All goes well, until Larry’s Chevron loses a cylinder when the wall picks an inconvenient time to crack and Tom has a minor altercation with a Porsche.

Bob’s business dictates a buy for the weekend though Jim Freeman tries on Bobby’s Chevron for a few laps.

Sadly, Brian Redman’s Jefferson 500 event had to be cancelled. The good news is that the SVRA Road America event falls on the same May weekend, but only Larry Neviaser and his Ginetta G-16 are able to get all the way west to attend. Good event. Larry has some on track fun and heads home Sunday night to get ready for Mid-Ohio in June. Yep, he did the whole thing, towed, serviced and raced . . . but we know he wishes there were more of his VRS pals to share in his exuberance.

June harbored events at Mt. Tremblant, Mosport and Mid Ohio. Sadly Murray Smith’s always terrific Legends event at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant suffered the same fate as the Jefferson 500 in May. No, not a trend, but the result of unforeseen complexities and we are assured that this seasonal highpoint will be back in 2009.

Mosport mid month found Mark Simpson with Porsche 914/6 and Lola along with yours truly, in the trusty 914/6.

Weather precluded one of the 3 days and, sadly, Dino Crescentini’s fatal crash put an end to racing Sunday.

We all ask why when this sort of thing happens, banding together to offer support and hopeful wishes to those left behind.

It’s always a state of semi-disbelief, but it's part of our activity. It harbors risk amid all the enjoyment and excitement.

Here’s to Dino and all the fun he created and enjoyed.

SVRA’s superb Mid Ohio event falls a few days later. Great event, an excellent turnout, and we are all happy to mix it up at this absolutely delightful jewel of a race course under the VRS tent:

• Joel Finn- Chevron B-19
• John Deford- Porsche 914/6
• Jim Lenehan- Swift S2000 and Datsun 240Z
• Mark Simpson- Porsche 914/6 and Lola
• Bob Bondurant- Sharing Mark’s cars
• Larry Neviaser- Ginetta G16/BMW Sports Racer
• Kent Bain- Porsche 914/6

Lime Rock’s Fall Festival is our next venue. This is our home track and has always proved one of our season’s best venues. As Monterey, it is structured as an event with something for all, over the Labor Day weekend. Racing Friday, Saturday and Monday, a superb flea market all the while, with a significant concours on Sunday. Under our tent we have Bill Shanahan with both his La Carerra (soon to be Targa Newfoundland) Corvette and Triumph Spitfire.

Tom Brown resides therein with his rapid Datsun 510 Trans Am sedan. Richard Kresch with both Royale/Lotus and Beach/Abarth sports racing cars and I with my trusty 1300cc Triumph Spitfire. All goes well, nothing much breaks.  Monday evening finds us back at the shop with the rush on to get cars serviced, loaded and off to Watkins Glen for the SVRA Zippo Grand Prix come Wednesday evening.

All conspire to keep the wrenches from getting bored. Bill Branson is with us for the Glen this year with both his Formula Ford and Alfa Guiletta. Practice is uneventful and productive. Enduros ensue and enduro winners John and Mayo both do their enduro magic again sharing the limelight with Glen Frey and Ron Zitza, Porsche 914/6 drivers. Larry Neviaser and Ginetta do well with a class win in the fast car enduro. Mark is fast but has a nasty turn-one-spin that precludes a finish, let alone a podium.

Newfoundland is the next destination for VRS crews to see to Bill Shanahan and navigator Murray Smith in their big bad Carrera winning, 1965 Pepsi sponsored, Chevrolet Corvette. This Canadian Maritime fall event is challenging and when the going gets tough the tougher of Tim and Wayne Ritchie tend to business for VRS with an assist from Keron Legerton who shuttles an emergency transmission from CT to NF on Sunday.

It all works, no seconds are lost, we end shiny side up while fully convinced that getting there and understanding the route ahead of time is mandatory. This is Vintage Racing Services second trip to Targa Newfoundland, but the first for Bill and Murray. Good finish, but these two are used to being up front in their rally work. Not to be as Targa NF experience proves a mandatory prerequisite. Good fun with some serious speed and scenery more than make it all very worthwhile.

Tim’s entertaining account of it all follows:

• Prologue stage went well on Sunday. Bill and Murray are not used to a rally with no pace notes, only direction changes. Tech inspector doesn't like our transmission. Kent and Andrew Z disassemble Bill's "legal" gear box. Keron flies the friendly skies with the world’s heaviest luggage to provide us with the world’s heaviest jigsaw puzzle.
  
  
• Day 1, Sunday, 9/14/08
  Tim and Wayne do tech and all the other stuff to be ready…minor glitch: Trans illegal but we get a pass for a day or two…..one late night coming it is clear to see.
  
