Watkins
Glen International, 8/14/2002
Race 1, Grand Prix (long) Course
Another Win for Bildon Motorsport!
With
2/3rds of the 2002 race season now complete, the Bildon team was ready
to once again begin the familiar weekend race ritual and head back to
the track that started it all, Watkins Glen International in the finger
lakes region of upstate New York. Originally designed as a Formula 1 track,
“The Glen” remains a very fast track, albeit with many twisty
and challenging turns. This busy weekend would include two races; Bildon
Motorsport would have a chance to run the “long course” on
Saturday, and the shorter "NASCAR course” on Sunday. The team
needed a solid finish here in these crucial events to move toward securing
the season long goal of a NYSRRC championship.
Motor
racing is an intense hobby. A hobby that tends to grab hold, and provide
a need for speed that no other sport can. With the high level of commitment
required, many racers get in and out of racing throughout their life.
One such racer is Ian O’Connor. Don Thompson had raced against Ian
over 10 years ago in similar VW Rabbits. Ian has apparently been busy,
as he showed up with a whole family and two future racers under 10! Ian
now runs a showroom stock Nissan Sentra.
Saturday
the team setup and prepared the 2 cars for morning qualifying. Bill had
purchased a set of new Kumho tires and was eager to mount them up. A trip
to the tire tent was the first order of the day.
Don was similarly anxious to try his new front-end aerodynamic modifications
and new Sparco driving shoes, surely one of these improvements would help
the speed of the #50 GTI!
During this dry track session, Don was nicely matched with John Weavers
white BMW 2002, a long time racer. Don had raced against John (who was
always very quick) over 10 years ago with the VW Rabbit. Don’s new
Golf would prove far more competitive than the old Rabbit! The two cars
diced throughout the session, with many clean passes at various parts
of the track. Such a level of experience is welcome in the Improved Touring
class, and Don appreciated the clean style that Johns experience brings.
After a final pass down the inside at the difficult downhill ‘shoestring’
turn, Don went on to practice the proper line for the rest of the session.
Early in the session Bill turns a number of obvious hot laps, then decides
to help the #50 car by drafting on the straights, which increases the
speed of each car substantially. Lap after lap Bill pulls up close and
nudges Don’s car forward backing off only for corners. Also encountered
in the session was Ian O’Connor. Ian’s ‘stock’
Nissan was quick on the straight but much slower in the turns and under
braking. Regardless of Ian’s always-excellent driving skills, Don’s
GTI would make “short work” of the relatively stock Nissan
as he passed Ian into turn 1.
As
the race time moved closer, so to did the clouds.
With rain scattered on and off throughout the previous hours, the team
decided to leave dry tires on for the race.
When the green flag fell, Don held the middle of the track as the pack
headed into turn 1, while Bill made a clean start; his patience would
soon pay off. On lap 2 the #55 car would make a good run through turn
11 to pass both front running Volvo’s. With rear wheel drive, the
Volvo’s are a handful in the wet. Bob Criss had set fastest time
in his red Volvo 142, but he would spin in turn 1, and become stuck in
the gravel. With a wet track Bill extends his lead until the rain stops
and the track drys. As the rain evaporates, Greg Subtelny’s Volvo
soon catches up. For 3 laps the lead would swap back and forth from corner
to corner but through the final 4 coners Bill would drive hard and pull
out a 2 car length lead. As Bill crossed the finish line he realized he
had achieved a life long goal, to win at Watkins Glen!
