left to right: Jim Donato, Bill Thompson, Gary Speckman
PDLJMPR Web Magazine, November 1, 1996
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left to right: Jim
Donato, Bill Thompson, Gary Speckman
I consider Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin to be my "home" track. I grew up only 15 miles from this track and visited it often in the 60's 70's, 80's and 90's. Ever since high school, when my brother had a 1964 Austin Healey Sprite and I had a 1967 MG Midget, I dreamed of racing a Bugeye Sprite at this track. We would go to the SCCA June Sprints every year and watch the H production, G production and F production sports car races. The Bugeyes in H production were always my favorite cars to watch.
I now live about 100 miles from Road America, in central Wisconsin, but still consider it to be my home track. Road America is a HUGE place...there are turns and parts of the track that are literally inaccessible to spectators. It is 4 miles in length with 14 turns. Three very high speed, long straights,... well one is almost straight, and if you hang on really hard and grit your teeth, you can take this one with the pedal to the metal, without lifting, although there is "kink" and a few sweeping curves. Your brain says "get off the gas!, you're going too fast!," but your ego says, "Keep on it! You can make it!". Gary in "Canada Corner" , Gary in "Thunder Valley"
These high speed straights and corners really put the race cars to a severe test. A lot of running at, or near, the "red line." My tachometer showed 7000+ rpm at the end of the long straights, with the 3:90 rear axle I was running, that computes to over 115 mph....you feel every mph in a Bugeye! 116 mph, coming into turn 5
I missed the optional Friday practice and arrived at the track Saturday morning in a very thick fog. (The WEATHER!, not me) Practice was delayed because the workers could not see the next corner station, and safety dictates that the workers must be able to see one another. The fog kinda lifted late morning and we got in the morning practice sessions. The track was extremely slippery that morning. Saturday afternoon qualifying sessions went as scheduled. Gary, Bill, & Jay Rhodes (a must view)
Team Thicko leader Bill Thompson blew another head gasket in the first practice, got it changed in time for qualifying, but blew it again in the qualifying race. Bill Thompson, Bob Brown, and Don Thompson repairing head gasket.
Jim Donato qualified well in his 1275cc Sprite in Class 2C. I was in Class 2D with the 948cc engine and qualified well in that class.
Sunday morning practice went well except that Bill blew ANOTHER head gasket. He decided to call it quits. After some consultation, it was determined that perhaps the cause of the head gasket problems was a misfitting engine back plate that would not allow the head to be torqued properly. The back plate was ground down so that the head no longer came in contact with it and another head gasket was installed. Hopes were high that this solved the problem. We would know later in the morning when the race began. Gary w/son, Brad
Our race group had everything from a Ferrari 250 GTO to Porsche 356s'. We had Austin Healey 3000's, Jaguar XK120's, Triumph TR 3's and 4's and bunch of other cars...A very mixed group, with wide speed differentials. It would be interesting. False grid at Road America, Jim Donato going to grid
The race started out fine for me, but Bill blew the head gasket in the very first turn. Bummer! Beginning of race. Jim got a good start and began moving up in his race group. I had a battle with two Alfa Romeo's and finally got past them and set my sights on a MGA. I was able to out corner him but he drove away from me on the long straights. The race saw a fellow competitor crash his Austin Healey 3000 into a wall. The car was badly damaged but luckily the driver was ok, sore ribs and a bloody nose. Thank God for tight safety harnesses. Dan Powell's Healey before the crash.
I ended up finishing first in my class, by a margin of one minute and 52 seconds. I will not say how many cars were in my class! (There WAS more than one!)... oh ya, modesty dictates that I tell you the second place Bugeye spun in corner 12 of the last lap...
Healeys at Speed:
Jim Donato (MKII)
Brian Mertz (Big Healey)
Gary
Speckman (Bugeye)
A nice Big Healey (owner
unknown)
It was another successful outing for the 'ol Bug. No breakdowns or spins. Plans are being made for the next race, Oct 11, 12 and 13 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. This event offers competitors a chance to drive their cars on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a.k.a The Brickyard!....WOW! Team Thicko will again be represented by Bill Thompson, (fearless leader, "hottest" runner), Jim Donato (Mr.America, red, white and blue) and yours truly, Gary Speckman (always trying)...
Regards, Gary
Team Thicko
'59 Bugeye racer #55.....racin into the past.
speckman@coredcs.com
