BuckeyeZ06

The Trans Am Series visited Lime Rock Park this past weekend (September 19 & 20th). This is my second visit to LRP in a Trans Am car, the first was last year when I ended up finishing fourth but was running as high as second during the rain-soaked race. That event marked the middle of some really good races for me in 2013 (bracketed by Mosport and The Glen) in an otherwise dismal first year.

Friday was a full day with three on-track sessions: two practice and then qualifying at 5:10. The first session we were in the mix from the very start, running as high as second fastest in the beginning, ultimately with us ending up sixth fastest with a 53.494 on old tires. I came in during the session to make some adjustments and went out to see how the car felt, but some tire sidewall-to-sideall rubbing with another car put an end to that idea, as I cut a tire and brought the car in. No damage otherwise, so all was good.

Session two we picked up some speed, but so did everyone else. My 52.738 had my fourth fastest, so I felt pretty good going into qualifying. My goal was a lap in the 51s. And that's what I got. I posted a 51.893 which put my 5th on the grid. Amy Ruman didn't go out because she broke a motor in the second practice session, so mentally I was sixth (as she normally outqualifies me). On to the race!

Race day dawned gorgeous. Connecticut in the fall is a beautiful place, and beiong at LRP, with all the race fans walking about made it even better. The track brought in a local Boy's Svout Troop to be the Honor Guard for the National Anthem...how cool. I love the pageatry of Pro Racing.

The start of the race was a clena one for the Trans Am field. I hear that there was some rubbing in the TA2 group, but us "big bore" cars played nice and avoided all that. The first ten or so laps were, for me, designed to settle in a feel the car out. I did run a 52.971 in lap three (the winner ran a 52.390), so those laps weren't all that conservative.

I eventually caught the fourth place car of 2013 champion and current points leader Doug Peterson and set my sights on Cliff Ebben for third. But in lap 55 I went to pass a slower-classed car and that ended my day. The driver of the lapped car, to me, took a pronounced inside line going the Uphill turn, almost signally to me, "I see you, here's your room to pass on the outside." I don't know if that was his intention, but as I was almost past him the nose of his car hit the rear of my passenger door area smashing in my exhaust and destroying the outer rim half of my right rear wheel. I also caught some good "air" as my car ran up the side of his car.

My day was done not the way I wanted it to end, but that's the story of 2014 for me. Last year it was the car that let me down, this year it's the driver. Maybe the third year will be the charm...

Here are some videos for your enjoyment...

Laps 1-10:


Laps 11-25:


Laps 26-35 (a full course yellow was in there):


And laps 40-55. (Another FCY):


I do have to say that of all the tracks we visit in the Trans Am Series, LRP has the most CorvetteForum people who come out and visit. Thanks for stopping by and saying "hi."

Lan.Jet

It was a good race and the weather was great.
It too bad how it ended for you.
Good luck next year.

Subfixer

I was sorry to see you go out early. You were really flying until you were taken out. You would have caught Cliff. I thought Amy might catch you, but she couldn't close the gap before her car quit.

Nobody had anything for the #4 car. I think he had the field covered by half a second a lap.

Great race all the same. As a spectator, I thought it was a great weekend.

Good luck in the next round.