Miata Mailing List: May 1999, Message #191

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Looking for Miatae at the Walter Mitty at Road Atlanta this weekend?  All you 
needed to do was look in the pits.  :)  HSR was once again short on workers 
so Peachtree Miata Club and Foothills Miata Club manned the pits for the 
Enduros both days, group qualifying races on Sat. and group races today.  
Side note: Paul Newman ran the Enduro on Sat.  

The touring/parade laps were ho-hum on Sat...they let two Minivans and a 
couple of SUVs on track...slowed us all to a stop on the back straight as 
they couldn't make the chicane.  :(  BUT the session we had today was 
awesome.....as far as touring laps go.  They let three cars out in front of 
the Miata contingent, but they pulled off after about 3 - 4 laps.  :)  Then 
it was the pace car followed by about 7 - 8 Miatae for about an hour.  :)  
About two laps before the end of the session a yellow pulled out in front of 
the pace car too.  Other than the starter signaling us to not hold back so we 
could take the corners as Miatae want to be driven and one of us getting 
black flagged for doing so to an extreme we had a fantastic run!  I know I 
never saw anyone get a black flag on touring laps before....hmmmm...I won't 
mention names....but really it wasn't me.  I swear!  Sue Gray of PMC, our pit 
boss and my pal, led the way and showed us the line.  :)  It wasn't her 
either.  :P  

What y'all missed: seeing some fantastic vintage and historic cars (MGs, 
Triumphs, Porsche galore, formula Fords, etc.), two spin outs against the 
front straight wall (great view of the smoke, etc. from the pits!!), several 
Formula Fords being towed off the course suspended by only a "little cable" 
(scared the crap out of my Mom...LOL), seeing a Porsche speedster running 
today with half his nose *taped* on because he hit a back wall yesterday 
(spirit...yeah), a car do 2 360s on the front straight, stall on course, see 
all the other cars pass safely by, and then watch the guy get towed, jump 
start his engine and spin around to rejoin the race (awesome cheers from the 
crowd!!!).  The only significant delay was on one of the qualifiers yesterday 
when the whole line got black flagged to clear a bad wreck...and one group 
ran all but the last lap under the yellow.  The tow trucks and flatbeds got a 
real workout this weekend!  I got to run in the pace car to start the 
qualifiers for group 7.  Wow, watching the lead car zig zag back and forth to 
heat up his tires was great but left me longing for the driver's seat in that 
car!!!!!  Has anyone figured out how to get a rollbar in a Miata with an 
after-market Robbins glass window top?????  

Funnies from the weekend:  
1.) Mom (who came with my best friend to watch the Miatas do touring 
laps...hey its the most support she can muster for me 'racing' the car she 
says will kill me one day...LOL) asked "Cathy, why are their tires all 
bald/they have no tread?" (LMAO) and "Why do they drive on the outside (of 
the front straight)?  Isn't it quicker to run on the inside?".  (Yup, 
explained the line and setting up for the next apex and got a thumbs up and 
big old grin on my explanation from one of the drivers watching his partner 
on course next to us...hey, I actually have learned something  :)    
2.) Jeff Anderson's CB splitter for power antennas also serves as a hat 
catcher on touring laps.  My passenger's hat blew off and as I followed it 
back I was amazed to see it hanging on the antenna.  :)  I haven't tried the 
CB with it yet, but Tim was real happy this added feature worked since some 
racer gave him that hat.           

Great weekend.  Y'all should come on out in September for the next set of 
vintage races at Road Atlanta.  

Cat - who thinks a sunburn is a small price to pay for such fun and
CATTOY - who says so what if she's filthy...we got to run RA again  :) :) :)