This past week I was at Virginia International Raceway for NASA’s Hyperfest, a popular event in the Mid-Atlantic Region that encompasses everything from racing to drifting to helicopter rides to burnout contests, and even a downhill Power Wheels race! No wonder they call Hyperfest the “Motorsports Amusement Park”!
I was there to support two clients of mine, Reg Williams and Will Cox. Reg was competing in the Grassroots Motorsports Ultimate Track Car Challenge (UTCC). Fourteen-year-old Will was competing in his first-ever car race in Spec Miata.
Will and I have been practicing the transition from go-karting to cars, not only for his driving techniques but also basics like shifting an H-pattern gearbox. Will did a great job on the test day, obtaining his NASA credentials through his on-track performance and written test. He went on to successfully complete the first race weekend of his roadracing career, and he achieved all of his goals.
Reg’s Porsche is in the middle of a Viper sandwich!
The UTCC is always exciting to see, because people bring such incredible hardware. The competition is all about building the fastest car possible, and Reg was competing in the open class, where the sky is the limit for high-performance mods! We spent the practice day dialing in Reg’s upgraded Porsche Cup car in preparation for the time-trial format. Reg was quick enough to advance into the final round, which was a unique 20-minute knockout round where the slowest car is eliminated each lap.
The white flag comes out when only five cars remain, and the fastest car on that last lap takes the win. That means that during our practice, we had to not only dial in the car for a single lap, but ensure that it would still be fast after 20 minutes of running.
Reg laid down a flyer when the white flag flew, and he won!
In all, it was an exciting weekend and one that both I and my clients are proud of. Reg and Will both had success, and I’m really proud of how much progress both of them have been able to achieve.