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Lime Rock Park, 8/9-8/10
NARRC / NYSRRC Race


2002 was to be the return of Bildon Motorsport to beautiful Limerock Park (LRP) in Connecticut. This circuit is much different than many of the high-speed venues that the team had attended early in the season. Limerock is far shorter in distance, and values a well-handling car and consistent momentum around the track. Don last raced here over 10 years ago, and Bill was looking forward to his first laps at the self-proclaimed, "hidden valley of racing" nestled in the scenic foothills in western Connecticut. This would be a learning event for both…

Bill made the trip down early and was fortunate enough to get a great paddock location with pavement. As in other events, a decent paddock location is highly valued as it makes for an enjoyable location for working on the car if necessary. As nightfall approached, Don arrived to unload his rig and then a quick drink at the Interlaken bar to unwind and it was off to bed.

Saturday:

Before morning practice, the team continued its never-ending quest for speed by accessing further engine management tweaks. The #50 GTI was brought to what was assumed to be closer similarity to the #55 car, which had been tuned at Watkins Glen weeks earlier. Amidst the activity to change the ECU, the omnipresent Dave Zaslow appeared to assess the situation. When talk turned to the proper line at LRP, Dave was quick to point out the lack of Bildon cooperation early in the season at Pocono when Dave had wanted to follow the silver cars around, but was left alone as the Bildon cars waited for clear track in the pits! After much ribbing Dave agreed to a strategy session on how to drive Limerock in a VW. Much thanks goes out to Dave, who has years of experience at LRP. As luck would have it, unfortunately Dave's weekend was about to take a turn (quite literally) for the worse…

The team spent the session relearning the track by following other perennial LRP experienced drivers such as Dave. Mid session, Dave was to have an unfortunate and rare failure of the rear wheel spindle which would send his black Rabbit careening off the track in turn 1. Dons car was now handling much better due to a new rear sway bar, but toward the end of the session, the #50 car began to run rich and misfire. Post-session, the problem with the #50 GTI was diagnosed as similar to that which had struck the #55 car earlier in the season at Pocono, fouled plugs. The cause is now known and the problem was easily fixed.

For the qualifying session, the weather was sunny, hot and muggy. The team went out together but due to the large grids and short track length, our normal procedure of letting the field get halfway around the track was not able to be followed. This however was not a major disadvantage as we were able to tuck in behind some local drivers and continue to learn the line through the qualifying period.

Still enjoying his newfound power after the extensive testing at WGI, Bill made a good run and qualified 4th on the grid with a 1.06.00. Bill was very happy with this as it was his first time driving at LRP. Don ended up 13th, with complaints of a severe lack of power.

Returning to the paddock, there is a crowd around Zaslow's poor Rabbit, jacked high in the air as many fellow racers assess the damage to his rear axle. It's pointed out that the entire rear axle is bent, and will require replacement. Dave is now turned into a man on a mission. A road-trip to Rapid Parts in NY and much late night wrenching are to ensue.

This area of Connecticut tends to be pricey, and one potential dinner spot reveals ¾ of a million dollars worth of exotic European machinery in the small parking lot. Nice, but not the scene the tired and hungry crew is looking for….so its off to the historic Red Lion Inn in nearby Stockbridge, Massachusetts. During dinner, it is decided that an early morning practice session is a requirement for examining Don's ailing #55 GTI. Bill will leave his car parked and the team will focus on Don's car in the morning.

Sunday:

Morning analysis reveals that the cam timing may be off and so adjustments are made. The results are disappointing as the car proves slower yet! Back to the drawing board…Don concentrates on driving the line and learning the track. Meanwhile, Dave has enlisted help and has managed to assemble a whole new rear axle to the GTI! He will make the race and start from the back.

After another excellent lunch, the cars are lined up for the planned 30-minute race. As the green flag falls Bill, always an opportunistic starter goes down the inside of the Carlson Volvo into Big Bend, however Bill can not "close the deal" coming out of Big Ben and tucks in behind the Volvo. The field sorts itself out over the next few laps and Bill feels he has a strong car for today… and then things get weird.

