LCR Race Reports

		Gulick/Hadfield finish the Sebring Endurance Challenge Third Overall! (Gulick & Hadfield far right) - Photo by Bob Harrington (click to enlarge)
TEAM-LCR REPORTS

Sebring International Raceway HSR 14th Annual Snap On Sebring Endurance Challenge March 4-7, 2004
After what seemed an endless winter, our race season started at last in the blissfully warm sunshine of Florida for HSR Sebring. The Inn on the Lakes was particularly pleasant to return to for the winter-weary.
Joining us this year for the first time were Hamish Somerville and his wife Helen. Hamish's yellow B23 Chevron — fitted with a fresh engine and having undergone a thorough LCR winter prep — was ready to take on "the big dogs." Pete Gulick had three cars to race at Sebring this year: his usual B23 and B42, all freshened and repainted to start the year, and his stunning new March 75S. (It's always fun to bring something new and unusual to the season opener.) Our "Works" team this year was comprised of our Camel-liveried Huron and our March 80A F/A. And once again, Simon Hadfield traded the winter gloom of the UK for a taste of summer at Sebring and a chance to drive not only the Works cars, but also to guest-drive Pete's cars.

Test day started out a little hurried, but well — with Hamish having to acclimate both to a new circuit (to him) and a fresh car, neither presenting any problems. He quickly found his way round the track, picking up speed every lap of every session. No major hiccoughs — just a misfire that was quickly diagnosed and remedied. From then on, his B23 proved to be trouble-free all weekend.			Chevron B23 of Hamish Somerville -Photo by Gordon Jolley (click to enlarge)
			In an effort to start a development program on his 75S March, Pete had Simon shake out the car. Detail "stuff" was addressed — ride height, brake balance, shift linkage problems, etc. In no time, the March began to show great promise. 75S March of Pete Gulick - Photo by Gordon Jolley (click to enlarge)
Pete drove his usual mounts in practice and quickly got back into the groove after the long winter hiatus. The B23 was a pretty good fit for Simon as well. He went out for a familiarization run in it, as he and Pete would be sharing the car in the 3-hour Enduro. The car suited him well — and, again, he turned in a creditable time. Chevron B23 of Pete Gulick - Photo by Scottie Yeager (click to enlarge)
	A thinly-supported Group 4 (open wheelers) proved to be quality opposition, even if quantity was absent. Simon had a drive in the B42 and demonstrated how close to the "sweet spot" we were with the setup of the car. After shock adjustment and a few minor changes, Pete started to go really well in it too, closing in on the times set by Howard Katz in another BMW-powered F/2 car. Pete's B42 Chevron, superbly driven by Simon Hadfield at Sebring - Photo by Bob Harrington
Bill Pedersen, our senior tech and Wonder Boy, gave the Huron a try, as did Hamish, as they and Lee were to share our "Works" sports racer in the Enduro on Sunday. 1970 Huron 2-litre Sports Car - Photo by Bob Harrington (click to enlarge)

First came qualifying races however. In the B42, Pete brought the car home in third overall, which became pole position when Sunday's sprint race came around. The car was just spectacular, albeit starting to run a little warm toward the end of the session.
Below, Gulick is closely followed by Simon Hadfield in his March 80A (-Photo by Gordon Jolley)

The qualifying race for the sports cars was really entertaining. All four of our cars gridded up, with Pete in the B23 and Simon in the 75S well up front, Hamish and Lee further down the grid.
-Photo by Gordon Jolley

Pete had a terrific race, narrowly beating the experienced Joel Finn in his B23, taking the lead on the last corner of the last lap. They had been trading places all race long. Pete was the first two-litre car home (a couple of big-engined cars were up front).	Gulick rehydrates after a hot race in his B23 -Photos by Scottie Yeager (click to enlarge)
Hamish worked his way up through the field in his Chevron B23 after a really good start. He was making the car work really well now that he was on new tires, and his finish secured him a good spot on the grid come Sunday. Chapman was still finding his way around the track, it being much changed since he last raced here (over ten years ago). The Huron would do much better on slicks come Sunday.

