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Drat. Now you have me eyeing that GT6 in front of my garage....
On Sep 11, 2013, at 8:06, Jason Ostrowski <jason@multivintage.com> wrote:
> =46rom my perspective, the weekend was met by perhaps the fiercest multi- G=
T6 contingent seen in America since the 1969 runoffs at Daytona. Right off t=
he bat, it was Chuck Gee=E2=80=99s immaculate yellow beauty setting the quic=
kening pace for our group 8 coupes. Early on, it was seen that our GT6=E2=80=
=99s would have to be in the low 2:50=E2=80=99s to even be a contender for t=
he Cup. Road America seems to eat GT6=E2=80=99s up. I knew that from a disap=
pointing trend of half-finished race weekends there over the past few years.=
So, going in I had focused very hard on presenting a car that was stout eno=
ugh to go the weekends many session distance requirement. VSCDA weekends off=
er over 3 hours of track time in a variety of different races, practice and q=
ualifying. My weekend goal was simple and threefold; get in enough track tim=
e to feel totally comfortable, beat my own personal track record and without=
-fail be the fastest GT6 in the end! (When Chuck set that time pretty easily=
right off the bat, clearly it was going to take some real inspired driving t=
o be running at the front.) Like any race track disguised as a gorgeous nati=
onal park, Road America can take the very best cars and put them on the trai=
ler early. Such was the fate of the booked-about hot-rod of my new friend Ch=
uck Gee=E2=80=A6broken on session 3.
>=20
> Enter Scott Janzen and Clark Lincoln. Scott=E2=80=99s car is set up with a=
n eye for high quality. His giant, daunting, Webber Carb set-up brings the h=
ot breath of a mid-evil dragon to the 2 -liter table. Scott=E2=80=99s car ha=
s a great vintage history and he has updated it beautifully. Surely a bit mo=
re seat time and better qualifying race conditions would have put him closer=
to the front. Clark=E2=80=99s orange and black car has taken the rear end o=
f the GT6 into a new and totally different dimension. Rich in fresh conceptu=
al development, the #71, is a fearsome new contender. His hard thought choic=
e for a transmission set-up ratio at Road America made him a bullet on the f=
ront stretch. And he turned out to be the one in my sights or in my mirrors a=
s the weekend progressed. Jeff Clark also brought a car that he and his insp=
ired crew stuck with and maintained all weekend, against diversity, a long w=
ay from home. (Nice work) =20
>=20
> Friday, I broke a velocity stack. It fell off the car at full song towards=
the end front strait. The noise was significantly explosive as it popped th=
e bonnet upwards. I rolled in under my own power back to the paddock. Like a=
factory sponsor, my dear racing friends and trick part=E2=80=99s supplier A=
lexander Racing immediately provided me with an updated ARE stack with reinf=
orced flange welding.
>=20
> In the first qualifying session Saturday, I went careening off the track i=
n spectacular fashion at turn7 as the bottom of my right front upright shear=
ed off at the top of the trunnion. Through the gravel trap, into the grass a=
nd near ye wall. John Reed jumped on car like a young George Bignotti and ha=
d the whole thing taken apart and determined what we needed to replace. Pret=
ty quickly, he had the upright, and ball-joint replaced from our magic parts=
bin and a new trunnion was sourced from Scott Janzen. We were back in actio=
n before the lunch break. Yet, the removal of the =E2=80=9Ckitty litter=E2=80=
=9D rocks, measured by the pail, continued for quite some time.
>=20
> Then it started to rain. I really like to race in the rain. This played in=
to my hands quite nicely as a drying track allowed me to leave the rain tire=
s in the trailer and go out on dry tires in slightly wet conditions. I playe=
d it fairly conservative in the slippery conditions and posted a 3:03 for a f=
inal qualifying time. Somewhat to my surprise, that meager 3:03 had put me 3=
rd on the grid for the Cup race. This was golden for FGR, as Sam Halkias was=
choosing to start in the back to wage war with the 250K. It was an all GT6 f=
ront row for 2013.
