I thought I would start this automotive related selection with a story about a two-week racing trip I took to California in April of 2016.

Based upon my racing achievements and history I received an invitation to participate in a race called, the Kastner Cup. It is a Triumph powered vintage racecar event held at Sonoma International Raceway in Napa Valley.  The following week the survivors of this event would also race at the world-famous Laguna Seca down the coast in Monterey.

I loaded up my 1970 Triumph TR6 racecar and made the drive to Sonoma, passed tech inspection, then raced for three days against 40 other Triumphs.  I finished in the top 10 at this wonderful track. I had no major mechanical issues and my car performed very strong at sea level, making much more power due to the denser air.

The following week I traveled on towards Laguna Seca, but the weather forecast did not look too favorable with rain predicted. In my class of racing, we do compete in the rain but there are limits to this.  I had a set of full wet racing tires, which have extra deep groves in them to displace water as opposed to the smooth racing slicks I normally race with. 

 

Laguna Seca is special in the racing world having been built in 1957. It is 2.239 miles long to one lap, 11 corners with lots of elevation changes. Of the 40 cars that participated in Sonoma, 26 survived mechanical issues or crashes to compete at Laguna Seca. 

Saturday’s qualifying and race sessions went well, and I was learning the track.  However, the clouds were darkening, and mist was in the air. I finished in the top 5 cars by the end of the day, which I was happy with. Sunday the skies opened up. It was a steady, hard rain in the morning, but the weatherman insisted that the weather would clear during the lunch hour and stop raining at that point. Of the 26 surviving racecars only 6 of us went onto the track to qualify in the heavy rain. Most drivers elected not to risk their racecars on this complicated track during a downpour when the afternoon’s feature event was supposed to be held in dry conditions.  I now had my rain tires on and went out to qualify. I learned every brake point and corner apex in these challenging conditions. By the end of the 30-minute qualifying session it was so wet that I was the only car left on the track. I returned to my pit area in safe condition and prepared for the afternoon’s feature race.

The weatherman had made a mistake. The rain never let up for the afternoon’s feature race. If anything, it was raining even harder. So, for the 2 PM feature race, 26 of us lined up to race in a downpour at one of the most challenging, dangerous racetracks on the planet. Because I had stayed out during qualifying, I now had pole position for the start plus I knew every brake point and corner apex in the wet. When the green flag dropped, I was off like a rocket while everyone else was tip-toeing around the track attempting to just survive. Plus, because I was in the lead, I had the best view of the track while everyone behind me was awash in a wall of water. By the second lap I couldn’t see anyone in my mirrors. I kept pressing. 

 

It’s time to talk about a corner 8 which is called the “Corkscrew”.  You approach this corner going uphill in 3rd gear, slam on the brakes, downshift into 2nd gear, make an abrupt 90 degree left turn; and then the world drops away. You are not airborne, but it feels as if you are. The track drops 109 feet in elevation, a 12 percent grade, in a short distance prior to corner 9, which is an off camber right hander. If you survive you shift into 3rd gear and continue on. You absolutely cannot see the track until you land close to the approach of corner 9. All you see is sky.  This world-famous corner has claimed many cars and a few lives. I navigated the “Corkscrew” without issues and started lapping the field. By the race’s end I had acquired pole position and fastest lap.  I lead every lap and won the race by 400 yards in front of the second-place racecar. I was soaked to the bone but was super happy to have accomplished such a victory. 

 

One of the lessons to take away from this is to take every opportunity possible to practice every session because you can always learn something of value. Playing it safe doesn’t win victories. 

Your Neighbor, 

Walter Hollowell