In the vintage American class, the #57 Corvette GSR broke a U-joint on his driveshaft and DNF'ed.  Barry Kline had a strong run and brought the #4 Superformance in at the 23rd spot

The order was shuffled a bit in the second run with the #10 Viper returning to 1st, the #32 Mustang in 2nd, and Dennis again in 3rd.  The #8 Viper came back strong to post a 4th place finish.

In Vintage American, the repaired #57 Corvette GSR scored a 10th and Barry dropped back a bit to 28th.

In the overall cumulative stantings, the top four remained on top. The #10 Viper is in front with 4840 points, a 165 point margin over 2nd. It will take a major blunder or two to loose this large a lead.  The #32 Mustang jumped from 4th to 2nd with 4675 points.  Dennis remained in 3rd a scant 5 points benind at 4670.  The #8 Viper dropped from 2nd to 4th with 4660 points. The 5th place #25 Pontiac Firebird is 125 points back at 4535.  So with a switch in positions, the tight race for 2nd place continues.

In the class races, the Olthoff/Lee team has a commanding lead in the Super tuner class.  Kline/Roxbury have a solid grasp on 2nd in the Vintage American class.

Five more events to go...

Just got back from Road Atlanta where the Superformance team continues with strong performances. After the first round, I believe I heard Dennis say that he was tied for 2^nd overall and after the second round Dennis thought he was 3^rd overall, but the Mustang that has been giving them fits sounds bad.

In the Vintage class our team made some progress when the Corvette Grand Sport broke in the first round. But like the true sports that all Superformance owners are - Master Hal Copple helped the Corvette team track down the needed part and they were back on the track for the second round - not sure how our second Superformance team finished. It was a beautiful day - no rain and it was great to see several Superformance owners both from Atlanta and Charlotte.

As soon as the 2^nd round was completed Dennis and team headed off to the Rod Club for mandatory check in and then on to Olthoff’s shop for some repair work and some sleep before taking on VIR tomorrow. I am sure that Hal Copple can add to this brief update as he continued to stay around. Saw some Vintage Ferrari’s - can’t imagine how much they were worth!!

W.D. Goldsmith (SP 533)

From Jerry Witt

Mike,

Sorry I can’t include any shots of the second session. I had an emergency at home and had to leave before it began.

There was a great turnout of support SPF’ers to help with cleaning up the our entries and to provide any assistance that they might need. It was a very long drive for the contestants and everyone seemed to drag a little bit until they got out on the track. The weather was perfect, no rain and temperature a little on the cool side so the cars ran great. A lot of beautiful machines but none so beautiful as a pair of Superformance Mk III's in action. There is absolutely nothing like the sound of side pipes and the smell of racing fuel to get your blood pumping. It is also gratifying to see the respect that the Superformance Mk III's get from the others now. We may have been stepchildren once but no more. We are the ones to beat!

Jerry Witt SP 410

From Hal Copple

Picked up a friend just before 0400, headed the 220 miles to Road Atlanta. Got there about 0730. A few Lap Dogs were already sleeping in their cars, waiting for the gate to open. I think this leg was a 900+ mile drive in from Texas. About four SPF drivers and I were there, the Great States of GA and SC were well represented. Always good to see old friends. Then, Dennis and Rick showed up, joining the awakening Barry and Jim, so the "Pit Crew" pulled out the towels and costly fluids, and spiffed up the cars; they had rain somewhere during the night.

Both Superformance’s sounded strong and loud, and very intimidating to the more meek cars arriving. Dennis went out, and ran really well. The very best part of the whole day, I think for just about everything but the Dodge fans, was when he caught up with a Viper launched ahead of him about half way down the straight. Dennis swung out to pass the accelerating Viper, and just flat smoked him, enough to have plenty of room to brake for the oncoming turn at the end of the straight. I suspect few Vipers are so convincingly trounced as that red one was, by the Chameleon SPF with the 408.

