This was the last race for Team Thicko in 1998. It was also the first one that Team Thicko Flounder, Wm.S. Thompson, was able to attend. All the TT faithful had missed his presence this year, and it was great to have him back with us.
IRP is one of our favorite race tracks. Its fast, with lots of passing opportunities. Turn one is one of the most intimidating turns out there. Coming down the long front striaght(IRP's NHRA Drag strip)the pedal is all the way to the floor, and if you are brave, you dont lift...just turn the car and slide through the corner, full throttle. Its a heart pumper.
The racing and qualifying was great, with TT cars doing very well in all all classes. In the Group 2 race alone, on Sunday, 13 of the 34 cars carried TT "sponsorship". Team Thicko is fast becoming the largest vintage race "team" in the world. At last count, over 140 cars carried the colors, all over the world.
The TT pits were, again, the place to be after the racing was over. Those pitting in Thicko Village included, Wm S. Thompson,(Sprite), Gary Speckman(Bugeye Sprite), Jim Donato(Sprite), Roger Heil(Sprite), Gerry Brazil(Bugeye Sprite), David Ress(Bugeye Sprite), Ken Suhre(Mini), Jack and Tony Drews(Triumph), Rick Gurolnick(Porsche), Paul Fitzsimmons(Bugeye Sprite), Dave Tedore(Sprite), Joe Alexander(Triumph), Steve Garrett(Turner), Chuck Maranto(Elva), Rick Cook(Anderson Special), Louis Rohan(Lotus), and Brett Johnson(Porsche/Lotus).
Great food, and this year, live entertainment, were again featured. At times, we had over 50 people in our "tents" enjoying the food and cammeraderie. Over the course of the weekend, we fed over 100 people. Everyone is welcome in the TT pits.
Some Pics of the weekend activities.....
The Official TT Twins!
Rick Gurolnick's 1960 Porsche 356...FAST!
Rear View of Gary's Bugeye...carrying the "Cheatin Dog" penance(long story...ask him)
Bill Dalton, VSCDA Chief of Tech...gettin down! Mr. Dalton toured with many of the big name groups of the 50's and 60's, including Carl Perkins, The Big Bopper, Bill Haley and the Comets..to name a few. He also wrote the song "Short Shorts" made famous on the Nair Hair Removal comercials.
Bill Dalton and WST ..playing up a storm.
Flounder, Wm. S. Thompson, jamming....
WST posing next to the Elva MK-6, owned by Chuck Maranto...This was THE car that Elvis drove in the classic motion picture... "Viva Les Vegas!".
Gary Speckman, Jim Donato, Craig Bielat celebrateing Jim's winning of the Geoff Healey Sportsmanship Trophy... a traveling trophy given to the Healey driver who displays "great sportsmanship" throughout the year. No one deserves this award more than our Buddy. Congratulations, Jim
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Email comments to:
- speckman@coredcs.com
