Road Atlanta National results

[ennis bragg]

With the pro series running at Mid-Ohio, the crowd was slim at Road Atlanta. But the competition was close and the race was very exciting! The top 5 FM and top 5 FC cars were alternating on the grid, FM,FC,FM,FC...etc. So, the decision for a split start made for a much better race than if we had been mixed. Scott Dick had the pole with a 1:28.4 The start was clean and the FC field came through turn 2 in the order they started. Scott, Steve, Jim, and myself were dicing pretty hard for the first few laps. I took the lead from Scott on lap 4 going into turn 10. Lap 9, my race was over due to a stuck throttle. Steve inherited the lead, but Scott took it back on lap 14. Steve spun out of second place on lap 16. Scott spun out of first a few turns later on the same lap. Gelles led for the last two laps and took the win.
Chas had a rough weekend chasing brake and tire problems. It was my first time leading a National race!! A good part of the field were turning race laps below their qualifying times. Jim seems to have found the sweet spot in the new car. The field was small but every driver had a shot at winning this race and nearly all of them gave it away one way or the other.

Qualifying

1 Scott Dick 1:28.4 RF01
2 Steve Butcher 1:29.2 RF99
3 Jim Belay 1:29.4 RF01
4 Ennis Bragg 1:29.5 RF97
5 Jeff Butcher 1:30.0 RF98
6 Bob Gelles 1:30.0 RF99
7 Chas Shaffer 1:30.4 RF97

Race

1 Bob Gelles 1:29.??
2 Jim Belay 1:28.7 fastest race lap
3 Chas Shaffer 1:30.7
4 Scott Dick 1:28.8 polesitter
5 Steve Butcher 1:28.9
6 Ennis Bragg 1:28.8 most laps led
7 Jeff Butcher 1:30.4

Congrats to Bob on a solid run!

[Purple Frog]

Ennis,
I watched from the bridge. As they say in L.A., you looked marvelous. It was a great pass. It was sort of neat having one of our very own formulacontinental.com guys to cheer for.
Great write up. I was afraid I was going to have to report it. It was a great spectator race with you guys nose and tail, the Roberts boys putting on a great FM show, and an awsome display of FA power.
I think the race times were better because you didn't have to deal with the 125 degree track temps later in the day.
Great race, great report.

[Jtovo]

I monitor this board and read each of your statements often. I drove from Chicago all the way to Atlanta for this National race. You guys put on 1 hell of show! You even have nicer trophies than we do up north. It would have been nice to know more people at the track though. I spent most my time driving around in either my Yellow golf cart or my Yellow 98 VD1600. My point would be having a FormulaContinental.com party at the race. Nothing fancy, maybe some beer and just put a name to the faces and hang out. Doug, what do you think about trying to set something up for the sprints? I am going to bo back to WingLess world now.

Joe

[ennis bragg]

Thanks Mike! But, I don't think my write-ups will ever reach true frog status. I really enjoy reading your CFC reports. Keep em coming. I think everybody around here is FC info hungry!
You should have stopped by this weekend and said hi. Please come see us if you make it to Savannah!

Joe,
You should have stopped by too! It's bad that some of us end up at the track together but don't get a chance to meet at some point. I really enjoy that part of racing. There are many different types of people in FC racing, and SCCA in general for that matter.

[This message has been edited by ennis bragg (edited June 12, 2001).]

[Purple Frog]

Ennis and Wingless,
I wasn't allowed much visitation time. I was crew chief for Butch Kummer's GT1 effort. It seemed like everyday was a 14 hour workout. And that's with 4 guys on the crew, not counting the engine buider, the driver, and the computer consultant. The care and feeding of that monster is a big time job.
But the schedule worked out, by working everybody late Saturday night I was able to watch the two formula shows Sunday morning.
On my way to pick up enough used tires to support my race program I saw you driving by, but that was as close as my keepers allowed me to get.
Can you imagine a single race weekend where you burn 70 gallons of race fuel? and two sets of $1200 tires? and one of the three cycles on a $25,000 motor?...but as Tab says... We got that $12 first place trophy. (not $6, like in the Central Division)
I don't think I will be going GT1 racing in this life. But it is fun to spend Butch's money.

[Daniel]

Well, I guess that is what I get for having the car in pieces all over the garage and not making a race only 90 minutes from the house. With only five FC's in the race and Ennis and two others having problems, I could have scored my first ever podium finish. That third place trophy would have looked good in the den....damn.