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SAAC 21 The Nationals Come of Age in SAAC HQ's Backyard by Steve White I'm not sure whether it was the reality of the old saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder", or if there really was a change in the atmosphere at this years' convention. All I know is that it sure seemed enjoyable at Lime Rock this year. It appeared to be more low key, less stressful, casual, less crowded, and just plain old more fun than conventions I recalled in the past. Having to miss the previous two conventions, I looked forward with anticipation to this year's event. Not only was it the opportnnity to renew participation in various open track events, but to also visit another legendary track that I had not been to yet. This year's convention began unofficially with the opportunity for special half day driving schools put on by the Skip Barber Racing School utilizing your own car, followed by four days of open track and swap, with the customary final day car shows and dinner. It all culminated with another "unofficial" event, an exhibition race of only Shelbys, Cobras, and other high performance Ford vintage road racers sandwiched between events on a SAAC regional race weekend. As my personal preference whenever going to a National that is at a track I have never been to, whenever the opportunity exists to take in a pre event driving school, I try to take advantage of it. This allows me to learn the track better and quicker than if I had to fumble along on my own (and hopefully result in better performance and less stress). From past experience, these opportunities are limited in size and fill up quick, so as soon as I received my Snake Bite Bulletin announcing the details, I faxed in my registration and payment w/Visa to be assured a slot in school. However, due to the reasons that kept me off track the past seasons, I couldn't guarantee that I could make it to open track or for how many sessions, so I gambled on that portion until I could obtain a better idea of my participation. Thus I had some motivation, with less risk of financial loss hi could not make it or receive a refund. Through various trials and tribulations, as the convention neared, it appeared the Rent-A-Racer could make it. However, since it was less than one month away, the chance of getting track time from past experiences was a concern. Also, due to other commitments made and the fact that I anticipated the convention to be more sparse at the beginning, with only the diehards in attendance then, I figured the possibility to obtain track time and maximize my enjoyment would be enhanced by only going for the first few days and avoid the building masses as the conventions progressed. My strtegy appeared to work. It also worked for the hotel as well. I selected the Monday PM driving school to allow me time to prepare (limit of 45 was advertised). Our group was broken up into four groups, with the groups going off for instrction in three different areas: 1. Classroom Theory, 2. "Autocross" 3. Track (two groups per instruction went to the track). After your time in whichever area you were assigned to start in was over, you rotated to another area. I was in one of the two groups starting on the track, then rotated to classroom, and then to the autocross. For me, this was the ideal rotation that I would have picked for myself. This allowed me to start to Iearn the track, and then apply the classroom and autocross theories to specific corner attributes from the track. We were also lucky enough to get a brief (briefer for some like me, than others) additional track session at the end of the day that the others did not get. Three track instructors each had six or seven students. Each group went out following their instructor in a lead-and-follow technique. The instructor cars were Vipers or Stealths, which provided plenty of power and handling for the experienced driver on this track, making some students work to keep up in the early stages. After resolving a communication problem on the front straight of each lap, the first student car behind the instructor would drop back to the end of the line and all other students would move up one spot. This proved to he an excellent technique as each student got time in near the instructor car to learn the line in the imitation technique. When you are further back in this situation, it is typical for each successive car to be further and further off line. Eventually, the tail car is usually grossly off line, sort of like those tail-whip games. After the track, we went to the classroom. Even though I had been to several other schools, I was still able to pick up a lot of new ideas. The key subject matter dealt with the theory and affects of early, ideal, and late apexing and what the benefits to each were from speed, safety, learning a new track, and detecting which one you just executed by the way you exited. Now if I can only put it all to use in action. Next we rotated the autocross course, an asymmetrical 0.2-mile dogbone shaped course that has some pylon chicanes added to it. The course was so tight and challenging that I initially felt there was no way it could benefit using real track activities. I quickly learned I was wrong and came to the conclusion that even doing poody here would help on more representative courses. If you could do decent here, the others would be a snap. Due to the course size, only two cars were on the track at once, spaced out to opposite ends of the track, each with an instructor, while the other students watched and learned from their fellow students' endeavors. For open track, I picked Tuesday and Wednesday AM, figuring it would be cooler then. This also allowed me to depart after my Wednesday session to get back home sooner (hopefully). In one of the most interesting twists of any convention I have attended, at the drivers' meetings it was mentioned you could buy or sell track time if desired. Since the car was running good and I seemed to adapt to the track well enough, I purchased an additional session for Tuesday afternoon. Open track, for the sessions I attended, were nearly devoid of the typical convention open track sessions of over crowding and drivers not knowing how to drive. I do however have lots of in car video following a 65 GT 350 that was fully 1 1/2 car widths off line in all sessions, and consequently couldn't carry speed through the corners and keep up to the other drivers. another surprise was that passing was allowed on the front straight only after the overtaken driver signaled to do so, and most drivers did not allow ego to prevent them from allowing to be overtaken, as has been experienced in the past. There was one radical Pantera driver who did not signal overtaking and was asked not to return. As I completed my last Wednesday AM session, rain moved in, making for a wet pit stop to change tires for the return drive home (but my all ladies pit crew helped as best they could). Subsequent sessions had to be delayed slightly and PA transmissions stopped as active lightning quickly moved through the area. On my wait out of the track, the group I had been running in was pre gridded for their first afternoon sessions and the line extended out into the paddock now! It appeared my prediction of the increasing crowds was coming true. I heard it continued to do so. hopefully, the swap picked up too, as it was quite sparse early on. I also heard that the vintage exhibition race became quite wild, with some of the fanatical high buck owner/drivers that run in those groups.(You never know when a Jack Roush or Robert Yates, etc. might be in attendance looking for a new driver, so you have to drive 13/10!). All in all it was a very enjoyable event. Lime Rock I found to be one of my favorite tracks, as it seems to fit my style better, and is a very fast and wide track for its overall short distance. You never had to drop below 3rd gear and only needed to upshift/downshift once/twice per lap -- obviously on the front straight, and optionally on "no name straight" depending on traffic and how hard or easy you wanted to run at that point. As usual, there were some excursions, most with no consequence, but one kit car did suffer greatly (plus the vintage racers results). I would love to do 1-2 open tracks/year at Lime Rock, but at 707 miles from home, I doubt I'll go back until the next time a convention is there, probably the next millenium unfortunately.
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