2014 Walter Mitty @ Road Atlanta

[Vintage Racer]

I know a few of you will be there. I think the Dixie Region will bring five cars (maybe six or seven?).

Who else will be coming?

It will be my 24th Mitty, and I promise that it will be a great weekend.

The entry to the track has always been a problem. The parking has always been a problem. This year for the first time in my memory that there will be no Klub Sport Porsche race. Nothing. Go figure.

One of you guys need to re-introduce a new Porsche race (you make the rules). It's your name now.

We'll announce soon where the Dixie Region will be in the paddock. Please come by and introduce yourself. We'll have some cold beer.

[Frank Beck]

We'll be there.

Klub Sport Challenge: A good run while it lasted. HSR just isn't the same without it.

New Porsche Race? With what? GT3's? It's not like the old days where 35 cars would show up for the KSC and it was anyone's race. (Ok, it was any one of 5-6 guys. Those races were A BLAST.)

[ErVikingo]

Yep Doc,

kudos to Phil, Bruce and the sponsors through the for all the great times (and my collection of trophies! ).

Not a lot of guys to race against anymore in Klub Sport so, got me a Cup and will be racing Juan Gonzalez's Mission Foods GT3 !

I guess we might again race against each other Frank! Will be fun and looking forward to it. My first race weekend with the Cup. Have only done some test laps at PBIR so far. Now, if we could get into the Intl race we could have more track time.

Look forward to seeing you guys there....!

[rsr1975]

I'll be there with a few other 911 guys under the Ecurie Racing tent. I too reviewed the entry list and longed for the days when we would routinely start 30+ 2.0L 911s in the KSC race. Based on the posted entry list, there are only 5 Group 3 911s in the field. Thanks to Phil and Bruce for always making the Friday afternoon KlubSport Challenge race the highlight of the Mitty event. It was always...have a good practice Friday then strap in late afternoon for the best race of the weekend. Lots of great memories side-by-side with a few 911s who you knew you could run door-to-door with into turn 1. Looking forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks.

[t6dpilot]

So what happened to all the 2.0L 911s? Are guys getting out due to the cost to run a top level car? Economy? Where did all the ex-race cars go?

[ErVikingo]

Hi Scott!

I still and will always have my 2 liter race car ( I sold my spare 2 liter race car though ). It is ready to go with a brand new engine, etc.

For me it just became a situation of not having enough competition at the top levels of the category. It started when other drivers migrated either to FIA Classes or to the 2.5 liter class. I still had a lot of epic battles (mostly with Jonathon Ziegelman on his beautifully driven 914) but not a lot of other drivers. Lee is a superb driver on a superb car but (if I remember correctly) he races on the FIA class. Frank migrated too, as did Fritz and others. Why trailer the car and crew all over to have 3 or 4 cars in the group?

I started racing it with PCA also in search of competition but there was none in my class since our cars are highly developed. I found myself racing competitively against cars from 3 or 4 steps higher in the class ranks. Last time at Sebring, I won all my races with a lead of more than 1/2 lap. Cool but not challenging.

I miss the days of getting out there with Fritz, Frank, Jim Hamblin, Mark Eskuche, the Vargos, Lee, David Bland and others running races on which the first 10 spots were separated by less than 1 or 2 seconds. I'm hoping that the class will reignite but the loss of the Klub Sport Challenge will not help. There is a movement to re-take the challenge which has been discussed by some of us racers but nothing concrete yet. It takes time, money and commitment to do it. If we could get a group of drivers committed to a series, it would be possible.

I participated in a conversation on another challenge type series (not 2 liter) and the suggestion was to canvass the interested drivers and then have everyone place a minimum payment up-front to guarantee financial viability for 1 or 2 years. It would also guarantee bigger fields since you would "skin in the game". On that particular series, once that idea was floated it fizzled away.

I will keep on racing 2 liter but mostly on select events (like the 24 hour Classic) where I expect a higher count of cars. Don't count me out just yet, I enjoy my car way too much and the look on drivers of "faster cars" is priceless when you blow them away on a 2 liter running DOT tires!

If you guys want to get together to resurrect the class and a related challenge series along the lines of the ideas expressed above, SEND ME A MESSAGE!

[Vintage Racer]

Klub Sport Challenge: A good run while it lasted. HSR just isn't the same without it.

I agree. It was always a hotly contested race.

Nonetheless, you did have the best lap in the 24 Hour car. You should give us a lap head-start!

...got me a Cup and will be racing.....

Juan,
I saw your GT3 Cup entered. I figured it was a misprint.

I'll be there with a few other 911 guys under the Ecurie Racing tent.

Hey Lee,
We meet last year (I knew Tim, and you bought my lunch). I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. The entry list is up:

http://www.hsrrace.com/2014_Events/M...014-POST-1.pdf

[Vintage Racer]

For me it just became a situation of not having enough competition at the top levels of the category. It started when other drivers migrated either to FIA Classes or to the 2.5 liter class.

Juan,
First, I remember back to the mid/late 1990's when WorldCom sponsored HSR. They were doing really well financially and made the KSR very hard to be competitive. I remember going to HSR June Watkins Glen (remember that event?). The entry list was ~100 Porsche cars and ~200 other cars.

Then WorldCom went bankrupt.

Second, the FIA class is gone. Yes, many of those guys went to the 2.5L cars (which are easier to drive and the cost is less--JMO).

Finally, I believe the 2.0L class is coming back. I've seen some transactions. It just needs someone that will lead it.

[Gytis Kupinas]

I'll be there and happy I can clean wheels and check tire pressure

[Frank Beck]

Yes, many of those guys went to the 2.5L cars (which are easier to drive and the cost is less--JMO).

I always chuckle when I hear that statement. ANY race car driven at its limits is never "easier" to drive.
And the "cost less" part is... well... I don't even know what to say to that. A full tilt 2.5 motor is 55k+.

Juan,
Looking forward to racing with you again; except this time in GT3's. Pics of your steed?