[Jase007]

Fellow Dorki:

Well, this year our Jeff 500 experience wasn't without incident. During the Eifel race Sunday morning Jim in the IROC and another competitior tried to go through #3 two wide...at a high rate of speed. It didn't work. The cars touched and Jim being on the outside "exited the race surface" and went nose into the tire wall, apparently jumping the gravel trap

The car barrel rolled to the left and landed upright with the front on the tires. All this with the two racing for the lead and only 2 of 18 laps left. Jim went to the hospital to get checked out and was kept overnight at Fairfax / Inova. He is doing fine, looking to fix the car and get back into the saddle. When I put him on a plane back to CT Monday afternoon he was asking the wheel cheer lady if she was "single" As someone here mentioned, he is a "tough old bastard" and will be back soon.

My Eifel race experience (in #60 2.0L) was interesting as I was running 1:28s, right in the front pack of the 944 cup cars (this was familiar as I was chased by them qualifying at the same place last year). At the start the more aggressive 944s got by and then I was caught in the melee. Got clear of several cars to see Tony K a little ways back coming in his 951. I thought, "oh no.... I'll never live this one down!!" Got on the gas and had a great battle with 944 cup driver Jersey Joe. I would get him going deep into #1 on the inside but wasn't on cam coming out (in 2nd, 1st was to low) and he would get me back before three. This happened 3 laps in a row until I finally got enough 'stiction" to [wait for it] go two wide through #3

However, I was on the inside, gave Jersey Joe room (not much but enough) and around we went up over the hill and I was able to get him by #4 (the kink going down the chute). Although I would have hoped that he was crestfallen from being passed by a 2000cc car, such was not the case. He dogged me until the end, making my life "uncomfortable" when we hit traffic. At the line ... I was only 3-4 cars ahead of him. GREAT Race!!

I got back from the hospital Sunday afternoon in time to strap in for the Cunningham part #2 of the enduro in the 356. I was looking forward to resuming my battle with Dave Coleman / Hank Whisker in their Jag and the little Yellow Triump TR4 that couldn't get by the Jag. On the previous day (Saturday) the enduro was shortened b/c a car dumped major oil down the chute. In the race on Saturday I chased the TR4 who chased the Jag for almost the entire 20 minutes of the shortened race. My "problem" was that I could get one (the TR4) but not both in a pass. The TR4, like my 356, had to get by going into #1 or down the chute, build up a lead and hope the Jag didn't catch up by the braking zone for #1 the next lap. Great plan, FRUSTRATED execution. The TR4 wouldn't make the move on the Jag. Later on Sat. Hank told me that he could see me getting ready to bump and rub (ala NASCAR) the TR4 out of the way if the race didn't end soon.


So.... I finally get my chance, around both the TR4 AND the Jag on the OUTSIDE in 5 ...Whew -hoo!!! ... wait ... who are these other cars coming through!!! Jim in the #60 2.0L was fighting off a '65 Mustang GT 350 (same sort of plan ... had to build lead on the back side of track to stay ahead of him on the front straight). And just as I recovered from my "minor" 2 wheel drop I had to kill my momentum as Jim and the GT350 came across my nose going into #6. You can imagine, with my momentum gone and the Jag and TR4 with a head of steam ... all my work was for naught Great racing regardless. Good lesson, sometimes the one chance you get is "screwed up" by circumstances beyond your control ... expecially when you are related to them

So, Cunningham Part #2 on Sunday afternoon was uneventful. Couldn't catch the Jag b/c of strung out start and the TR4 wasn't in the game. Developed a severe vibration (hanging puck in RR caliper) which Doug E. and Jim R. were kind enough to confirm wasn't a flat spotted tire or tire going down (during my mandatory 5 min pit). Turn 9 and 10 were "exciting" with the tub wanting to shudder its way across the track at high speed. I was aiming for the grass inside of the apex curb to "play the shuddering / loss of traction" thing right. Wow can this car slide.

Here are a few pics from Shadow_Catcher (Jeff 500 and Rennsport Reunion II)

MANY, many thanks are owed to Mark W., Doug E., Jim R., and other Potomac / Dorki who helped out. Looking forward to next year!

Jase

[Jase007]

Check the images on Shadow_Catchers site. Page #2 on.

Here are a few I took:

Team SSPI:



Crew Sleeping (Mark W.'s G-friend)



Jim watching the Saturday deluge



Jim working on splitter damaged in minor off on Saturday practice:



Jase

[Charlie Stylianos]

Awesome report, Jason. Sounded like LOTS of fun. Hope your father recovered quickly and is back up to speed.

BTW: The links didnt work.

[Jim Richards]

Great fun out at the track on Sunday, well except for Jim's shunt.

Here's a couple of additional pics from Sunday:
My daily driver:

Jim Scott leading a parade:

Like father, like son (Jase007 in 911 #60):

Jim S. taking the pass for the overall lead:

Tony K. leaving the traffic behind:

JimS. leading his arch rival through the carousel:

Jase ready to start the Cunningham #2 enduro:

[VaSteve]

Holy cow! This looks scary:

[Jase007]

Isn't that a great shot! I tried to link it but, had problems. That is Wes Schotz's car in the carousel ... avoiding what looks to be contact

Either Wes or Ray P. from ASG are driving. Great shots Jim R. I think the Eifel provided the most viewing entertainment (shunt aside) for the whole weekend.

Jase

[Souk]

Nice write up. Sorry for Jim's troubles, but it looked like you guys had a great weekend....nice pictures too!

[Parenn911]

Great write up and photos Jase! Sorry to hear about your father, I hope he is back on his feet and is ready to tear up the track soon.

[cmartin]

Glad to hear Pop is doing ok.

I wanna race