First Divisional or National event stories

[Glenn Briglio]

My first national event 1983 Summernationals at Englishtown,NJ. I freshen up engine two weeks before race. I assemble complete engine and install into my 67 Camaro F/SA.Start engine up in my garage on Long Island, NY. It precedes to run for 10 seconds and shuts off and doesn't want to turn over by starter or by hand. Pull engine out and disassemble. Come to find a hole in cylinder wall were a broken valve punched a hole in it.The person who degreed in camshaft screwed up. Yes only myself to blame.I called Pierre Mansur who was doing my machine work and sheepishly asked what could we do. Pierre said no problem bring complete engine into Brooklyn with new block and heads.We got all the machine work done in 4 or 5 days. I assembled complete engine again at Pierre's shop in Brooklyn.Got it done on the Tuesday before the summers and asked Pierre how are we going to get it home and to the race? No problem Pierre says bring car into Brooklyn. Next day get car on an open trailer into Brooklyn and car onto sidewalk outside of his shop.Get engine out of his shop and it starts to rain. OK no problem until lightening storm and wind whip up. So Ken Lazzeri of Indy Cylinder fame and myself are putting engine in race car in a major storm on the sidewalk in Brooklyn.Get it installed but nothing hooked up because of storm. No problem Pierre says bring it over to my cousins Farid's shop.It's now 8pm and we go to Farid's shop Fark's supercars in Brooklyn. Get it all done and running at 12pm.Ok time to get to Etown. Next day pretty wiped out but car is running well. I run class eliminations but lose to Bill Quinn in class final. Bill gets torn down and gets bounced for something I can't remember and I get my first class win!!!!! Can't thank all the people involved enough for all that I put them through including my family.