Sorry no videos or photos today, will have one for tomorrow. I was alone today with no crew and had to do all the prep work and get the car ready by myself for the most part. Had some fellow racers help strap me in and get the HANS device attached to my helmet. My wife normally does that function and she leafed from my cousin who used to crew for a GT1 corvette. To pull tight on the shoulder straps, ask me if I can breathe and if I say yes, or are able to exhale air at all, she pulls them tighter.
Had a slight problem in the morning test session, going into the boot I had a mis-shift and then the shifter stuck in 3rd gear. Had to nurse the car around the rest of the lap and come in. Had some fellow racers who were running mustangs come over and take a look at it, we figured that the transmission was fine and that the problem was in the linkage. Dennis Olthoff came over later and and was able to adjust the linkage and free up the shifter. He also gave me some guidance on the tire air pressure. I had been told to run 23 front and 24 back. Dennis told me that those should be my hot pressures and that I should be at 18 cold. Adjusted the air pressure and was running pretty nice the last session. Morris, I was wondering if you were going to comment on the air pressure as compared to what you were running. Of course we are running different cars and tires.
So, the car was running nice, I was beginning to feel more comfortable in it and increasing my speed and braking later. Things were going good until on my 3rd lap of the practice session as I was downshifting and braking late to go into the Bus Stop (the chicane at Watkins Glen) upon turn-in towards the apex I heard a noise and noticed a green Jaguar that was atteming to dive-bomb me into the chicane
I was probably going at least 80 mph and he was probably going tabour the same. It is a tight corner and the nose of his car was at my passenger side door. There was no way that we were both going through that corner at the same time at those speeds without making contact. I made a quick decision to jump the curbing to my left (it is a right hand turn into the chicane) go across a small patch of grass and then was back on the track. Car jumped a little in the process and then stalled. I brought the car to a rest off the track and waited for a tow
Got the car back and so far it looks like the only damage is a broken exhaust hanger. Will go through the car tomorrow morning early to make sure everything is alright. Will have two qualifying sessions tomorrow.
Such is the life or racing. Dennis has been a great support.
Talk to you later. I will make sure my wife turns on the go pro tomorrow.
Jim