NASA Time Trial - Autobahn Ccccccountry Cllllllubbbbbb!

Great Lakes News

Autobahn Ccccccountry Cllllllubbbbbb!
By John Graber
Published: July 24, 2006

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Joliet, IL – July 21-23, 2006

What an amazing place Autobahn Country Club is! I’ve always been attracted to Nasa events because of the diversity of run groups and races, but adding the ACC members equipment made it really interesting. I thought I was in LA for a while when the Carrera GT, Ford GT, 934, Ferrari, and Lotus Exige where out there running around. Plus the dinner and after dinner beverages were the best all year in spite of the deluge of rain we received. Technically I was just a guest at the event as Bill Marquardt owned the responsibilities for the weekend, but I wanted to keep the post-event communications tradition moving along. We also had some of the largest TT groups of the year, with TTD leading the charge with 10 cars. Funny, early in the year I was begging for some TTD competition and here I sit on the bottom of the list.

We have a few special awards from the weekend.

Longest Tailpipe Award – Buzz Korth for his dB beating extenders. I think ACC won the battle, but Buzz won the war as he got to run the north track for a sound check. I managed to sneak in the car and I think we ran about 9-10 laps short-shifting the whole way.

Longest Off-Track – David Miller, on a mission from God, for running his vintage Mustang off turn 4 and almost to Iowa. For those who may have witnessed, I followed David’s line in session 3 Sunday and it consumed my brake ducts.

Biggest Wing Award – John Slinkard for the space shuttle size aluminum on the back of his S2000 which very effectively lifted the rear of his car off the ground in the first session Saturday.

Shortest Line Award – Shane Bensen of Aim Tuning for running tech smoothly and keeping the lines the shortest of the year.

Deer in the Headlights Award – To me, John Graber, for bouncing Bambi off the driver’s front of my truck 2 miles from home at 1:30am. No permanent damage.

Most Profitable Driver – To me again for taking money out of Harrah’s Friday night and being smart enough to not go back Saturday night.

Congratulations to all the winners, especially those in the three largest groups who won the Hawk Brake gift certificates. Mid Ohio is just three weeks away and I’m expecting a huge turn-out. If you haven’t signed-up you need to do it right away. There are a bunch of people looking to hit their five event qualifications and I know it will be sold out shortly. I’m sort of on “marital probation” right now, but I should be there Friday through Sunday. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. The times are already on MyLaps and the Nasa TT website will be updated this week.

John

P.S. If you know any of the new, Midwest, or HPDE4 guys running with us please forward to them or send me their e-mail addresses. Also, if you want me to stop the harassment just send me an e-mail.