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Mid Ohio

ConAgra Foods

10/06/2001

Sunday

Morning

The sun is shining as bright as a tanning lamp placed an inch from your eye. No rain predicted for the Ohio valley region until Monday. Tractors equipped with huge blowers are making the rounds of the circuit blasting off the bits of rubber – “marbles” – left behind from yesterday’s practice and qualifying activity.

Slowly the paddock is coming to life. Walking around I find the garages closed, the transporters secured, the golf carts parked and the concession stands just starting to serve a few bleary-eyed pedestrians in search of an awakening elixir. What a quiet place.

But the sound of a dropped wrench resonates loudly in my ear. Nothing like the sound of metal hitting concrete to let you know you are awake, barely, and in desperate need of a cup of tea. I turn a corner to try and find the dastardly person who would break the mornings quiet. I come upon crewmen on the #41 Camaro AGT car installing a new engine. Seems the team lost their motor in one of the practice sessions yesterday and had to wait until late last night for the new motor to arrive.

OK, some things I failed to mention in my Saturday report:

Seems 5 track records were set in qualifying.
James Weaver (Norcold / Thetford / Dyson Racing R&S MKII Ford #16) did it in SRP with a 1:17.005.
Andy Lally (Archangel Motorsports Nissan-Lola #21) did it in SRPII, with a 1:19.983.
Chris Bingham (Fordahl Motorsports / Park Place Saleen S7R #5) did it in GTS with a lap of 1:23.761.
Randy Pobst (Fordahl Motorsports / Crazy Redhead Racing Porsche GT3RS #15) did it with a lap of 1:26.201.
Jack Willes (World Best Buy / Comer Racing Corvette #84) did it with a lap of 1:24.790.

Pretty interesting that a big hairy-chested Corvette got around this twisty, undulating, curvaceous circuit two seconds faster than Mr. Pobst in a Porsche.

Another item I missed is the missing Mosler mystery. Seems a fire in the transporter put it out of service. The Mosler MT900 GT car was not damaged in the fire that occurred in Boston, after the Lime Rock event. Would have been something to watch the silver sleek Mosler slinking up and down the Mid-Ohio circuit.

Seems the Archangel guys can lead the championship in SRPII and not be so uppity about it. When the #22 car took a spin in the grass at turn 11, it was only because, as team manager Mike Johnson joked, “To have Jeff Clinton bring the corner workers a few beers.” Nice to know the Archangel guys aren’t getting a big head over Andy Lally’s lead.

That’s it for this morning. Finished my tea and now it’s time to see who is doing what so I can share that information with you. Let’s see now...where did I put my sunglasses?