  
• Day 2, Monday, 9/15/08
  First service stop note: Bill commented how "the car never handled this well before." Tim and Wayne assemble Keron's special delivery while waiting for next service stop. Second stage: Road goes up, up, up, down, down, down. Corvette goes up, up, up......wait for it.....wait for it.....down, down, down! Engine goes down.....Oil pan goes up! Oil goes out!
  
  Bill says "Maybe we should slow down without pace notes". Tim fixes the oil pan (sort of) at next "short" service stop. Add 2 quarts oil, a heavy dose of Speedy dry and brake clean, send car on its way. Didn't miss a stage!
  
  Overnight service. Remove and repair oil pan (Hey look, my dad is a panel beater. Now all he needs is an English accent and a "Bit more dollars mate"). Reinstall oil pan with a heavy dose of "the right stuff" ( Jim is going to need a chisel to remove this one).
  
  Remove transmission, reinstall Keron's special delivery, rotate tires, repair all the broken bits, raise rear ride height, take car on test drive (sorry neighbors).
  
  Comment to my father how pretty the sunrise is in the Great White North. (I would also like to thank hurricane Ike for providing such special working conditions).

That’s the news from Newfoundland . . . I can't wait for day 3.

Thanks for everybody’s (continued) support.

Remember Monticello? Well it happened, Bill, Ari, Jason and company got their absolutely first rate motorsports country club up and running as promised. It offers a superb, dynamic and challenging, multi level, 4.1 mile sub-divisible circuit, elegant landscaping, and a clubhouse with all the amenities. Plus much more. No, not 100% done but very close and all that is done is exceptional. We find ourselves up there several times for testing with Roger Werner’s Porsche and David Gussack’s Volvo. What a circuit! These lucky guys will find years of on and off track enjoyment in their membership. Well done, and thanks to M.M.C’s creators from all who share this passion.

During September and early October, we get Andrew Petch and the now sorted Triumph GT-6 to Lime Rock for a couple of two day sessions. Andrew is a member of Lime Rock’s Motorsport club. This Motorsport club concept is burgeoning and it works well providing Andrew with lots of hassle free track time and other amenities for his membership.

All the while we slave away. Spring and early summer saw us building and sorting an early Porsche 911S for Adam Gordon and Steve Harris to run in La Carrera. The completed car left for California in August. Job done and we are anxious to see Adam and Steve having some fun while proving the vehicles merits in a few days south of the border.

SVRA's season finale at Road Atlanta arrives as our trucks leave for La Carrera. Harvey, Larry Neviaser, Lou Svata and I meet in Georgia. There we find Mark Simpson along with both his Lola S2000 and Porsche 914-6, my trusty 914-6, Larry’s Ginetta G-16 and a whole group of much appreciated friends to race with.

I have one of those "races to remember" in Saturday’s enduro with over 20 lead changes between myself, Charles Rayhall and David Bland. We all end up on the podium, appreciative of the challenges good clean racing harbors.

CDL masters Art Gosselin and Don Snow arrive in Tuxtla Monday evening October 20th. Brian Tim, Traci, Kathy and I depart Tuesday A.M. from Kennedy airport only to find our 2-½ hour Mexico City connection window marginally adequate . . . 

Wow! We make the connection with almost 5 minutes to spare. Mexicana’s fine Fokker 100 whistles us to Tuxtla Gutierrez, our starting city, in a bit over an hour. Job done! Alajuela!

Tech, testing, tuning and getting set up for Friday’s start consumes Wednesday and Thursday with ease. Time for a bit of Tuxtla Gutierrez sightseeing before Thursday’s afternoon qualification session, Bill Shanahan and Murray Smith qualify well in the Pepsi Ford Falcon, as do Dave Gussack and Nat Mundy. Diego 1 and Diego 2 Ribadeneira push their Porsche around powerfully and find themselves relaxed ready for Friday’s start.

It’s not long before we pass our Volvo on a trailer heading north. Dave and navigator Nat are fine but the cars whacked at both ends. We know it will be a long day, as we transfer the Volvo and head north making as much speed as we can with a 55’ long rig over hundreds of kilometers of twisty mountain roads. After a spell searching for diesel in the mountains, it’s about 8:30 when we reach Oaxaca and park.

Brian and Sven are just finishing the Falcon’s service, as we unload setup and go to work. 3:00A.M. comes all too soon. The body is now passable, a new front sub frame fitted, a bent rear axle changed, the suspension aligned and the entire standard service complete. A road test, a couple of hours of sleep, (Tim simply in the trailer) then both cars are off to Mexico City on schedule at 8:00 A.M.

