I could not resist more comments on the SCCA races at Reading airport. I don't
think I actually got lost on the circuit but there were a couple of places
where you had to know the directions before hand.
Coming off the runway portion on the farthest-away part of the track, you
travelled a hundred yards or so on a taxiway which came to a T junction with a
Stop sign! Other than ignoring the sign, you had to decide whether to turn left
or right which, on my first lap of practice with no other cars in sight, was a
puzzle. I went right which proved to be correct. Later, during the race, Ken
Slagle blew the engine in his TR just as he arrived at the Stop sign and the
car remained there for the duration, at a dead stop.
You could be pardoned for having trouble finding your way because your brains
were scrambled. At one or two points, the circuit went across the runway. On
either side of the runways was a shallow drainage channel, perhaps ten feet
wide and six inches deep. You did not lift off the throttle for these. The
sides were tapered but the effect, in a VERY stiff TR3 was to crash into the
middle of the channel and launch out the far side, landing on all four wheels
about ten feet onto the runway and then repeat the whole thing on the far side.
20 laps or so of that could chip teeth.
Off the runways, the track ran down through some outbuildings and old barracks
on a surface so rough that I had trouble hanging on to the wheel when reaching
for the OD switch. Again, this terminated at a T junction with a huge oak tree
directly opposite. It was turn right after HARD braking. There were a lot of
scars on the oak tree.
Accelerating out of the pit lane for another practice session, I had just
shifted into 3rd when the world in front of me turned metallic blue as the hood
flew up. It snapped the hinges, hit me a good one on top of the helmet and did
a flat spin across the track at about helmet level. Henry Hemmen who was just
behind me at speed in a TR4, was able to duck before being decapitated.
I had forgotten to secure the hood pins. I have never forgotten since.
Mike Cook
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