Got back yesterday after a very enjoyable trip to Colorado. About this time
last year I was complaining about how the late date for the VTR National
precluded the Kramer clan from attending since school starts mid August in
TX. It never crossed my mind that I could combine a trip to the VTR and go
racing.
Since freshmen move in day at TX A&M was Wednesday, I was committed to set
up our daughter's dorm room. We didn't get to leave for Colorado until 7:30
PM. This is our first going off to college, but it went pretty smoothly, but
it was a long day. Thankfully I had Bob Baker, an HCTC member and a good
buddy, to help with the driving. Couldn't have done it without him.
It was a little odd being at a VTR Convention without a Triumph. We parked
the racecar at the track Thursday night, drove up to Frisco and spent all
day Friday watching the autocross and perusing the cars. We met a lot of FOT
in attendance, and it was nice to meet some new folks. Joe Alexander took
the time to introduce me to a some of the gang, but one day really wasn't
enough time. Too many cars, too many people and oooh my aching head. I was
in the mountains just long enough to get a massive headache. I couldn't have
been happier when we drove down IH70 into Denver Friday night.
Saturday morning I got my first taste of the Second Creek track. RMVR was
running the 1.7 mile course backwards for the first time. This is a very
tight course, in either direction. It felt a lot like an over-sized Malibu
Gran Prix track, except you don't have to stop on the front straight to hand
in a ticket. Saturday was filled with 2 practice sessions, a qualifying race
and a "fun race". Race group 1 included a few sports racers and Super Sevens
that were clearly faster than the rest of the group. At the head of the
productions cars was FOT's own Dan Duryea in his fast GT6. A little farther
behind there was another 2 GT6's not far behind, as well as my TR4 and Jeff
Wilt's TR3A and another TR3A. We were all mixed in with a variety of
Porsches, MGB's, Alfas to name a few. A nice group. I made no adjustments to
my car, but I did manage to lose a carb return spring somehow during a
practice session. After fixing that, the car ran well all day in the cool
overcast weather.
I had qualified mid pack Saturday, but the fun race really was the most fun.
The tight course made for lots of close racing, something I was not used to.
I've done most of my racing at TWS, very well spread out. At Second Creek,
if I wasn't trading places with a Porsche or an MGB, I was being collected
by Al Hughes in his Bobsy. As the fun race finished, I was waved into tech.
Seems they didn't like the smoke coming from under my fenderwells. After
looking it over, it was determined that I was smoking my brakes. Again, at
TWS the brakes get lots of rest, so I vowed to use a little less brakes from
then on.
Sunday brought the "real" races. The first race of the day was my best,
although I blew it in the end. I had planned to drop back and race with the
2 TR3's, but after dropping back, I realized that the car was running great.
It was still cool, and I had learned a few better ways around the track. I
quickly passed those cars back up and caught the 356, 911 and MGB that were
gridded ahead of me at the start. Lap after lap went by with the four of us
nose to tail, and 2 more MGB's on my tail. Each time I hit the front
straight, I'd get a run on the 356, but it was easy to block me out at the
house turn. Finally, the 911 bobbled a bit on the back side and I got by him
and the 356. As I cleared the outside hairpin onto the front straight I
noticed a 1 to go sign being displayed. I had a good run on the blue MGB, so
I took the inside on the house turn. It got a little dicey. The driver of
the MGB had settled into a leader of the pack mode and didn't notice the
fast red TR. He almost turned into my door, but we made it through. That
woke him up and the racing started for real. He took the inside on the
inside downhill hairpin and led me back around to the back straight. I
promptly out pulled him and lead him back to the outside hairpin. He ducked
under me, but I maintained the line. As we crossed the line I had pulled
back in front by about a foot. I thought it was odd that he kept his speed
up and then the 911 and 356 came by me. Oops, the Checkered flag was up for
the Bobsy. He apparantly saw us hammering it out, and decided to watch from
a safe distance. They pulled the the 1 to go and checker for him! I didn't
complete the final lap and finished a lap down. Duh. Like I said, I blew it.
The final 2 races were also exciting, but as the day warmed up, I began to
develop a top end misfire. By the end of the last race, it was pretty
pathetic. I could still hold position, I could get a run at the beginning of
a straight and then the car would lug down. The Porsches tried to wave me
by, but I didn't want to get ahead only to suck wind. The brakes continued
to smoke a little bit, and further inspection right off the track showed a
little grease dripping onto the rotors from the hubs. Those new aluminum
hubs will take care of that problem!
All in all it was a eventful weekend. We even got to take in the
Broncos/Saints game at the new Mile High Stadium. A former HCTC member, now
living in Colorado provided the tickets. Pretty cool. A few hardy souls made
it from the VTR convention to visit us on Sunday. I even saw Mark B. briefly
as I pulled off the track after the last race. Actually I was surprised that
more people didn't make a stop at the track, I guess the long ride home
beckoned. Dan Duryea was a great FOT host. I came to the track expecting to
buy my fuel, but they don't sell fuel at Second Creek. Dan came through.
Thanks Dan.
Bob Kramer
TR6, TR4A, TR4, 2.5PI
Hill Country Triumph Club
Corinthians Vintage Auto Racing
rgk@flash.net
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