05 MITTY: Be there or be.....

[GeorgiaSnake]

Stupid me - I left my camera in the car – fortunately, TC had his and got off a few good shots. He told me these were Italian Tails – replacements for the German Whale Tails that we have all come to know and appreciate.

Randy

[GeorgiaSnake]

One more from TC's collection.

[chipperb]

NASA is $295 a weekend (two days). drive your own car: just about anything. Seatbelts required (standard 3 point)n and a good Snell Helmet (you can always borrow one of these). They will group you by experience: no experience, 1st group. They will help with instruction, give you a starting skull session to show you the track lay out and the "line" around. Sometimes they will tour you around the track in a van (Panoz group does) going progressively faster with an instructor (you would be suprised how fast they go in vans-seriously). Then a pace car to show you the line, faster and faster go to the end of line so that the next driver can follow behind the pace car up close and personal. beien to many and well woth it!

Rob Ginn was thinking of getting agroup together for Talledega GP-90 miles away from Atlanta and more affordable. Road Atlanta is $12,000 a day! cb

[cobramandave]

I wanted to come but got a chance to go to Roebling instead. I thougth it was better to be on the track than watch somebody on the track. Sorry maybe next year.

David

[Alex Donghi]

Is Alabama insurance cheaper?? NASA sounds neat do they have a schedule??

[Mike Simard]

http://www.nasa-southeast.com/
They are a great bunch of folks. A HPDE event is a great way to bring your own car and drive a racetrack.
A Cobra might be a problem without a full width rollbar. They may or may not let you run a single hoop, you can ask. They like to have the same protection for the passenger as well as the driver because you would have an instructor ride in your car. I think it's amazing that there are instructors that would ride in a Cobra at all. It would be a good opportunity to fit a full rollbar!

[Alex Donghi]

Im not going to fool with the roll bar on my SPF. Actually I need to come up with an old racer.... (how about my 55 studebaker..... just kidding)

[SFcobra65]

Yea , the Mitty is a Great event to go to and watch the Vintage cars race , but Stop at the gate with your Cobra , and leave it there.I took mine a couple of years ago , and it got side swiped by a Drunk driver in the Pit area.
I was over visiting Johan and his Spyder GT40 , and had my Superformance Cobra parked right in front of his tent.I mean , this car was almost under his tent , it was that closely parked.Time was about 10 pm.
Car was parked , and engine was cold , that's how long i had been there.While checking out Johans Spyder GT40 , me and some other guy were lifting the rear clip up to look at the engine compartment.This guy was some mechanic for another team.When we were holding the clip up , somehow , we both let go , and it slamed down on my hand.
Clip shut down , and that was it....my A** was screaming !! , thought my fingers were cut off.Everyone looked like i was kidding , but when they saw that my hand was under the clip , they took it somewhat more seriously.They lifted the clip up , and we dashed into Johan's trailer and stuck my hand into a beer cooler , it had already swelled like a Mellon.
While this was going on , and might i add , not 10 minutes after i had my hand almost amputated , we hear a "Thump thump" , and i immidiatly knew my car had been hit.it was like hearing your child scream in a Football stadium , i just knew it was bad.
Now , you also have to know , that there were about 6 people standing within 3-4 feet of the front end of my car when we dashed into get me some medical help.When we heard the Thump thump , we ran outside to see everyone yelling, and running after some taillights to a Dually truck.
What had happend was , a driver in a Dually truck , was so SH*t faced Drunk , that he came down the pit lane doing about 50 and swiped my cobra.He hit my left side , cliped the car at the side pipe, went up and over the front left side , bouncing the car when he came off of it.Then proceeded to drive away.
He was chased down by all the people that he almost hit.Come to find out , he was there in the HRS racing a Sprite in some series there.Red somebody...was his name.He started to get into everyones face , and totally deny ever even driving the truck he just got out of.I told this A hole , that i would talk to hime in the AM since he had no idea what happend and at the time , it looked like there was no damage to my car , and bottom line he didn't kill anyone.
While this was going on , and to keep me from Flipping out on this A Hole , i went back to check the damage to my car.Looked like there was nothing wrong , and that by some Miracle of the Heavens , i had no damage , but the next day , i was to find out , i was wrong.
I found out that he had cracked the Gel coat on my drivers side froint fender , and had snaped my side pipe.I went back to the Drunk , and tried to tell him we could work out a deal without getting the cops involved or his insurance.I got an estimate from some guys that had worked on Cadillacs LMP cars , and they said they could fix it for about 1500.
I go back to the AHOLe the next day , tell hime we can work some thing out , and he tells me , to basically fly a kite.Alright i said , i will go thru my insurance company and have them sue you for there money that they will have to spend to get my car fixed.
I went back and told Johan this , and everyone from that night , including the HRS director/owner went to talk with AHOLE.They explained to him , that he got off from getting arrested , and that he was going to have to make good on the damage , or face being expelled from the series.
To this day , not johan , or anyone else there ever stepped up to help me in ANY way when it was made public the
crap i was going thru with the Insuance company and the Idiots that i was recomended to use in order to get my cobra fixed.Johan , and the rest of the people there all said they would help me in any way they could , but when it came down to legally stating what they had saw , and said they would state towards , no one was there , and i had to fight the battle with no Cooberation from anyone that was there.
So.....Take your cobra there and have fun , but leave it at the gate.AND , i just bet this AHOLe is still in the series racing.I just wonder , if anyone had gotten hit by this guy , and was killed or hurt , i wonder just how the people there would have handled things then
Bottom line , everyone there is OK , i still have my hand intact , and my car is semi ok.The paint is still bad , as the Idiots that i used did not blend the car into the stripes and you can still see where the car was hit.I still have over spray in spots , but over all the car is ok.I Will never attend another function there , or any where near there , at least with my Cobra being involved.
Frank Generazio

[Johan]

Frank, I don't think you really want me to tell what I saw in court.
If you want me to tell it here, fine. I agree with about half your story.
You reminded me of "Peter Sellers at the races".

