NASA Southeast Time Trial kicked off the 2021 season January 16 and 17 at Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah, Ga., with a total of 21 entries for the event. The largest class on grid for the weekend was in the TTU class with eight entries, which comprised a wide range of competitor vehicles from modern to classic and American to import.
Entries in the TTU class included everything from Tracy Gaudu in a C6 Z06 Corvette, to Gary Trickett in his 2010 BMW M3, and even a throwback to the early days of amateur club racing with William Bauer in his 1965 Ford Mustang GT350.
NASA Southeast TT also had five drivers in the TT6 class for the weekend, which was the largest of the power-to-weight ratio classes. In a strange twist of fate, all five drivers entered in the TT6 class for the weekend were competing behind the wheel of the venerable track-day favorite, the Mazda Miata.
Under clear skies and cool temperatures, TT competition kicked off for the 2021 season with TT1 driver and former NASCAR road course “ringer,” Johnny Miller, leading the field around to take the green flag. Johnny went on to set the fastest lap of the weekend when on Sunday morning, he set a blistering lap time of 1:11.661.
Following a delay in competition when TT2 driver Jerry Digges blew the motor in spectacular, but unfortunate fashion on his No. 32 C7 Corvette, Southeast TT drivers settled into a fast pace and started putting down some quick lap times throughout the day.
For the largest TTU class, No. 141 Tracy Gaudu put down the fastest lap of the day in her Z06 C6 Corvette of 1:16.507, with the second fastest time coming from No. 13 Gerry Hansen of 1:17.884 in his Z06 C5 Corvette. Third place on Saturday went to No. 1 Bill Goforth in his 2002 Corvette with a fast lap time of 1:19.573, with No. 706 Gary Trickett taking third place during Sunday’s competition with a fast lap of 1:22.097. Gaudu and Hansen ended up duplicating their respective first- and second-place finishes during Sunday’s competition.
In the Mazda-Miata-exclusive TT6 class for the weekend, competition was expectedly close with the top four drivers’ fastest laps on Saturday separated by a thin 0.8 seconds. The fastest lap of the day on Saturday went to No. 18 Roy Parsons with a lap time of 1:27.243, followed closely by No. 9 Nishant Patel at 1:27.748 and No. 247 Stephen Casey Clark finishing in third with 1:27.765. Sunday’s results showed a change in the top two spots, with Nishant Patel claiming the top spot with a lap time of 1:24.726, and Roy Parsons also lowering his best lap to 1:26.469. Stephen Casey Clark remained in third for Sunday’s competition.
Next up for NASA Southeast Time Trial will be the newly repaved and always challenging Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C., the weekend of February 13-14, 2021. Please visit the NASA Southeast website for registration and event details.
