Road Atlanta March 2008

NASA SE arranged an event at Road Atlanta in 15-16 March 2008. Saturday was predicted to be bad weather and oh boy were they right in that. Several Tornado warnings, thunderstorms, warnings for people to seek shelter, huge hail, bigger than thumb shooting doen from sky and lots and lots of rain. By Saturday night my nice new tow vehicle was damaged by hail, I got in only 1/2 of the race laps due to schedule, I could not qualify because the track was too slippery for my car and I could barely keep the thing on track in practise, nothing worked, and nothing short of scary drive. I managed to scare even one of the event photographers by sliding through turn 11 towards notorious 12. Horrible day. Time for a new hobby kind of day.
Sunday came, sunshine and nice weather. First session of the day was Thunder qualifying at 8.30. Track was damp in places and someone dumped oil from turns 4 to 7 and caused some additional damage to other cars. Car felt better, and in the dry areas it even felt slightly fun. I qualified 16th out of 35.
The 40 minute race came with split start for MillerMustangs and the rest of the field on the second group. Weather was nice, car felt ok. Start went well, turn 5 ate one Cobra, which I saw bouncing from the right side conrete wall several times littering the grass and the track with a-arms, pieces of wheels and smaller things one could drive over. The driver appeared unharmed. Full course yellow which was taken mighty fast from my standpoint until the safety car slowed us down.
Race restarted once the bigger pieces were collected and I got several places in the curvy part of the track and kept going towards the end. Still slow in the backstraight but 237 hp helps a bit :) Corners wer mine again. Oil leak from the engine appeared to get worse towards the end to the extend of clouding the visor.
Special apology goes to one of the MillerMustangs whom I apparently scared to make piruets in 10B by passing it outside. I was prepared to slow down if he closed the door, but apparently didn't expect me to be there.
I got 6th overall and 3rd in ST-1 class. We had 0.2 second difference to the fastest of the miller Mustangs and I was charging hard on the last turns.
The race was great and the car still works, but only in the dry.
Videos from fellow competitors
7
Click for a video from Jody's Vette
Click for a video from #56 Vette