Viper Days this weekend laid witness to probably the boldest and most beautiful pass participants and spectators alike have seen at a Viper Days Event. John Grieco, who came all the way from California, had been running a strong second place in a train being pulled along by Jim McCann of Ohio. Bob Woodhouse ( Nebraska ) and Mike McCann ( Ohio ) were hanging tough in 3rd and 4th , just biding their time, when Grieco made a wild, grass trimming, foray around turn eight to sneak under J. McCann and vault into the numero uno spot. Mr Patience, Mike McCann, must have been watching this move as he methodically picked his way through the crowd and was soon hounding Grieco. This dog will hunt, as he nipped at Johnny G's heels, as the two of them ran off and hid to play amongst themselves. After a brief skirmish passing some drivers engaged in their own private wars, the last few laps were to be a battle for track dominance, mano - a - mano.Grieco was the artist of the day, painting his palette with perfect strokes, with never a brush mark off his preferred line.McCann feinted to the left of the Grieco Snake, just before going into turn ten, a big , yet narrow sweeper that fed into the 140 mph front straight. Putnam Park is a beautiful track, but it is not an overly wide track , and an attempt to pursue a skilled tactician like John Grieco, with a outside pass on the track's most dangerous turn seemed ill advised. But, like Grieco, McCann had played the professor and watched the gambled outside sweep of his brother by Grieco around the downhill, off cambered turn eight. Two half-hearted attempts to push the envelope on John's driver side, going into the last turn before power, failed to cause Grieco to waver, but on the penultimate lap of the 20 circuits race, Mike dove deep into the shallow end of the pool, and hung his toes on the edge - while running with scizzors.With only inches distancing their cars, Grieco and McCann swung in a pendulum motion together, and a slick berm loomed large in Mike's line of sight. With the g forces slipping the bound Snakes sideways together , Mike knew his line to victory was based on the inches he had left to keep his tires on the berm and off the wall, and the skill and precision of the driver attached next to his passenger door. Grieco never slowed, and never altered his line, as he allowed McCann the inches he had valiantly fought for. McCann launched off the berm and led Grieco down the front straight, a 335/18 tire width ahead. He kept the lead , tenuously, throughout the final curves, and as turn ten approached John juked to the left, went outside, but...........he couldn't quite make it happen again, in his favor. For those of us who lost our breath as these two drivers ripped around this bumpy, off camber,
sweeper, seemingly tied by an invisible bond, it was a pass that will be talked about for decades to come. Heartstopping thanks go to you two and all the rest of the drivers who made this one of the most exciting Viper Days races ever.
PS - We forgot to mention that it had rained heavily throughout the night and this entire race was run on a damp, though drying surface !!!
sweeper, seemingly tied by an invisible bond, it was a pass that will be talked about for decades to come. Heartstopping thanks go to you two and all the rest of the drivers who made this one of the most exciting Viper Days races ever.
PS - We forgot to mention that it had rained heavily throughout the night and this entire race was run on a damp, though drying surface !!!
