2009 Charge of the Headlight Brigade
13-Hour Enduro at Virginia International Raceway

After a year-long hiatus, Conover Motor Sports Team GTI tripped over the same busted parts as last year, but still stole a class win due to the greater misfortune of their only competitor.

A glorious wet day at VIR >

Ryan "RJ" Jenkins Photo

Crew chief Cameron Conover unloaded confident that a new supplier had solved the axle problems that delayed Kirk Knestis and his codrivers at last year's Charge of the Headlight Brigade. However, an axle failure during practice was a bad omen, the concern in the Team GTI paddock being that new CV joints might be overheating due to close tolerances of parts intended for long term street use.

Qualifying went well, with Pablo the Golf ending the session five spots up the grid from the Ford Mustang of the father-and-son Satelle team - the only other ITB car in a thin field of entries.

Knestis started the race in the rain, with the car on slicks as a result of a decision based on weather radar suggesting the rain would not last. Three lurid offs - the product of a rusty driver more than bad conditions - cost about 2 minutes. However, by lap 30 the Golf started to climb up the order as the track dried and other teams pitted to remove their rain tires. Knestis ran as high as 22nd overall before turning the car over to team newcomer Bob Rothstein.

Kirk Knestis slides around a right-hand corner >

Rothstein had an excellent, trouble free run through to lap 118 before handing off to Greg Amy in 27th overall. Amy turned fast, consistent times - including the teams hottest race lap of a 2:27.68 - until a handy full-course caution precipitated the two drivers swapping jobs again.

Knestis returned to the driver's seat on lap 198, confident that he could get the car to within one night stint of the end. Amy was picked to serve the role of closer - one at which he has proved his value many times in the past. Unfortunately, yet another axle failure sent Knestis behind the wall to swap to a spare that had come off the car in a precautionary move the previous day...

...but was found to have also failed as well. Out of axles (and enthusiasm), the team accepted their fate, having completed 209 laps (just over 683 miles). The rains returned in earnest as the Team GTI crew ate their post-race dinner under an awning, until the checkered flag made it official that they were 42nd overall and first in ITB.

The Oak Tree turn with Hella lights blazing >

PhilsTireService.com
Team GTI

Promotional Partners
Conover Motor Sports - Preparation & support
FASTtech Limited - GPS-based data acquisition

Suppliers
Competition Cages - Rollcage construction
KONI Racing - Quality racing suspension struts
PhilsTireService.com - Hoosier race tires

Conover Motor Sports Team GTI (alphabetical)
Cameron Conover - Team manager
Christie Phillips - Volunteer race worker
Doug Hiranaka -
Grant MacDonald - Refueler
Greg Amy - Driver
Jeff Underwood - Tire changer
Kirk Knestis - Team co-owner, driver
Ken Neher - Photographer
Laurene Johnson - Team co-owner
Bob Rothstein - Driver
Ryan "RJ" Jenkins - Driver changer, photographer
Wes Eargle - Chef

Headed for the paddock way too early >