ChumpCar World Series: Watkins Glen International - Part 2 - Page 5 of 5

WGI is an amazing track – even Turn Eight under a full course yellow! I can hardly wait to go back!

Turn Ten is flat in fourth in the Miata – begging for just a bit more power!

Front Row from left: Mike Agiannidis (crew and photos), Afshin Montazeri (driver), Radwan Zein (crew and RV hauler), Rob Pacione (Driver & #881 owner), Steve Carageorgopoulos (driver & chief mechanic), Max Gilles (crew & all around great guy). Back Row: Frank Ewald (driver), Ralph Gilles (driver), John Dattomo (driver & #998 owner), Nelson DeCosta (crew). Missing from photo: Sergio Inclima (driver). Photo by Mike Agiannidis.

Many teams drive and crew as one unit with everyone doing double and triple duty. It is very nice if there are some additional hands and eyes to help out. No Budget Racing has a great team with some wonderful volunteer crew members. Thanks for your support!

When you have two cars and three days of racing it means a lot of gear has to be hauled there and back. Our driving stints were not over yet, with at least a six hour drive home ahead of us. The only thing missing was great Italian food. Guys, you spoiled me at my first race. Will the food be back at Calabogie?

We had quite a caravan heading home. The excitement continued even after we left WGI as, an hour or so into the return trip, one of the trucks almost lost a rear wheel. That meant a switch of trailers to allow the truck to limp home without towing a loaded trailer and my RV was put into service hauling John's trailer and car (yes, I did text John and threaten that I was going to take off and he would never see his car again!) while the largest trailer was hooked up to the dually. With a straight face I responded to the border offical that I did not own the race car in the trailer. Or the trailer. But the guy in the truck behind me, hauling a different race car in a different trailer, was the owner! With truth sounding stranger than fiction, we crossed the border and made it back into Canada and home. We had a quick tour of the future home of the 'Paddock Motor Club' which will be opening soon in the GTA. And most important, planning for the next race began before the trailers were hooked up to the vehicles. See you at Calabogie for our next ChumpCar World Series event!