This race would prove to hold Volvo-issues for Don as well. With the track
drying, the Volvos were quick. Don’s race was about to get interesting
to say the least. 2/3rds of the way through the race, as Bill was dealing
with Subtelny, a white Volvo caught up and made a move to pass Don into
the twisty ‘heel’ of the ‘boot’ section of the
track. Don stayed to the left and let the now faster Volvo plenty of room
to pass on the inside line on the right, or so he thought…. When
the Volvo was nearly by, it suddenly swerved to the left attempting to
regain the perfect line, pushing Don’s #50 GTI completely off the
track! Don’s GTI drifted toward the guardrail at speed through the
grass. Cool driving allowed Don to keep his foot on the gas and SLOOOWLY
turn the car back onto the track with just enough time to brake for the
turn. So much for “gentlemen racing….” Although this
situation threw Don’s GTIs alignment completely off, Don would finish
an excellent 5th overall. The team was pleased! Bill had won, and Don
had also done well considering his off-track excursion. After collecting
their much-deserved trophies, the team walked back to analyze the damage
to the #55 cars alignment.
Analysis revealed the front-end alignment to be towed-in tremendously.
A few adjustments and a realignment set the front of the GTI back to race
ready and the team packed up for the night. Watkins Glen has a number
of famous racer haunts from back in the Formula 1 days. One such location
is the ever popular hotel called The Lodge. The bar at the Lodge is decorated
with memorabilia from over 40 years of racing at WGI. Behind the bar,
laurels from past Formula 1 race winners festoon the wall. Surely a Bass
ale was in order to celebrate Bill’s first win at Watkins Glen.
Both Don and Bill have now won events here at their home track.
Watkins
Glen International, 8/15/2002
Race 2, Nascar (short) Course
Sunday
the weatherman again predicted rain, but the team decided to leave the
dry tires on to facilitate quick times should the track stay dry. The
cars would run the short track today, the exact layout used by the NASCAR
teams each summer at the Bud at the Glen event. Fellow racer Gene Giorgini
would have an exciting day. Usually racing an ITB VW Scirocco against
the Bildon cars, today Gene was fortunate enough to be running the fast
Heinzelman VW Golf EP car. This car is heavily modified, with purpose
built race motor and lightweight body panels, racing slicks and a highly
modified suspension. Gene hops out ecstatic after qualifying and states,
“This is the kind of car you get to have someday when you’ve
been really, really good.” “It does everything better than
the Scirocco,” exclaimed Gene.
On the grid, with sprinkles beginning to fall,
the team is confident as both cars have mounted rain tires. With wipers
on, the qualifying session was begun. Under wet conditions, Don qualified
well with a 4th place on the grid in ITB. Bill had an excellent session,
placing the #55 GTI in 2nd place on the grid. Both cars stayed out of
trouble and were ready for race 2 of the weekend.
With clouds in the sky, racers could be seen discussing
the conditions and the merits of switching to rain tires versus dry tires.
Ian O’Connor, Gene and other racers were perplexed. What to do…..a
last minute decision was imminent. With minutes to spare, Bill decides
to mount dry tires, while Don opts for rains on the rear, a decision he
would later regret.
At the start, Bill, "the rainmeister", makes a move in turn
one to pass the Ottati Volvo and Edwin Robinsons Neon. A few laps in,
with a drying track, Edwins Neon repass’ Bill until a rare water
pump failure retires the Black Neon. Ottati spins and Bill is left to
battle with the Subtelny Volvo again. With minutes remaining, a black
Rabbit GTI flips in the gravel trap of turn 10 shortening the race with
Bill in 2nd place. Don is praying for lots of rain but finds little. The
rear of the #55 car is loose, and with a dry track the car is not hooking
up properly. Don has a race long battle with a white VW Golf that has
chosen the proper tires. Don holds him off lap after lap, until the white
car gets by after a slower car going into the fast ‘bus stop’
turn holds up Don. With time running out Don is setting up for a repass,
when suddenly the session is shortened due to the action in turn 10.
The
cars are loaded up and the realization that the season is winding down
is discussed. Bill has finally triumphed at the home track WGI and both
cars are way out in front in NYSRRC points.
The team is even quite highly ranked in the NARRC point’s standings.
In October Bildon Motorsport will again storm the WGI circuit for the
penultimate race of the season. See you there!
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