Pole sitter Michael Reese spins his VW Rabbit on the downhill turn and the yellow comes out. Good news for Bildon as both cars move up a spot. Bill is anxiously anticipating the restart, looking to improve upon his 3rd place. Not long after the green reappears Bill's "restart charge" goes south, coming down the hill through the "Diving Turn" he becomes another victim of what will later be described as a coolant spill. At the apex, flat out in 5th gear, the rear of the #55 car steps out without warning. Bill has been warned about spinning here and the consequences of the inside wall. Bill snaps the steering wheel "hard left" in an attempt to catch the car and then considers spinning it intentionally to keep the car from hooking to the inside barrier as so many do here. However, his early catch has enabled him to slide sideways for 30-40 yeards and scrub off a considerable amount of speed. Bill would be able to manage the ensuing "tank slapper" and was fortunate to lose only 3 positions.

The coolant spill would begin to catch out more drivers as an Audi Coupe spins and ends up in the dirt wall on the downhill turn…then a BMW quits and pulls over on the entrance to no name straight. Bill is only able to snatch back 2 positions as more yellow flags and the pace car appears. In between the yellow flag activity Dave Zaslow has hustled his Rabbit through the pack and attached himself to Don's rear bumper.

After another restart, Don attempts to pass a Volvo and has to back off as traffic has closed the opening, Dave gets next to Don and slowly slips by for one lap until …….. disaster strikes for Dave.
In the downhill, Dave experiences the same dropped coolant but Dave loses the rear end completely and slides off the track, into the inside wall and rolls his car. Don watches the whole thing unfold and follows the black Rabbit's sick path in his rear view mirror. The weekend has just gone from bad to worse for the "Zascar" VW Rabbit. In the ensuing craziness Don is able to pick up 3 positions and is ready to pass a Blethen Audi when the yellows fly again. Due to the endless stream of incidents the race is ended short by race control.

Post race, the team consoles Dave who has had an unbelievable weekend of bad luck. The good food continues with a free fried chicken and beer party for all. The team as a whole is having a tremendous season. Don has held an early season lead and after LRP, Both Don and Bill now hold a commanding lead in the NYSRRC points standings!

After mingling and bench racing with others, everyone is off to make the long ride home….until the next event! The goal of seeing a Bildon Motorsport NYSRRC ITB championship now seems not only a strong possibility, but likely! Next event we'll be "back home" at Watkins Glen where we'll be running 2 races on both the "Grand Prix" (long) course and the "NASCAR" (short) course. See you there! 

Northern New Jersey Region Official Race Results
10 August 2002 NARRC/NYSRRC/VOLVO Regional At Lime Rock Park
Sanction Number: 02-RS-173-P

