Hampton Roads Club Mini

I took the 510 race car to VIR this past weekend for some good old fashioned racin. It was a double race weekend with a 15 minute qualifying and 30 minute race on Saturday and again on Sunday. The SCCA runs multiple classes in the same run group with my class is the slowest class in the run group. They had all the different Production classes plus they threw in the Spec Racer Ford's just to spice thing up.

The Saturday qualifying was a free for all. The Spec Wreckers were trying to see just how many SRF cars they could take out. The idea that qualifying is all about getting a fast clean lap is beyond these guys. They just strap on a racer car, go out and have at it. They ended up having to black flag us and bring everybody to pit lane because there was just too many dead cars (or pieces of cars) laying around the track and needed a few minutes to clean some of it up. I did end up getting one reasonably clean lap and qualified third out five cars in class. Okay so one guy broke early, I'm still counting him.

Now for the afternoon race. On the pace lap we came out of the last turn onto the front straight all lined up two wide watching for the green flag. The flag waves and we off. Lets pause here a moment. Now think about 45 MINI owners go to get ice cream. They all park their cars and are standing around talking when the owner of the ice cream shop comes out and announces he only has one pint of ice cream left. The mad rush to inside that store is the same as this group of guys trying to fit 45 car through one turn at the same time. Everyone seems to think they can win the race in the first turn.

Okay, on with the story. some how we all get through without too much bent sheet medal and flying debris. It usually takes one lap for things to settle out and during that time I try to make my car as small as possible. Once the craziness had moved up the track I set about doing some serious racing. The second place car was right in front of me and on the second lap I got a run on him coming onto the back straight and made the pass for second place going into turn at the top of the hill (turn 14). He hung onto my bumper for a while but I slowly walked away from him. I then set my sights on a group of three cars mixing it up. They were two Spec Racer Fords and an E production 240Z. E Prod is the fastest of the production classes and I wanted me some EP butt. Knowing these cars have the legs to walk away from me in the straights my only hope was to out turn them and if I did get a pass it would only last until the next straight.  Two laps later the 240Z makes a mistake going through a high speed turn and losses momentum. I take advantage and get my pass coming through turn 10. Of course coming out of turn 11a on to the back straight he's right there and once the wheels are pointed down the straight he drives right by me. That's okay I got my bite of EP and was happy. On the next lap at the same turn I got a really good run coming through turn 10 and out braked the 240Z going into turn 11 for my second big bite of EP butt. Again once we hit the straight I just smiled and waved as he went by. A few turns later he passed on of the SRF cars so now it was time to pick on a Spec Wrecker. I never got a chance to get around him but I pushed him through the turns really hard. I never touched him but there were a few times that if we had an extra layer of paint on the cars it would have been too much. In fact he drove off track twice trying to get away from me but I couldn't capitalize on it. He was too busy watching me in the mirrors than watching where he was going.

Finally coming down the front straight I see the one lap to go sign. Now I have a history of doing stupid things on the last lap and end up taking myself out. So this time I was thinking as I crossed the start/finish line for the last lap that I was going to back off and not push it. Racing these guys had been fun but with them being in different classes it wouldn't have helped my finishing position even if I did get around them so I decided to ease off, let them go and concentrate on a clean lap. Maybe this was a bad choice because coming through turn 3 the engine started to lose a little power. While braking for turn 4 I noticed that my oil pressure was bouncing A LOT. This is not good. I needed to get the car stopped before I hurt the engine too much but I was in a really bad spot to stop. I said to myself I'll milk it through the next series of turns then pull off in a safe spot. Between turns 5 and 5a the death rattle starts so I moved off line just in case the worst happens. Sure enough right at the exit of 5a I hear and loud BANG the the sound of metal pieces bouncing off the bottom of the car. Another case of the last lap blues.

Once they towed me back to impound my crew quickly pushed me across the scales for my official after race weighing. It turns out that one of the HP car had broken before I did so even with a blown motor I still finished in third place. I think I'm going to modify my third place plaque by attaching a bent rod to it. Also once the results were posted it turns out that I had the fastest lap time of all the H production cars with a 2:25.1.

So even though I have some new ventilation holes in my engine block I feel good. I had a great race, a ton of fun and turned the fastest laps of my class. You know ice cream is good but it's not nearly as sweet as taking a little 510 and getting a big old bite of a 240Z.

Great story Roy!  Sorry to hear about the holy block though...  If you need a hand with stuff, give me a holler!

Roy, correct me if I'm wrong. Wasn't it you that qouted Colin Chapman just before the MAM Turkey Run "build it to go fast and finish the race, if it falls to pieces after that, it has served its purpose"?

Sounds like you could have used about 40 seconds more before ventilating the 510s block, heh, heh....that's a cool story at any rate.

Yep, that was me but I sure could have used about another minute and 45 seconds. I still had another 12 turns to go before I'd get back to the start/finish line. But hey, at least I don't have to do any body work.

Thanks, you just might be hearing from me.