Here they come, zooming around a left hander, up the back straight, diving into the right hand start of the chicane and out again. Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Dale Jr., Boris Said, Jimmy Johnson. 3700lb NASCARs moving so fast on the famous Watkins Glen circuit, a place I would be at in two weeks. I watched intently. The volume of the TV turned up to catch all the noise.
I had heard about "Alfa's at the Glen" in early summer. A once in a lifetime event, so I made plans to enter. To my amazement, in addition to the usual sprint races there was to be an Enduro. How long, would my fuel cell of 8-gallons be enough, would I be capable of enduring? In the words of Pierre Salinger, " I may be plucky, but I'm not foolhardy". I needed a co-driver for the Enduro. I mulled and mulled again, it took about a minute.
It occured to me that I needed someone who knew the car and would be respectfull of its classic status. It was therefore no surprise that I asked Joe LoRe of Alfa Import Center if he would like to co-drive with me. In less time than it took me, after all he is younger, he accepted.
First things first. I went to "Claws":, a riceburner shop on Horace Harding Blvd & 187th St., who has a computer attached to a vinyl cutting machine. Over the drivers door I would place two names, followed by a national flag. Giuseppe LoRe-Italian flag, and under that, David Rivkin-American flag. Aside from changing the oil & filter, adjusting the cam timing and the twin-spark distributor, all was ready. Oh yes, new race tires, Yokohama 032R (hard) replaced Yoko 008R (old). The GTA was ready.
 The trip up Thursdsay morning was uneventful until we had almost reached our exit off rte 17, somewhere east of Elmira. Traveling along in convoy with about six other cars, some with box trailers with race cars inside, we were suddenly pulled over by a State Trooper. Why us? We were #5 in a convoy of 6, all moving steadily about 65-70 MPH. The only thing we could figure out was that we were the only trailer to have a car outside, sitting atop the trailer, visible for all to see.
The rest of the trip, north on rte 14 to Watkins Glen proceeded without further trauma. But as we got closer, my anxiety level started to go up. I had never been to this track before, it was over twice the length of Lime Rock and my only exposure to it had been the aforementioned Nextel Cup telecast.
We elected to park in the Paddock area, with the other Alfas, instead of in the Garage. It was definitely the right move. More to the point was how to find my way around this 3.4 mile monster. Joe approached one of our racing friends who had a Giulia TI Super. I would follow Robert, who would drive slowly to allow me to find the line around the circuit. Off we went for the first practise session. Out of the Pits, right downhill to join the racing circuit, a right then a left onto the back straight. Will this circuit never end, I thought. Then something familiar came into view. The right-handed entry into the chicane, it was almost an epiphany, I recognized something, it was that chicane I saw on TV, albeit from the other direction.
Through the chicane, down left into "The Boot" at which time I began to smell burnt oil. Not mine. Following the TI Super into an uphill left, Robert began to motion me by and I got a whiff of really smelly oil. I passed Robert, found the Start/Finish straight and started around on Lap-2. Three quarters around the circuit, there was the TI Super pulled off to the left. Roberts engine blew, not even one lap.
The next practise was for the Enduro. I would drive the the first 15-minutes, Joe the next 15. When Joe came in at the end of practise, he couldnt get over as to how efficient the brakes were as compared to his GTV6. I hit the brakes, he said, with the same force I use on the GTV6 and found myself being thrown forward into the seatbelt harness! Practise also involved learning how to cope with the mandatory 5-minute pit stop for fuel and for driver change. Joe Cautella volunteered to work with us in the pits. Fuel persons had to be in full Nomex with helmet. Luckily, Joe had both his Nomex suit and his helmet, so the three of us, Nomex clad and with Martian heads, could legally fuel the car and aid in the driver change.
 It must have been somewhat confusing to our competitors, since they could pass me and then the same car would pass them. Ah, the benefits of Driver change.
Needless to say, after Thursdays practise, I still couldnt find my way around this long track. Friday was the same, except now I could recognize certain geographical features. Saturday was almost as confusing as Friday, except on a much higher level of course.
Saturday late afternoon was arguably the highlight of the weekend. 150 cars would be chosen to follow a Police escort into town and then retrace the original 6-mile circuit through the countryside and back through the town. Once in town, all the cars were parked, nose to tail, on Franklin St., the main drag. It was wall to wall people. Watkins Glen has about 2,100 inhabitants. There were, according to the voice on the PA, anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 people in town and lining the route.
As the starters were lining up the cars for the first of the re-creation laps, as engines were rev ving, out from the crowd on the left, Joe and I heard a voice yelling at us, calling to us by name, and suddenly out popped Vic Cerami.
The laps through the countryside were fantastic, crowds everywhere waving to us, motioning us to go faster, to make more noise. We obliged by downshifting, turning on the headlights and beeping the horn at each bunch of people in addition to madly waving to all. It was the Mille Miglia in upstate N.Y. George Linton told me that he never saw me with such a big smile on my face. At one point, when we stopped on Franklin St. after the first touring lap, Joe leaned out of the window at the crowd, asking if someone would take our picture. A woman stepped forward, took our photo and then had a pleasant conversation with Joe before we moved off again. She did give our camera back.
 I must say that going back to the track was somewhat anticlimatic. Practise followed practise, then the Qualifying Race, then on Sunday morning the Enduro of 75-minutes, then the All-Alfa race. I was just tuckered out. So we didnt showup on the grid for our final race on Sunday afternoon. We packed up and headed for home.
Joe LoRe was faster than I was, in my car !!! But that was expected. Joe Cautella did everything perfectly in the Pits. A Track Marshall in our Pit Area, who admired his NYAROC cap, offered to buy it from him.
The cameraderie amongst the Alfa drivers, crew, sponsors and race shop owners was unbelievable. The paddock area was immense, with cars, service vehicles and trucks of all sizes, everywhere, acres of them.
Would I go again? In a NY minute.
David Rivkin
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