Vintage race report - Turkey Bowl at Summit Point - pics and vids
12-02-2009, 02:07 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Vintage race report - Turkey Bowl at Summit Point - pics and vids
where to start? my vintage racecar is a Lotus Super Seven; i blew the motor in 2002 at Watkins Glen, and shortly thereafter i removed the entire drivetrain, cooling systems, and pretty much most everything else; lots of stuff went in boxes, and the entire car was 'mothballed' til i had the available funds to start repairing/rebuilding. well, that started to happen early this spring, and after much thrashing, i started up the car for the first time with 3 days to spare before the race weekend (isn't it always like that, no matter how you plan it out?). my #71 red Super Seven Super Sprint is powered by a Ford crossflow Kent 1600 with the usual 'hop up' parts; here's a pic with my friend Ian in the driver's seat in my paddock space at Summit Point:
the organizers plopped me in Group 3, with the 'Formula and Open Wheel racers' for saturday's races; i was the only road going thing in this heat, lol! i'm up against a pack of Formula Fords, Mallocks, and S2000 racers.... the competition is fierce up front (i knew this heat would be super fast compared to smallbore, so i took off my street tires (ancient yokohama A509s; i used to always run these to slow the car down enough that it would be 'fun' in the small bore heat), and instead put on a spare set of rims and toyo 888s; i ended up 2nd overall behind one of the Mallocks in the first race (couldn't get around him to save my life, and couldn't stay in his draft on the front straight!!!) (the camera failed to operate in the first race, so no footage). in the second race, i got a poor start (was 6th after the first lap, behind the S2000, two Formula Fords, and two Mallocks), but i immediately found my groove and started moving up -- picking off a car here and there, til i was second right behind the S2000. i was probing him in several places, when he lost it in the brake zone and hooked off the track, exiting stage right (it was later determined that his right rear upright had failed, shearing off), and he crashed very hard into the inside tirewall (no serious injuries, just real stiff the next day). i ended up winning that race, because they had to black flag us all and clean it up (not the way i like to win a race). here's the video from that race (sorry about the smears on the camera - one of the cars up front was leaking some kind of fluids): http://www.vimeo.com/7886352
here's a pic of the Mallocks (they were super fast):
sorry, i didn't get any pics of the Formula Fords or the S2000 sports racer.....
here are some pics of various cars that i found interesting:
Turner:
Triumph GT6:
a bunch of Porsche 914-6s (the white plain jane one was the fastest!):
Porsche 911s:
a pack of Mini Cooper Ss:
a Peerless:
Lotus Esprit Turbo:
Datsun 510:
Lotus 11:
Daimler:
old Vette:
Ford GT40:
there were tons and tons of MGs all over the place, too!
Sunday's race was a 45 minute 'enduro'; apparently 45 mins is a long time for these old cars to race!!! :lol: i asked to be moved into the Big Bore Vintage heat (Group 2) for sunday's race; i wanted to see how i'd stack up against the big dogs (plus, there were only about 4 or 5 open wheelers that were going to do the enduro). they lined me up in the back of the grid -- i got a pretty good start, and began to move up fast! (the stupid camera failed again, and i got no footage of this race
). by the beginning of the 4th lap, i was in 2nd place, behind a big bad very very fast #70 Shelby GT350. this monster sounded like a NASCAR racer!!! he would crush me in the straights; he'd pull about 30+ carlengths from T10 to T1 (and i would be glued to his bumper coming thru T10). we continued in this fashion throughout the entire race, never more than a few seconds apart; it was very very tight racing! i tried many times to get around him in the carousel (i owned him there) but he was very smart and very defensive and i had the door shut on me many times. we came thru T10 the last time, with me a foot off his rear bumper, and he shot off to the finish line, pulling away..... it was an excellent race, and i had a great time!
amazingly, the Seven needed almost no service during the weekend! an alternator heat shield came loose (fixed with zip ties and aluminum tape). the clutch cable needed adjusting. and that was it! no oil burned at all; just added gas and race! very un-Lotus like!
