Continued...
Sunday's race (scheduled for 4 but actually run at 5) saw fewer cars
there but still a decent turn out. It was pretty hot by then. I was
on the inside of the 3rd row again at the start with Randy and George
in front of me. We had a bit of a faster start, and I didn't get as
good of a start this time. I got passed by a TR-6 pretty
quickly. He had more motor than me, but I was much quicker in the
twisties. I hounded him for a lap and a half and he went too deep
into turn 7 coming onto the back straight hurting his entry speed. I
nailed the entry and was able to keep alongside him down the
straight, outbraking him into the chicane at the end. I carried a
ton of speed into the blind entry, downhill, flat out turn 12 (one of
the great corners in motor racing) coming onto the front straight,
stayed ahead going into the esses after the front straight and gapped
out on him nicely. Unfortunately George Wright was just far enough
ahead that I couldn't catch up with him and make it more
interesting. But, I was keeping up with him and kept finding more
speed in the corners.
On the social side, Thursday night we ordered in Sonny's barbeque and
had pretty much the whole Triumph contingent together for it. I
thought that was a great idea! Friday night, the track had a party -
I went for a bit, but it was crowded, loud, had lines for everything
so I left pretty quickly. I found the Triumph guys had been invited
into the private tent for a Lotus 23 racer who had a Semi and
motorhome, a crew of 5 or 6, a crew chief, a lovely wife, and a chef
cooking fish and chips. They were the best fish and chips I think
I've ever had. Since we were racing pretty early Saturday I didn't
stay too late. Saturday night I skipped the track party and hung out
with Henry, Mark and more of the east coast contingent - Bob Lang was
there too. We had burgers on the grill, leftover barbeque chicken, a
number of adult beverages and solved the world's problems (not sure I
remember the solutions, though).
Kas was there, I saw Elliot Forbes Robinson at the track party, Bob
Johns (original factory Sebring driver) was there, Bob Tullius was at
the trophy presentation, Sam Halkias brought several cars -
unfortunately they got dinged up pretty good. We had guys from both
coasts, a TON of Triumph street car guys - folks driving and flying
in. Awesome.
The atmosphere in the Triumph crew was great, and I had a
blast. Road Atlanta is a fun track to drive and also a fun track to
race head to head on (NOT the same thing). The blind entry to the
esses and especially the blind entry at 90 or so heading onto the
front straight - I'm guessing that I was doing 105 to 110 through the
turn at the bottom of the hill going onto the front straight - are
thrilling every time.
Tony Drews
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