The Team Escargot report of the Watkins Glen weekend:
Team Escargot had both vehicles on hand for the event; 1969 NTM D
sports
racer and the 1967 S800 Coupe. Both cars ran without major problems all
weekend and both improved personal best lap times by several seconds. The
weather was outstanding by Watkins Glen SVRA weekend standards.
In the qualifying race on sat. morning, we got the short end of the
stick as
far as weather was concerned with a wet session followed by a beautiful day
for everybody else. No matter, that's why I take a set of rain tires to the
races! With a little bit of attrition and some steady driving, I had the
S800 up to 3rd overall at the finish. Unfortunately, the attrition included
fast guy Kent Bain who stuffed his Spitfire into the guardrail at the
lefthander leading down into the "boot". Tore up the right front pretty
badly, he was OK. Meanwhile, Dad decided to park the NTM and wait for better
weather.
I had the opportunity to meet and race with the Team Thicko guys and
their
well prepared Bugeye Sprites. They were quick in the corners but the power
of the Team Escargot prepared 850cc Honda was more than ample to keep me
ahead of them. I got the impression that they were a bit surprised that the
little Honda has more power than their 948s.
I qualified 9th for the feature race, right up there with a lot of the
1300cc group one Minis and Spitfires and such. This always means that I have
to try my best to jump the start to offset the superior torque of the bigger
motors around me. I got a good start and ran the little Honda twin-cam right
up to 11,000 rpm in second gear in the heat of the moment before remembering
to shift to third! No probem, she can take it. I spent the rest of the race
looking at the back of Ken Walkers yellow Mini from about 200 feet back. I
tried but couldn't make any ground on him. With a little attrition, I
finished 7th overall and second in class 1C (to a Lotus 6 with a 1500cc
motor. Hard to compete with an engine almost twice as big as mine in a car
that weighs 500lbs less!)
Meanwhile Dad had the NTM right at the front with the fast guys and
finished
3rd overall and first in class 1H behind Herb Wetanson and local Mini hotshoe
Bill Crosby.
I also heard the report of the HSR July race date for next year. Sounds
like a winner to me. - warmer weather and no conflict with the Lime Rock
weekend.
Doug Meis - Team Escargot "Rub shoulders, not fenders"
1967 Honda S800
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