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TEAM-LCR REPORTS |
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But
when
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- Photos by Wayne LeBlanc (click to enlarge)
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We've finally had a moment to get our HUGE Summit Point report on-line. After coming away from Sebring on a real high, followed by our low-key weekend at Savannah (albeit with two new drivers, Matt Peckham and Mike Mazzola), we were really looking forward to the Jefferson 500 this year. At last, we were going out in full strength! |
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Not only that, it was welcome aboard to Lowell Blossom & grandson Ian Baas, our two newest hot shoes -- both winners at the Jefferson 500.
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The weekend got off to a great, but hectic start. We had the strength of a 5-man crew on board this weekend: our regular right-hand man, Bill "Wonder-Boy" Pedersen, relatively new Tom "Mr. Cool" Fox, regular truckie-wrench-photographer Wayne "Wild-Man" Le Blanc; and, new to our crew by three days, Thatcher "yet-to-be-nicknamed" Goddard. Joining Lowell and Ian were regulars Paul Flowers, Pete Gulick, Phil Meany, Ed Mettelman and his identical twin brother Gordon Medenica; and last, but certainly not least, Hamish Somerville. Almost everyone got off to sparkling sessions, in the groove straightaway. Except Lowell. We had been going through his cars all winter in an effort to work our magic with them. We were looking forward to seeing the results of our labors this weekend. But malicious, uninvited, nasty little gremlins plagued Lowell at every turn on test day: the Brabham's shift linkage would not cooperate initially, and then its nose fell down. The Elva's tacho gave up the ghost and fried the ignition as soon as we started it up. Its suspension was locked solid a shock could not be adjusted. In fact, Lowell had a thoroughly miserable first day with us. Not exactly what we had hoped! But, in Paul Flowers' words when his oil filter bracket broke, "hell, that's what test days are for to sort out that stuff."
Thankfully, from there on in, life got
somewhat easier. Of course, the Jefferson is always a challenge, but our race results were
most gratifying as the weekend wore on. The
threatened downpours had not materialized yet, so we had dry, very hot
and steamy sessions. Most of the boys had stickers on for race day Saturday. |
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The Blossom Brabham also decided to be good again, and was pretty much on the pace straightaway. (Shown here with Tom Fox in attendance) - Photos by Wayne LeBlanc (click to enlarge) |
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Paul
was doing his usual thing in the
Elva.
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Photo by Matt Benedict |
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And in his BT29, Paul was mixing it up in the top three, in his eternal quest to better Bob Goeldner.
- Photos by Wayne LeBlanc
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Hamish, on his first visit to Summit, was not having such a great time. A misfire, which had started halfway through the sprint race on the last afternoon at Sebring, reared its ugly head again. We thought we had cured it at the shop. Apparently not.... But Hamish wasn't phased treating the misfire (in the upper RPM range) as a Rev-Limiter until he got to know the track. |
And he certainly didn't discredit himself, managing about 4th quickest in
each session.- Photo by Matt Benedict |
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Phil Meany in his Aldon was well up front in his race group. The fresh motor and a more recent rear-suspension modification were making all the difference. In fact, Phil passed more than half the field in the first Cunningham Cup race after starting from a lowly position on the grid!
Phil Meany gridded up in his Aldon (click to enlarge) |
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Ed Mettelman and Gordon Medenica shared Ed's glorious Lotus 47 (the car that continues to gain the most attention from paddock passersby). These two had Ed's car entered in two race groups, so they were really busy all weekend; Ed running up front in the production Marlborough Group and upper mid-field in the Cunningham Cup. |
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And Pete, in his March 75S, was spectacular easily the fastest in his race group by a long shot, even quicker down the straight than our old friend Jim Freeman's V8-powered Matich. In his B42 Chevron F2 car, again he proved uncatchable. His private coaching sessions with Simon Hadfield at Sebring were paying dividends here.
