Lime Rock Fall Vintage Festival, Aug 29 to Sep 1, 2003
Most pictures on this page can be clicked on for a larger version.
This was my 4th time at the Lime Rock Fall Vintage festival but the first time that two events in a row were put on by the same group. The race was organized again by Steve Earle and General Racing, who also organize the huge Monterey Historics race in California. This race was not fully subscribed so my NH friends Andy and Laurie Sanborn were able to enter at the last minute, glad they could make it down! They had a great tent setup next to their trailer which came in handy after it started raining later in the weekend.
Our paddock with my 911, Andy's, Laurie's, Jens', and Prescott Kelly's in the next paddock space (click for larger picture):
Andy had severe brake problems, tried fitting new calipers but they were not compatible. Ended up putting different Rig Red's on the front and bleeding a few times and they ALMOST worked! Here is Andy working on his brakes (again)
Andy and laurie working on his brakes:
Ducks in a row! Note something weird about this picture? (photoshop cheating!)
I got some "new" old 15 x 9 BBS wheels for my rear bias ply tires specified by this race's rules from a RENNLIST member, then found out the rules were going to be open. I was able to mount these tires myself with some long screwdrivers after leaving them out in the sun, nice and soft! I started off on the Hoosier Street TDs on Friday to see how they would do. They were very fast, but I wore the left front badly, as it was on too narrow a rim (7"). Looked like someone sliced it with a knife on the 2nd row... so I put the radials on for Saturday.
My Hoosier Street TD tires and rear BBS wheels (BARELY fit!). Note the Lola on the left, he will end up as my main competition on Monday!
Laurie and Minerva
My 911 still with the Hoosier Bias Ply tires on Friday:
My engine with the covers I made Thursday night at home while Andy and Laurie were getting to the track just in time to register and set up the paddock. I found that the K & N Rain Shields soaked up 5 HP on the dyno from 6200 - 7200 so I put these aluminum plates under them, with my MFI cold start line installed on the left plate. When it's dry, I can pull off the rain shields and it looks like this:
Friday was practice, and Andy was able to get out for the 2nd one. Friday night was a banquet in honor of John Fitch, one of the greatest American drivers of all time and an all around amazing man! Fighter pilot (shot down the 1st German Jet in WW2 in his P51 Mustang!) racer, and inventor (Fitch barriers). There was an excellent movie about him and many old friends related stories.
Saturday
The pace lap of Saturdays race, with Andy on the left. Jim Newton's new blue flyweight PCA GT4 wondercar (vintage?!?) is on the right. Behind him is Joe Buzzeta's white 908, followed by Prescott Kelly's original '72 911 ST (with new 2.7+ RSR engine). The yellow 911 beside Andy is Roy Waltzer's similar 911ST. Laurie ran in group 7 while we ran in group 8.
I had an excellent start, getting ahead of Prescott, but nearly rear ended Buzzetta's 908 going into the left hander when he broke VERY hard. He then held me up for a few laps with Prescott in hot pursuit. This allowed Prescott to soon pass on the main straight, but I dove back under him and repassed as he was held up by the 908 in mid big bend.
The race on Saturday:
Here is an AVI video with audio of the race start, about 7 Megs. Use the Apple Quicktime video player to view it. May be best to right click on this link, then "SAVE AS" then play it from your computer after it downloads.
Finally the 908 got some heat in the tires and pulled away from us so I could get up to speed, and soon I had a good lead on Prescott so he could not pass me on the main straight. He would get close but I would lose him again in the slow section. Late in the race I found it hard to keep up the pace on my old tires, but Prescott continued to push and passed me on the 2nd to last lap.
SUNDAY
Sunday was the concours and as usual I went home to relax, while Jens, Heidi, and Damon would bring the car to the show and later across the street to the early 911S registry meeting at Paradise Garage.
MONDAY
Monday was rainy, though not hard rain most of the day at Lime Rock. Here are the 911s in the wet paddock, you can see the new stripes on Andy's car which Damon put on- very sharp!
It was fairly wet for our morning practice, so I installed my Toyo rain tires and did some sway bar and shock loosening. Laurie had some good street Bridgestones but Andy was out of luck as his huge brakes would not fit any of the available donor street tires. Laurie went out first in group 7 and was very quick, only a little off her dry times!
Andy went out on his Hoosiers as it was not too wet, and took it easy. My car felt pretty good and I almost caught up to Jim Newton who started out just behind me. I found some lines with stick, mostly just on the outside of the concrete patches. Here is Andy coming into turn 1:
The races were in the afternoon and it was light rain most of the time with the line drying but still VERY slick. Remember, this was a vintage race and lots of fine British cars! (we should talk about leaking oil...) Here is the group 7 field in Big Bend, a fine shot by John Manifold:
Here is Laurie in turn 1 again. In midrace she had quite an adventure in the downhill, nearly losing it but saving it right at the apex and not going all the way around.
