Post by aquavelvis on May 22, 2016 10:47:48 GMT -6
Interesting day as the GTP race was completed at 12:30, just in time to take a 2-hour break for a birthday party, with the LMP half of the show run after the party had cleared out. We were done by 5 PM, just as local wing car racers started filtering in for the first race of the summer points series…of course, the earliest of them, Jeff Coulam, got dragged into marshalling for us. Thanks Jeff!
GTP
Seven racers were present for GTP, including first-time scale racer John Campa, brother of long-time local racer Charles Campa, who most of us know is a detective with SAPD. John is about to retire from the SA Fire Department, so service to the city is obviously important to this family. Thanks, guys, and we hope to see both of you at the track more often.
In qualifying, PA Watson was last to go, and he proceeded to invalidate all of our earlier efforts with a new track record of 5.2955. Very nice…there are some of us, me included, who can’t go that fast with a Group F wing car.
In the race, however, PA and Parker Thompson ran into lap one, turn one trouble with crashed cars and traffic, while I got away from the field on black…go figure…and opened up a seven-lap lead after six heats. PA closed in during the last two heats to get within four, but it was too late and he had to settle for second. Parker brought it home in third, seven down to PA.
Concours winner was Charles Campa's Cox retro-themed O/S Bentley painted by PA Watson.
GTP results (racer.laps.fast lap)
1. Scott Taylor.............245......5.5389
2. PA Watson...............241......5.5461
3. Parker Thompson......234......NT
4. John Gonzalez..........222......5.7115
5. Charles Campa.........200......6.4181
6. James Meadours.......197......6.5386
7. John Campa............162......7.4681
LMP
PA basked in TQ glory again in LMP with a run of 5.5421.
PA led the race from the get-go as the rest of us found early trouble, and we never really got close as he was able to take an easily-managed eight lap lead into heat 8. Parker and I raced hard for second in heat 8 and I eked it out by 20 feet. Gonzo and James rounded out the field of five as los hermanos Campa took off after GTP instead of waiting around during the birthday party.
PA also took LMP concours honors with a self-painted Red Fox Acura.
LMP results (racer.laps.fast lap)
1. PA Watson...............239......5.7613
2. Scott Taylor.............233......5.7704
3. Parker Thompson......233......5.9290
4. John Gonzalez..........219......6.0391
5. James Meadours.......198......6.6995
Thanks to:
● Jim Honeycutt for the race place and race directing
● Cliff Wheeler for marshalling both races while dealing with renters and general shop business
● Jeff Coulam for walking in at 4:30 to practice with his wing cars and getting dragooned into marshalling the switchback in LMP
● as always, Bruce Whiteman for moral support and guidance
● and to all the scale series racers, past and present, whether present physically or in spirit