[Alex Donghi]

The other side of the story might be interesting.......

[marcocsx3121]

I've been a Road Atlanta junkie since 1971, and based on the conduct I've witnessed over the years involving two, three and four wheeled vehicles in the infield, this incident doesn't surprise me. Driving (or riding) drunk has become an accepted part of the evening's entertainment, and the attitude of the track authorities seems to be what happens here stays here, and don't even think about blaming us.

Kind of reminds me of the old days at Watkins Glen when setting spectator's cars on fire in the bog was considered good, clean fun.

[Johan]

Frank's hand was in my cooler long before he hurt it messing with my car which was another no-no.
Frank, just put some duct tape over the crack and good luck to you.

[Cracker]

Alex

Hey Frank - next time ask Johan to park his GT on the skirt and move your Cobra under his tent. I tried something like this a couple years ago at the Willis - found out I was on the scales. (at least I confirmed I drive a PIG of a car!)

My dog (Rottweiler) chewed off the front bumper off my Viper a few years ago but the damn wife wouldn't confess to seeing him do it (but I know it was him) - seriously!

[RGINN]

Some Mitty pics are up on www.lightspeedphoto.net is anyone is interested. It seems that drinking is non unknown at most race events. I've attended a few Indy 500's, quite a few NASCAR races and hundreds of club and sportscar races and all had its share. Sebring comes to mind as being especially significant for the drinking fan. With that said......motorsports events are well down the list of best alcoholic fans and participants.

Here is my personal list of sporting events that I have attended or participated in which has the biggest per-capita alcohol consumption.

10 Carolina Cup (horse steeplechase)
9 Winter Snowmobile races and skimming (racing your snowmobile across open water) in eagle River Wis.
8 ANY Southern Yacht Club Racing event!! Bar none!!
7 Infield of the Kentucky Derby (ever wonder why they never show the infield!!!
6 International Lumberjack championship in Brainerd MN.
5 Most European Soccer matches (pre-game, game and post game)
4 All South American soccer matches (see above)
3 Australian rules football matches ( I was drinking so I didn't get the rules part)
2 Seafest in Seattle Wa. Especially the hydro racing.

1. Number one......with 100 % participation by the way,
The Ocoee River Raft Guides Night Race.

I left out professional events like Mardi Gras, Chicago NFL games,etc.

So all in all I find the Mitty respectable. Also This weekend is Drift Atlanta...watch you favorite rice rocket slide thru turns 10-a and 10-b. No camping due hooligans from last year.

[Johan]

Funny stuff Rob !
I agree with your assessment

[GeorgiaSnake]

Johan - did you follow Rob's link - two pretty neat shots of the Sony Lola (looks like a little push).

Randy

[Johan]

Randy, believe it or not, the car as a whole is not pushing in that photo.
What you have to realize is that the front has 1/8" toe out per side so the other tire (port side) that is doing all the steering is gripping fairly well. We run a lot of toe out in the front in order that the car will "turn in" well (one tire is already turned in no matter if it is a right or left hander). Does that make sense ?
With this setup, you can just "throw" the car into a corner and use the slide to slow it down.
The rear wheels are toed in and that helps keep the back end from coming around. I think that photo was turn 6.
I need to make some sides for that car. It looks like a dune buggy.

[Johan]

Randy, look at Trent Terry's Jag http://www.lightspeedphoto.net/hsr-s...s/IMG_3798.jpg
and it has the same setup. The inside tires don't matter as much as the outside tires in a corner, as I'm sure you are aware. Regardless, when driving the car, there is no sensation of pushing in corners except under heavy trailbraking which is more like "lockup".
What do I know, I had my eyes closed screaming.

[GeorgiaSnake]

Johan

Makes sense - I think that is the way Jack used to set up my EP 356 but I'm not positive - 20 + years is a long time to remember setups.

Either way the car looks good (like a really fast "dune buggy")

I want to see the new blue one run.

Randy

[SFcobra65]

Johan ,
Anytime , you or anyone else that was there, wants to ever agrue about what happend at the pit lane in front of where your trailer was , i'll be glad to .I was there with you being fully aware of me being there.You invited me to come back and see you , and your GT40.You saw where i was parked , yet said nothing.
I visited your tent area ,had an accident there , was attended to , and while that was going on , my car gets hit by a Drunk driver.I never laid any blame towards you , or anyone that was there except for Red , not now , not then.
I did however , leave out that part where Reds friends and i almost got into it in front of yor trailer , and you asked me to leave , which i did.My beef with you , and the others that were there is simple , you said that you would be glad to give a statement or go to court on what you and the others saw , you did not.
That's the probelm , amongst the fact that i did not call the cops when the accident happend.I tried to give someone a break , and it came back to bite me in the ass , hard.I'll again say what the mechanic from the Jag team said , if Red had just come over 2 or 3 inches more , one of you all would have been hit , and then maybe your attitude would be different than it is.
Your words lean towards imlplying that i was in some way at fault or partially at fault , and i will again say , that if you ever want to agrue the points , as you say , i'll be glad to.I still have never given up on the idea of suing Red , and if i do , then we can go in the courts and do just like you said , and agrue the facts in front of a judge.
Oh yes , i did have one beer that evening at your place.I didn't even finish that one when my hand was slamed shut in your Spyder , so let's hear "Your" Version.....

Frank G.