>=20
> The pace lap was slow and my car was acting funny. Some strange fuel deliv=
ery gremlin seemed to haunt me from the get go. I yelled at myself through m=
y helmet; something to the effect of =E2=80=9CThis is Your Race to Loose! Dr=
ive this Car! This is your chance!=E2=80=9D (Really, I did). I was in the p=
erfect mindset; totally psyched yet almost calm. I felt a sweet confidence i=
n both myself and the car, and just kind of told myself to drive through the=
fuel problem and push it like I never have before. And so I did. In a nice l=
ittle drag race and a game of same-direction=E2=80=9D chicken=E2=80=9D with C=
lark Lincoln, I led the pack into 1 and got a pretty good run out of 3. I le=
d through 5 and up the hill=E2=80=A6 but the car, she coughs a bit. Under th=
e circumstances, things were really ticking along good until the car cut out=
bad coming out of the kink and opportunistic Mark Weatley and Tony Drews we=
re able to slip by. Seeing my good racing buddy Tony go by really got me foc=
used on staying up front. In a wonderfully spirited Battle Royal Tony and I s=
wapped spots back and forth several times each breaking our own track record=
s during the fight! Clark was back there too, but we were going so fast that=
the rear view mirrors showed nothing but vibrating nothingness. Somehow I s=
eemed to pull away a bit until I saw the grey and blue Ken Knight in shining=
armor on a charge from behind.
>=20
> As I entered Canada Corner with the Knight in my mirror,=E2=80=A6 the car,=
she breaks. And in a poetic lost Joust, I violently bounced across the rumb=
le strips, skipped across the runoff and coasted along the grass. I came to a=
stop close to the wall, no contact, but beaten by equipment. I gave it all I=
had but it was not my year to win the cup. This time the #69 broke it=E2=80=
=99s other (right) front upright in the same spot. This has never happened b=
efore, yet, here=E2=80=A6 twice in one weekend. Surprise, surprise, as we a=
ll know=E2=80=A6 it is fairly easy to make these toys go faster and faster f=
or shorter and shorter periods of time. For what it=E2=80=99s worth even tho=
ugh I had to break the wheel off doing it, I met my goal and set the fast GT=
6 time of the weekend in the Cup race with a nice and tidy 2:52.7. The GT6 c=
lass win went to Clark Lincoln in his ready to race #71 hot orange coupe.
>=20
> In spite of my defeat, the personal rewards for me were great. The positiv=
e comments I got from Kas will keep me chasing the cup for as long as there i=
s a cup to chase. I got A Big Bear Hug from Tony Drews and lots of complemen=
ts from so many drivers and some of my favorite FoT folks. I=E2=80=99ll be s=
miling all the way to Eagles Canyon.
>=20
> A big thanks to my crew chief John Reed and our FGR mechanical genius Bria=
n Garcia. Brian went out Friday afternoon and sourced a new tach and got me o=
ut there Saturday with some well needed RPM info, as the Friday sessions wer=
e ran on a glimmer and a hope that I was in the proper range. John did every=
thing he could to keep the car running up front all weekend. The car carries=
with it his long legacy of front running and it was an honor to drive it hi=
s way and to his approval=E2=80=A6we were fast and at the front. Having a g=
ood performance and racing with the best of my Triumph Friends in front of T=
riumph legends=E2=80=A6Don=E2=80=99t wake me up! I think I must be dreaming.=
Thank You ALL!
>=20
> Jason Ostrowski
>=20
> Friendly Ghost Racing
>=20
> Owner/Racer of 2 original privately owned historic GT6+ racecars. #27=E2=80=
=A6 The David Dooley SCCA National Contender. And, The #69 Zippy Racing, Cry=
stal Tack Cloth =E2=80=9CZippy=E2=80=9D ; the most raced GT6 ever.
>=20
> _______________________________________________
> fot@autox.team.net
>=20
> http://www.fot-racing.com
>=20
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
> Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/bownes@web9.=
com
>=20
>=20
--Apple-Mail-91A13E0F-AC68-456C-B5D6-40D7903B8886
charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3D=
utf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto"><div><br></div><div>Drat. Now you have me e=
yeing that GT6 in front of my garage....</div><div><br>On Sep 11, 2013, at 8=
:06, Jason Ostrowski <<a href=3D"mailto:jason@multivintage.com";>jason@mul=
tivintage.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><di=
v dir=3D"ltr"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">=46rom my perspective, the weekend was met by pe=
rhaps the
fiercest multi- GT6 contingent seen in America since the 1969 runoffs at
Daytona. Right off the bat, it was Chuck Gee=E2=80=99s immaculate yellow bea=
uty setting
the quickening pace for our group 8 coupes. Early on, it was seen that our
GT6=E2=80=99s would have to be in the low 2:50=E2=80=99s to even be a conten=
der for the Cup.
