LOOKING GLASS CORVETTE ASSOCIATI

2007 season Schedule

By Jaimie Lo

2006 BONNEVILLE 100

The Bonneville 100 was held on Sunday July 16th on highway 93A south from Wendover, Nevada. This again is a two-way race where the combined times of both portions count toward your total time and chance to win a trophy. The total distance of the race is 101.60. The 1^st leg is 51.65 miles and the 2^nd 49.95. The reason the 2^nd leg is a little shorter is so we don’t have to cross a cattle guard right at the start. The only Looking Glass Corvette Club members to compete in the event were Don/Mel Herbel and Jaimie Lou/Forrest Thompson.

The weekend starts on Friday with all the cars going through tech and then out to drive the road and make certain your course notes are accurate. This year the run down the course was really important to me as I drove both legs and Forrest signed me up to run in the 150mph class. I hadn’t run in a class over 140mph so I was a little nervous. Later that evening there was Welcome Racers Party in the hotel ballroom.

On Saturday we have a car show where we all just sit around and tell “tall tales” about our racing experiences. That evening we all attend the Mandatory Drivers/Navigators Meeting. Then go to bed early and get ready to RACE tomorrow!!

On Sunday morning there were 70 cars on the grid, including 19 Corvettes. The Looking Glass Corvette Race team had 16 members. We did have three cars on the team that weren’t Corvettes because the MKM Racing Group allows me to have them on our team as they were members before we began the Team Competition. Again I had to divide the group into two different teams as 15 team members is the limit. Guess I should have just dropped one member and then I wouldn’t need to divide them.

Sorry to say, The Looking Glass Corvette Team took 2^nd place in the Team Challenge with Team Porsche/Heavy Metal taking 1^st.

Don and Mel Herbel ran in the 155 mph class. They took 3^rd place with an average speed over both legs of the race of 154.92. Don got a fast speed trap time of 162mph. The 1^st place car in this class finished with an average speed of 155.04mph. As I said earlier in this report, I drove both legs of the race in the 150mph class with Forrest assisting as my navigator and coach. I managed to average 149.62 but was only able to get a 7^th place. I don’t feel too bad as the 1^st place driver averaged 149.99. I was able to get a speed trap time of 164.92. That was fun!!!

Here are other trophies won by our Race Team:

1^st place in the 110mph class

1^st place in the 135mph class

1^st and 3^rd in the 140mph class

4^th place in the 150mph class

2006 PONY EXPRESS 130

The Pony Express 130 was held on Sunday, August 27^th. This is another two-way race held in Nevada. It runs between Battle Mountain and Austin, Nevada. Forrest/Jaimie Lou Thompson and Don/Mel Herbel were the only members of Looking Glass Corvette Association to compete. The actual total mileage of the race is 130 miles. The 1^st section is 83 miles with the return leg of 47 miles. Both sections of the race include a 10 mile canyon area with lots of tight corners and turns!! This makes the Pony Express 130 the Longest open road race in the country!!!

As with all open road races, the weekend begins on Friday with tech inspection of the cars. Then all the cars are free to run the road at legal speed to check their course notes. This was followed by a Racers Welcome Party that night.

On Saturday there is a car show at the park. People from town come to see the cars and we (the racers) spend the day talking about our open road race memories. Lots of great food was available along with a variety of cold beverages. This year a craft fair was held in the park during the car show. There were some really nice and interesting items for sale. During the afternoon a “team” dodge ball tournament was held along with a horseshoe and a “red neck racing” horseshoe tournament. The “red neck” tournament uses air filters instead of regular horseshoes. You won’t believe how these things “sail” through the air in the strangest way. Following this we all go to the Community Center where the MANDATORY driver/navigator meeting is held. Then we are all off for (hopefully) a good nights sleep.

On Sunday morning 83 cars filled the parking lot at the high school for pre-grid. There were 30 Corvettes. The Looking Glass Corvette Race team consisted of 22 members. Again I had to divide them into two teams. One of our team members wasn’t able to compete because something happened with his steering column and it locked up. Forrest and two other racers spent many hours late that night attempting to get it fixed but were unable to do so.

With Don driving and Mel navigating the Herbel brothers ran in the 155mph class and took 4^th place with an average speed over both legs of the race of 157.35mph. Don’s fastest speed trap reading was 165.93mph. The 1^st place car in their class had an average speed of 155.01. Forrest drove and I navigated in the 150mph class and took 2^nd place with an average speed of 150.04. Forrest had a fast speed trap reading of 164.97. The 1^st place car in our class averaged 149.98mph. You can see how CLOSE the competition is!!!