Road Atlanta National

[Lee Stohr]

Looks like the Coop won, and Brandon made it out - maybe had some new car bugs ?
Hope to hear a full report.
http://www.mylaps.com/results/showru...792&perclass=1

[Wren]

I just put my initial thoughts here:

http://apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33589

Definitely some new car bugs and trying to get some miles on the car, even with Brandon coming in for several laps, the race this morning was by far the longest session the car had run yet.

[glenn cooper]

Not much to report; it seems a Coop Chronicle can only be cranked out if there is an actual race (ARRC, June Sprints) goin' on!

Sat am Q1 I went out and did 3 laps to scuff a set of Hoosier's, and on the 3rd lap did a 1:22.7. The temps were unseasonably cool and I was thinking the FB record could be broken in the race on Sunday, IF the weather held.

Went out in the afternoon Q for 4 or 5 laps on some old rubber just to check/verify a gearing change.

Later, I cruised through the paddock and found Brandon, Wren, and Kyle deep into an engine change on the Citation. This afforded me a chance to see up close and personal the car I had seen plenty of pics of, here on Apexspeed. The car absolutely bristles with unique engineering. Many of the components look very similar to my Novak/Van Diemen, and others appear to be something from an aerospace application.
Overall pretty cool, and a good show of it second time out.

We were first race group in the morning. As I live one hour from the track, I'd be home before noon. I'd either get some much needed chainsaw work done in the backyard, OR a kick ass nap. Why can't we be the first group up when we're at VIR or Sebring? Nothing worse than waiting around all day to run your race when you have a 12 hour tow ahead of you. Them's the breaks, I guess.

My 3 lap scuff/Q session has me 8th on the grid. Up ahead, a single FA, a gaggle of D and CSR's, and behind w/ a good time gap, a slew of FE's.
I plan on making a rocket start, and not having a replay of the last race here where I got caught behind an FA slow to get to speed, but fast enough to not be able to get by; all this as the pack pulled away.
We get a green so early that I am almost caught out. I was just about to turn in for T12 when the green flew. I got a great launch, but was not able to shoot up the middle, and had to hang back. I go right, but the CSR ahead does the same, so on the approach to T1, I flick it over left, and go around the outside of a pair of CSR's, and on the way up the hill, I stuff it by Jim Downing on the approach to T3. Downing is fast turning into a role model for the AARP community. Like I said to his engine guy, Rick Engman - "I hope I'm that old when I'm that fast".
I'm up to 5th, first FB and it looks like it's gonna be another weekend of driving fast as opposed to racing. Downing returns the favor on the backstraight as the Red Rotary Rocket can stretch it's legs and blast on by. I spend the remainder of the race running w/ a pair of WF1 DSR's and Downing. It was kind of uneventful, and I just scrolled through the display checking temps and pressures.
As for bettering the FB record, it was much warmer on Sunday than Saturday AM Q: it appears that any bettering of the record would have to wait till, oh I don't know, maybe the ARRC in November?

GC Out

Oh yeah, almost forgot. I put someone off into the weeds, and get this - on purpose!
Don't fret folks, The Coopster hasn't gone all renegade, it happened on the way home.
We're traveling down a busy, undivided 4 lane and the right lane up ahead is slow. A guy on a bicycle is (rightfully) cruising along, and some folks are not skilled enough to pass, and when you add in the fact that he's a foot an' a half over the white line, into the lane (rightfully so, under the law he's consideered a vehicle. A very slow vehicle. On a road that folks are traveling down at 50 mph). Like I said, rightfully cruising along. Probably not the smartest thing, given the general public's propensity for not exactly paying attention, generally holding folks up. Finally it's my turn and I toot the horn of the over 55 feet of motorhome and trailer about to come past, out of concern for the cyclists safety, strictly as a heads up. Well the second the horn sounds I'm suddenly on the end of a single digit salute. Having spent my formative years growing up on Long Island, being displayed "The Bird" does not come w/o retaliation, especially given the circumstances. I'm not sure if a gust of wind was what actually moved the trailer over right as it was adjacent to him, but something caused him to try out his slicks in the grass. It was - divine...

[S4mom]

here's a link to some photos on Facebook of practice and post race.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=8fbf6ef594

Leslie Dixon

[RussMcB]

Who are the four people in picture #19?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...0&l=8fbf6ef594

[S4mom]

From left to right: Wren Keith, Kyle Aldridge, Brandon Dixon, and Will Dixon.



Leslie

[RussMcB]

Thanks. Will looks like the smartest and best looking of the group. :-).

[RobLav]

I've heard the rugrat many times when on the phone with Brandon. Cute kid. Suz and I will try our best to make the ARRC.

[S4mom]

Thanks for the nice comments. If you were to stop by our house William will ask to see your engine. His dad assures me this is not a bad thing.

[Sean Maisey]

I remember talking to Brandon at Roebling circa 1999 when we both raced FF. My daughter was on the way and I was looking at maybe scaling back a bit on the racing.

Brandon said, "Yea, Leslie wants to get a dog, but I don't know. Where would the dog go when we go racing. Who would watch it. I just really don't see this as a part of our life style." (or something to that effect).

Great looking kid... Congratulations!

Sean