Road America seems to eat GT6=E2=80=99s up. I knew that from a disappointing=
trend of
half-finished race weekends there over the past few years. So, going in I ha=
d
focused very hard on presenting a car that was stout enough to go the weeken=
ds
many session distance requirement. VSCDA weekends offer over 3 hours of trac=
k
time in a variety of different races, practice and qualifying. My weekend go=
al
was simple and threefold; get in enough track time to feel totally comfortab=
le,
beat my own personal track record and without-fail be the fastest GT6 in the=
end! (When Chuck set that time pretty easily right off the bat, clearly it w=
as
going to take some real inspired driving to be running at the front.) Like a=
ny
race track disguised as a gorgeous national park, Road America can take the
very best cars and put them on the trailer early. Such was the fate of the
booked-about hot-rod of my new friend Chuck Gee=E2=80=A6broken on session 3.=
</font></font></font></p><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times New Roman" si=
ze=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">Enter Scott Janzen and Clark Lincoln. Scott=E2=80=
=99s car is set up
with an eye for high quality. His giant, daunting, Webber Carb set-up brings=
the hot breath of a mid-evil dragon to the 2 -liter table. Scott=E2=80=99s c=
ar has a
great vintage history and he has updated it beautifully. Surely a bit more s=
eat
time and better qualifying race conditions would have put him closer to the
front. Clark=E2=80=99s orange and black car has taken the rear end of the GT=
6 into a new
and totally different dimension. Rich in fresh conceptual development, the #=
71,
is a fearsome new contender. His hard thought choice for a transmission set-=
up
ratio at Road America made him a bullet on the front stretch. And he turned o=
ut
to be the one in my sights or in my mirrors as the weekend progressed. Jeff
Clark also brought a car that he and his inspired crew stuck with and mainta=
ined
all weekend, against diversity, a long way from home. (Nice work) <span>&nbs=
p;</span></font></font></font></p><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">Friday, I broke a velocity stack. It fell off th=
e car at
full song towards the end front strait. The noise was significantly explosiv=
e
as it popped the bonnet upwards. I rolled in under my own power back to the
paddock. Like a factory sponsor, my dear racing friends and trick part=E2=80=
=99s
supplier Alexander Racing immediately provided me with an updated ARE stack
with reinforced flange welding.</font></font></font></p><font color=3D"#0000=
00" face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">In the first qualifying session Saturday, I went=
careening
off the track in spectacular fashion at turn7 as the bottom of my right fron=
t upright sheared
off at the top of the trunnion. Through the gravel trap, into the grass and n=
ear
ye wall. John Reed jumped on car like a young George Bignotti and had the wh=
ole
thing taken apart and determined what we needed to replace. Pretty quickly, h=
e
had the upright, and ball-joint replaced from our magic parts bin and a new
trunnion was sourced from Scott Janzen. We were back in action before the lu=
nch
break. Yet, the removal of the =E2=80=9Ckitty litter=E2=80=9D rocks, measure=
d by the pail,
continued for quite some time. </font></font></font></p><font color=3D"#0000=
00" face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font color=3D"#000000"><font face=3D=
"Calibri"><font size=3D"3">Then it started to rain. I really like to race in=
the rain.
