<VV> Corvair Racing, Corvairs win the day!

[Rick Norris]

We rolled in the door at 7 PM this evening from VIR.
We stayed to watch David make his run.

My session in Group 2 was on track at 9:50 AM after a 1 1/2 hour enduro for Group 9, ECR 2. That was a good thing as it allowed more time for the sun to warm the track and those guys to Squeegee and dry the track for us. There was a slight delay from the appointed time while they repaired the tire wall from the first race.
 We rolled out on the pace lap and when the green flew it was a fair start except for one FP Fiat 124 Spyder who locked up the brakes at the end of the front straight and went off taking out several brake zone markers. Another car that was behind him went right off with him. Been there, almost did that! Again my car would not rev past five grand until a few laps in but still not much more. This made me change my driving style as I was short shifting but, it was in the good torque range. I was trying to pass a couple of Mazdas or something. I never looked that close. I could catch them in the corners and especially in the climbing esses but didn't have the revs to pass so, I just waited. I saw the lead car was using a lot of brakes and smoking the tires trying to keep his buddy from passing. I figured it was just a matter of time until they would fade. It happened in the Nascar turn when he went in too hot, locked them up and went straight off with his buddy right on his tail. I couldn't see thru the cloud but went left to avoid them. Two more I didn't have to worry about.
Out of 27 cars I placed 12th over all and 4th in EP! Gotta love attrition... I ran consistent if slow and the car handles great as it always has. My best lap time on the full 3.27 course was 2:30.163.
Compare that with the winner who was turning a 2:11.421 in a 97 BMW Z3! He lapped me like I was parked!

Then came David. I will let him tell his tale in detail but, after the broken crank pulley episode which, he got fixed was a good one.
He got out on the track and made the pace lap then, it was too long until he made the next pass. Coming down the hill we could not hear his engine. He drove it around to the paddock saying the belt was off. We ran back to his truck, got a belt and Barry was feverishly installing it. I realized we did not spray it with silicone so, I ran (yes, I RAN) back to my trailer and returned with a can and hosed the pulleys down, fired up and back out on the track five laps down. He needed to go back out and finish because with only one other SPU car in the class which had already broke he knew he could win 1st place which, he did.

So now the VIR curse is off two of us. Yeah Michael, we missed you.

It was a fantastic week end with great weather, good friends and racing Corvairs. Ya'll shoulda been there.

Rick Norris
#36 Sunoco Corvair
www.corvairalley.com

Ps. I'll have photos up later but, neither one of us has a video. Operator error in both cases.