Soon Barry rolled the black SPF to the start, and likewise ran fast and strong. You could hear his car way out on the back 40, these cars are so loud. There are clearly some really fast cars driven by talented drivers in this event. The Vortech motivated ‘95 Cobra R, #32, is very fast and likewise well driven. He says he puts out 650 hp. Perhaps.

Then some jawbone time, then promptly at 1300, they ran the second phase. Both SPF’s were faster yet, I could tell by how close they drifted to the wall coming out of the last turn onto the straight.

One interesting event was when a driver on his warm up lap, at the conclusion of which you stop on the front for your timed wave off, apparently was overcome with adrenaline, and continued to floor his car almost up to the rear-most of the five cars in his heat stopped for their wave off. He made the mistake of braking and trying to rein in behind the S2000 Honda at the end, instead of just braking along side them, and then backing up. He miscalculated, and went into a near spin, and finally managed a lurid stop a few feet from the ass end of the Honda, who’s driver I am sure about wet his pants watching the whole show in his mirror. The skidding car was of course a BMW, whose drivers are not courteous and compassionate and rule abiding as we SPF drivers are.

The Race was taking a toll on any number of cars, cut tires, fractured brakes, lots of smoking engines, even a few automotive death rattles here and there. There is apparently a Ferrari Challenge coming up, there were lots of race prepped 360’s, and an original ‘35 Bugatti, and its arch enemy, a ‘35 Alfa Romeo, which are said to have collided with one another badly before WWII. Brock Yates fired up the Bugatti, running methanol. All those mechanics were speaking what appeared to me to be Italian, or perhaps Rural Georgian, I am not sure. They either gesture a lot, or were asking for a cigarette.

I was able to shoot some nice pictures, and had a wonderful time. Met up with the Cobra R at a gas station half way back. I have met Dan before running at Carolina Motorsports Park. He told me the Viper was leading, and he had a five point lead on Dennis, and that each considered VIR their home track. I don’t know anything official. Talked for awhile with the Car and Driver Web girl, she said they had gotten three speeding tickets already in the AMG they are driving.

So our chaps are really having a go at it, and are making all of us proud. My friend overheard talk at the Mazda Coffee Truck, that the Superformance team obviously had the most club support. I was proud and happy to be there. Drove home, the Great Stroker getting 16 mpg at 75 mph, passed any number of entrants, ran for awhile with what looks to be one of the Kremer Porsche 962’s.

Have a good day, guys.

Hal "Sunburnt" Copple SP 672

From Doug Reed

	The #57 Corvette GSR and #2 Superformance stage at Road Atlanta.
	Barry Kline awaits his turn in the #4 Superformance At Road Atlanta.
	The #2 Superformance leads a top run group off the line at Raod Atlanta.
	Dennis Olthoff in the #2 Superformance powers through the Esses at Road Atlanta.

	After Atlanta, Dennis and Rick headed north for VIR. As it turns out, the Olthoff’s shop in Mt. Ulla is just off of Interstate 85. Time to refresh the machine and get a good night's sleep. I arrived just as Dennis and Rick were pulling, about 5:30 in the afternoon. Shortly thereafter, the #9 Dodge Viper of Jerry Churchill and Bill Evans showed up.   They received gracious Southern hospitality, South African style.
	And shortly after that, the black Superformance of Barry Kline and Jim Roxbury arrived. Everyone went to work checking to make sure that everything was in order. Competitors on the track, but working together behind the scenes to make sure everyone was in the best shape possible. It is as I understand it a One Lap tradition.
	We broke bread together, pizza actually. The ace mechanics, afraid that I would show them up, sent me for pizza in some obscure corner of the next county. They forgot that I was driving no ordinary PDV (pizza delivery vehicle). Nay - I had 420 stout ponies to carry me. I returned quickly with a pizza still hot enough to burn your chin.
	So they suggested that I ask Rick Lee about his One Lap history. I was reluctant to put down the wrench, but I have a duty to you the readers, so I agreed. Rick began by reflecting that the Superformance Mk III has too much space inside for the One Lap.  He wants to try the S1 next year and tried it on for size.

Mike Stenhouse SP 218