Erik Messley at Daytona

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Am I reading this correctly that Erik is driving a Camaro at Daytona this year?

Check this out:
http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/06Road/010201b.html

He's noted in the qualifying under #31.

It's too bad that he isn't driving his Viper at Daytona. I wish him the very best of luck in this race. Go Erik!

 

[GTS Dean]

You are reading it correctly. The GTS-R Erik drove last year qualified behind the Camaro he's driving this year.

 

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Dean:

Isn't that a little ironic? I hope that Erik and his team put a good showing at Daytona. He deserves it, and is a great guy.

Brad <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GTS Dean:
You are reading it correctly. The GTS-R Erik drove last year qualified behind the Camaro he's driving this year.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Congratulations to Erik who finished in 33rd place overall and 2nd in his class (AGT). Good showing for a fellow Viper brethren!

 

[GTS Dean]

And they probably would have done better still if the car had a fascia, hood, fenders and driver's door for more than the first 3 hours of the race......

Congrats to the whole team for a superb effort!

 

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Dean:

I didn't see the race on TV (because I can't get SpeedVision). Can you fill in the gaps on Erik's race? It sounds like he was fighting more than the elements and fatigue in this race.

Thanks,

Brad <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GTS Dean:
And they probably would have done better still if the car had a fascia, hood, fenders and driver's door for more than the first 3 hours of the race......

Congrats to the whole team for a superb effort!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[GTS Dean]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tom Friend:
I don't remember them saying such things about our Vipers when they were racing. I guess Dodge didn't spend enough money on advertising.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Last year, the SV folks made plenty of complimentary remarks about the Dodge/Oreca GTS-R program. Daytona 2000 was an epic race, without a doubt.

Little known Messley facts:

Erik drove the Chamberlain GTS-R the last 3 hours of the race with the clutch slipping so badly that he couldn't carry over about 3500 rpm in any gear. I think he told me he ran almost every lap in 4th or 5th gear. None of the other team drivers could baby it that well. He still finished 7th overall in his second Daytona start.

During the summer night race there, he and co-driver Stu Hayner won the GTS class in the Erik Messley/Ron Levy-owned 2-digit VIN 1996 GTS *CONVERTED STREET CAR*.

He had a 14 lap lead at Road America in the same car until it grenaded a tranny on the front straight at about 160 mph.

The team he's with this year was "the class" of the AGT class last year.

 

[Tom Friend]

I wondered what that car was. I kept seeing some car making laps without a hood or fenders, but that darn speedvision wouldn't take the cameras off those yellow cars. (What were those hideous things?)

Thise speeedvission folks must get a lot of advert $$ from GM- they just wouldn't stop gushing about those Vettes. I don't remember them saying such things about our Vipers when they were racing. I guess Dodge didn't spend enough money on advertising.