GROUP 7 - ITB SSB SSC

Pos CL  Class No. Name/Address//Region                     Laps Total     DiffTime      Best Laptime In Speed  Car Make/Model/Color            Sponser                                    
1   1   ITB   3   Jim MacMahon/Lyndeborough, NH//NER       14   21:09.797               01:05.317    6  60.728 Opel GT/White/Yellow/Blue       White Heat Racing                          
2   2   ITB   81  James Carlson/South Burlington, VT//NER  14   21:10.799 00:01.002     01:05.362    6  60.680 Volvo 140/Yellow                Swedish Pit                                
3   1   SSB   6   Fred Ferguson/Bolton, MA//NER            14   21:11.505 00:01.708     01:06.188    12 60.646 BMW Z3/Black                                                               
4   3   ITB   58  Stephen Blethen/Bow, NH//NER             14   21:12.122 00:02.325     01:06.381    12 60.617 Audi Coupe/Silver/Blue          www.rstperformance.com                     
5   1   SSC   8   Bob Roraback/Poughkeepsie, NY//NYR       14   21:13.366 00:03.569     01:07.162    2  60.558 Nissan 200SX SER/Red/White/Blue Jim's Auto Body                            
6   2   SSC   60  Randy Papa/Manchestser, CT//NER          14   21:15.654 00:05.857     01:07.492    6  60.449 Dodge Neon ACR/White            AR Express/Papa's Dodge/Bundy Motors       
7   4   ITB   78  Alan Lourenco/Newton, CT//NER            14   21:16.621 00:06.824     01:08.212    12 60.403 VW Golf GT1/Silver/Black        Danbury Rent A Truck/SRS/Economy Signs     
8   5   ITB   55  Bill Sulouff/Pittsburgh, PA//STC         14   21:17.364 00:07.567     01:06.351    2  60.368 VW Golf GT1/Silver/Blue         Bildon Motorsport                          
9   6   ITB   2   Nat Wentworth/Westbrook, CT//NER         14   21:18.166 00:08.369     01:07.951    12 60.330 SAAB 900/White                  Eriksson Industries                        
10  7   ITB   51  Ray Blethen IV/Bow, NH//NER              14   21:18.653 00:08.856     01:08.208    2  60.307 Audi Coupe/Silver/Red           www.rstperformance.com                     
11  8   ITB   61  Scott Hull/Yorktown Heights, NY //NYR    14   21:18.818 00:09.021     01:07.519    12 60.299 Volvo 142/Red                   Swedish Pit                                
12  9   ITB   03  Timothy Mullen/Boylston, MA//NER         14   21:19.732 00:09.935     01:07.828    12 60.256 VW RabbitGTi/Black              Boylston Wine & Liquors                    
13  10  ITB   50  Donald Thompson/Baldwinsville, NY//CNY   14   21:21.176 00:11.379     01:07.707    12 60.188 VW GTi/Silver/Blue              Bildon Motorsports                         
14  11  ITB   09  Jerry Monaghan/Chester, NY//NNJ          14   21:22.911 00:13.114     01:08.800    11 60.107 VW Golf/White                   Village Auto Works                         
15  12  ITB   1   Dave Austin/Saratoga,NY//MHR             14   21:23.345 00:13.548     01:09.109    12 60.087 BMW 320i/White                  Smarty's Auto                              
16  13  ITB   04  Todd Boice/Ballston Spa, NY//MHR         14   21:25.636 00:15.839     01:08.382    12 59.980 VW Golf/Red/Blue                Saratoga Auto Body                         
17  3   SSC   7   Barry Hess/Barneveld, NY//NER            14   21:27.622 00:17.825     01:09.350    12 59.887 Dodge Neon/White                                                           
18  14  ITB   9   Ron Wilcox/Harwinton, CT//NER            14   21:28.919 00:19.122     01:11.366    12 59.827 Saab 900/Yellow                 Productivity Improvement Technologies, LLC 
19  4   SSC   10  Mary Hartman/Rochester, NY//FLR          14   21:32.354 00:22.557     01:13.892    12 59.668 Dodge Neon/Red/White            Paul Brown Dodge                           
20  5   SSC   41  Gregory R. Marley/West Paterson, NJ//NNJ 14   21:33.689 00:23.892     01:13.867    12 59.606 Plymouth Neon-ACR/Black                                                    
21  15  ITB   15  Donald W. Peaslee/Marblehead, MA//NER    13   21:21.900 -- 1 lap --   01:07.976    12 55.858 VW Rabbit GT1/Black/White       War Horse Racing                           
22  16  ITB   14  Dave Zaslow/New York, NY//NYR            11   17:09.486 -- 3 laps --  01:08.615    6  58.853 VW Rabbit Gti/Black             Rapid Part/ Blue Igniters                  
23  17  ITB   18  Eric Pedersen/E. Hampton, CT//NER        11   17:19.769 00:10.283     01:09.020    6  58.271 BMW 318i/White                  Performance Automotive                     
24  6   SSC   28  Tim Richmond/Pleasant Valley,NY/Ner      9    21:24.788 -- 5 laps --  01:10.675    7  38.584 Plymouth Neon                   In Memory of Rob Goldfarb                  
25  DNF ITB   69  Michael Reece/Brooklyn, NY//NYR          5    07:23.817 -- 9 laps --  01:06.327    2  62.053 VW GTI/Black                    RC Engine Rebuilding/Reece Racing, Inc     
26  DNF ITB   44  Phil Phillips/Pomona, NY//NYR            4    06:20.629 -- 10 laps -- 01:08.282    2  57.883 Audi Coup GT/Red/Yellow         Phil's Tire Service/Amsoil                 
27  DNS ITB   40  Butch O'Connor/Sparta, NY/NNJ            0    00:00.000 -- 14 laps -- 00:00.000    0  0.000  VW GTI                          Phil's Foreign Car/B&B Automotive          
28  DNS ITB   81  Sott Carlson/South Burlington, VT//NER   0    00:00.000               00:00.000    0  0.000  Volvo 140/Yellow                Swedish Pit                                

Chief of Timing and Scoring
Nancy Huber
08/10/2002
 
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