<VV> [fastvair] Relics--cars and drivers

[Rick Norris]

  Good report Warren. I didn't know about the family reunion surprise. Them women is tricky!
  Rick

    

  We just returned from the Walter Mitty Vintage Road Race at Atlanta 
  Raceway.
  This is not just a road race for us, it is an extraganza for old 
  cars and drivers to get together as a racing family and enjoy the 
  ambience. There were almost 400 cars entered and probably 5 times as 
  many drivers and crew.
  The cars entered are absolutely fabulous: famous Indy racers, Can 
  Ams, TransAms, prototypes, GT40s, Stock cars, motorcycles, clubs 
  racers, everything. We were fed and entertained nearly every evening 
  also.
  Classic Motor Sports were a major sponsor and stopped by to see us 
  (Corvair racers). Our crew--Michael, Tracy, Michelle, Chad, Sharon, and 
  I were interviewed for a vintage magazine. Michael's girlfriend, Tracy, 
  had secerelty arranged for our daughter and son in law to fly in from 
  Houston to surprize us.Job well done! The premise was that this was 
  Daddy's last big race---most likely true.
  The occasion for us personally was that our son Michael had built 
  an exact replica of the Corvair Yenko Stinger YS160 that I had raced in 
  the 70s. So this was the cars debut. Michael is going to driver;s 
  school in it the next week end.
  There were many other Corvair racers and cars there, Rick Norris, 
  Spence Shepherd, Mike Levine, and James Reeve who was the fastest 
  Corvair racer of the day and one whom I never had beaten. James was 
  driving a Stinger prepared by Jeff Moore. Every car at the Mitty has an 
  interesting historic story, which of course is impossible to cover 
  adequately cover here.
  It seem that every one with a Corvair performance interest was 
  there to visit. Even more amazing was the the number of non Corvair 
  owners who stopped by to get acquainted with us and our cars.
  Michael was using his new VERY highly tuned autocross engine and 
  our autocross tires, because it was all that we racing paupers had.
  Most of the entrants had entered a day early on Thursday to get 
  some additional expensive practice: not us; remember previous pauper 
  statement. So my goal on the first Friday practice was to follow the 
  more experienced drivers around; this being Rick and James. I would 
  like to have thought that I could have passed the James ---still 
  unproven of course--but realize that I could only learn from behind. 
  Everything went well and the engine ran perfectly except for the new 
  fuel pump that we had to purchase between practive sessions.
  For my fellow autocrossers, envision the famous esses at Road 
  Atlana as an up and down hill, no visiblility slalom with speed bumps 
  as pylons; then visualize drivng this at 80 to 90 mph with another car 
  trying to pass you in the slalom. I loved every moment of it, for a 
  short time I believed that I was 30 years old again---until I had to be 
  helped out of the car.
  I was fairly quickly able to bring back old racing skills without 
  peeing in my 43 year old racing uniform.
  Speaking of safety equipment, I am having a lot of trouble 
  adapting to the limited movement HANS device. Someone always had to 
  help me into and out of it.
  On the last practice session the new engine blew. Michael and the 
  volunteer crew led by Barry Ellison switched the engines and had it 
  back running in about 1 hr and 45 min. The spare engine was 10 years 
  old but had proven reliable and was less radical. The new engine had 
  thrown the only new, to us, part, one of the Rabbit rods modified for 
  Corvair use.
  In the qualifying the older engine was more than 1000 rpm down. 
  For the next race we changed nearly everything and the problem was even 
  worse in the final race. We're surmising that it was the electronic 
  module failing in the distuributor; and we had a points distributer 
  with us of course.
  Michael's car handled beautifully and made the day worth while 
  even with all of the troubles. All of the Corvairs finished the races.
  Every Corvair engined car there had 3.55 gears and double close 
  gear boxes; ours had an open 4 spyder differential, which I liked very 
  well and may be reason that it didn't push in the corners.
  Now, another reason for the for the Corvair interst was Mike 
  Levines V8 Corvair which he ran in the prototype class against 
  everything that you could imagine, even a couple of GT-40s.
  Mike had arranged a co drive/CHALLENGE in the 1 hour enduro between 
  himself, James Reeve and I. Five minute pits stops, driver change and 
  refueling were mandatory. Did I mention that Mike's car car has a 406 
  CID mid engined Chevy V8 with 540 Horsepower and the same size tires 
  and the Corvair engined cars?
  Mike and James can write their own stories, but here is my 
  admittedly slanted point of view:
  James had previously driven the car at Roebling road . I had 
  driven it one circuit around the paddock.
  I was about ready to hyper ventilate when Mike handed the car off 
  to me. My only instruction was not to excede 6000 rpm and to be careful 
  with throttle application. 6000 in 3rd was great in the esses. The car 
  turns in slower than Michael's , probalbly due to the 700 pound weight 
  difference, but I adapted quickly.
  When I left the esses I tried what I thought was easy throttle 
  application and looked like a Pinto on ice.
  I hit the 6000 rpm (3.27 diff 25 " tires) in 4th gear about 1/3 of 
  the way onto the back straight, then just waited for the next turn. NO 
  car was faster onto the straights than the V8 Corvair. On the 5th lap 
  I was waved in and James took over. I think that James had about 10 
  laps. However, I was the fastest driver, in ths car in this in this 
  race. It was only a .2 sec. victory , but I'll take it. Thanks for the 
  great and somewhat scary ride MIke!
  We had wonderful suport from out Corvair buddies and ladies this 
  week end, and expecially by the Angels, Pat and Mary Anne who fed us.
  Now back to real life.

  Warren



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