i must say, i've missed racing that little car! its a real racecar, not a fwd grocery getter that i've forced into racing service! definitely the most fun car i've ever driven on the racing surface!
enjoy the pics and vid!
todd
ReidSpeed
the organizers plopped me in Group 3, with the 'Formula and Open Wheel racers' for saturday's races; i was the only road going thing in this heat, lol! i'm up against a pack of Formula Fords, Mallocks, and S2000 racers.... the competition is fierce up front (i knew this heat would be super fast compared to smallbore, so i took off my street tires (ancient yokohama A509s; i used to always run these to slow the car down enough that it would be 'fun' in the small bore heat), and instead put on a spare set of rims and toyo 888s; i ended up 2nd overall behind one of the Mallocks in the first race (couldn't get around him to save my life, and couldn't stay in his draft on the front straight!!!) (the camera failed to operate in the first race, so no footage). in the second race, i got a poor start (was 6th after the first lap, behind the S2000, two Formula Fords, and two Mallocks), but i immediately found my groove and started moving up -- picking off a car here and there, til i was second right behind the S2000. i was probing him in several places, when he lost it in the brake zone and hooked off the track, exiting stage right (it was later determined that his right rear upright had failed, shearing off), and he crashed very hard into the inside tirewall (no serious injuries, just real stiff the next day). i ended up winning that race, because they had to black flag us all and clean it up (not the way i like to win a race). here's the video from that race (sorry about the smears on the camera - one of the cars up front was leaking some kind of fluids): http://www.vimeo.com/7886352
here's a pic of the Mallocks (they were super fast):
sorry, i didn't get any pics of the Formula Fords or the S2000 sports racer.....
here are some pics of various cars that i found interesting:
Turner:
Triumph GT6:
a bunch of Porsche 914-6s (the white plain jane one was the fastest!):
Porsche 911s:
a pack of Mini Cooper Ss:
a Peerless:
Lotus Esprit Turbo:
Datsun 510:
Lotus 11:
Daimler:
old Vette:
Ford GT40:
there were tons and tons of MGs all over the place, too!
Sunday's race was a 45 minute 'enduro'; apparently 45 mins is a long time for these old cars to race!!! :lol: i asked to be moved into the Big Bore Vintage heat (Group 2) for sunday's race; i wanted to see how i'd stack up against the big dogs (plus, there were only about 4 or 5 open wheelers that were going to do the enduro). they lined me up in the back of the grid -- i got a pretty good start, and began to move up fast! (the stupid camera failed again, and i got no footage of this race
). by the beginning of the 4th lap, i was in 2nd place, behind a big bad very very fast #70 Shelby GT350. this monster sounded like a NASCAR racer!!! he would crush me in the straights; he'd pull about 30+ carlengths from T10 to T1 (and i would be glued to his bumper coming thru T10). we continued in this fashion throughout the entire race, never more than a few seconds apart; it was very very tight racing! i tried many times to get around him in the carousel (i owned him there) but he was very smart and very defensive and i had the door shut on me many times. we came thru T10 the last time, with me a foot off his rear bumper, and he shot off to the finish line, pulling away..... it was an excellent race, and i had a great time!amazingly, the Seven needed almost no service during the weekend! an alternator heat shield came loose (fixed with zip ties and aluminum tape). the clutch cable needed adjusting. and that was it! no oil burned at all; just added gas and race! very un-Lotus like!
i must say, i've missed racing that little car! its a real racecar, not a fwd grocery getter that i've forced into racing service! definitely the most fun car i've ever driven on the racing surface!
enjoy the pics and vid!
todd
ReidSpeed
12-02-2009, 03:55 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
12-02-2009, 05:16 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Great thread and pics. Thanks!
Sounds like alot of fun.
Sounds like alot of fun.
