) a piston, and had
to hang up his nomex for the weekend. It caused quite a stir in the paddock,
when it was discovered that Henry has two Corvette L88 heads on his engine.
I've never seen that on a TR block before. Probably an after-market item he
stumbled on. Kudos to Henry and Jeff.
4. I hope I have not missed anybody. If I did, I apologize. Individual
participants can add their personal reports along with anything I missed.
Randy White got a sort of Baptism of Fire, and was chasing mechanical
gremlins on Saturday. I know he needed to borrow a head gasket and a water
pump gasket from me.
5. The best finish by a TRIUMPH in the Group 1 Feature Race was Russ Moore.
His best lap was an eyelash away from breaking the 2:40 barrier. Andy
Konopka was two spots behind him.
6. My buddy Dave Spiwak was the best TRIUMPH finisher in the Group 3 Feature
Race. Dave's best lap was in the high 2:30s. Cornell Babcock and Dick Naze
were close behind him, with Stockton a car or two behind that. Bob Wismer
was having a super time in that Group 3 Feature Race. He too passed several
cars in those first three laps, only to spin off in Harvey Seigel's (Elva
Courier) spilled engine oil at the Heel of the Boot. He spent the final laps
in the
gravel collector.
7. Jeff Snook was the best TRIUMPH based finisher in the Group 4 feature
race, finishing first in class and eighth overall. If you're not impressed,
I should tell you that Group 4 is full of stuff like Lister Corvettes &
Jaguars, a Devin Corvette, a Ferrari 250, and the like. Jeff done good!
While I was off my 1999 2:33+ personal best at WATKINS GLEN, I had a ball in
the track sessions, although I was experiencing fuel starvation problems in
4th gear above 5200 rpms. I am sure that is what kept me from matching or
beating my 1999 fast lap times. The T-Bolt ran well in the Saturday
afternoon Sprint Race until after three hot laps the number three spark plug
wire pulled loose from the distributor, and I finished the race on three
cylinders. It is pretty amazing to me how well that old tractor engine will
go...even on three pistons. Except over 5200 in 4th, the car ran great in
the Feature race, and I was able to catch and pass four cars in six laps,
finishing 3rd in class and 15th overall.
8. Clearly the most impressive thing I saw all week end was the guts and
determination of MGB driver (and friend) Les Gonda. Les finally had his
freshly restored MGB-GT Coupe to run. He has been waiting to campaign this
car for more than two years. It has a big hairy chested 3,500 (+/-) cc V8
under the bonnet, and the balance of the car is highly developed. Well,
there is an old racer's saying, "The problem with searching for the edge, is
we often find it." During one of the latter qualifying sessions, Les had a
'braking issue' going into Turn ONE. While there is a gravel collector at
Turn ONE, it is short, and when Les saw the wall coming up fast, he decided
to 'steer the car.' Doesn't always work well in the gravel. He bought
himself a rollover...and in a freshly restored car. But what happened next
is really impressive. Les and two helpers, began making repairs. They fixed
the 'brake and other mechanical problems', and then started working on
cosmetics. They pounded out the roof, rebuilt the fenders (the right front
was a near total replacement). Late Sunday morning they took the car through
Tech (by special appointment), and Les raced in both the Group 8 Feature race
and the prestigious Collier Cup (for MGs) on Sunday afternoon. From across
the street, the car looked almost as good as when he brought it to the track.
He finished 33rd overall in the Group 8 Race (fast company...even in a V8
powered MGB-GT). But then he was second overall in the Collier Cup with a
best lap of 2:18.872. That time is about five seconds below his best Group 8
Lap. I, and most other racers in the competition paddock were MOST impressed
with this effort.
Sorry my verbose nature gets the best of me now and again.
Bill Dentinger
PS
Also note that the Beady Eye Team stays in Horseheads when we race WATKINS
GLEN. We drive through Montour Falls every morning on the way to the track.
The last half dozen years or so Montour Falls was more like the Montour
Dampness, or a Montour Trickle. Well, with all the rain out east this year,
Montour Falls put Niagara and Victoria to shame. What a torrent and sight to
behold every morning. It is also all lit up at night. How many towns do you
know of that have a 175 foot tall water falls at the end of main street
(which is a scant two blocks long)? If you've not seen it, I should add it
has an arched stone bridge across the falls at the top. You talk about
picture book stuff. Add to this a tour through WATKINS GLEN State Park.
Takes about three hours, where you'll find nineteen more water falls. If
you've not already done so...reason enough to RACE WATKINS GLEN.
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