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Dawn breaks over Thunderhill Saturday morning and the PDG crew is already up and checking over the GTM-R again. Keith and I are talking and both of us are not amused by running Thunderhill clockwise. Confirmation comes from after we both have a chance to warm the car up that its fun but we still both like it counterclockwise. No matter we have work to do. The team is pumped coming from an impressive showing the week before in SCCA competition against some very fast cars. However, we have trouble, the volts have dropped to 10 in a practice session and its confirmed that the alternator is cooked. So we rob a battery out of Jim's Suzuki Swift for qualifying and I grab outside pole for the sprint race and they use the time also for the enduro that will take place later and we are fourth fastest overall for that race behind a Radical and two pro trucks. We know we can run 30 minutes on the battery but will need an altenator for the enduro. Don runs to the parts store is his beautiful Daytona Coupe. More trouble the new one is charging at 18 volts which will fry the electronics. Sprint is in 20 minutes so we decide to run on the battery alone and work out the rest in the almost two hour break between races. Our main competition for the sprint is a mustang with 550 hp and a jehrico tranny who bested me by 2 tenths in qualifying. Fresh charge and Keith heads to the grid. Good clean start and the mustang is out to the early lead with Cool Hand in shadow mode making the pony work the corners and make some silly mistakes with the pressure a good battle is about to ensue when in about lap 4 and the heat turned up the mustang breaks (shifter linkage problem leaves him with only 2nd gear) and we cruise to PDG's first win. I think it was appropriate Keith was in the car for the first win as he's been with the crew since the very beginning. High fives don't last long as the clock is ticking on the 3 hour enduro upcoming. Ted, Jim and Don change parts on the alternators trying to make one good one and they have it in and out a couple times and I think its only taking like 8 minutes to change - pretty impressive but no dice on making a good one. Not to worry a plan comes together to wire it into the lights so the drivers can switch it on and of as needed and the car is ready in plenty of time for the race. I lead off for the first leg and after 90 minutes of consistent running we are in 2nd overall when Keith hops in. But lets talk about the pit stop...AMAZING, we were running 1:59's and 2 flats all race long and with a driver change and 10 gallons of insurance fuel the next lap is a 3:47, that means we did a driver swap 10 gallons of petro and cleaned the windows in a minute 47 allowing for a fresh driver, 25 mph pit road speed, it had to be close to a minute flat. What a freakin stop. I was shocked that it was that quick with no practice and a rookie fueler (Richard's brother). The pro trucks we were running against who were flawless at Buttonwillow have the wheels fall off so to speak spilling fuel and incurring penalties. Tough break for them cause these guys are class racers who race us clean and a lot of fun to boot. We are chasing the Radical who is 4 laps up on us and with about 45 min left they break an axle (maybe cause they were pushing hard to stay in front of us). We'd like to think so. Tough luck for them as well but Keith cranks along makes up the laps and gets us in the overall lead which he keeps to the checkers without the help of radio communication (dead battery) only Don's duct tape sign boards to know when to switch tanks and keep up with the volts. He was lonely out there so he just kept pushing hard as he didn't know where we were but figured he had to keep up an aggressive pace to get it done. The whole team is going nuts - from no wins to two in one day. AWESOME! Keith sprays down the competition on the podium with the ceremonial champagne and we celebrate in typical PDG fashion with ribs hurting from laughter the next morning. A day we won't soon forget. We all worked hard together to get it done and the long awaited win(s) finally came. So Sunday rolls around same story different day crew is up early checking out the car and Cool Hand and myself took care of the GTM-R in the enduro so she's ready to do battle again. Pressure is high on me today cause Keith will be ragging on me for another 30 years if I don't finish the sweep as I am running SU and the Mustang is baaaack, tranny fixed and ready to pounce. Practice and qualifying go well and I get us on the pole (don't tell them the mustang didn't go out to qualify, aww too late). Good clean start to the race and the mustang hp gets me to the first corner but they started us behind the PT group so we are in a bumble bee like swarm of miatas and hondas almost immediately and I weave my way through traffic to regain the lead. The mustang is closing in the straights but I am pulling him in the corners. I get out to almost a 25 car lead when he starts to close late, traffic which was my friend early seems to be against me as the laps wind down I catch them in the corners and he catches them in the straights and he is on my bumper with about 10 minutes to go. A miata pushes me into the grass in 2 and he runs the rim to take the lead. I make chase and he pulls out to a 10 car lead and I think the worst but I drive as hard as I possibly can refusing to let these guys down. I close to within a few car links with three to go and we catch some traffic and I have a run coming down the front stretch and he comes over to block and pushes me two off. Red mist ensues and I drive into 15 as deep as I possibly can inches from his bumper but I don't wanna win dirty so I just hang there and he fries the rears going onto the back and I get a run and make the pass. A miata gets together with another car and there is a local yellow in three. This slow single file keeps him right within striking distance so close that all I can see is fender flares and headlights in the mirrors and hes trying me inside and outside for those last two laps but I am able to hold him off as he smokes the tires again trying to get a run to the checkers and actually passes me but too late. PDG makes the sweep and I couldn't have been prouder. These guys battle adversity work their tails off both at the track and in the shop and still manage to have the most fun of any team in the paddock. With this low budget effort its great to see the smiles and high fives after a satisfying weekend that's been a long time coming. AWESOME two days and three wins. That's all I can say....AWESOME from beginning to end through it all the ups and the downs.
Thanks to Richard, Yvonne, Keith, Ted, Jim, Don and the volunteers and FFR guys who are always willing to jump in and help. I consider myself very lucky to have fallen into the good graces of the best team of the best folks out there.
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Chris Durbin
www.prototypedevelopmentgroup.com
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