Medenica, Chapman, and Pedersen attend
Hans Stuck and Marc Surer at Lime Rock 2003
(click to enlarge)

TEAM-LCR REPORTS

A TALE OF TWO RACES

Rolex Vintage Festival
Lime Rock, Connecticut
Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2003 (Labor-Day Weekend)

CFCR BeaveRun Offs
Beaver Run, PA
August 9-10, 2003

Ed Mettelman in his Lotus 47 was our only die-hard Steve Earle supporter at Lime Rock again this year, save for two special celebrity guest drivers - Hans Stuck, Jr. and Marc Surer.    

Downhill Racer Mettelman at Lime Rock
in his Lotus 47
(click to enlarge)

The weekend was bright and sunny every day except, of course, Monday race-day, which saw rain on and off all day.  Ed had some really great drives in practice and qualifying, getting very racy in the qualifying stint on Saturday afternoon, running with all but the very fast 26R of John Delane.  The Lotus 47, as usual, performed flawlessly and looked tremendous on the track.  (It remains a paddock favorite - always drawing a crowd,  particularly when the engine bay cover is removed.)

On race day, Ed got off to a terrific start in the sprint race in the wet. In fact, a fast start and late braking in Turn One had him going by most of his immediate competitors.

Unfortunately, his aspirations for a good finish were dashed by a big "tank slapper" coming onto the front straight from the downhill. Ed continued in a more thoughtful, conservative manner, bringing his car home safe and sound in the inclement conditions. 

As he explained
to his large entourage upon arriving back at the pits: "I won the yellow car race."  

 

Well done Ed!  It's a shame it didn't stay dry for your race. 

Whilst Ed was our only competitor in the proper race groups,  we had the distinct pleasure of also looking after Marc Surer (1979 F2 champion) and Hans Stuck, Jr. (F1, F2, GTP, GPC, Audi/BMW-everything champion) for the "demonstration" laps on Saturday and Monday

At the invitation of Gordon Medenica on behalf of the BMW M1 Club, these two BMW Team PTG drivers came to Lime Rock to pilot two of our BMW-powered F2 cars - Gordon's own March 782 and the Chevron B42 of Pete Gulick. In fact, it was Gordon Medenica who organized this 25th anniversary celebration of the world’s first practical mid-engined super-car, the BMW M1, by featuring the two F2 cars running with a gaggle of the fastest period F1 cars.

 Surer is a perfect fit in
 Gordon Medenica's stunning March 782

After a brief "fitting" to the cars, our boys first went out Saturday lunchtime.  A misfire in the March had Marc Surer pulling in on the first lap, but it was quickly rectified and Surer was back on the track, getting used to the car in a few short laps. 

 (click to enlarge)

Bill Pedersen bringing in Gorgeous Gordon's Gorgeous March for Marc Surer

It didn't take long for our other celebrity driver, Hans Stuck, to really get in the groove and start rattling off some very quick times in the Chevron B42 of Pete Gulick.  In fact, by the end of the session, he was in the 51-second bracket - not bad considering this was the first time he had driven the car, and he felt it undergeared for the front straight.... (NOTE:  The fastest F1 competitor was Duncan Dayton in the ex-Mario Andretti Lotus 79, a full 200 BHP more with full ground effects, but only managing a 52-second lap.  Still....it was only a demonstration.....not a race......)

Below:   Hans Stuck in the Chevron B42 of Pete Gulick
 relates a story or two after Chapman helps him with his belts, to wit -
Lee:  "Hope you don't mind me reaching between your legs, old chap." 
 Hans:  "Oh, nein, dat's OK.  You know, I vonce had Lella Lombardi as a teammate,
and the mechanics vould compete for who got to do her belts!"

Monday's rain did not hamper our intrepid F2 pilots, who shamed the F1 cars into coming out to perform.  Off they went onto a very wet track in light rain on slicks.  The F2 cars were soon up to speed, dicing very spiritedly, nose to tail.  Perhaps in his exuberance to try and lose Marc, Hans lost it and spun somewhere around the back of the circuit.  Not to be deterred, however, he soon closed up the gap Marc drew out during the off-track excursion.  And this is the way their "demonstration" ended - nose to tail.  They came in from the wet track with tires clean and steaming.  It was a great performance, which had both drivers beaming with smiles and laughter, and exclamations of:  "Ya, dat vas goot -- yust like the old days!" and "Maybe we can do it again sometime!"  Many thanks to Gordon and Pete for providing their cars for quite a memorable weekend.  Hope we CAN do it again!

Hans Stuck and his lovely wife, Sylvia

Hans Stuck confers with Chapman
(click photos to enlarge)

Meany and Chapman remember why
they love racing at BeaveRun

- Photo by by Phyllis Nelson

In an uncharacteristic departure from his demonic work schedule, Lee Chapman took his Tiga SC80 S2000 and headed off for a busman's holiday to the low-key event that Kyle Kaulback and Dennis D'Angelo had organized for the new BeaveRun Motorsports Complex.  This was primarily a formula car festival, but Kyle and Dennis decided to add an invitational sports car group to help swell the entry. Lee was joined by Phil Meany, who had been unable as yet to try out his recently re-engineered '70 Aldon F100.  At BeaveRun, both Phil and Lee rediscovered racing at its best. 

The track as it's currently configured is a very challenging 1.6 miles.  By the same time next year, it should be over 3 miles.  Chapman and Meany found it nothing short of wonderful - with its fast, long straights and fast, demanding curves, it proved to be an exhilarating challenge for both drivers.

Phil Meany in his '70 Aldon in hot pursuit
 of Travis Engen in his Chevron B17 F/B
- Photo by September 8th
(Louiseann & Walter Pietrowicz)

The race groups were agreeably divided: the sports car group comprised of Sports 2000 racers, and Phil Meany's 1970 Aldon F100 with the Formula B cars added to spice things up a bit.  Also on the grid was our most recent race car restoration, the Chevron B63 S2 car of Roy Sokolowski. 

Phil got faster and faster all weekend, even as his focus was primarily on sorting out his newly- engineered Aldon and dialing in the chassis to suit his style and the nature of the track.  Whilst the formula B cars in the main just took off, Phil brought his car home in the final race of the weekend 1st in class, 2nd Sports Racer home, 4th Overall - just off the podium, but a really good showing for his first time out with what was essentially a new car.

Lee Chapman finally gets a ride
  in his own Tiga (on the right)
and loves every minute.

- Photos by September 8th (click to enlarge)
(Louiseann & Walter Pietrowicz)

Woefully out of practice,
 Chapman struggles to remain conscious
 after winning 1st in SRCC class H
in the Feature Race and 2nd Overall

The old boy's still got it.....

Dennis and Kyle must be thanked again for putting on such a wonderful weekend with this fabulous new venue.  We hope to be back in force next year.

(to Archives)