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Race ReportWGGT, Round Five, Road AtlantaSeptember 28 - 29, 2000
I started my week out with a lot of confidence. I had a lapping day at Road Atlanta a few weekends before and had worked out gearing and a few cobwebs that I normally would have went through the first day.
The race weekend was so full of other support races that we had to practice and qualify both on Thursday with our race on Friday. I felt comfortable with the car in practice and confident that I would be able to get a good qualifying time.
In my first qualifying session I got stuck behind some traffic and tried to get a gap by slowing down but I kept getting stuck in a pack of cars. I qualified 7th with only 1.3 seconds between the top 7. My second session wasn’t any better. The track had gotten really slick from the various types of rubber laid down from all of the other series trying to qualify. It was also warm out and the oils from the track surface were giving us problems. I stayed in 7th. My best qualifying spot ever.
I had moved into 5th and continued to charge as the double yellow came out in turn 6 for the pace car. As I backed off for the flag at the turn, a car from behind passed me. This was illegal and very unsafe. On the restart, a black flag came out for two cars. The car that passed me and another car behind me had also passed someone on the yellow. The car from behind went in for the penalty but the car that passed me never went in. I had to get it out of my mind and push on. We all continued to stay tight and all of the sudden on the long back straight a hood shot in the air. few corners later the pack started passing the car that lost its hood.
There was a big accident in turn 7 and fluids were all over the track. I was happy that a yellow had come out again. My car had a vibration in the front end that I was fighting since the second lap and it had gotten worse. I was hoping to repass for 4th on the restart but the checkered flag came out stopping the race. After the race, I talked to the Sports Car Officials. The corner worker that gave us the first double yellow was unsure of the pass so I got robbed out of 4th place. I am happy for 5th place, my best finish ever in a WGGT car, but disappointed for the official’s call. I am really looking forward now to our last race in Las Vegas at the end of the month!
--Terri Hundertmark
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I just had my best finish in the
Women’s Global GT car. I
really like Road Atlanta and the Petit Le Mans event!
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