[Fot] Wrap-Up News from Blackhawk Farms

[Jason Ostrowski]

Well, the blunt fact is that The Loooong race took a toll on all our
Triumphs.
Leaving us all jealous was of the only one left standing at the end.
King of the weekend was Tony Drews...
With the car that wears a bulletproof vest to the track every damn weekend.

Going into the start of the endurance test it seemed a long awaited beating
was in store for him.
Of the 35 or so cars set to perform,
I was happy to qualify as top Triumph.
8th spot.
Starting next to me on driver's right was my Barracuda Brother in 7th. (we
qualified both with our best-ever times at Blackhawk with a mere fraction
of .3 seconds between us)

Behind, with a nice cushion in between (for us anyway) was Sean Alexander
starting 12th.
And the solid bright-red brick of Mr. Drews back in 14th: with a good view
of his eventual, falling off the table pick-offs.

It would soon appear that the astounding speed and hope and the glory of a
really fast GT6+ is nothing at the finish with bird leg fragility.
I got a great start and had the Barracuda in tow.
By the end of lap one, I had moved up to flirt with the top 5.
Brian passed me and I was cool to pester him from behind.

That's like watching screaming children being tossed between the
coachwork panels of a Bus as the driver floors it through a parking lot
autocross track.
Our David and Goliath battle lasted all too briefly as my differential
exploded inside its case and I was out..
Shortly after, the Cuda was also out with a broken water pump and a
shredded belt.

Somewhere in the meantime, Scott Barr managed to scrape the side of his car
along the asphalt in a, rather lucky to not completely roll over, shearing
of the axle. He found out with early Halloween horror that the car cannot
go through the carousel with only 3 wheels.

The first 40 minute segment ended and it seemed that Sean may have his
chance to take the pot.
Due to typical attrition, by this time the field was less than half of the
original starters.
Sean, Tony, and still hanging in there...Glade Snodgrass; were the Triumphs
that remained for the race to the Checkered.
In front for most of the race was Alexander.
But not at the end.
A broken transmission... gear chipped away his hope of beating the big guy.

Tony was the only Triumph left at the flag fall.
Again he walks his car back to Moline as the Top Dog of the season for our
group of Midwest FOT Heroes.

Jason Ostrowski
Friendly Ghost Racing
1969 Triumph GT6+ Racecars
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