<VV> NECC Time Trials at Monticello. Lap Times Posted.

[Allan V. Lacki]

Visit www.neccmotorsports.com to see lap times from the NECC Time Trials at Monticello.

Rain was predicted, but it remained dry for most of the day, so all the drivers had plenty of track time.
We also had two "Taste of the Track" sessions for folks who had never driven on a track before.  
Just about everybody had fun.  

During practice runs, Jordan Levitt, Tom Dorris, and David Burnham seemed to dominate the track.  
Jordan and Tom drove heavily modified Mitsubishis and Dave drove his track-prepared Maserati BiTurbo. 
Bruce Carlton and Dave Edsinger drove the fastest Corvairs.  

But there was also plenty of room on the track for less-powerful cars, and nobody should 
have felt intimidated.  Passing rules were strictly enforced by the corner workers, and as the day progressed,
there were only a few cars on the track at any given time, making it quite possible to drive the track 
without being overtaken by passing cars.

When the time came to run the timed laps at 3 PM, the sky opened up with lightning, thunder, and heavy rain.  
The drivers continued to go out for timed laps, and as may be expected, we had some very strange results,
with my 105 hp Toyota Yaris setting the fastest lap time for the non-Corvairs.  I had the benefit of going out
for laps before anybody else, while the track was still dry.  Normally, a Yaris doesn't beat Maseratis, Corvettes, 
and BMWs...

If we had a Good Samaritan Award, it would certainly go to NJACE Member Steve Calandra, who arrived at 
the event in his 1966 Corvair Monza Sport Sedan, simply to videotape the action at the track.  When 
Bruce Carlton's COMP Class Corvair blew a rear shock absorber, Steve jacked up his own Corvair, 
emoved the rear shock, and lent it to Bruce.  Bruce went on to win the COMP Class in the timings, 
due in large part to Steve's act of kindness.

The Monticello facilities were first class.  The track surface was perfect, the course was challenging, 
and the meeting rooms were incredibly nice for a sports car racing track.  We would like to run here again
in the future!

Al Lacki for NECC