12-02-2009, 05:22 PM
#6
Racer
Thread Starter
hi guys.
yep, that was dave's 914-6; he was the fastest of the porsche cars out there!!! i was at his shop on friday night visiting; his model T racer was there, but it had a broken rocker arm that he was repairing... super cool guy, and super cool shop! (i loved his new Hudson project!).
the Super Seven ran great! here are a few pics of my motor/engine bay:
todd
ReidSpeed
yep, that was dave's 914-6; he was the fastest of the porsche cars out there!!! i was at his shop on friday night visiting; his model T racer was there, but it had a broken rocker arm that he was repairing... super cool guy, and super cool shop! (i loved his new Hudson project!).
the Super Seven ran great! here are a few pics of my motor/engine bay:
todd
ReidSpeed
12-02-2009, 07:23 PM
#7
Racer
Thread Starter
Trending Topics
12-02-2009, 09:22 PM
#9
uninformed gas bag
(contemplating on whether gas bag is one or two words)
Rennlist Member
(contemplating on whether gas bag is one or two words)
Rennlist Member
hi guys.
yep, that was dave's 914-6; he was the fastest of the porsche cars out there!!! i was at his shop on friday night visiting; his model T racer was there, but it had a broken rocker arm that he was repairing... super cool guy, and super cool shop! (i loved his new Hudson project!).
the Super Seven ran great! here are a few pics of my motor/engine bay:
todd
ReidSpeed
yep, that was dave's 914-6; he was the fastest of the porsche cars out there!!! i was at his shop on friday night visiting; his model T racer was there, but it had a broken rocker arm that he was repairing... super cool guy, and super cool shop! (i loved his new Hudson project!).
the Super Seven ran great! here are a few pics of my motor/engine bay:
todd
ReidSpeed
12-02-2009, 10:59 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
Todd, It was fun hanging with you on Saturday. I am still kicking myself for having the flu and not being able to race 
. You drove like a maniac in the second race where the s2000 crashed. Great driving.
. You drove like a maniac in the second race where the s2000 crashed. Great driving.
12-03-2009, 12:02 AM
#13
Racer
Thread Starter
hi scott!
i was so sorry to see you so sick! i'm glad you decided not to race; good decision! thanks for coming down and cheering me on; next year you'll be 100% and can kick some modern group 4 ***!!!
todd
ReidSpeed
i was so sorry to see you so sick! i'm glad you decided not to race; good decision! thanks for coming down and cheering me on; next year you'll be 100% and can kick some modern group 4 ***!!!
todd
ReidSpeed
12-03-2009, 11:00 AM
#14
Rennlist Member
great action, thanks for posting pics and vid! A few questions here:
-The S/2000 goes off on the last lap, (scary moment !), but then you pit. Was that the cool off or last lap?
-What was the condition of the track, I've heard that SP has continued to deteriorate, I didn't go there this year?
-What group runs this race, is there a place for a '79 944?
-The S/2000 goes off on the last lap, (scary moment !), but then you pit. Was that the cool off or last lap?
-What was the condition of the track, I've heard that SP has continued to deteriorate, I didn't go there this year?
-What group runs this race, is there a place for a '79 944?
12-03-2009, 04:20 PM
#15
Racer
Thread Starter
great action, thanks for posting pics and vid! A few questions here:
-The S/2000 goes off on the last lap, (scary moment !), but then you pit. Was that the cool off or last lap?
-What was the condition of the track, I've heard that SP has continued to deteriorate, I didn't go there this year?
-What group runs this race, is there a place for a '79 944?
-The S/2000 goes off on the last lap, (scary moment !), but then you pit. Was that the cool off or last lap?
-What was the condition of the track, I've heard that SP has continued to deteriorate, I didn't go there this year?
-What group runs this race, is there a place for a '79 944?
it was a very bad crash; they threw the black flag-all in T6; you'll see me wave to acknowledge him, and i came in immediately. they rolled the ambulances, fire rescue, and tow vehicles immediately and it took a while to clear the track and debris, etc.
the track was very beat up in T1/T2 and in T6. i could have gone much faster (sunday i was down into the 1:26 flat range) if the track was repaired there; my Super Seven isn't too good on broken pavement -- it really hops and skitters around.... they are going to repave again in March and then let it cure for three weeks in April.
VRG runs this race; you would run in Group 4, which is 'modern'. there was at least one other 944 and a bunch of Miatas (i assume they'd be close around your laptimes).
todd
ReidSpeed