Vehicle Specs: 1974 Porsche 911

Vehicle Owner: Tristan Whitehead

Driver:  Tristan Whitehead

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Finally the break through that we've been looking for. The EuroEast Team of St. Germaine and Whitehead had two poles and two wins this weekend at Autobahn.

SPECIAL thanks to Jerry St. Germaine for getting me the parts required to make the old 74 run. The fuel pump and filter were obviously the parts necessary to get my car to the front of the pack. As some of you know we've been plagued by mid session "heat exhaustion" where the motor gave up. Turns out it was a dying fuel pump. Jerry was quick on the draw
and had a new one at my door in about 2 days flat. The true test was at the track this weekend.

I jumped into the Sat warm-up on the Autobahn Country Club South course and the car ran the entire session. I ran a 1:43 in the warm up, well ahead of the nearest GTS competitor. Then brought it down to a 1:41 to qualify on pole for the small bore. Only to find that they were not going to do a split start for the big and small bore groups. So I girded 10th, surrounded by the 400-600 hp Mustangs and Camaros of the American Iron series. The start of the race was pure mayhem with people going off the track left and right. Finally, when the dust had settled, I was in a race with a camaro and a mustang. Some of you might have recognized the 'stang for being the !#%$#^#$ who went off track and pulled it on right in front of me spraying me with mud in the last race at ABCC. Well, he was ploughing ground as usual and pulling it onto the track as usual. At one stage I entered a turn completely shrouded in his dust, just imagining where the apex was while praying he hadn't spun. Eventually he did and I pulled past him and didn't see him again....note to self: just run your race, you only place if you finish. 

Sunday I qualified first in small bore and 7th overall, had Mr 'stang behind me and was a little concerned with the start. I spotted the green flag about .4 second before everyone else and flattened the gas pedal. Fortunately my 911 LOVES being in 2nd gear at 5,000 rpm! I jumped a few muscle cars and dived (yes, I say "dived") for the inside of the kink. I was thinking, (silly me) that I could put my left wheels in the grass and my right on the asphalt and get away with it. Well, suddenly a Camaro chopped down my space and I had to lift and tap the brakes. Oh no! Everyone got past me, even Mr 'stang who qualified behind me. Two Spec Miatas even pounced and got in front of me. Fortunately I swallowed them up 5 turns later and then settled down to hunt down my fav orange 'stang like the b1tch that he was! Two laps later, diving deep into turn one, he maxed out his Detroit brakes, ran wide and I cleanly and easily took him on the inside. God, I love 911 brakes (and mine are 30 year old SC ones...thanks again J!!). After that it was goodnight and I was in DE land for I did not see another soul the whole race. I ended up 7th overall (big and small bore) and first in class.

Finally my car ran the distance and proved that it was the car I thought it was. Special thanks (again) to Jerry for parts and Chris for moral support and believing in me and my family (most importantly) for giving up time for me to do this.

Oh, and this is the best part: I drove to the track on my 24 heat-cycled Hoosiers. Today, after instructing at ABCC and the race, they have 35 heat-cycles and only now have just corded the left rear.

See you at Gingerman this weekend...with a FRESH set of Hoo-Hoos

T

07/18/2005-T. Whitehead

Here's a breakdown:

Things started off awkwardly when at the track on Friday I noticed that
both my rear calipers were leaking. Thankfully I had a rebuild kit on
me, so off to Wal-Mart and with a Dremel and a Brillo pad cleaned and
re-built the calipers at the track. Took about 1.5hrs: pretty easy job.


On Saturday I did a decent time (1:39) on the narrow RA1s (205/225) in
the warm-up and then put on new Hoosiers. They were VERY greasy and I
hope I didn't over cook them. The rears went to 45 psi which is WAY too
high. Anyway I qualified in 2nd place. The track was terrible and
slick everywhere. During the race I made a bad mistake when my foot
slipped off the brake pedal and I exited 7 at pace, nearly hitting
Joseph Fawsitt (944T GTS3) in the process. I had passed Carl
Picelle(944T GTS2 - who out qualified me both days by hundreds) and
Fawsitt on the start but made a rookie error in not hugging the inside
of 2 and Fawsitt regained. My car is a rocket ship in second gear! I was
sticking with Fawsitt and took him deep into 10 (right up alongside him)
with me on the inside. He never saw me and turned in. Fortunately at
the last microsecond he did and yanked the wheel avoiding me by
millimeters. I couldn't pass and he walked away from me on the
straight. I then following him into 7 where he checked up early in the
braking zone (not sure why). I didn't expect it and rushed to make the
pedal, unfortunately my foot slipped and I yanked the car hard left to
avoid obliterating him. The car still went straight and didn't spin.
Carl passed and I regained behind Joe (964 GTS2) and Christian Cook
(GTS1 924) who I then passed and started inching closed to Carl. My
tires were feeling really greasy but I could see that Carl was having
the same issues as I was gaining on him. I was getting closer each lap
when, on the 10th lap, I lost the back end in 11 which I thought was
unusual. Turns out a GTS1 944 dumped oil on the track, Carl missed it
and I went off. I actually caught it and slid off sideways under
control but after seeing me go off, the race officials ended the race
early and I took second. The track was unbelievably slick ALL weekend.
I have NEVER seen Gingerman like that. Usually there is tremendous grip.
The best I could do was a 1:37.2xx and I thought the car and I were good
for a 36 easily.

Sunday was much the same with Carl getting me by 2 10ths in qualifying.
I guess I just didn't try hard enough. Anyway, I got a good jump at the
start in second gear and was pulling away when he shut me down at 1.
I've never driven with anyone that aggressive before! I followed through
2 and went deep into the braking zone on the inside of 3 where he again
aggressively chopped me down and I thought we were going to trade paint.
He was blocking (in the middle of the track) at every exit and entry.
We traded some VERY hairy moments for a few laps with me having greater
speed out of most of the corners. I was much faster than most folks
through 1, 5 and 6 but slower through 9 where the rear engined 911 just
never feels like it's having fun. But Carl continued a very aggressive
defense. I had two miss-shifts (couldn't find 3rd from second)which
held me up and unfortunately I made another mistake in 10, lost the
rear, regained but could not make the turn. I went off and immediately
back on. I guess I gave Carl the entire back straight back. This was
actually good because I could focus on my line and hunt him down. I
pulled off some of the fastest laps of my race and in what felt like
about 5 laps was right on him again. This time he took Fawsitt on the
entry to 7 and I just followed! Turns out Fawsitt lost boost what is it
with those 951s? (he makes 270 to the wheels!!). So I was on Carl like
the proverbial and in 5 I guess he carried too much speed in to
defend the outside as he could not keep the car on the track and exited
in the dirt at the track out of 6. I continued some great laps, the
tires held and I pulled away from Carl eventually finishing way ahead of
him (18 seconds). It was the tightest race I've ever run and the most
dangerous but I was really pumped up afterwards.

Joe had a great time fighting with Christian (who he beat) and a fast
Acura (3rd driver from a Boris Said team) and one of the top miatas.