[Fot] brakes, etc.

[Bill Babcock]

I've raced at events with Tivvy several times, very nice guy and an excellent
driver. Actually I think the only time I was actually on track with him was
the event prior to the Pittsburg VGP--ReaverRun. I Started from the back in
the big bore group (had to switch classes because of an event conflict) and
managed to pass my way up to about 4th or 5th as I recall. Tivvy was one of
the cars I passed. I know he was kind of shocked, but Peyote always does
that--it's a lot better car than it looks to be.


-----Original Message-----
From: fot-bounces+billb=bnj.com at autox.team.net on behalf of Steven Preiss
Sent: Sun 1/6/2008 12:22 AM
To: fot at autox.team.net
Subject: [Fot] brakes, etc.

 ...At a sharp right hand turn in lap 3, late braking took Tivvy deep to the
outside of turn 9 allowing me room to sneak past on the inside. Now in the
lead, I was determined to break Tivvy?s streak of 5 five consecutive wins. I
held him off for four laps until a 356 Porsche we were lapping, ran up and
over a hay bale situated in a storm drain, and jumped three feet in the air
directly in front of me! I hit the brakes, not knowing where the Porsche
would
end up. Tivvy hit the gas and shot past both of us into the lead. More slow
traffic allowed him to build a three second lead, and he took the checkered
flag on the next lap, for his 6th consecutive win in this event!

This excerpt is from an account by an XKE driver competing against the 1955
XK140 of Tivvy Shenton, a notoriously fast and consistent winner in a car
sporting the front drum brakes it was born with. His success as I perceive it
(I never actually spoke with him, but became thoroughly engrossed studying
his
progress on the track) involves the building of a bulletproof engine making
plenty of power ( I heard that he was a Rolls engine builder before
emigrating
to the states), a driving style based on mastery of many different lines,
stealthlike passing skills and the natural inclination to apply pressure to
the pedal located to the far right as opposed to the one located in the
middle. If anyone else has had the pleasure of watching, or the frustration
of
chasing him, I think they would agree. Vintage racing doesn't get much
better.

S. Preiss
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