[Fot] FW: CVAR at ECR part1

[Greg & Alison Blake]

I guess I got long winded, part =



From: Greg & Alison Blake [mailto:ablake2 at austin.rr.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:56 AM
To: 'fot at autox.team.net'
Cc: 'Robert Blake'
Subject: CVAR at ECR



Race report for Eagles Canyon last weekend:



CVAR was at Eagles Canyon last weekend.  Dad got there Friday to get some
extra seat time in No. 14 (Ex VARA red TR4).  This was his first race
weekend since taking his student weekend back in September 09.
Unfortunately he only got one practice session in before the rain started.
He said by the end of his session it was pouring down rain.  He said the car
was breaking up over 5000rpm.  I got there to clearing skies around 4pm
Friday, but they had already called it quits for Friday test and tune.  We
walked the track and noted several areas where water was leaching through
the pavement GREAT.



Saturday came and the skies looked like they would let loose at any moment.
Luckily we were spared all day, no rain.  Bobby Whitehead, Gary Fuqua, and
Bob Blake represented FOT in group 7.  Gary ran really strong in a group of
three, I think he was up with two B sedans.  Car looked faster than normal.
Bobby was a bit behind mixing it up with another B sedan, think it was a
510, having a good time.  Dad was way in back in the first race and the car
sounded terrible (more latter).  Bill Collins(last name??) was there in his
recently acquired Spit in group 2.  Bill looked really good.  Car sounded
good too.  Joe Hovey was there too but unfortunately his spit was left at
home.  I think he has been chewing up bearings lately.  I ran the TR3 in
group 4 on Sat.



The track was still wet for qualifying when I went out for the first time to
learn the track.  Luckily, Dad and I had noted those wet off camber corners
on Friday.  They were extremely slick on Sat.  There was one, I think it is
turn 7 & 8, where you have just scrubbed speed from the 2500 back straight
to enter a 90 degree no camber uphill lefthander which transitions to a 90
degree off camber down hill right hander.  The tricky part is that the crest
of the vertical curve is right were you need to start your turn in for the
right hander.  You get really light there.  To add to the trickery, at the
apex of this right hander was one of the worst wet spots on the track.
Needless to say, I stayed off the gas through this apex.



I qualified 1st for VA and VB but had two formula coopers and a lola in
front of me for the start.  I did not intend to qualify up there because I
am still a bit nervous on starts.  I guess that is a good way to get over
that fear.  At the start, I let the 356 speedster, Healy 106, MGA, and Alfa
pass me.  I chased for a lap to see how those wet sots were doing.  Once
settled, I passed the MGA and Alfa on lap two.  The 106 and the lola were
pulling away as I chased the speedster.  We were neck and neck on the
straights and bumper to bumper in the turns.  This went on for two laps,
with me yielding at each corner.  I found two places on the track where I
know I could pass him clean.  The exit to turn 2, and out braking him at the
end of the back straight.  On lap 3, I decided I would pass him at the end
of the back straight.  I setup to the inside to out brake him and we both
flew past his normal braking point, I guess he knew what I was up to.  He
ended up way too deep into 7 and I though he would need some extra room to
recover so yielded again.  We got into 8 a little off line and he did a half
spin, while he was recovering, I shot past going into 9 and never saw him
again.  For the next several laps I was closing the gap with the 106 and the
lola, but ran out of time.  Turns out I set fastest lap time for VA and VB
while chasing the 106.  In lap two of the second race I ran into the oil
pressure issue posted about earlier so I pulled in.



Continued