Now that the season is over I have noted some comments from some of the teams about their year. Well..why not.
To some of you who may not know about the composition or make up of DART...the initials that make up the name tell the tale.
D is for Disabled.....either 100% civilian or 50% Military.
A is for Antique...all drivers except one must be over 55 years of age....actually one is 73 and another is 68.
R is for racing ( or pounding around in the dark!!)
T is for team...and that turned out to be the best part.
The idea came about when Euclid and I were teamed up last year for the Le Mans 24. We only learned after the race that we were both 100% disabled with back and or neck injuries. Euclid's from an industrial accident and mine from combat injuries in SEA maaaannnny years ago. I then raced again in the 2014 Nurburgring race...and was HOOKED.
After the Ring race I asked AJ if we could field a team using the DART concept...he agreed and we were off. Originally we had about 9 guys but ended up with a hard core of about 5. A few who could not tolerate the longish stints or the bizarre hours fell by the wayside into the cheering section.
to them for trying.
Very quickly we discovered that for certain races where qualification was not automatic we needed a "rabbit" to help us along. Many thanks to
@Adventuruss ,
@RobbiefromBC, and
@MadMax and for their help and advice. All provided setup help as well as notable speed and consistency....and were also FUN.
Here are some comments from two of the guys.....
From
@TEX36
The Invitation to join the DART Racing Team changed my perception and enjoyment of "actual endurance racing". The GTP-ES experience only heightened that awareness and understanding of road racing. Our team members were/are a tremendous compilation of talents, experience and understanding.
From
@euclid58
GTPES.. I hope to have the chance to do it again next season if that becomes possible.
This year I learned that the hard limit for me is two hours.. After just one hour I am out of my comfort zone, and my pain level starts to affect my concentration.. But two hours is possible though.. If two hour stints become possible I'd like to do more..
(Note: Euclid pulled MANY 2+45s at the Ring and then again at Brands.....thanks Bud.)
Most of us played "hurt" but the only goal was to "not hit $hit and not get hit by $hit"...and oh...yeah....not to let your team mates down....perhaps that was ALL that mattered.
For us it was not about speed...it was about lapping like a metronome knowing that the next lap MIGHT be a bit faster but more importantly...there would be NO LHM...and no need to apologize...to anyone.
We really can't wait for the new season...we are faster (and smarter)...we are still "Gentlemen Drivers"..and we like that role.
The whole experience was summed up during the Nurburgring 24 as I approached the end of my third and last 2+45 stint...pounding around the Nordschliefe in the dead of night . Two great things happened....the sun came up over the Eiffel Mountains ....and my instant messenger dinged....on the straight I looked down. It was a message from Tex....
"you are not alone, ready for DC when you are,"
See you all on track in 2016.
AND...a shout out to the commentator who nicknamed our Sassy Grass Green car...."KERMIT"....WE LOVE IT! The spray guns are ready for next year's cars!