Spoiler - Speed GT Watkins Glen
06-10-2007, 03:31 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Spoiler - Speed GT Watkins Glen
1st Pobst, P-car
2nd Aschenbach, Caddy +1.39 sec.
3rd LG, LGM vette, +8.97 sec.
other corvettes:
7th Whelen
8th Kubinski
9th Gaples
12th Peterson
Eric Curran led first 10 laps, then started to suffer misfires and finally retired after 17 laps
Race story
http://www.world-challenge.com/news/story.php?ID=637
Race will be broadcast on SPEED 6/30 at 4PM Eastern
2nd Aschenbach, Caddy +1.39 sec.
3rd LG, LGM vette, +8.97 sec.
other corvettes:
7th Whelen
8th Kubinski
9th Gaples
12th Peterson
Eric Curran led first 10 laps, then started to suffer misfires and finally retired after 17 laps
Race story
http://www.world-challenge.com/news/story.php?ID=637
Race will be broadcast on SPEED 6/30 at 4PM Eastern
06-11-2007, 09:43 AM
#3
Instructor
Member Since: Jul 2006
Location: Rochester NY
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Congrats Lou!
I was there to see it in person and it was awesome! Tried to find you Lou after the race but figured you were busy, I will enjoy the inside report that we all hope you will post on the race. Looks like the 10% increase in power and 100 less pounds adjustment they gave the Porsche is a little too much, hopefully the SCCA will help GM soon. Great racing, to bad about Curran.
Lou's Teammate Peterson
Lou's Teammate Peterson
Last edited by nytoy; 06-11-2007 at 11:06 AM.
06-13-2007, 10:38 AM
#4
Premium Supporting Vendor
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Location: Dallas Tx
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St. Jude Vendor Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11
Hi Guys,
Well, we put together another podium after a dismal qualifying of 6th place. (they threw out my best two times for driving outside the rumble strips on the exit of turn 1). Luckily I was able to back it up with another good time to at least qualify 6th.
I got a good start, after watching Pilgrim jump the start again. It is not hard to jump like he did so I won't criticize him for it. It can happen.
My start went well, and I pulled along side of Pilgrim on his left and we went up the hill into turn 2 side by side. I knew he had to stop so I thought he would give in but he pushed me off line and I had to get behind him and let him go.
When he pulled off for his penalty, I assumed 4th place and when the Curran Corvette was in the lead, I was catching the top 3 very easily. I had to fight off Archer's Viper in a good duel racing side by side into the "Bus stop" a couple of times. I had to take the "Defensive" line and I controled the corner. He stayed close for a while and after the full course yellow, but I finally held the position.
After Archer left me alone, I was catching the lead trio fairly easily. The Porsche with their new found advantage, was all over the curran car staying close and probably playing it as though it was hard when in fact he could have taken the lead any time. (good for politics and playing as though it was hard) the Porsche team does a good job of setting fast lap and running up front and claiming they still need help in the rules. Go figure.
At any rate, at the half way point the Porsche took the lead and shortly after the curran Vette came into the pits for a burned plug wire. He lost a few laps and his race was essentially over.
I tried my best to catch up to the Porsche and caddy but after the Porsche took the lead, he set the fastest lap and then "slowed down". He just maintained a clear margin without going any faster than he already showed.(fast lap is bad for Politics
)
Then remember the Caddy of Pilgrim that had a stop and go and started from last after the Yellow? Well, he charged through the field and caught me with 5 laps to go.
If they covered this, it was probably the best racing of the day. I had to fight him off, lap after lap in the last 5 laps. Of course after I slammed the door on him a couple of times, I am sure that he figured that he would settle for 4th place and the championship point lead.
Still I had to hit every mark and run near perfect "qualifying laps" to stay ahead. I had saved my tires for the end, and with light fuel and good tires I was able to hold him off and set my fast lap of a 1:55.7 http://www.world-challenge.com/event...lts.php?ID=450
This 3 place along with my 3rd at Long Beach and the second place in Utah put me back up to 6th in the points. Unfortunately the DNF's at Sebring and Charlotte hurt the point total.