Pete
"Van" Gulick piloting his |
 - Photo by Matt Benedict (click to enlarge) |
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John Wyer Cup |
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Hamish made a brilliant start, surprising even himself, outdragging and beating Pete into and through Turn One. The car came on full song so suddenly that when Hamish "planted it" for the start, the car just took off. (At last we had found the cause of the gremlins in Hamish's "electrics" something that had plagued us with Ed's 47 at Mont Tremblant last year.) Hamish held onto second place until his bad luck caught up with him again. This time he lost fifth gear. Pointless to continue, as fifth is so necessary here. So much for the Wyer Cup this year. |
 In his Chevron B23, Hamish had the third fastest lap, at 1.16:38! -
Photo by Matt Benedict |
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Cunningham Cup (First Half) The first-half of the Cunningham Cup was a shortened race because of black-flagged incidents at the start. However, Paul had the lead, which he was not to relinquish even though he had a lot of pressure put on him toward the end by the Ian/Lowell Elva team car. It was breathtaking watching them coming onto the front straight, a mere split second separating them, lap after lap. On the podium, Paul finally realized that it hadn't been Lowell in the car, but in fact the young hot-shoe, Ian Baas. Well done to them both! |
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Phil and Ed got caught in the tangle of the pack reorganizing for the restart. This is when Phil carved his way through the pack to be up front at the finish. He had moved up from the back of the pack to finish about 8th. A good starting position for Sunday's grid. Ed had to trade places back and forth with Sunbeam Tigers and Corvettes, which were fast down the straight. but holding him up in the corners. |
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Rahal Trophy, Race 1 The Rahal Trophy had our new superstar, Ian Baas, on pole, at his first visit to this track. The Blossom March looked great....
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....as did
Pete's
Chevron B42 |
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Lurking just behind was old-pro Bobby Brown, ready to take advantage of any mistake at the start.
And there it was:
Ian
missed a shift taking the green and was immediately swallowed up by all the
2-litre F/2 machinery.
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Pete snatched the lead, which he was not to relinquish even though pressed hard by Bobby. He proceeded to drive the "race of his life," keeping the car neat and tidy, only using as much of the road as he had to. Bobby was using more and more, as his car got looser and looser coming onto the front straight. |
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Meanwhile, Ian had been working his way back up through the field. Going into the last lap, he was right on Bobby's gearbox! And that's how it finished, with Pete taking first, Bobby second and Ian third. All Ian needed was one more lap and second would have been his. He already had fastest lap by half a second not too shabby!
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Great
race guys!
Cooling
off after the battle: - Photo by Wayne LeBlanc (click to enlarge)
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Phil Hill Cup Race The Phil Hill Cup Race was a close-fought battle between Joe Blacker on pole, Bob Goeldner, Paul and Lowell. But Joe was soon reminded that "to finish first, first you have to finish." The race for second place was now between Paul and Lowell, with Bob having asserted himself as leader. These two were back and forth, overtaking each other lap after lap. It was perhaps the race of the weekend. |
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Suspense
on the wall -- who's out front this lap?
And surprise, surprise -- Lowell got the best of Paul, taking a splendid second and Paul, a grand third place. Either one could have had second, but maybe Paul's car was just a little stiff for the bumpy Summit Point track. |
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And then there was
that bird
that
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Paul's quest to defeat Goeldner gets closer each time they cross swords now. And while coming third, Paul did get within two-tenths of a second of Bob's time. The days of getting within a second of Goeldner's BT29 are gone. Next time, it will be a real day of reckoning. Lowell's time of 1.17:07 was the third fastest time of the day, only .24 of a second behind Paul's best. Well done Lowell!
- Photo by Wayne LeBlanc |
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Cunningham Cup Final The Cunningham Final started with a relatively dry track. Earlier, the heavens had opened up, spoiling early afternoon races; but the Cup Final was the last race of the weekend and was run under blue skies. Paul had pole, Lowell/Ian were in second position on the grid, Phil was 8th and Ed and Gordon started 12th. The race ran like clockwork this time no red, black or full-course yellows to spoil the hour-long event. |
Ian Baas
at the wheel of the Blossom Elva -
Photo by Matt Benedict |
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Paul and Lowell pulled out quite a lead from the third place Ginetta and asserted themselves comfortably in the lead. The carefully timed and choreographed pit stops were hitch-free, all four of our cars in and out on the button. It was here that Paul took advantage of a few clear laps, pulling a "Michael Schumacher" making the most of perfect "outlaps" and pulling out about 7 seconds on Ian, who had taken over from Lowell at their mandated pit stop. Ian drove the wheels off the Elva to close the gap setting fast lap of 1.20:302 in the process but not enough to overcome the on-form Paul, who took the checker this time! |
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Another 1-2
finish for our
Elvas!
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Phil Meany in the Aldon continues to impress, again moving up through the field - from 8th to finish 4th overall. Next time, watch out Elvas! Phil will be breathing down your necks. |
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Well done everyone - a super weekend!
And extra-special thanks to our devoted,
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exhaust,
and that was it. The engine was done. Quel bummer!! The elusive John
Wyer Cup gets
so close some days! But that was
the