...and with a Mustang on her tail!
Our group 8 race was next, and we were warned that the track was VERY slick! They did not lie... I was gridded 9th, behind Jim and Prescott. But I had better tires than they had, so I was hoping I could get ahead of them in the first few turns. I could not have asked for a better race start - I was the 1st to move when the green dropped and quickly found a hole in the middle of the track, flying by the 911s, then the 908, then Lola and a Chevron! I was in 2nd place by turn one. When leader Duncan Dayton's Chevron took a tight line, I veered to the outside like to see if I could pass, but he was quite fast. Here is a shot of the start, a Chevron sandwich with a side order of Lola!
Here is the rest of the field a few seconds later (both of these are screen captures from the video below). Andy also had a good start, ahead of the two 911 STs. Unfortunately, the yellow one passed him while the 908 was spinning on no name straight. When Andy repassed him Big Bend, Andy nearly went off the track and ended up finishing right behind him.
Here is a 7MB avi quicktime video of the start of Monday's race, watch for the green car going up the middle! It's fun to move the quicktime video PLAY bar manually to pan the movie back and forth.
I followed Duncan for a few laps but could not catch up, but I built up a good lead on the 2rd place Lola for several laps. He would get close by the end of the straight, but I would pull out a lead again in the turns. Late in the race I finally caught a lapped car, the yellow Corvette, and had to lift a bit before passing him on the straight. The Lola was getting close and anxious, as there were only 2 laps left, so he blew by me after the start/finish line at about 150 and slowed the car down very well, even though I was passing the Vette at the time. Three wide under braking is not a great idea in the wet especially in a 600HP car with slicks going 150!!! I followed him for the remaining laps, getting alongside and right on his bumper in some turns but he would not budge- he drove very well and crossed the finish line a few seconds ahead of me.
I was extremely happy with the race outcome, running most of the race in 2nd place and as last year, I ended up the fastest production car in my group.
MONDAY RESULTS
Group 1, Pre-1941 Sports and Racing
1. Ian Landy, 1936 ERA, 1500cc
2. Petere Giddings, Alfa-Romeo Monza, 2600cc
3. Ben Bragg, 1932 Maserati 8C, 3000cc
Group 2, 1946-55 Sports Racing and Production under 2000cc
1. David Belden, 1955 Lotsu Mk9, 1097cc
2. Bill Hollingsworth, 1949 MGTC, 1466cc
3. Frank Mount, 1946 MGTC, 1350cc
Group 3, 1946-55 Sports Racing and Production over 2000cc
1. Tivvy Shenton, 1955 Jaguar XK-140, 3442cc
2. Bob Girvin, 1958 Allard GT, 6557cc
3. Kim Eastman, Kurtis 500S, 4785cc
Group 4, 1955-63 Formula Cars
1. Murray Smith, 1960 Cooper, 2500cc
2. Bob Goeldner, 1962 Brabham BT-2, 1100cc
3. Phil Lamont, 1960 Lotus 18 F-Jr., 1097cc
Group 5, 1955-61 Sports Racing
1. Vincent Irwin, 1956 Lotus 11, 1080cc
2. Charlie Gibson, 1959 Lola Mk1, 1220cc
3. Richard Kresch, 1965 Beach MkIV, 950cc
Group 6, 1955-62 GT and Production
1. Murray Smith, 1958 Lotus Elite, 1220cc
2. James Freeman, Aston Martin DB4GT, 3900cc
3. Jack Boxstrom, 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT, 3800cc
Group 7, 1962-66 GT and Production
1. John Delane, 1964 Lotus 26R, 1600cc
2. Rob Burt, 1965 Lotus 26R, 1600cc
3. Scott Hackenson, 1965 Shelby GT-350, 4818cc
Group 8, 1964-71 Sports Racing and GT
1. Duncan Dayton, 1972 Chevron B-23, 2000cc
2. John Giordano, 1970 Ferrari 512S, 4900cc (I think this is
wrong, it was the Lola)
3. Michael Piera, Porsche 911, 2700cc
Group 9, 1966-72 Historic Trans-Am
1. Jim Hague, 1969 Camaro, 5000cc
2. Ken Epsam, 1970 Dodge Challenger, 5000cc
3. Michael Eisenberg, 1967 Cougar, 5000cc
Here are the Race Results on the Lime Rock web site (though they may take the page down).
Here is Phil Hill with event organizer Steve Earle at the awards banquet:
p.s. my Durango:
return to Analog Man Racing
end.