Some weekends turn out better than others. Some are absolute memorable riots and others… well, just aren’t. This past weekend is one of those that will be talked about and debated for quite some time in the halls of GTM. However you want to spin it, things weren’t great, they were just OK. We started into the weekend with the full bluster of enthusiasm carried over from our success at EMRA’s Shenandoah summer shenanigans event, and the GTM summer bash with HOD.
The weather, being mostly “passing showers” on Saturday morning turning to blistering heat the rest of the weekend was the least of our issues.
So as to avoid all the depressing details, lets focus on what did work… as always GTM’ers make the best of even the worst of situations working together as a team.
Over the two days we had 9 members attend the event and we even picked up a new addition with Cory B and his Turbo Miata. Cory comes to us as a newly licenced time trialer with EMRA. He’s got lots of racing experience on the west coast (cars, bikes, karts). He’s a member of the US Navy, stationed in Annapolis and is looking for new adventures here in the East. Cory’s a great guy, lots of fun and we’re happy to have him aboard.
Kyle N who some of you may remember was part of the winning team (which included now GTM members: Steve F and Corey T) at this years HOD v GTM karting event, took on the challenge of his first ever track day, borrowing Eric M’s VR6 GTI. Kyle was calm, cool and a natural on track. He adapted to conditions quickly and by the end of the day was able to put down a respectable 1:24 around Lightning.
A special surprise came when member Dan S showed up on Saturday afternoon. That might not seem special, but I need to take a moment to expanding this particular part of the weekend. Why?, because only “Mountain Man Dan S” could get away with purchasing a vehicle on a Friday night from a used car lot in DC, perform some basic maintenance on Saturday, borrowing some wheels+tires and with full faith and confidence, suit up and get out on track for the first time. We can’t deny, bets were being placed on how long the car would last.
Wait… what did he buy?
If you know Dan the answer is simple… A square-body Chevy – nope, a Volkswagen Jetta – a 2003 1.8T 5-spd with no sunroof in dark gray; to be exact. Partnered with GTM coach John R they tackled NJMP’s Thunderbolt Circuit with ease. Dan took to the track quickly and the car held up… turning a respectable 1:54 in this bone-stock trim. We still can’t believe those Duralast pads made it. WOW!
And just for fun, Dan was complaining about not having enough grunt to catch+pass a Mini Cooper in his run group, so while he was away at class, a few us us got together and quickly removed the rear seats, and everything that was in the trunk. Removing the extra 75+ lbs really helped the car to rotate more easily and gave him the extra boost he needed to catch the Mini!
Great work by both new drivers Kyle N and Dan S, we’re proud of you guys and can’t wait to see you back out there. Well done!
>applause<
In the end, we had a blast partying and carrying on like we always do. Our HQ for the weekend was an AirBNB rental house that was spacious and less than 5 miles from the track. The group dinners were great and Steve F can always get us to crack up with his jokes. CORVETTE >> Miata ST8. Overall, we did place well with many podium finishes, but it’s not all about the trophies. But the track-side vibe was just off all weekend.
So the moral to the story: Even a bad day on track, is still better than a good day at the office.
