We took off towards the trailer and noticed that along with the new black CTS-V rig:
.. there was a familiar white C5R setup along side:
We also noticed that some of the Corvette drivers were there:
.. along with one of the cars. This was turning into a great day -- like last week!
As we turned the corner, who should be there but Harry Turner, Road Racing Group Manager:
.. seen here talking with Jackie and Reilly Brennan, Manager Trackside Communications for Corvette racing, who we have had the pleasure of seeing in many other situations. He was even at the Detroit Auto Show and we caught him relaxing a bit in a Maybach:
Leading the CTS-V team is Dave Spitzer:
.. who was very gracious and made Jackie & I feel right at home immediately. The crew manager for the new team is none other than our old friend, Dave Albright from the Pratt & Miller/Corvette Racing team:
As you can see he is very hands-on in his work. We also were able to meet the new man in charge of the actual radios for both the C5R & CTS-V teams. He is Phil and told Jackie some very interesting information about the 2004 communications:
I'm sure the story will be made available to the public during the Sebring Race.
On to the task at hand. We wanted to see our old friend Andy Pilgrim, so off we went to seek him out. Here was his car number 8:
.. his really cool helmet:
.. and here he is wearing the whole suit:
.. getting ready to take his new toy out for a spin:
Along with Andy is a second car Number 16:
.. driven by Max Angelelli:
.. who is just as pleasant as the rest of the team and signed an item or two. Gary Pratt is always very involved, as he should be:
The hardest part will be running from team to team when they are at the same tracks. The tires are different, but they are still on OZ rims:
Another interesting thing is the fact that in order to add fuel one has to open the passenger rear door:
.. not very good for a street car. As you can see the whole team works with its usual precision:
Also at the track for the day was the test mule for the division:
.. along with John Heinricey:
.. who, by the way, was in that car for over three hours just while we were there. It was good to see him and I have to say he most likely has the best engineering job around. How about designing these cars and then getting to drive them? Oh yes, he also races in his off-time.
The one thing not racing-related we did manage to bring home with us is the fact that all the people we met are very high on the street version of the CTS-V. It is a four-door sedan powered by the LS6 Corvette engine, with a great suspension and as many say "The size brakes to do the job." I guess there may be another choice for an "Old Folks Car" for us to look at.
All in all it was a very fun day not only seeing the new cars, but also meeting many new friends. The only drawback for Jackie is the fact that many of the new team remembers that she usually brings "goodies" along with us, so I guess it's off to the oven!