First starting off where credit is due. Cal Club again did an outstanding job for us. They really have written the book on how to conduct a street race. Race Chairman Andy Porterfield and Flag Chief Ceci Smith deliver a walloping 1-2 punch when it comes to skill and rugged determination. Makes for an easy way to start the season.
And I get to sleep in my own bed here, which I will never get used to.
The start of the 2006 season, as seen from JD's armpit.
PASS THE CRUEX, PLEASE
Race Control got the mighty ka-bosh placed on it when our crew (aka Gary and Beaux) arrived to get it set up. There are two locker rooms for visitors under the stands in the LB arena. Last year we were in the larger of the two but Security coveted it away from us, leaving us the smaller. Wow. I think the Apollo astronauts had more room on their trips to the moon. It wasn’t that hot, but still had that dirty sock smell, so akin to rooms of this ilk. The one by-product of it all was that the eight of us that run the joint were so close we could hear what everyone was saying which actually made things run smoother, especially during the first race of the year when we are a little stale. Add to that – there was NO room for that pesky spectator gallery of muckety-mucks that like to observe us squiggle around like an operating theater on race day, so we could be a little more liberal with the –ahem – locker room humor!!
Ops Communicator Paul Leyton scoped out a better location next year however - the Ice Dogs home locker room. Tons of space, lockers and benches. Mmmm, can you say gang showers? The room is empty this time of year, and the Ice Dogs may move anyway – to Ontario – no, the one in California… so it looks like we will be in better shape next time ‘round.
YE OLDE HAIRE PINNE
The “Stewards Award” which goes out annually went to turn 11, the fabled hairpin. Flagging and communication are critical here and both excelled in every session. They patiently waited as a six-car gridlock filled their corner to end qualifying on Saturday, and then drained itself on its own of all but the two protagonists that started the situation. Our cameras (which were a bit of an issue all weekend) didn’t show exactly how the first part unfolded, and the comm. and the flaggers pieced it together for our stewards in an audio report quite nicely. As I say time and again, we lean on the cameras heavily – you would too, if you had them – but they will never show us a complete 3D rendition and we often need you to fill in the blanks! On race day, they cleaned up debris during gaps in traffic and also put out a fire in the World Challenge race.
Eleventh Heaven - Notice that 60% of the cars in this photo are red and white.
An honorable mention here must go out to the four posts after Start Finish, namely Rock Garden, Pit Out, Pine and 1 (yes, Rock Garden… only in Southern Cal, folks!) They deserved combat pay after Memo Gidley stuffed his Grand-Am car into the Turn One runoff at top freakin speed first thing Saturday morning, and then had to endure, flag and cleanup a HUGE three-car smash during the Grand-Am race later that day. Thanks to all of you!!! I’m glad I work indoors!
DAY OF DAYS
As much as I like getting back in the Race Control saddle after a winter’s rest, I usually dread the first day as I’m always rusty and it seems like such a long grind, not unlike the first day of school. I had a decent day, because the Marshals and the Comms had an excellent day, far exceeding expectations for the first day of the season (with so damned many red and white Champ Cars.) Several communicators in this group also have the ability to communicate with a tone in their voice, which can allow them to speak a volume about a given situation with just a few words. The comms respond well here as well and are funny and loose when I am, but can also pick up my tone and be quick and short when they hear me talk quicker and in shorter phrases. Thank you all for a good day and then improving thru the event!
ATL IS WHERE IT'S AT
All of a sudden, the Champ Car Atlantic Championship (yes, “Champ” is in there twice) seems to be the hottest series on the track. I happened to be standing in the lobby in the arena as the Atlantic driver’s meeting was letting out and they came past me on their way back to the garage area. Ok there’s a couple… followed by three more… and then a bunch… and a few more… and then another big bunch… then a gap followed by three more… wow. They just kept coming out! Folks, it has been a while since I saw 29 drivers in a meeting and it felt just great. And all but maybe two or so are young lions headed up the ladder (yes, I include Alex barron in there!) I think the grid had the top 14 cars separated by a half second and there should be a few more present come Houston!
