Regional/IT Tour at Gateway

"DASH" RACES ROCK!

Lots of action all over the track for the entire race. I think maybe a 15 lapper versus 20 may have been a better choice due to the heat but the format sure looks good. (Maybe I am a bit biased as one of the sponsors!) Lots of ideas for next year on this one for additional incentives and competition. I cannot remember seeing so many drivers grinning after this. Maybe it was heat stroke that caused the happiness but lots of fun for sure. Watching Mr. Wolverton run down the field for a third place finish after a 4:30 minute handicap was really awsome! Congrats to Mr. Denton on the win and taking the cash. Congrats to all the IT/SM drivers and especially the corner workers who put on a great show and braved the brutal heat to make this a reality.
 
Attaway Flip.
How is that SSC car count coming? Are they going to qualify for Topeka?

Congrats Jeff, you got it coverd going into the next St. Louie race in October. That Neon will be tough to handle there. I hope it will be a little nicer weather in October.

Mac
 
Jeff and I had a great race today. He jumped me into T1 at the start, and it was nose to tail for 30 minutes (except when a yellow Golf was between us). Jeff did a great job of driving. It was REALLY hot there. Tires didn't grip. I still missed that Fast Ole Fart from Ft. Worth....he'd be as skinny as Jeff at the end of this weekend! How was the wedding?
 
Wow, <strike>fun</strike> hot weekend!

Congratulations to Ed on his IT-tour victory. It was a lot of work trying to keep up with you this year, not to mention this weekend. I'm dissapointed in my second place finish in the tour, but it couldn't have been behind a better guy.

Travis, Mac

See you both at the bonus race (as you lap by me).

Travis,

The only thing I heard about with the scales is that tech had my sheet mixed up with another car for about 30 seconds. They straightened that up before I ever rolled off the scales though. Did someone else have an issue that I didn't hear about?
 
Travis,

See you at the bonus race (as you lap by me).
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i'm 50/50 at best at this point. i may be done until next year.

the only word i got was from someone who said they thought they heard one of the IT cars came in underweight. it was probably related to your tech sheet getting goofed.
 
I had a great time this past weekend even with the heat. Thanks to all that helped us with the various issues that cropped up (blistered tire, jack breaking, etc.) I enjoyed racing with Dave (sorry I didnt get down to meet you) in the MR2 and Dana in the Saturn. I felt we had some fun out there even though it was 100+.

Anyone have an email contact for Dana Hillinger? I have some pretty good video footage of his Saturn during qualifying and the race on Saturday I thought he might enjoy.

Speaking of video, I had a pretty good view of the T1 start where the vette, 2nd gen rx7, and some yellow golf (imagine who that could be) blew down into T1, and made it work. I saw them coming as I was getting ready to pass on the inside of the #5 VW and I thought "no way am I getting in front of that train!" I thought for sure there would have been some contact. Just goes to show how skilled some of the drivers are that are racing out there.
 
Hey, I'd like to see that video if possible. They sure bombed T1 at the start! I thought for sure someone was heading for the weeds/tires.
 
Sounds like you guys had a real good time despite the heat. If "Fast Eddie" fom the Ozarks didn't go down from the heat I am sure the rest of you made it easy. Way to hold up the Mazda banner on Sunday, "kid". :cavallo:

Jeff don't sell yourself short, that green thing seems pretty quick in the right spots. That tire wall dance in the rain back in the spring at Hallett and that brain fade on Saturday at HPT have me going to Nashville & (or) Hastings. I need some more points to stay close enough so that you don't have it won before the bonus takes place. I like seeing new towns and new tracks so it is just as well.

Where is the good place for a race crowd to go eat in STL? I will volunteer Ed and I to take a group to someplace half ass famous if there is such. Ed cause he is the elder statesman and me cause I am a nice guy!!! :P

Tnord, is Sidewalk still in the Runoffs picture or is he going to put the heat on Zwolle for the MidAM SM championship?

It is so hot down here that I can't get my welder to fix my mirror mount. (That is what i blame all my spins and offs on this season.....a bad mirror mount!) :mad1:
 
Thanks, the video worked! That looks like Saturday's race. Got one of Sunday?

Mac.....I'm in for going somewhere in STL...even with you! No one will recognize either of us there....well, at least not me. It was HOT....but even an old fat man like me survived! The Miata did well for the conditions.
 
