Road America, July 4th, and 1776

[Susan Addison]

We worked until 7:00 pm, raced home, finished packing the 31 foot RV and headed for Wisconsin. I had not been in the car since Daytona, and my feet were itching to go.

When I called to register, I was told the only group open was the Masters National
Championship Group. Ok, I did three races in the rain at Road America two years ago, I can do that.

We drove 327 miles the first night and crashed after a very full three days of work, and night of driving. We were trying to get on track for Friday. Thursday we had 500+ miles to go. In an 8 ton vehicle at 9 miles to the gallon you do not travel as fast as in my M3. Exhaustion caught up with us at the Wisconsin border, so we stopped, thinking we could still get in early enough Friday to get on track. We arrived at noon. I missed my practice session and the next time out was qualifying. Ok, so I will be at the back, it is seat time.

Off we go. The tail end is stepping out on me with a tendency to oversteer. I will adjust.
Wow, this track does not look familiar at all. I know the turns, but I have only driven the rain line. It is totally different in the dry. Even with the oversteer and learning the track, I managed to pull out a 2:52. Could be worse for a 4.0 mile track. I decided to ask if there was another car, as I am not prone to cars that oversteer. I got a chance to run a practice in Group 5, with a new car. Greg tells me it is a little fast and not to get used to it they are going to change it. That car was the best balanced car I have ever driven with Skip. I had more fun, and knew instantly what the 888 miles of struggle to get there was all about. The sun was shinning, the weather was cool, the car was set up just right for me. Even through extra traffic, I pulled out a 2:50. Moving in the right direction, for the second time on this track. We had already qualified for race one, and Saturday was qualifying for race two, and the race. No extra practice.

Friday night was great bar-b-que, fellowship, and fireworks. A must do for all Skippy drivers. It dawned on me, it was the Fourth of July, and we were making a 1776 mile round trip to race. What better thing could you do to celebrate 1776? No time to analyze or strategize for the next day. Group two was early. Let?s see what we can do. Off we went, I am still overslowing the entry to several corners. I work all fourteen corners individually. I get better through all but 1 and 5. We only have five laps through each corner, not much time to adjust. Bob Ziegle told me I was still not getting Turn 5. He asked me if I knew why, and I told him. He said ?Why did you not fix it??, but he did not tell me how. Finally talking to Gerardo, he explained how to fix it. That session I did a 2:46:2. Maybe I did not get Turn 5, but I found four seconds. I knew there was more.

Race 1, was a free for all at Turn 1, but we all got through. One lap down, no major snafus. Race was uneventful for me until, I decided to try entering Turn 8 a little hotter and spun driver?s right. Got restarted, watched for cars crossed the track and entered safely. I got down to Canada Corner and someone was in the gravel. A lap later he was out of the gravel and desperately chasing me into Turn 14 on the last lap. He was driving like a crazy man. Do I challenge him or let him put himself off? He cut across me and I had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. Later he told me he was so upset about being in the gravel, he just had to pass someone, even though he was still a lap down.

Race 2, Sunday morning, started with cool, sunny weather. I knew the race could not be won in Turn 1, but it could be lost. Sure enough, four wide into the right hand Turn1. Amazing, we were all through safely. Ok, watch out for Turn 3. A little shuffling, but we were alright. Cresting the hill down the straight to Turn 5, I see someone go airborn, then barrel roll three times. Wow, what a sight. We all had to get whoaed down fast. Two cars are off, another is limping, but no more hits. I am shaking my head in disbelief, wondering if the guy is alright. Ray comes on the radio and tells me he is out and waving to the crowd. Whew, what a relief. I have only seen two guys barrel roll in my three years of running Skippy. It is a driver?s worst nightmare. How did it happen?
Cannot think about that now, I need to get on. Black flag showing at all stations. Back to pit lane for the restart. Michael (MJ) was behind me on the first start, the guy next to me went right and Michael pulled up along side of me. That is probably what will happen again. What do I do differently? It probably will not matter. It did not, I still enter Turn 1 on the outside, but we get single file down to Turn 3. Everyone is safely through Turn 5, off we go. Start Finish shows 7 Laps to go. Good, now I can get a run in. I am faster through the Carousel, flat at the apex of the Kink, yippee!! Now, just get Turn 12, Canada corner, and I should have a good lap time. Woops, frantically waving yellows at 12. Three cars in the gravel, all seem ok. There goes that lap. Full course yellow for three laps to clean up the mess. I later learned someone?s brakes failed and he took two cars off with him as he did not stop until he hit the tire wall. Four laps to go and we are under way again. Those delays really mess with your rhythm on the track, as well as concentration and focus. Back to work, where am I? It looks like am 12th. So today the old adage, the race is not necessarily to the swift, may work in my favor. Steady on, be consistent, hit your marks, pick up more speed. Let?s see what we can do. Lap 7, rhythm returning, this one can be good. Whoops, a madly waving yellow in Canada corner. I can see someone in the gravel, maybe there is someone in the road. He is waving that thing so frantically. Slow down, no one in the road, hit it. There is the white flag, as I check my mirrors, he is out of the gravel and coming, a small speck, but angry as a hornet. He may catch me somewhere. At Turn 8, I check the mirrors, here comes the hornet, he is trying to fly inside me into the corner. Ok, I will get him on the repass. Oh no, if I do not brake I will hit him. Just kills my run out of the corner. I stay with him through the Carousel, through the Kink he gains a little, but I am not close enough to take him at Canada. Maybe Turn 14, no, he takes a defensive line. There is the checker, 12 is not bad. It is worth 4 points. The mad hornet later tells me he knew it was a high risk to take, but he went for it. Good thing it was me and not someone else he pulled it on, or they would both have been out. My time is coming.


Susan