SCCA: Mosport personal report

• Jack Durbin
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Mon Sep 2 22:31:58 EDT 1996

>From: John Dowsett 


The PRO/SCCA Labour Day National at Mosport Park was the without a doubt the
best event I have ever run in.  I got a chance to meet Russel Jaslow, a
W2W'er who runs a Spec Renault, and had the fastest lap of the track in a
car that I am now in my fifth year running at Mosport.

At the last event, I had a wonderful dice in every session with another
Suzuki Swift GTi run by a quick and not so smooth rookie.  He is very
predictable, so running side by side was not a concern.  This time out we
were both a full two seconds faster than the last event.  I knew he had more
car, but experience would allow me to keep up, or beat him.  At the end of a
thirty five minute race I pulled up beside him after he had won GTD by a car
length and we did the thumbs up thing.  We had three to four lead changes
per lap, with the passes happening in many different corners, using
everything we had up our sleeves.  The Marshals did the hand clapping over
the head routine, bowing and pointing to both of us.

After the race I found out that the competitor that I had been so close to
at the prior event, and again this time (but much much quicker) had dropped
about $10,000 into many trick bits, and was shocked that I could keep up.
As I didn't know he had done this I drove on the ragged edge to keep up or
ahead, and just assumed that the kid had made a quantum leap in driving savvy!

The up-side to all of this is that I did make a quantum leap in driving
awareness.  The downside is that my poor car didn't stand up very well, and
died coming off the track and into impound.  The motor is pooched from
overheating due to too much drafting (the only way I could stay with him up
the straights)and is now the icing on the cake after getting punted and
rolling it in the first event of the year.  It does make me feel a little
better having listened to all of the trials and tribulations of the members
of this list.  It makes me say that cliche: "That's Racing!"

It was wonderful to see so many Americans at the event, and big thanks go
out to all of you (and them) for making the effort to come to Canada, and
making the event so much fun.

John Dowsett
#101 Suzuki Swift GTi