WE HAVE A WINNER
At the race day Marshals briefing, Race Director Tony Cotman made his first appearance at a US meeting, making good on a promise that he would attend more of these things. After thanking all assembled, he boldly offered up a prize to the first person who could look up on the internet where Tony was born and email Tony the answer. Actually took a long time, although people had starter working on it wireless during race day. Vancouver’s BONNIE HEALY emailed Tony the correct answer of Manukau, South Auckland New Zealand just this morning, April 27 after enlisting the help via email of a Ms. Cynthia Wu of the Auckland NZ Public Library!
Bonnie will be on hand in Houston to happily accept her prize, something Tony muttered to me about a steering wheel or signed set of racing gloves by one of Tony’s chargees back when he was a team manager… Good man, this Cotman.
BY THE NUMBERS
Turn one’s apex was widened this year, making it a faster corner and prompting the slogan “Turn Two is the New One.” Ceci Smith beefed up the forces at Turn Two this year, but the threat of the grand squeeze at the fountain turn never materialized. The Atlantics made it through in fine order on the first lap, but Richard Philippe found the tires in One about 7 laps or so into the race, which begat the first Full Course Yellow of the young season, and then a few more after that on subsequent restarts and thereabouts. They are young hotshoes, these things will happen this year…
Forsythe Driver Andreas Wirth (and a client of mine) won the race from the pole. As soon as the race finished, Ohio’s Bob Griffith (with his F&C License reinstated after an unwanted and unnecessary exile) looked at his lap chart and pointed out to all that the first three Full Course Yellows were all caused by what was then the seventh place car!
The Champ Cars fared much worse on the first turn of their season. It wasn’t the tight start we’d hoped for coming on to the front straight, but once let loose, it didn’t help matters. It appeared Mario Dominguez tapped the back of his teammate Tracy under braking and the cars went a-flyin, eliminating Paul, Servia, Allmendinger and Junqueira on the spot.
So we had a… Forsythe car run into the back of…another Forsythe car to start the Champ Race and the first yellow in the ATL race was caused by a… Forsythe car! (Did I say that out loud?)
Off we go, into the Wild Blue Mutha
GOIN’ BACK TO HOUSTON
…or so the ol’ Dean Martin tune goes. Should be nice, and Flag Chief Jim Lowe has plenty of Marshals lined up.
For those of you who will be attending, I would like to cordially invite you Saturday morning to the Grand Prix of Houston Breakfast for Champ Car Inner Circle members and friends at the Holiday Inn Hotel Astrodome @ Reliant, in the Maple Mesquite Meeting Room, 8111 Kirby Drive, Houston, Texas 77054. It’s located right next to the track at the northwest corner. JD Wilbur and I will be the featured victims/speakers and we hope to entertain with some tales of working together in the heady days when we both occupied the start stand. A hot breakfast will be served buffet style and will be $15. Starts off at 8 AM promptly, we should be done by 10 AM and the morning meeting is at 10:45.
Seating is limited to 60 and I understand there is still room galore, underlining what a big draw us two losers must be. To reserve a spot, please drop an email to Scott Fay in Houston at ccic_houston@sbcglobal.net Pay at the door. Mention you are a Marshal in your email and ask to be seated on Jimmy’s side of the chapel.
Then, do yourself a favor and join the Champ Car Inner Circle Club on the CCWS website at http://www.champcarworldseries.com/CCIC/Default.asp
It cost nothing to join, but I’m promised some sort of kickback if I bring in enough souls…
EPILOG
So for our first event, things went pretty lively and fairly well. Thanks again to all of you stalwart Marshals in Cal Club and a few more from the world over for sticking by us another year as we continue to grow in strength. You are a tremendous asset!
If you think I will write this much for every race, forget it. I will try my best to add something in groups, once a month or so. Don't know why I'm so lucid on this one.
And for those of you who have asked, I am getting much closer to the website I have been promising myself since the winter of 2004. I’ll let you know right here when it’s ready. By early summer, it oughta feature a gallery of my recent stuff as well as an opportunity to purchase original art, custom made prints, posters and some other rarities from my archives.
Thank you for your attention and see you at the track!!!!
God bless,
JHS
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