Fellow Vintage Racers:
FYI, Here’s my one-sided and slanted view of last weekend’s CSRG Vintage
Races at Sears Point. The weekend started on Friday with CSRG’s traditional
Driver’s Clinic. Aimed at both novices and experienced driver’s alike, its a
good venue for teaming up some of the more experienced drivers with 2 or 3
students each to improve their knowledge of the track. I was instructing two
moderately experienced drivers, while my girlfriend, Donna, was in the novice
group with her first on-track experience with the Lotus Cortina.
A quick diversion to talk about the track itself. Since the new management
group has taken over, the track itself remains the same, but you wouldn’t
recognize the place! All of the dirt (i.e. hills) in the infield are gone!!
They have made virtually the entire track visible from most vantage points
now. Work is continuing in increasing the run-off areas from most of the
turns, particularly 3A, 4, & 5, where they had temporary, but nevetheless
very intimidating concrete K rails next to the track to keep us off the
earthmoving equipment. Word at the track is there’s much more to come.
They’re putting up grandstands for 100,000+, tearing down the bridges and
putting in tunnels, tearing down the shops near turn 10 and building an oval
there, and moving more shops further up the hill. The paddock was rumored to
be expanded, and facilities generally upgraded. The new driver’s lounge
building already had a second floor under construction. Looks like they’re
pouring money in at an incredible rate. Geez, I remember sending them 50
bucks a few years ago to help pave the track....I guess they’re over that
hump!! I just hope we vintage racers will still be able to race there, as I
consider it my home track.
Back to the weekend....the Friday school went smoothly with no problems.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and learn a little something new. Donna
managed to both learn how to drive the Cortina and find her way around the
course. I think the bug has bitten....looks like I’ll have to get her to
Skip Barber or Bondurant next....(this could get expensive!!). Thanks to
Stan Rinne (Ginetta G4) for organizing the instruction.
Since I’ve won a few races when running with other small bore production
cars, CSRG has been putting me in a faster group (I hate when that
happens...). In the past, this hasn’t been too unreasonable as I usually
found myself running the Cortina against Ginetta G4’s, Elva Courier’s, Alfa
TZs/GTVs/GTAs, Porsche 356s/911s, and the occasional Shelby or Corvette. But
due to the turnout this weekend, I found my competition to include a LOLA
T-70, and Porsche 906, along with a huge throng of 400HP+ Shelby’s, Cobras,
and Vettes....YIKES! Let’s see, Lotus Cortina’s running against LOLA
T-70’s.....I can’t seem to find any accounting of that in any of my old Road
& Track’s???? So, after much whining and complaining (certainly endearing
myself with the organizers) they agreed to put me into the slower group with
the other small bore production cars on Sunday, but I had to start at the
back (OK with me....I love doing that!!....oh please don’t throw me in the
tar patch!!!)
Back to Saturday. Our Group 2 session race started with some excitement on
the first lap as we headed down the hill into the Caroussel (turn 6). Rich
O’Brien (red Hertz Shelby) decided to up our heart rates as he looped it in
front of the thundering herd. Unfortunately, Ken or Len (I never do get them
straight) Pieri in the yellow Elva Courier got on the brakes in his effort to
avoid Rich, locked it up and went straight off the outside into the tire
barrier, launching the car over it, and doing a fair amount of fiberglass and
suspension damage. Fortunately no one was hurt and no other cars were
involved. I managed to get a very exciting video from my in-car
camera....watch for it on ESPN Thrills and Spills next winter (just
kidding....got to keep Rich on his toes, though). After a brief black flag
all session in the pits while they removed the Elva, we resumed racing, only
for me to watch myself march backwards through the high horsepower grid. By
the end of the race, I was all alone and lonely with no one in front or back
to play with (boo hoo!!).
The rest of the weekend was relatively safe, with only one other incident I’m
aware of, and that was when one of my former students from last year, Paul
Watts, brushed the outside wall of Turn 11 in his MGB when he got on the
power a little too early. The resulting bent wheel, fender and Darlington
stripe put an end to his weekend, and a beginning to his bodyman career.
Shame on you, Paul, that wasn’t how I taught you to do that....I have enough
trouble keeping my own repuation intact!!
Sunday’s race saw me moved to the Group 4 ranks, where I started
approximately 40th (at one point there were 52 cars in this group!!), and
managed to make it up to 7th by the chequered flag. That was a blast!!
(another good video...particulary where I managed to pass two cars at once in
Turn 6, one on the outside, and one on the inside!!!). I had an especially
good time playing with my friends and competitors Gary Kuntz and Murray Ross
(down from British Columbia) in their Cortina’s. Gary tried some good
natured blocking, which worked quite effectively until I could get to the
straight and out-horsepower him....we tried to make a little show out of it
by coming through 11 side by side and little out of shape.....what fun!!
Poor Don Queen in his Alfa spyder set a new record for most black flags in
one weekend, 6...for sound, as his muffler kept coming off. He never got to
finish a session!! Buy more duct tape, Don!!
I know there was lots of other good racing going on out there in the formula
car groups and the older production groups, but I didn’t get to follow it all
as I was busy in between (eating lunch, napping, or other such important
stuff!!). Ivan Zarimba’s amazing Hudson Hornet was there....what fun it is
to see that beast being flogged around the turns!!! Other items to mention
include congrats to Gil Nickel who’s managing to take 3 cars to the vintage
race in Monaco, along with his transporter and at least 1 case of wine!! (I’m
jealous!!).
One unique aspect of CSRG races is the mechanical picnic sessions, one each
day on Saturday and Sunday. This is where drivers can either trade cars,
and/or take passengers for rides on the track at speed (at 7 tenths, give or
take). I had promised some rides, so I took advantage of the opportunity to
try and scare the beJesus out of my mechanic, his wife, my girlfriend Donna,
and my friend Jerry Tinney’s attorney and his son (the first turn always
gets them nervous, particularly when you don’t lift going in!!). This part
of CSRG is a great idea that other clubs may want to consider adopting. You
get a whole different view out there in the race car than you do from the
stands.
There was a lightly attended chicken dinner at the track on Saturday night.
There wasn’t much advance notice about this (only in the driver’s meeting),
and the weather turned a bit cool, driving people to other plans or warmer
locations. Too bad, they had tons of chicken!! Guess what was for lunch on
Sunday??
All in all, a GREAT weekend. My thanks go out to Dan Radowicz, event
chairman, and all of the other CSRG volunteers, the corner workers, and staff
that made it all possible. We had a blast!!! Let’s do it again soon.
Regards,
Myles H. Kitchen
Lotus Cortina #128
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