This is not the type of report I like to make. It would be much easier to say, I had a great day and the car is o.k., but that is far from the truth.

We started with a couple of slow laps with Brian up front then me then Bruce and so on. Brian waved me by under yellow so some of those with cameras could get different shots of all the Corvairs on the track. Under yellow I drove the line that I had the year before. The green came out and off I went. Ran the first several laps at 80% until the tires felt good and the brakes were warm. The engine problems I had last year with sputtering at 6000rpm was fixed and 7000rpm would come up very quick. The next couple of laps I pushed it a little harder. Then I had to back off because there were a few slower cars at the last turn before the long straight. Coming out onto the straight I was behind a Maserati and he was behind John Egerton's EM. He passed John and fell into line. Then I passed John and had enough power to pass the Maserati. By the time I was clear the left hander was a lot closer then I wanted and could not get out far enough to get set up for the turn. At that point is when you have to make a decision. Well, I made the wrong one.

The turn has two sections. If you're not set up for the first then you will never be set up for the second. Just as I started into the second section of the turn the back end came around. I saw what appeared only to be hay, but the white flash of the barrier told me I better hold on for impact. The car and I hit hard! I was dazed and after looking at the in car camera tape I was knocked out for a couple of seconds. My guess is that I was doing about 90mph went I hit. The rear took all the damage. Including some of the engine. I was able to get out of the car with some help from the corner workers. After an evaluation from the first-aid workers in the ambulance I got a ride back to the pits.

My body is very bruised. The worst is the bruises from the lap belt.

I will be taking the good parts off the car, but it can not be fixed. There is a lot to learn from a safety stand point from the damage to the car. I will have the car on display at the Vair Fair in Lynchburg this coming weekend.

Sometime this week I will post some pics and possible the video on the Corvair Motorsports website.

Rick Stansbury
http://www.corvairmotorsports.com/
Corvair Motorsports