Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival,
Road America 2003

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9. Sunday Track Touring

Feeling like I'd gotten away with something, I toddled out of the garage, proud of the bright inspection sticker on my windscreen, and made my way back to the Lotus group. No sooner had I parked the car than it came time for track touring. I headed back on up the paddock hill and but cut left this time, where all the race cars go to enter the track. Quite a line of cars had gathered, but the moment I switched off, the line began to move, out from the false grid lane and onto the track. Mostly newer machinery I noticed, and definitely no other old Lotus cars any where that I could see! Well the car in front of me, I think it was that Mercedes, took off like a rocket for turn one, and not wanting to be left too far behind, I gave it all I had, winding up to just over 5 grand in each gear until I got to 4th and an indicated 65 or so.

Turn one, from the speed I was going did not seem all that sharp. I slipped into neutral, blipped the throttle dropped into third and stood on it -- wee haaaw! Back up to 65 or 70 and away again! Now I'm onto going to go into an account of each and every turn, but there really were only a couple that I actually braked hard on. For the most part, the routine was drop into third and get on it! The first time I came round to turn five, however, I probably should have used a little more brake. The Seven seemed to be pushing a bit and I got onto the apron which was rather more bumpy than I had expected! I rode it for about 20 or 30 feet until I could gradually bring it back in on the uphill to the Toyota bridge.

Down another nice straightaway through the trees to let the really fast cars past, we come to another 90 degree turn that requires heel and toe down to third, then power through. Then into the Carousel - truly a blast in a Lotus - accelerating through, wondering if I'd get to the end of the curve before I got to the end of the grip! Along flat out through turn 11, then Kettle Bottoms where the old quarry becomes evident, and into Canada corner, named for the inordinate number of Canadian tax stamped cigarette packs and empty containers found there after a race back in the early days.

Canada corner is the penultimate corner, another downshift and power through, gaining speed to pull up the hill under the Billy Mitchell Bridge (with Road & Track sign), sweep to the left and into turn 14, powering out once again onto the uphill straight. What a blast!

I don't know how many laps we were actually allowed, it was at least 3 or 4, when the checkers came out in turn 14 indicating the completion of our laps. Cruising back up pit row, however, I could see that the Lotus cars were all lined up on the false grid for their parade lap in honor of the weekend's featured marque. I wheeled right around and slotted in behind the only other Seven, the restored one, which was directly behind Paul Quiniff's Six.

I believe this is the bit known as 'Kettle Bottoms' which shows evidence of the quarry that was converted so many years ago... This picture is from the 'Lotus Lap' though I'm not sure if it was the one with or without Peter Warr in the lead car!

Paul made known his genuine concern for the fact that he had never had the car on a track at speed, and was questioning the proposed speed of the pace car. They eventually settled on 40 miles an hour, which was really a dawdle after having blasted 'round as fast as I could go! It was nice though, to take some time and look around the track as we progressed and pick out the details that I missed on my hot laps. Eventually we came 'round under the Billy Mitchell bridge, signaling the end of the lap coming up, and turned off the main straight into pit lane once again.

As well pulled up, the stewards were holding the cars in line however, shouting 'you get another lap'. Turns out they were waiting for Peter Warr, who was to be Grand Marshall of the Lotus parade. Peter came rolling up in one of the ubiquitous golf carts used for personnel transport around a course this size, stepped out and into Quiniff's Six.

Off we went again, for what I expected to be another toddle around, but I suppose the presence of Mr. Warr in the car egged Paul on to push the speed right up into the 60's by my speedo. I teased Paul later about feeling the pressure to run the car harder with Lotus' ex-Formula One chief in the passenger seat. He explained that he didn't feel any pressure at all -- he was merely confident after his first go-round that the car would be happy to go faster, passenger and all, so he did it.

Well friends, there's not too much more to tell of the excellent adventure except to have a go at making up a bit of a report on the racing that actually went on! I had reviewed most of the cars by this time, eaten a bunch of brats and generally soaked up the atmosphere on an absolutely gorgeous fall day.

To be honest, I watched less actual racing than I usually do, having scurried round the paddock investigating any Lotus car I found. I had a seven hour drive ahead of me to get back home, and didn't want to be too late in on the Sunday night. I watched a few laps of the All Lotus race before deciding I'd best get packing!

Now then, click on 'ten' below to go the 'race report'!

 

PLEASE NOTE: All information and photography presented herein is copyright 2003 by the authors/photographers indicated and not to be reproduced in any form without prior permission from the author/photographer/editor.

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