I never thought that I would be saying this, but after this weekend
racing my TR3 with ITA cars is not so bad compared to SRFs.
This past weekend I raced at the SCCA regional at New Hampshire
International (NHIS). BTW, NASCAR will be there this coming
weekend. Originally they had the EP cars in with the other
production cars and ITA, but the group was very full 40+ cars, so
they decided to move the EP cars to race in with the SRF and SPU
cars. EP and SRFs have similar lap times and the group had some room.
This was a double regional, so each morning we qualified and then
raced in the afternoon. Saturday we used the north and south
chicanes. I qualified well with the class pole and 5th over all. I
had 3 SRFs in front and an SPU Opal GT. Sitting on the grid late in
the afternoon a severe thunder storm came a long, postponing the
session until first thing Sunday morning. I had a good start and was
going back and forth with the EP Datsun 240Z that started 2nd in EP.
We were in front of most of the SRFs. About 10 laps into the race
(it was a 20 lapper) I heard a loud clunk from the rear and it
started handling strange. I pitted to check for broken 4 link arm,
but they were ok. I figured I broke an axle, so I went and finished
the session (need the points). Back in the paddock, axles were fine,
so the Detroit locker must have let go. I have not torn it down
yet. Just the right side was driving, with the left no traction at
all. Later in the race the 240 was trying to avoid 3 spinning SRFs
and got nailed in the rear by another, spinning him. He recovered
and won the class.
I swapped in my spare axle in time for qualifying. This time were
were running NASCAR turns 1 & 2 and the north chicane. Again I out
qualified the 240Z, but this time were were back in the field
starting 12th and 13th (out of 30+ cars). I was not so lucky at the
start. I got boxed in by the SRFs and had no where to go. There I
sat in traffic as the 240 came by on the grass on the inside going
into turn 1. Turn 3 was a huge traffic jamb with us 4-5 cars wide.
I managed to pass a bunch going up the hill, keeping the 240 within 2
cars. A few laps later, a SRF spun in front of me going into 3 and I
spun trying to avoid him. As I was sitting on the side facing
traffic a gaggle of SRFs went by before I could get turned around.
It took me 10 laps to get back in front of that pack, but the 240 was
well ahead. The SRFs all stick together in a pack, so I could only
pick off 1 or 2 per lap going into turn 1. They use brakes there and
I don't. Last lap, all of a sudden there the 240 was just ahead of
me. He finished just in front of me at the checker. One more lap
and I could have passed him. Turns out that he spun in the carousel
when a SRF spun in front of him. All the times that I raced with
ITA, ITS and ITB cars I never had such issues, but usually EP cars
are faster than they are and they don't run in packs like the SRFs.
When the IT cars spin they usually only affect themselves or 1 other.
When a SRF spins the pack spins.
Rob Dardano was also there trying out some new shocks in his TR6.
Not sure where he wound up, but I think he was mostly just testing
his new set up. Jay Creel was racing his Spitfire, but he was in the
group with the ITA cars. After he got some drivability issues
straighted out a broken throttle linkage sidelined him late Sunday.
He did qualify well, however. Joe(B)
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