Race 2

May 21st, 2005
Race two took place at Putnam Park Road Course, which is located about 40 miles west of Indianapolis Indiana. We arrived at the track to find a warm sunny spring day; the track was bustling with everyone getting setup and unloaded. After a mandatory drivers meeting, our group was the first on the track. For this event, Group A would be GTS, SU2, SU3, D962, Spec. Miata, SE-R, SN and PS. Group B would be AI, CMC, FFR, VVC, SU1 and CSTCC. The practice session was 20 minutes long and it took every bit of the session to get the cobwebs out and remember the track layout. The last time we raced here was in the fall of 1999. Qualifying took place just before lunch and still being under the four-race rookie probation, my goal for this weekend was just to get much needed seat time and to gain experience. I qualified second in class GTS1 and 23rd out of 32 in Group A.

The Group A race took place just after lunch. On the warm up lap, the back half of the pack got straggled out due to a D962 wanting to use the entire track to try to heat up his tires. The starter (Lawrence) waved off the start with considerable animation, body flailing and the use of many single fingers. The D962 driver must of gotten the idea because on the second warm up lap he moved right up into line. The next time we passed the starter the green flag was flying. At the back of the pack the start was clean but up front someone missed a shift and blue tire smoke form the cars behind breaking filled the air. We all managed to get through the smoke and turn one with out incident. The race was fast and I was doing battle with two spec miata’s. We took turns leap-frogging each other. I could over power them on the long front straight and they could pass me in either turn four or five. At about six laps from the end of the race, a D962 oiled down the track right in the middle of turn eight, which is a big left hand sweeper. When we passed the flag stand just before this corner, I saw the yellow flag and knew that something was up. Heading into the corner I saw four cars off in the grass and the spec miata just ahead of me got real loose. At this point, due to my lack of experience I am wondering why there are four cars in the grass and why the car ahead of me is sliding across the track sideways. Well it didn’t take long to figure out what was going on when I started to slide across the track as well. Somehow I managed to collect up the car, miss the spec miata and stay on course. We finished the race under a full course yellow and I took a second place in class GTS1 and 24th out of 34 cars.

All in all, I was happy with the day’s events. As I remembered, Putnam Park is a great track. It’s challenging, has some elevation changes, with the exception of turn 10, each corner has plenty y of run-off room. It’s a great spectator track; fans can see the entire track from the raised walkway. The paddock leaves something to be desired. Most of the parking is in the grass, and they had rain the day before and many of the big rigs got stuck when they pulled in to park. After the track was closed for the day and we all partook in the adult beverages sponsored by Rat Racing, the folks with the four-wheel-drive vehicles started hooking up and puling out the stuck rigs. I pulled out a large motor home with my Durango and then hooked up to his trailer and pull it out as well.