Just 5 races left starting at Toronto Cart Indy car event then on to Mid ohio, Mosport, Atlanta and Laguna. 3 of the 5 are great tracks for me so we are hopeful for 5 good finishes. SCCA Pro tech staff is constantly working on getting the cars equal.
I will have to carry an extra 70 pounds at Toronto for my podium finishes which won't help. So be it.
My team mate, Doug Peterson had a great start but got tangled up with a Porsche and he got a flat right front tire, and had to make a pit stop for it. He came back to 12th place after 2 pit stops. Good run for sure.
The 3 podium finishes puts us on top of the Corvette list, but racing is racing and you never know what can happen next.
See you at the races, and for those of you near Texas, you can sign up for my LG Driving Clinic at www.thepreformancedrivingschool.com
Thanks guys.
Lou Gigliotti LGM
Well, we put together another podium after a dismal qualifying of 6th place. (they threw out my best two times for driving outside the rumble strips on the exit of turn 1). Luckily I was able to back it up with another good time to at least qualify 6th.
I got a good start, after watching Pilgrim jump the start again. It is not hard to jump like he did so I won't criticize him for it. It can happen.
My start went well, and I pulled along side of Pilgrim on his left and we went up the hill into turn 2 side by side. I knew he had to stop so I thought he would give in but he pushed me off line and I had to get behind him and let him go.
When he pulled off for his penalty, I assumed 4th place and when the Curran Corvette was in the lead, I was catching the top 3 very easily. I had to fight off Archer's Viper in a good duel racing side by side into the "Bus stop" a couple of times. I had to take the "Defensive" line and I controled the corner. He stayed close for a while and after the full course yellow, but I finally held the position.
After Archer left me alone, I was catching the lead trio fairly easily. The Porsche with their new found advantage, was all over the curran car staying close and probably playing it as though it was hard when in fact he could have taken the lead any time. (good for politics and playing as though it was hard) the Porsche team does a good job of setting fast lap and running up front and claiming they still need help in the rules. Go figure.
At any rate, at the half way point the Porsche took the lead and shortly after the curran Vette came into the pits for a burned plug wire. He lost a few laps and his race was essentially over.
I tried my best to catch up to the Porsche and caddy but after the Porsche took the lead, he set the fastest lap and then "slowed down". He just maintained a clear margin without going any faster than he already showed.(fast lap is bad for Politics
)Then remember the Caddy of Pilgrim that had a stop and go and started from last after the Yellow? Well, he charged through the field and caught me with 5 laps to go.
If they covered this, it was probably the best racing of the day. I had to fight him off, lap after lap in the last 5 laps. Of course after I slammed the door on him a couple of times, I am sure that he figured that he would settle for 4th place and the championship point lead.
Still I had to hit every mark and run near perfect "qualifying laps" to stay ahead. I had saved my tires for the end, and with light fuel and good tires I was able to hold him off and set my fast lap of a 1:55.7 http://www.world-challenge.com/event...lts.php?ID=450
This 3 place along with my 3rd at Long Beach and the second place in Utah put me back up to 6th in the points. Unfortunately the DNF's at Sebring and Charlotte hurt the point total.
Just 5 races left starting at Toronto Cart Indy car event then on to Mid ohio, Mosport, Atlanta and Laguna. 3 of the 5 are great tracks for me so we are hopeful for 5 good finishes. SCCA Pro tech staff is constantly working on getting the cars equal.
I will have to carry an extra 70 pounds at Toronto for my podium finishes which won't help. So be it.
My team mate, Doug Peterson had a great start but got tangled up with a Porsche and he got a flat right front tire, and had to make a pit stop for it. He came back to 12th place after 2 pit stops. Good run for sure.
The 3 podium finishes puts us on top of the Corvette list, but racing is racing and you never know what can happen next.
See you at the races, and for those of you near Texas, you can sign up for my LG Driving Clinic at www.thepreformancedrivingschool.com
Thanks guys.
Lou Gigliotti LGM
Last edited by LG Motorsports; 06-13-2007 at 11:29 AM.
06-13-2007, 10:59 AM
#5
Instructor
Member Since: Jul 2006
Location: Rochester NY
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Nice report! Yes it was a good battle at the end with Pilgram but I was thinking to myself I'm betting Lou saved tires for this since the leaders were pretty far away, nice work.
