Subject: The Things I Have Witnessed or Aaron's Great Adventure
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2000 06:18:50 EST
From: Peter Mills

Hey story fans, while my fingers are moving slowly from the cold, Peter sent an e-mail that he has allowed me to resend. Aaron, who has not seen this story, also granted his permission. Again, I thank all you people who allow me and others to use your name in vain :-)) For those of you in the Northeast chapter (or at NSXPO), who may not have met Aaron and Annie Chung.
They are top notch people. Both speak three languages, have degrees from prestigious learning institutes [that won't even let a farm boy like me drive by just to look at the place, much less attend! (i.e., Annie has two degrees from MIT)] I have found them to be almost shy and reserved, until they get to know you. Spock, from Star Trek, might call them, "fascinating". Aaron takes a lot of ribbing from Peter (only because he is closer than I), about his off track excursions, but takes it all in stride. I must say that I rode with Aaron as copilot during his ever decreasing time runs at Road Atlanta (about 1' 45"). He never went off the track! I guess I was his good luck charm. Now let the show begin!!!

Hello Alaska:
Well I first want to report that we are having an Indian Summer here in the Northeast. The temp is in the 70's and after writing this letter I'm going to wash the NSX.

What I have witnessed:
First run of the day was uneventfull for both Aaron & I. I thought we were going to spend a quiet day at the track, but little did I know what was forthcoming.

Aaron was very confident this morning, put on his new Hoosier racing tires, for the first run, but discovered that the front tires were rubbing against the car body at full lock. So Aaron removes the interior wheel well liner to eliminate the rubbing, so far so good. What comes next makes tire rubbing seem minor.

Now because of Aaron playing pit crew changing tires and quickly as possible, he missed his run group, so EMRA lets him go out with mine. Aaron is on the other end of the track, so when I'm going through the esses, he is approaching the DIVING TURN. As I enter the Climbing Turn, corner workers are waving the slippery flag, as I approach WEST TURN , the corner worker is waving the slippery flag with much gusto. As I crest the top of the hill for the Diving Turn I see a red honda civic spinning down the hill, across the track, backwards,into the grass. To my right is a car in the grass on the infield side of the diving turn. I immediately go off line staying on the right of infield side of the track.I make it through turn 7 and head down the front straight. As I approach the flag tower I look to my right and see Aaron's car with the rear window up and steam bellowing from the engine compartment. The checker flag was being displayed so after my cool down lap and parking my car I went to Aaron's aid to see what had happened and if I could be of any help.
It seems Aaron had replaced his Dilly Dali Aluminum expansion tank with an EOM plastic unit. The hose had come off the inlet from the engine and had sprayed coolant all over his rear window, engine compartment and last but not least his coolant was covering the DIVING TURN which was causing all the excitement with the spinning.
Come to find out that Aaron even spun or at least came down the Diving Turn side ways. The problem with the expansion tank was the knuckle at the end of the extrusion was very flat if there at all. We jury-rigged the hose with plastic wire ties and safety wire ( you would have been very proud of our ingenuity). Aaron was able to continue with the track event.

Now comes the "Timed Runs".
There were about 100 cars participating yesterday, so I through that I would get pictures of Aaron from the infield hill. I waited for about one hour and no Aaron. He wqas still waiting in line as his White group ( the fastest) was going out after my red group(being the slowest).Over the PA system they annouced at ALL red drivers must report to the false grid immediately. So I walked back to the pits, stowed away my camera and drove to the false grid to wait in line.
While waiting and fellow "racer" saw Aaron pull out onto the track and he came over to my car because he had seen Aaron & I together and he timed Aaron who did about a 61 second lap. I told him that if he was accurate then Aaron would be very pleased as Aaron's goal was a one minute lap. Man he was cooking,then....all traffic stops. There are no cars racing by the start finsh line. Someone says that the track is sending out the "WRECKER". OH NO I think to my self, maybe Aaron, NO couldn't have happened. I go on with my life waiting in line.... Ten minutes later Aaron drives into the pits, his car has some damage to the rearend and the "WRECKER" is following closely behind. A few mintues later everything starts up again. I'm thinking about the "General" and what she must be saying to Aaron. Oh well, time to focus on my run. I gat out on the track do two laps that I am happy with and quickly get into the paddock area to find out what happened. I seems Aaron was distracted, dropped two wheels off the track, spun off the diving turn towards the infield and slammed into a tire wall...backwards. He had dirt up the tail pipes, in the rear bumper, his rear wheel interior liner was loose becuase he buckled the right rear quarter panel, scratched the hell out the back of the car, but Aaron was fine and in the true Asian mannor was very clam about what ahd happened to him. Well we decide to call Joe LoMorrilla and make arrangements to get Aaron's NSX to him for repair. Annie had driven her Toyota to the track go that Aaron could drive on his street rubber to the track and switch to his Hoosiers for his runs. Well Joe said he would wait for them to come and the three of us go the awards presentation.

There were 23 cars in our group STGT. I finished about 13th and Aaron finished first with the over-all fastest time of the day...hot stuff. Annie is the trophy Queen and Aaron gets a very nice glass trophy which says BEST IN CLASS etc..etc...At the finsgh of the presentation it is blacker than the ACE of SHAPES as Lime Rock does not have lights in the paddock area. Annie requires the Women toilet and I the Men's. The Woman's is lite and the mens in total darkest which I don't mind as your peeing on the wall anyway.
As I exit the john, Aaron says in the darkness, "guess what happened'? Thinking quickly I said "you dropped the trophy?" Aaron says" yes I can't believe what I terrible day this has become." You should have seen what was left, he was broken hearted. I walked away from him, when over to the resturant, cornered the head of EMRA and requested a new trophy, and he gave me one. We walked over to Annie's car and I handed it directly to her with the instructions that she not let Aaron get near it. So Aaron got the fastest time, one damaged car, one broken trophy and front fenders with out liners. It's been about a year since I first met Aaron. His track adventures revel yours with furry animals and fruit. See ya when you return, Pete One small detail I forgot to mention. You remember Aaron has a "spoiler" on the back of his helmet? Annie and I think he purchased that style because Aaron was looking for some down-force to keep him from becoming air-borne when he drives fast backwards, like Friday. If in your travels you come across a GI Joe type toy parachute please purchase it for Annie. She wants to attach it to the back of Aaron's helmet. The "GENERAL" informed me that this was Aaron's last track event for 2000.
I'm relieved, this is too much pressure watching Aaron on the track, just too much damn excitement. Aaron will be in a PING PONG tournment over Thankgiving in Baltimore. I hope he doesn't slide off the table.