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TE/AE United XX Final

To: fbonifazi@aol.com, tigers@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: TE/AE United XX Final
From: FRANK_BONIFAZI@HP-FtCollins-om4.om.hp.com
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 12:33:14 -0600
     Tiger Vintage Race fans,
     
     I just had to share with you the fantastic racing by one of "Our Own" 
     at the Steamboat Springs Vintage Auto Race event last weekend.
     
     The Indian summer was running hot and so were the cars, especially the 
     lone Sunbeam Tiger driven by Pete Sabeff from Denver.  Pete was eating 
     up most of the competition in B-Production which included many 
     Corvettes and Mustangs.
     
     Pete runs an Mk1a with a 289 which just screams.  The car handled the 
     tight road course like it was on rails. In contrast the Mustangs 
     looked like they were having all sorts of body roll problems. I don't 
     think that there was a smaller displacement out there which makes 
     Pete's fete even more impressive.
     
     Results:
     
     Morning session:
     Started 20th
     Finished 9th
     
     Afternoon session:
     Started 17th
     Finished 7th - 3rd in class (BP)!
     
     My heart skipped a beat at least twice in the afternoon session when 
     Pete made some awesome passes.  He took out 2 Vettes in the same lap.  
     I went down close to the track to take some photos and got a big 
     surprise.  I spotted the Tiger quite a distance behind a Shelby 350 
     Mustang coming out of turn 2. I set my focus on a closer spot and 
     mentally readied myself to shoot as soon as I saw the 'stang.  Pete 
     had already passed it so to my surprise I got the shot of the wrong 
     car!  He really was eating them up!
     
     Pete shared with me his 3 points of keeping a Tiger cool:
     
     1) A good (read: BIG) radiator.  Pete's got a huge aluminum radiator 
     tilted at a large angle to fit under the hood.
     
     2) Run the water pump at 1/2 speed.  Does anyone know where I can get 
     a pulley set up like this?
     
     3) Force all the air into the path of the radiator.  He's got some 
     formed sheet metal guiding all available air towards the huge 
     radiator.
     
     As with all the race cars there, they don't run fans since they are 
     driving much faster than we (at least I) do on the street.
     
     
     The weekend was a great event with Concours (missed the show - anyone 
     else there?) and Art activities (bought a great signed Ferrari print 
     for $20), even if they weren't all related to Tigers.
     
     Regrettably, this may be the last one of these in Steamboat. A local 
     store keeper told me that the Sheraton Hotel there has complained to 
     the town board about lost revenues during the event.  The current 
     track layout circles this hotel and restricts auto access during the 
     races and practices.  One can only hope that a solution can be found.  
     Many other store owners told me that the race brings in healthy 
     business for this time of the year.
     
     Your track-side reporter,
     
     Frank Bonifazi
     B9472682LRXFE
     


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