Nestled in the flat, California
inland lies the famed Thunderhill raceway, where many enjoy its exciting array
of high-speed corners and straights, especially the challenging corner #5,
where men are separated from boys. Here, Opak Racing-Spoon Sports US approached its second
race in the Western Enduro Racing Challenge 5-race series...
After experiencing a
stream of hard luck at our previous race at Buttonwillow, Team Opak-Spoon was armed
with the surefire intent of winning and giving it our all. Edmun, Gaby,
Veronica, Mark, Jeff, and the crew worked tirelessly to properly make
adjustments to the vehicle and ensure that everything would be OK.
The CL7 being tuned
The crew kickin' back
at lunchtime
On Friday, after
running the car through a few test laps and making dampening adjustments, Jeff
and Mark were kind enough to allow Joseph and I to ride along as Jeff blazed
around the track a couple times. Needless to say, it was a mind-blowing
experience! From the sheer acceleration of the Spoon-tuned K20 engine, to it's
blaring, F1-like exhaust note, to the ever-increasing lateral G's it hungered
for, the Spoon CL7 is truly a well-balanced racing machine. Of course, it would
be nothing without the world-renowned test driver and coach, Jeff Lepper! Thank
you, sir!
Mark with Jeff Lepper
Come race time, Gaby and Veronica were ready to rock, with
Veronica manning the cockpit first. She assured us that she was ready to race
hard, and had lots of great coaching from Jeff as well as advice from others.
When we started the race, everything seemed to be fine, but about 50 minutes
into the 3-hour enduro, we noticed sudden inconsistencies and a great increase
with her lap times. "I'm feeling dizzy," Veronica reported over the
radio. Immediately, Mark and Samar
addressed her concerns and instructed her to pit as soon as possible.
Zombie-eyed and pale, I instantly knew that Veronica had been silently
suffering in the cockpit, as the hot racecar acted like a furnace, draining her
of all necessary fluids. Looking as if she had just been forced to endure the
core of a blazing inferno, the medical team quickly escorted her out of the
vehicle and into the pit area, under the forgiving shade of our tent. Veronica,
eventually driven to the local clinic, had her spirits revived after she
received the necessary hydration to replenish her fatigued body. It was a
moment of intense worry and concern for the health of our young Peruvian
driver, but we all rejoiced and were thankful for her instantaneous recovery.
That scene alone exemplified to me the sheer importance of adequate hydration
and physical conditioning for any racecar driver.
Let's roll!
Following this episode, Gaby suited up early to take the
wheel and drive the CL7 back on track. Returning to a good pace, Gaby laid down
excellent lap times and raced the CL7 an entire 2 hours without giving up.
Gaby's unrelenting determination to race beyond her allotted 1 hour and 30
minutes and help her fellow driver proved to us that our drivers are priceless,
and nothing short of admirable. Good work, Gaby! Good work, Veronica!
Victory!!
At the end of the day, Gaby, Veronica, and Team Spoon
succeeded in pushing the Accord Euro-R to a very respectable 2nd place finish
in E0! Excellent work, team.
