Silk

Very, very well done!!!! Good job, everyone.

I got mine from California Car Cover - they have one that fits a Super Seven. Fits my Stalker well, and they have the usual choice of materials.

Whaddia mean - I thought I read somewhere you were blowing rivet remains out of your frame? Doesn't get much better than that!

Jeff Duncan and I both ran again at Cumberland this past weekend, and the results were a bit different than last month. I snuck past Jeff on Saturday, but he sure had my number on Sunday. This was one of the fastest overall fields we've ever had at Cumberland, and top 10 finishes were hard earned. Jeff's 3rd overall on Sunday was a great performance against some top talent. The Sevens again proved to be forces to be reckoned with. http://www.nationalroadrally.com/historics_08.html

Jeff, I saw the results from the weekend - good runs on your part. No question Norm's feeling the pressure! See you this weekend in Cumberland. Gary

Not to worry - the results posted on the front page are from the 2007 event. Not sure why they haven't updated it yet.

Let me add my congratulations to Kevin and Michelle. That's an absolutely fantastic performance. Having run in the event last year, I know what it takes in terms of overall preparation as well as keeping the car running and finishing each segment. To snag third overall against a number of well organized and very well financed entrants is an amazing accomplishment. Well done!!!!

Teams can be two or three people only. No solos. All gear/people must fit in the car or in a trailer pulled by the car. No chase cars, transporters, etc. Volunteer help along the way is a given, but technically teams are not supposed to have a "traveling pit crew." Technically, of course. Some of the top teams seem to have a lot of very qualified help and parts materialize when needed. But no one seems to care too much about that.

Cumberland is typically much faster than an SCCA course. The faster cars will hit high 70s to low 80s. Every once in a while they let us air 'em out and give us a long run up one of the runways and people are into the 90s. Several claim to have crested 100. It's a great venue for fast, high HP cars. People that favor tight, technical courses go elsewhere. Once you and Bob get your rail dragsters back on the road you should come on up. You'd love it.

The Cumberland autox series opened up this past weekend, and Jeff Duncan and I had some great battles in our respective sevens. This was my first time out in the Stalker and Jeff was debuting Hoosier slicks on his Ultralite. Both of us did the seven world proud, with 3rd and 4th places on Saturday and 1st and 2nd on Sunday. The Cumberland field is always loaded with a good number of well prepped, fast cars, with lots of Porsches, Vettes, Cobras and some open wheel formula cars. I think both of us have targets on our backs now. Here’s a link to the results. http://www.nationalroadrally.com/icebreak_08.html

Mazda, Bob, Scott - Enjoyed meeging you guys at breakfast. Hopefully we can get the 7s and Cobras together on a regular basis. Gary

Great! I look forward to meeting you. We congregate in the parking lot behind the Vienna Inn at around 7:45 and talk cars - then wander inside around 8:00 and talk cars - then adjourn to the parking lot again to talk more cars. We're all very puzzled why so few spouses seem inclined to join us. Just ask for the owner of the light blue heap with white strips. http://www.capitalareacobraclub.com/gallery2/d/22034-2/Cumberland+_2+-+very+small_+-+Oct+06.jpg

If you're refering to what we affectionatly call the "grease-up" at the Vienna Inn every Saturday morninng, yup, I'll be there - in the Cobra if the roads are dry. Still waiting for the auto transport folks to pick up the Stalker in Florida, so I'm not certain when I'll have it on the road here.

My name’s Gary Hughes and I’m EVP and general counsel of a trade association in downtown Washington representing life insurance companies. Helped a neighbor assemble a Super Seven back in the 60s and ever since have had it in my head that one day I’d own one. I recently bought Darrin Wilson’s Super Stalker and will be setting it up as a semi-dedicated autocross car. Cars and bikes have always been a significant interest for me. The cars were mostly British (TR 2s, 3s, 4s and a bunch of 6s with a couple of Healeys thrown in) as were the bikes (Vincent Black Shadow – and how I wish I still had that one – Ariel Square Four, Norton, Matchless, and a number of BSA singles). The current stable includes a replica 289 Cobra and a C6 Vette. I got most of my serious racing urges out of my system years ago when I campaigned a D Production TR 4A and flat tracked a BSA Gold Star for a couple of years. Autocrossing and occasional open track events are about all that time and budget permit these days, but I am looking forward to seeing how the Stalker does amongst the cones.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. I’m in Fairfax Station just off Rt. 123 a bit north of Occoquan. Looking forward to meeting those of you that are local – and hopefully attending one of the big gatherings to meet others as well. Bob, you ever come across a guy named Linwood (can’t remember his last name) who lives on Mason Neck? He has a beautifully restored 69 Camaro, a C2 Vette, a Cobra and some other interesting cars tucked away in his garages. Does all the restoration work himself and is a real perfectionist. BTW, the Capital Area Cobra Club gathers every Saturday morning around 7:45 for greasy food at the Vienna Inn. If it’s dry, even in the dead of winter, 10 or so Cobras, Daytona Coups, Mustangs, etc. will be on hand, and interesting cars are always welcome. The conversation is pretty much limited to cars, with occasional references to guns, women and local politicians. So if any of you feel your cholesterol levels getting dangerously low and want to impress your significant other with silly car-related weekend behavior, by all means stop by. Loren, I met you and Kevin this spring on One Lap. Wade Chamberlain and I drove a stock Miata and had a ball in the event. You guys are truly hard core! Nothing like tornados, torrential downpours and thousands of miles in a car without a top. You’ve now got Wade thinking we should do the event in his topless Cobra next year. I’m trying to get some good psychiatric help for him in order to cure him of that notion. Again, thanks all for the welcome. Gary

I’ve been lurking here for a while and thought it was high time to introduce myself. My name’s Gary Hughes, and I live in Northern Virginia. I just recently bought Darrin Wilson’s Super Stalker and am waiting for it to be transported up this way from the Tampa area. While I know that building a car like this is a significant part of the overall experience, I simply don’t have time to do justice to a good build, and besides, there’s something to be said for instant gratification. A few years ago I bought a replica 289 FIA Cobra much the same way, although with that car I at least dropped in the engine and trans (with a little help from my friends). While that car is now well sorted, I don’t have to tell anyone in this crowd about how there are always “issues” with these types of cars. But then that’s part of the fun of owning one. Cars and bikes have always been a significant interest for me. The cars were mostly British (TR 2s, 3s, 4s and a bunch of 6s with a couple of Healeys thrown in) as were the bikes (Vincent Black Shadow – and how I wish I still had that one – Ariel Square Four, Norton, Matchless, and a number of BSA singles). I got most of my serious racing urges out of my system years ago when I campaigned a D Production TR 4A and flat tracked a BSA Gold Star for a couple of years. I currently autocross the Cobra and a C6 Vette, but I’m buying the Stalker as a semi-dedicated autocrosser. It’s power-to-weight ratio eclipses that of the Cobra and the Vette, and it’ll be interesting to see how well the lump behind the wheel can do with it. Can’t wait for spring! I’ve enjoyed dropping by the forum and look forward to being an active participant. And thanks to Jack Banker for some early advice on autox setup for the Stalker. Best wishes for the new year, Gary