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Event Reports From 2006 Season Finale -
SVRA
MotorCheck Formula Car
Festival at VIR - Alton, VA
Sep. 29 - Oct 1, 2006
NAC-SRCC drivers and cars after the feature race
1 - Kevin Wittman, 2 - Bob Hooks, 3 - Claude Rowell, 4 - Gary
Portscher, 5 - Mike Taradash, 6 - Max Rubin, 7. Tom Bungay, 8 - Bill Maness,
9 - Tom Ash, 10 - Tom Kane, 11 - Malcolm Mangum, 12
- Jeff Wright, 13 - Shelby Mershon (on track in Indy Lights car).
(R. Harrington photo)
Peter Krause's Event Report
Friday
Re: VIR Entry-TWENTY cars! It's always a great deal when twenty
out of the twenty-seven cars in the race group are Sports 2000 cars!
The weather is simply fantastic. After a good-sized thunderstorm dumped
some rain after the track went cold Thursday, the temperatures have been
perfect and skies have been crystal clear here at VIR.
First practice, everyone just finding their way around and becoming
re-acquainted with the track and each other.
Wittman 2:06.0
Krueger 2:07.9
Mershon 2:094
Rossi 2:09.5
Wright 2:12.8
Bungay 2:14.2
Hooks 2:16.7
Rowell 2:17.7
McLenagan 2:17.8
Rubin 2:20.0
Kane 2:22.3
Gompels 2:22.4
Childress 2:23.3
Crumay 2:27.1
Carson 2:29.4
Magness 2:31.3
Mangum loose toe link
Ash slipping clutch
The action really heated up in the afternoon. Five cars covered by four
and a half tenths! Unbelievable!
Mangum 2:05.156
Krueger 2:05.165
Rossi 2:05.327
Wittman 2:05.518
Wright 2:05.611
Mershon 2:06.9
Childress 2:09.2
Hooks 2:12.816
McLenagan 2:12.832
Gompels 2:16.9
Taradash 2:17.1
Rowell 2:17.2
Rubin 2:20.6
Bungay 2:22.2
Crumay 2:23.7
Portscher 2:24.8
Magness 2:36.1
Ash clutch slip
The party was great, many prizes handed out, lots of beer and wine
consumed. Lovely ladies present and a good time was had by all.
Mangum and Rowell helped Ash fix his clutch and everyone is up and running
for today!
-- Peter Krause
[Top]
Saturday
The very pleasant weekend continues...
It's delightful to see long-time competitors who have followed our tales
on the web and through their friends, not to mention studying the action
on track, finally take the plunge and join the group that runs these cars.
It is wonderful to see Mike Taradash and Robert McLenagan take to these
cars so quickly and so well. We are slowly co-opting even the most
die-hard fans of other types of cars who, with some surprise, admire the
strong and cohesive bunch of folks that make events like this so much fun!
It's also gratifying to me to see the folks who have been "shackled" by
Production cars or Sedans now beam when they come back in after a session
and observe how remarkable these cars are in their performance. I love
seeing my old BMW Club Racing friend Bob Hooks carving huge hunks of time
out each session as he trusts the car and himself more and more. It's a
reaffirmation of how great these cars are and how they attract the "right
crowd."
The Saturday morning session was in the high fifties and the track had
fair amount of dew on it from the even cooler evening. Several people spun
or went off, not accustomed to having to wait a little longer for
everything (including themselves) to come up to temperature. Those most
patient were rewarded in the end by a great surface and good times,
others, spooked by the initial lack of grip, focused on being safe and
consistent rather than outright speed.
Rossi went quite quick, posting a high 2:04 followed closely by Jeff
Wright at a low :05. From there on, it was Krueger, Mangum and Wittman in
the next group followed by a rapidly improving Bungay, McLenagan, Hooks,
Gompels, a cautious Childress, Kane, Taradash (who seemed to have the
light bulb come on mid-way through only the third ever session in this
type of car) Ash, Rubin, Rowell, Carson, Magness and Crumay.
The race in the afternoon was exciting, influenced as always by the
quicker cars (in a straight line) slowly getting up to speed while our
guys were ready to GO! Rossi and Mangum stuffed it inside the Wolf-Dallara
Can-Am car in T1 while Krueger, Wright, Wittman, Mershon and others were
bottled up behind. McLenagan spun in T1, L1 on cold tires, but no harm, no
foul! Good dicing thoughout the pack, esecially from McLenagan and Ash
coming up through the field. Rossi's axle broke after the first lap,
leaving a comfortable gap for Mangum to his pursuers Wright and Krueger.
Scott fell off near the end, allowing Wittman, who prevailed over
hard-charger (and fast lap man) Mershon for the final spot on the podium.
Race finishing order determines the start order for the noon race today,
but fast lap determines start order for the 3PM Sports 2000-only SRCC
race.
Finishing order:
Mangum, Wright, Wittman, Mershon, Childress, Hooks, Bungay, Taradash,
Rubin, McLenagan, Gompels, Rowell, Kane, Ash, Portscher, Magness, Crumay,
Carson Krueger and Rossi.
Mike Taradash must have noticed my winsome expression, watching from the
sidelines this weekend, and graciously offered me the starting seat in the
Enduro, which we duly finished sixth overall after starting eighteenth!
Mark Gompels and Andy Greene paired to finish second (in S2) with Max
Rubin sharing the drive with Walter Carson in Walter's car. Robert
McLenagan shared his car with Don Becker and were going well until
overheating.
-- Peter Krause
[Top]
Scott Krueger's Comments
Great big Thanks to Tom Ash and Mike Crumay for allowing me to consume
their entire inventory of Rivets. (Tom's inventory has McMaster-Carr in
backorder
)
This is what it's all about. 20 cars, good clean racing and best of all,
GREAT FELLOWSHIP! Weather was great, cars were great, people were/are the
GREATEST! Another proud weekend for SRCC.
-- Scott Krueger
ARK Racing
[Top]
Malcolm Magnum's Comments
Thanks to all who helped me reach a personal milestone at VIR this past weekend. Most notable is Dave Blum of Krause & England. The entire staff gives me encouragement, help, and advice, but Dave is the one who got me into this mess! (Pete has given me my best driving advice.)
Andy Greene keeps the Royale pieces coming in, Rollin Butler and Steve Ashworth have kept the engine humming and most of all the support of my wife Missy keep me forging ahead.
Kudos also go to Sasco Sports for supplying the Avon tyres (Editor's comment - how very British of Malcolm) to the ARK project raffle that I happened to win. It was great to meet lots of new participants at VIR as it also was to hang out with old friends. Did I mention how much I paid Sugg to stay home?
Sincerely, Malcolm
[Top]
Photo Album
