I'm still not sure what to think of this race weekend.
Starting off. I didn't get home until 4:00 on friday from Canada. Then
loaded up the car and stuff to head off to St. Louis which is only about 3
hours from my house (with the trailer). I start to unload the car and realise
I forgot the airdam in the garage. So, since there was only practise on
saturday morning, I was making the trip home to pick it up.
Qualifying -
It went well, I just went out to get a few laps shake the car down and figure
out which way to turn. Qualified 2nd in class and 20th overall.
Race -
It started out bad...The first start was waved off and then I got hit 3 times
on the official start on lap 2, once in the left rear, 2nd time in the left
front (as I started the spin) and once again in the left rear to finish the
deal off. Not bad, just a quick run throught he pits to get the air dam (yes
what I'd just driven 5 hours to get) pulled out and check for major damage.
It wasn't too bad so out I went. This essentially killed 2 laps as I got held
at pit out as the faster classes went by. I'm not sure whether I was a full
lap down in my class or not, but I figured, throw some good laps together and
see how it shakes out. Lap 10 I get the 3rd place guy (I got by 4th in the
pits, car that hit me on the start). Then at lap 13 I got the 2nd place guy.
I figured there was no way I was going to catch the 1st place guy so I motored
around. By lap 20 or so, the tyres were junk. There was one corner where it
didn't matter how slow you went it wouldn't turn. and on lap 20 I spun going
onto the front stretch. All was well until one guy decided to go inside me,
he smashed up against my right rear and did quite a bit of damage. the car
still drives well, but it's a demon to look at at.
I didn't lose 2nd place so I was relatively happ, but it looks like $2000 to
fix the car. But hey...I won a tyre for the 2nd place finish!!!
Aaron Johnson
#87 HP Spitfire 1500
Southern Illinois Region SCCA
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