The past two weeks and Mid-Ohio recap

So a lot has gone on the last two weeks. This is a brief review on the weekend at Mid-Ohio. I will try to update the stories through out the week. Pictures to come too. Got to go pick up my racecar now!

I arrived late on Friday but got one practice session in. I am quite sure Vern (#24 Southern Motors Corvette) passed me but he was such a blur, I missed it. LOL Learned how to shift into fifth gear and had a vibration. Saturday morning I rotated the driveshaft and it fixed that problem. Installed the new tires and I was ready to go.

Chris Childs told me if I ran under 2 minutes during qualifying I would be doing ok. I ran a 1:53.2 during qualifying, started 22nd overall 7th in class. During qualifying witness a nice four wheel off by a Dodge Charger ITB avoiding an ITR rookie going into the chinane before the key hole.

I blew up the starter before the Saturday race, found a loose ground wire bolt on the block later. I was late to grid and had to start last. Passed 7 cars into the first corner, lasted only five laps as the clamp holding the downpipe to the exhaust pipe came loose and pulled in. Ran a lap .05 seconds faster then my qualifying lap. Found the loose ground wire and melted the 3 day old starter solenoid. Found other items loose, must have been the whole running at 7000 rpm thing shaking everything loose.

Sunday morning qualifying race I finished 22nd overall and 8th in class. Ran one second faster then the previous best. Ran with about five other ITB cars, kinda being held up by a ITS car. After pulling into the pits, found the muffler missing.

Borrow a muffler and clamp from Merritt/Vaughan (#77 ITB, she was going home early due to a gas tank crack, but SCCA found my muffler on the track and returned it to me. Finished installing the muffler and the starter (probably damaged from the previous day) died. Replaced the starter...with one that spun but didn't engage...so got a push start and was last to grid but made it.

I avoided the "Big One" on the first lap coming out of Thunder Valley. Had three ITB cars wreck and a ITR car. One driver took a ride to the hospital, but heard nothing serious. I was running fourth in class during the caution. on the restart made a pass for third, but I still was braking a mile early at the end of the straight away and gave it back. Raced back and forth with an ITB VW from PA. Had a great race, had a Honda pass both of us. Finished 5th in ITB and ran a lap time best of 1:51.1

So, I kept the car on the track, didn't hit anything or anybody and ran pretty fast.

Mid-Ohio is a great facility (well minus the bathroom left a little bit to be desired) and enjoyed the view and the people and fellowship.

I had some mixed reviews on the SCCA and the event itself. It was a great event very friendly people and overall I will go back. Too much misinformation. Practice was $200 not $150. Dinner on Saturday night, while free...a 1/2 cup of spagetti and salad is not much of a dinner. And my big thing was getting to grid and no one checked my belts!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Chris Childs for letting me stay in the toter and hauling my car down and all the help you provided this weekend. Thanks Charlie for all the help. Vaughan, Merritt and crew thanks for the food and the pointers. Kristian and Vern thanks for the advice too!

I will go back, not sure if it won't be until next year, but I will go back.

Be safe and keep it on the track.