Cool video. There was indeed a freight train of very fast cars that passed on the left during the start of that race. I was one of those hapless drivers (about 3 rows in front of you) that was passed by that bullet train and I felt exactly as you did; "Stay out of the way of those guys!!"

As for the "yellow Golf," Chris Albin does indeed have a very high degree of skill when it comes to throwing his Golf into and out of the turns. His skill as an automotive mechanic also works well to make his Golf lightening fast on the straights.

That is in stark contrast to my own skill level that can clearly be seen in the second lap of the same Saturday IT race. If you have a good shot of the second lap of that race, you'll see the black VW GTI (73) (me, that is) do everything but crash in turns 3A and 3B. The echo of the several tank slaps still ring in my ears. While I struggled mightily to find something that would keep me from crashing big time (and was somehow lucky that something must have worked), Chris would have never even gotten into that situation. For my money, there simply is no IT or GP driver that has more driving skill than Chris.

Additionally, I just have to note that I was lucky enough Sunday to manage to win the ITB I.T. Tour Championship this year (by one point). While I'm indeed proud of that accomplishment, I am acutely aware that if Chris had been able to solve the almost unsolvable electrical problems with his Golf earlier in the year, Chris would have left me and everyone else in ITB way behind in his dust. I have absolutely no doubt that Chris will come roaring back in 2008, and beyond, to reclaim and maintain his firm grasp of the I.T. Tour Championship, the Mid Am Championship, and the Driver of the Year. All the rest of us will revert to competing for the FAA ("First After Albin") award.

Finally, I have to say that Chris did something Sunday after the I.T. Tour race that truly exemplifies Chris as the consummate gentleman athlete that he is. First, it must be noted that Chris actually won the I.T. Tour race Sunday for ITB and took the checkered flag from the marshals as he came into the pits. However, Chris did NOT take a victory lap. Instead, Chris, the winner of the ITB I.T. Tour Championship for about 15 years straight, went straight to tech and waited for me. Then, when I drove up to tech, Chris immediately came over to me and put his checkered flag on my car. He shook my hand and congratulated me as the ITB I.T. Tour Champion. He told me that I had earned it and deserved it. The he said I should be the one with checkered flag on my car because I was the new Champion. It was one of the most thoughtful and respectful things anyone has ever done to me, or for me. I'm sure nobody else would have taken the time, or would have even thought of doing such a wonderful thing. Moments like that are the reason that I have struggled to keep racing over the past 12 years.

I wish I could say something else special or super clever about how great that made me feel, but the only words I have are "Thanks, Chris."

Well, I've probably talked way too much -- especially for my first message on this web site, but this was very important for me to say. Thanks for your indulgence. (And, anyway, you know how hard it is to make a lawyer shut up.!)

DEW
 
I only have the results of you coming back onto the course as I was far enough behind on turn 2 so as not to see how it happened, just the results. I will try to post it tonight.
 
I'll try to download my own in-car video of the "incident" sometime this week. Everyone should get a really big kick when they see my hands flailing in every direction trying to find something - ANYTHING - to keep the car from crashing. It was definitely a low point for my driving skill and it was nothing but dumb luck that kept me from breaking the car badly. I would call it a "brain fart" but in all honesty is was more like "brain diarrhea."

I was also very concerned that my uncontrolled "weaving" was going to mess up the day for one or two of the many other cars that were still not far behind me because it was still just the second lap of the race. I didn't want to ruin their day, too. I'm very glad everyone else had their cars under much better control than I did and that everyone seems to have made it by me without losing more than a little time as they watched my car dance like a whirling dervish.

I heard that the white MR2 ITA Miata was close behind me and got an outside view of the chaos from his in-car video camera. He said he would send me a copy of his video "for my enjoyment." If and when I get that video from him, I'll post it here so everyone can get a great view of my professional (yeah, . . sure) driving style.

You just never know how a race is going to develop. That's one of the reasons I've kept racing for lo these many years. Although I much prefer the adrenaline rush I get from good, close racing, I have to admit even a big screw up like mine still sent a rush of adrenaline -- however the rush only occurred AFTER it was all over and I knew everybody else was OK.

As I've said before, I've been a private pilot for a long time and I would MUCH MUCH rather race a car in SCCA than fly a plane. And, I get to meet, socialize with, and race some great people, too.

Now, if there was just something I could do about the extreme heat at summer events. . . or maybe the very cold in the March events . . . or perhaps the wet, rainy days like those in Hallett last June . . . . .


Doug Warren
ITB VW GTI 73
St. Louis Region
 
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