We follow the cars out Sunday leaving Mexico City, with truck and trailer . . . this is never easy . . .  The trick: hire a taxi and follow him. I jump in, we’re off, and at the city line I am back aboard our truck and headed to Queretaro. Moments later a motorcycle with an officer aboard signals us to the side of the road. We comply, fearing a “Mexican system” shake down: we are supposed to stay in the service lanes on the right that are separated buy a small median! Signs??? Maybe . . .  but not visible to us or mentioned in the Carrera service vehicle route book. Ah well, we negotiate, pay the big bucks . . .  no ticket written curiously enough, but our legally empowered pal is happy and we are on our way in about half an hour.

We transverse the right lanes as instructed. 7 kilometers later we pull up to a traffic light. A commandant badged officer asks us to roll down our window, shakes Tim’s hand, asks to see his license, pockets it then advises us to pull over??? This time the offenses are two-fold. Now we should be in the center lanes… not off on the service road side; in short, the reverse of our last incident. Further, we are occupying 2 lanes per our commandant! We were, we had to go around a broken down bus on the right as we approached the intersection. This scam is “muy grande”. This guy wants much more and we wonder if the other guy has called him??? We get our pal Julio on the phone with him, Julio tries, but advises us that if we can wait hours, he’ll likely give up… We can’t wait!! We negotiate and pay way too much to get back on the road with another precious hour wasted.

Sunday night, Queretaro: A few Volvo tweaks with a late night engine change for the Falcon. It is running well, but hot. We have a spare, and better safe then sorry. Sadly, Diego and son Diego's race is run. Engine morte and no spare so we load this 356 for the ride to CT. It is 4:00am by the time Brian, Sven, Gund, Tracy and Julio get to bed.		Queretaro, and the crowd awaits the cars
Dave and Nat . . . Doing fine	Queretaro Volvo service, all well	While Brian and Sven change the Falcon's engine

On to Aguascalientes and all’s well though one speed section found a wire unhooked that lost Nat and Dave a few precious minutes. Eagle eye Nat found and fixed… getting them underway far faster then waiting for us could have . . . Well done Senior Co-Piloto!

Next up Zacatecas with both cars tuned in and going well. A major once over finds cracks in all of David’s Volvo alloy wheels. This race is hard on things, though this is clearly a quality issue with the product. No more GB wheels we switch to our Panasports wheels that have a few Carreras under their belt. We know they can and will take it. Finishing all our service work on both cars by 9:00 A.M., we get some sleep to be ready for Thursday’s finale.

The last day is a long one. Both rigs head out early to be in place for at mid-day service. We must adjust mixture on both cars as we drop from 8,000-2,000 feet with more oxygen rich, thicker air. Around noon both cars are in and running well, they are re-jetted and off for the final leg to Nuevo Laredo.

FINITO at Nuevo Laredo just around 4:00 P.M. The tech people want to check both engines to be sure rules hav been followed. By 7:00pm it is all done, we are legal and all is fit. Bill and Murray have managed an impressive 7th overall and 2nd in class. Dave and Nat a 24th O.A and 4th in class, despite the crash and electrical malfunction.

Nicely done! We are pleased to have been a part of their success and thankful for the camaraderie. The team approach we have enjoyed over these 7 hard and challenging days has been invigorating.

Viva La Carrera!

Lou Svata and I are en route to Sebring to meet Harvey and Jim Stacy. It is Wednesday, December 3. Harvey and Jim have driven two semis down full of race cars to ensure that our last event of the 2008 season is not just a nap under Florida’s sunshine.

Under the tents we have:

• Pete Brittingham and his brilliant green Porsche 911.
• Paul Gaston with two of his 911s in RSR and early 2 liter form.
• Neville Burt driving his aubergine 911 whilst being both encouraged and cheered on by Trish, Charlie & Harry.
• Drew Brown with both Group 3 and 5 Porsche 911s to insure he wears himself out ending the season in style.
• Jim Lenehan’s DB2 Swift and Datsun 240Z, but unfortunately Jim’s life and schedule intervene such that he never turns a wheel.
  
  

Kevin McCarthy is along to help get things sorted as both Paul and Drew’s cars have seen extensive rebuilds since their last outing and he has been at the center of all the activity. Paul’s RSR is in fact a complete fresh restoration. Beautiful, but new and untested always means there will be some sorting to do. Sorting indeed as the VRS pits are hopping heartily long into the night on Thursday. Friday holds a bit more of the same, but by Saturday all cars are running and finishing their enduros with smiles on all their driver’s faces. Everyone finished the season’s finale shiny side up and raced out despite the trials early on.

Good racing…with some very quick and rewarding laps. A fitting close to another great season . . . YEA!! Despite all the worldly woes the 2nd half of 2008 turned out to harbor.

Race on…have a great winter and we look forward to seeing all our friends trackside in 2009.