Waterford Park

Waterford Park

Road Atlanta to Waterford Park is 737.6 miles. Northeast out of Road Atlanta to Greenville, northwest past Asheville to Knoxville, then north to Lexington, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, and Ann Arbor. Dennis and Doug made it to Ann Arbor by 1:15 AM, just in time for a few quick shots and some shuteye. They got up the next morning and drive the 40 miles to Waterford. It was raining as they drove. It was raining at the track. No a good sign.
Time Trail #1

A serious mistake knocked out the #7 Porsche 911. In first overall entering Atlanta, he broke a rocker arm pressing the red line in the second run at Atlanta. While the other top competitors were battling the rain, the Griffiths were comfortably asleep in their hotel room in Ann Arbor. This was not to be their year.

And a change in circumstances. By now Dennis was running consistently in the second group out. The first two groups ran in heavy rain. Then the weather broke, a strong wind dried the track out rather quickly, and the rest of the groups ran under much better conditions. The early track conditions added 30 to 40 seconds to the leaders’ times. Not one single car that was in the top ten overall after Atlanta was in the top ten in the first run at Waterford. Not even in the top twenty.

Position	Number	Entrant	Class	Time	Points
1	39	1981 BMW Hartage H3	Vint For	4:17.030	510
2	54	1978 Porsche 911 SC	Vint For	4:17.661	505
3	52	1998 GMC Sonoma	S U V	4:19.738	500
4	55	1998 Nissan Altima	MidPri Sed	4:21.997	495
5	34	1994 Chevrolet Corvette	SSGT1	4:24.241	490
6	50	1993 Chevrolet Camaro SS	SSGT2	4:25.098	485
7	77	1997 Dodge Neon	Econo Car	4:25.261	480
8	70	1989 Lingenfelter Corvette	Vint Amer	4:25.703	475
9	43	1992 BMW 325is	MidPri Sed	4:26.022	470
10	33	1999 Chevrolet Corvette	SSGT1	4:26.048	465

The top ten were so far back that their positions are worth noting.

Position	Number	Entrant	Class	Time	Points
25	61	1998 Mitsubishi Lancer	SSGT2	4:31.780	390
37	5	1997 Mosler Raptor	SSGT1	4:35.617	330
45	17	1995 BMW 318 Ti	MidPri Sed	4:38.496	290
49	14	1993 Mazda RX-7	SSGT1	4:38.891	270
60	10	1998 Lamborghini Diablo	SSGT1	4:41.850	215
66	2	1998 Mallett - Chev Corvette	SSGT1	4:43.228	185
83	87	1965 Superformance Mk III	Vint Amer	4:57.016	100
84	3	1994 Mercedes Renntech SL600	SSGT1	4:57.420	95
87	9	1998 Mallett - Chev Corvette	SSGT1	5:03.279	80
90	7	1975 Porsche 911 Carrera	Vint For	DNS/DNF	0

The best finish for a top 10 car was 25^th for the #61 Mitsubishi Lancer, making the most of the four wheel drive traction in the rain - and a truly gonzo in-the-wet driving style. The Raptor’s huge wing helped it find traction amidst the hydroplaning to come in 37^th. The relatively narrow tires of the BMW found some pavement to cling to. But the wide tires and light weight of the Mk III conspired to turn it into a hydroplane at speed. Dennis showed remarkable skill and restrain in staying on the track.

Worse yet, what was typically a 50 point spread top to bottom for the top 10 was now a 300 point spread. In this one run, the #17 BMW gained 190 points on Doug and Dennis. The #2 Mallet Corvette gained 85.

Time Trial #2

The second run, on a much improved surface track, produced better results for the leaders. Except for the #2 Mallet Corvette, who exited the track at high speed and broke a wheel. He was out.

Position	Number	Entrant	Class	Time	Points
1	5	1997 Mosler Raptor	SSGT1	4:00.831	510
2	1	1997 Mallet - Chev Corvette	SSGT1	4:04.392	505
3	10	1998 Lamborghini Diablo	SSGT1	4:06.837	500
4	9	1998 Mallett - Chev Corvette	SSGT1	4:08.642	495
5	29	1997 Dodge Viper	SSGT1	4:09.601	490
6	14	1993 Mazda RX-7	SSGT1	4:09.929	485
7	48	1967 Lotus 7	Vint For	4:10.053	480
8	3	1994 Mercedes Renntech SL600	SSGT1	4:11.119	475
9	4	1992 BMW 325I	MidPri Sed	4:11.542	470
10	87	1965 Superformance Mk III	Vint Amer	4:11.637	465

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