Simon was formidable in Gulick's March 75S, as he showed off the real potential of the car. Although at least 350 lbs. heavier than its competition, the March lapped in the 2:09s — we believe faster than any two-litre (true two-litre) car at Sebring to date. .
This failed to impress our esteemed fellow competitor Daigrepont, however, who still believes that Porsche rules. But not this year — even with slicks. In his Porsche 908, he became a mobile chicane for the 75S, weaving on the straights and braking areas to prevent the March passing, and leaving donuts down its sides when an attempt was made. "Mad-Dag" finally spun going through the Turn 3-4 complex. According to spectators, with immense skill Simon managed to avoid "T-boning" Daigrepont's Porsche only to get the right front wheel and nose of the 75S torn up.
Back at the pits, a 'robust debate' between the parties ensued.	But thanks to the testimony of numerous eye-witnesses, the stewards' enquiry completely exonerated Hadfield from any wrongdoing.
The bottom line is that the March will be a super car — of that there is no doubt. Minor details, ergonomics and weight shedding to bring it on a par with other two-litres will perhaps make it the car to own. Due to the nature of the damage to the steering, however, we withdrew it from the rest of the weekend.

On Sunday bright and early, we gave final preparations to cars, crew and drivers for the year's major Enduro. Three hours of Sebring is like six hours or more anywhere else, so one really has to be ready for this race. Both the B23 and Huron were checked out to the Nth degree. Pete was to do the first leg in the B23, and Hamish in the Huron. This race is very much like the 12-hour used to be, with quite a mixed bag of competitors — from GTP, Camel Lights, Porsches of one sort or another, to production-based cars.
Hamish Somerville piloting the "Works" Car - our 1970 Huron -Photo by Gordon Jolley	We all started off well, the B23 running among the GTP and Lights cars from the word go. The Huron started about three-quarters of the way back in the pack, but with Hamish behind the wheel and a fresh set of slicks fitted, the car moved up through the field rapidly. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the way through the first stint, the shift linkage broke — leaving Hamish and the Huron stranded out on the track stuck in fifth gear. Bad luck for the Works team!
The Gulick/Hadfield team was faring much better in Pete's Chevron B23, running up in the top 8. Gradually — with the more exotic cars falling out, and taking advantage of a full-course yellow — our pit strategy changed, allowing us to make only three fuel stops instead of the planned four.	Team Gulick (left) and Hadfield (right) Such a lovely couple.....
Simon did almost a double-duty stint, handing the car over to Pete on the last of our scheduled stops with about 55 minutes to go.
	Pete brought the B23 home for our first podium finish of the year, third overall. Amazing! Leaving in its wake a trail of broken GTP and Light cars that are (or were) ideally suited to this event, our little 30-year-old car did the boys proud — its fast race lap being 2:12. Way to go Gulick & Hadfield!!

(The Works team ponders its options later Sunday, as Simon indulges his passion with yet another choc-ice.)
Sunday's sprint races followed almost immediately. Simon took over the B42 F/2 for Pete, as Pete thought Simon might like to give it a real race. Starting from poll, he immediately shot into a healthy lead, flaunting the car's superiority. With only a handful of cars in this race, he decided to fall back and race with Howard Katz, making a show for the spectators. The excitement continued for about six laps until Simon pulled the B42 into the pits with the engine getting a little warm. No dramas, but also no wish to damage the car. We were nonetheless delighted, as he had posted a lap time of 2:05. No small task in a little 2-litre car.
The final race for our team followed shortly thereafter. Again, a depleted grid, but still some competition. Pete sat this one out, so honors were left to Hamish Somerville. He ran the race magnificently after a fabulous start, elbowing his way through to take second place on the first lap, and maintaining this position whilst pushing the leader, a 3-litre Alfa Romeo, all the way to the flag. Another podium finish in our first outing. Well done Hamish!! — his fastest lap of the weekend set in this last race: 2:14.!!	-Photo by Bob Harrington (click to enlarge)
	Lee and Hamish, just before Hamish dashes off to the airport after his spectacular performance! - photos by Helen Somerville (click to enlarge)-
Chapman brought the Huron home a distant fourth after spinning on the opening lap whilst in third place. A shame, as it could have been two of the team on the podium. Still, a great finish to a long, hot weekend.

So, it's back in the groove — the new season beginning with hopes high for all of our team after a stellar start.
	Bill "Wonder-Boy" Pedersen (right) & Wild-Man Wayne LeBlanc (left) — our brilliant crew - photo by Helen Somerville (click to enlarge)
The Sebring Six-Pack (nice knees...... no.. really.....) - photo by Helen Somerville
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