This played into my hands quite nicely as a drying track allowed me to leave=
the rain tires in the trailer and go out on dry tires in slightly wet
conditions. I played it fairly conservative in the slippery conditions and
posted a 3:03 for a final qualifying time. Somewhat to my surprise, that mea=
ger
3:03 had put me 3</font><font><sup>rd</sup></font><font size=3D"3"> on the g=
rid for the Cup race. This was golden
for FGR, as Sam Halkias was choosing to start in the back to wage war with t=
he
250K. It was an all GT6 front row for 2013. </font></font></font></p><font c=
olor=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">The pace lap was slow and my car was acting funn=
y. Some
strange fuel delivery gremlin seemed to haunt me from the get go. I yelled a=
t
myself through my helmet; something to the effect of =E2=80=9CThis is Your R=
ace to
Loose! Drive this Car! This is your chance!=E2=80=9D (Really, I did).<span>&=
nbsp; </span>I was in the perfect mindset; totally psyched
yet almost calm. I felt a sweet confidence in both myself and the car, and j=
ust
kind of told myself to drive through the fuel problem and push it like I nev=
er
have before. And so I did. In a nice little drag race and a game of same-dir=
ection=E2=80=9D
chicken=E2=80=9D with Clark Lincoln, I led the pack into 1 and got a pretty g=
ood run
out of 3. I led through 5 and up the hill=E2=80=A6 but the car, she coughs a=
bit. Under
the circumstances, things were really ticking along good until the car cut o=
ut bad
coming out of the kink and opportunistic Mark Weatley and Tony Drews were ab=
le
to slip by. Seeing my good racing buddy Tony go by really got me focused on
staying up front. In a wonderfully spirited Battle Royal Tony and I swapped
spots back and forth several times each breaking our own track records durin=
g
the fight! Clark was back there too, but we were going so fast that the rear=
view mirrors showed nothing but vibrating nothingness. Somehow I seemed to p=
ull
away a bit until I saw the grey and blue Ken Knight in shining armor on a
charge from behind.</font></font></font></p><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"=
Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">As I entered Canada Corner with the Knight in my=
mirror,=E2=80=A6
the car, she breaks. And in a poetic lost Joust, I violently bounced across t=
he
rumble strips, skipped across the runoff and coasted along the grass. I came=
to
a stop close to the wall, no contact, but beaten by equipment. I gave it all=
I
had but it was not my year to win the cup. This time the #69 broke it=E2=80=99=
s other
(right) front upright in the same spot. This has never happened before, yet,=
here=E2=80=A6 twice in one weekend.<span> </span>Surprise,
surprise, as we all know=E2=80=A6 it is fairly easy to make these toys go fa=
ster and
faster for shorter and shorter periods of time. For what it=E2=80=99s worth e=
ven though
I had to break the wheel off doing it, I met my goal and set the fast GT6 ti=
me
of the weekend in the Cup race with a nice and tidy 2:52.7. The GT6 class wi=
n
went to Clark Lincoln in his ready to race #71 hot orange coupe. <span> =
;</span></font></font></font></p><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">In spite of my defeat, the personal rewards for m=
e were
great. The positive comments I got from Kas will keep me chasing the cup for=
as
long as there is a cup to chase. I got A Big Bear Hug from Tony Drews and lo=
ts
of complements from so many drivers and some of my favorite FoT folks. I=E2=80=
=99ll be
smiling all the way to Eagles Canyon.</font></font></font></p><font color=3D=
"#000000" face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">A big thanks to my crew chief John Reed and our =
FGR mechanical
genius Brian Garcia. Brian went out Friday afternoon and sourced a new tach a=
nd
got me out there Saturday with some well needed RPM info, as the Friday sess=
ions
were ran on a glimmer and a hope that I was in the proper range. John did
everything he could to keep the car running up front all weekend. The car ca=
rries
with it his long legacy of front running and it was an honor to drive it his=
way and to his approval=E2=80=A6we were fast and at the front. <span> <=
/span>Having a good performance and racing with the
best of my Triumph Friends in front of Triumph legends=E2=80=A6Don=E2=80=99t=
wake me up! I
think I must be dreaming. Thank You ALL!</font></font></font></p><font color=
=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">Jason Ostrowski</font></font></font></p><font co=
lor=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">Friendly Ghost Racing</font></font></font></p><f=
ont color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font><p style=3D"margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font size=3D"3"><font color=3D"#000=
000"><font face=3D"Calibri">Owner/Racer of 2 original privately owned histor=
ic GT6+
racecars. <span> </span>#27=E2=80=A6 The David Dooley SCCA
National Contender. And, The #69 Zippy Racing, Crystal Tack Cloth =E2=80=9CZ=
ippy=E2=80=9D ; the
most raced GT6 ever.</font></font></font></p><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D=
"Times New Roman" size=3D"3">
</font></div>
</div></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><span>____________________=
___________________________</span><br><span><a href=3D"mailto:fot@autox.team=
.net">fot@autox.team.net</a></span><br><span></span><br><span><a href=3D"htt=
p://www.fot-racing.com">http://www.fot-racing.com</a></span><br><span></span=
><br><span>Donate: <a href=3D"http://www.team.net/donate.html";>http://www.te=
am.net/donate.html</a></span><br><span>Archive: <a href=3D"http://www.team.n=
et/archive">http://www.team.net/archive</a></span><br><span>Forums: <a href=3D=
"http://www.team.net/forums";>http://www.team.net/forums</a></span><br><span>=
nes@web9.com">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/bownes@web9.com</a><=
/span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html=
>=
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_______________________________________________
fot@autox.team.net
http://www.fot-racing.com
Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
--===============1218611900==--
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