<VV> Lime Rock

[Smitty Smith]

Smitty Says:  Got back from Lime Rock this evening.  Driving that historic track was a real rewarding and special experience for me.  No I did not do well.  I will not beg off on my lack of skill by blaming the street tires.  On my timed laps I was so wired I couldn't believe it.  All day long I had been taking inputs from those experienced ones I trust and learning on my own.  I had studied and worked on each of the turns and got some of them pretty well.  But when it came time for the hot laps all the things I was trying to do became forced and unnatural to me, resulting in over driving corners and getting badly off line in some.  Never mind all that though because I had a blast.  I see now why people consider Lime Rock to be a technically difficult track.  For instance when I got it right a couple of times, coming down under the bridge and then taking the turn wide open, and then having the speed drift the car out within a quarter inch of the edge before straightening
 out, was a thrill I will enjoy the rest of my life.  Paul Whelan of the Central VA club co-drove Spike and I am sure pulled more of the potential out of the car.  Spike ran flawlessly and pulled like a freight train.  Easily ran right up to the rev limiter at 6,200 with the archaic points and coil system.  (So put that in your Pertronics and smoke it).  Between the two of us we maybe did 50 to 100 laps and never laid a wrench on him.  We would lift the lid and check to see if the fan was still there and then go out and kick his butt again.  For those sweat shirts who don't believe a stock fuel line can feed a turbo at full boost, consider this.  Spike has two YH's and a Rajay (and a mechanical fuel pump) and he never came up short on the $8.75 a gallon liquid diet he was getting at easily 120 mph.  The waste gate was set at 12 psi to conserve the pistons.  (So stick that in your electric fuel pump's ear ).
  And the lifters were adjusted cold.  ggggggggg  After running the track all day Monday we put Spike on the trailer and let him rest to Richmond.  Took him off the trailer there and drove him the last two hours home at 80 mph.  Spike he be a good ole dawg.