Great course down at the Marina yesterday, At first glance I wasn't so sure Options

[Randal]

I'll post a link to the course design, which seemed like a purpose designed course (to me) favoring HP. As it ended up it was a very technical course that challenged everyone to figure it out.

Personally I really liked the course. Here is a video of the course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfM96I1GpYs

The little 36 year old 914 "222" did OK, managing to keep ahead of all the 2000 cars, including a few with bunches of hp and modifications, as well as everyone else until Wayne with his rocket ship Ford Fiesta got by me on his very last run.

Congratulations Wayne. Nice going. Fun to watch your car operate.

Sorry I couldn't stay for the PM runs and keep the competition going, but had a gig in SF. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Man was the city crowded, so many people.

Here is the course map: http://lpr.pca.org/ax/2011/lprax7/2011_ax7.pdf

They put a slow down set of cones in the straight, but it hardly did much. Top of third gear before having to jam on the brakes for that first turn. But no one ran over the US Navy divider cones, so all was well.

Thanks again to LPR for running a great event. LRP is so organized!

[grantsfo]

Awesome drift course! I stopped worrying about times and set on carrying longest drifts I could, tons of room. I didn't find it to be technical at all? If you wanted to go fast just tighten up lines and don't over drive! I didnt have that in my playbook with a drift car on skinny streets.

222 is still not performing up to its potential from what I observed. Larry in Street tire stockish RSA was within 2 seconds. Wayne is a relative AX rookie in a street legal car that weighs few hundred pounds more than 222. It makes me sad to see a 1600 lb 200 hp race car barely clear cars driven to the event. What can we do to improve handling of these cars so they better compete with newer cars? 914s race cars used to easily clear street going cars by 4 seconds. Now they barely beat them? Guess 914s have reached that vintage stage of thieR ?

This post has been edited by grantsfo: Sep 6 2011, 07:33 PM

[Randal]

Ended up talking to Chris Hamilton down at the Marina about course design and asked him if he had ever read Roger Johnson's SCCA course design book.

I don't have Chris's email, but here is the link to a great book.

IMHO should be required reading for all "course designers." Also every course I've designed I sent to Roger for critique and he is nice enough to respond and give great feedback.

http://delta-scca.org/club/maps/courses/course_design.pdf

[ChrisFoley]

222 is still not performing up to its potential from what I observed. Larry in Street tire stockish RSA was within 2 seconds. Wayne is a relative AX rookie in a street legal car that weighs few hundred pounds more than 222. It makes me sad to see a 1600 lb 200 hp race car barely clear cars driven to the event. What can we do to improve handling of these cars so they better compete with newer cars? 914s race cars used to easily clear street going cars by 4 seconds. Now they barely beat them? Guess 914s have reached that vintage stage of thieR ?

Did you look at morning times only to draw your conclusion?
Seems to me that Randal's times would have likely dropped a bit more if he stayed.

[grantsfo]

Did you look at morning times only to draw your conclusion?
Seems to me that Randal's times would have likely dropped a bit more if he stayed.

Honestly with cars that show up to typical LPR or GGR event Randal should be able to show up run 3 laps and go home without any worry of being beaten.

I love 222 I just dont want Randal to get complacent as the car still has tons more potential. If he doesnt keep improving it I will soon catch him in a 3500 lb street car. I wasnt on DOT R's at this event but since some recent mods on my Z i'm within tenths of TTOD at PCA events with Hoosiers on the car now. Would hate to beat his race car with something fast and furious from the land of the rising sun.

Honestly I feel like going to a PCA event in a race car is a little like going to an overstocked fish pond and saying you did well when you catch a couple trout. I'd like to see 222 out in the open water more often.

[Randal]

Did you look at morning times only to draw your conclusion?
Seems to me that Randal's times would have likely dropped a bit more if he stayed.

Hey Chris - The new shifter is working great. I only missed one and that was self induced. The start of the Marina course was a very short stretch, then a 90 degree right and the start timers, then an immediately left to the HUGE straight. There are some good videos on the web now of several folks driving that course. So had to shift early while turning the corner or afterwards and make it worse if you missed 1st to second as you were now on the timer.

So in the sprit of competition I shifted right in the middle of the right 90 degree corner and hit reverse and had to regroup on the clock. But never mind that ended up being my fastest run. BTW the second to third and back again worked perfect.

The Marina is always a challenge when it is cold and that is most of the time. In the PM it typically gets warmer and you can change your driving style from just mechanical grip to real tire grip.

Oh, I'm going to buy your new firewall bushing as soon as it's on the web. If you can direct us to pictures please do.

How are you folks recovering from the big storm? Must be tough with bridges out and such.

[EdwardBlume]

Morning times were always useless at Marina. With the cement heating up and the course getting better known by your 10th run, the typical best times (> 90%) were in the last quartile.

[EdwardBlume]

I agree with Grant. The new cars are so advanced and forgiving, it won't be long before a race ricer shows up in a Nissan and starts competing.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[grantsfo]

Randal, Be honest! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Larry and I heard two nasty misshifts from first to 2nd at the start. One was one of those ugly grindy types. You need more solid mounts or somethin! Chris, please help Randal out! I really don't want to beat him in a Japanese street car that weighs more than twice as much as his lightweight 914 racer. I have stopped running DOT R tires at events he attends just to assure he maintains 914 superiority at ax events. But eventually I will show up on Hoosiers and I might have to quit early if you can't help him make that thing shift right! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[grantsfo]

Morning times were always useless at Marina. With the cement heating up and the course getting better known by your 10th run, the typical best times (> 90%) were in the last quartile.

It was pretty cold all day with fog. Not much heating up. You haven't seen our weird weather pattern over here this year. And with lack of sweeping at Marina courses actually get slower in PM now.

[ChrisFoley]

Randal, Be honest! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Larry and I heard two nasty misshifts from first to 2nd at the start. One was one of those ugly grindy types. You need more solid mounts or somethin! Chris, please help Randal out!

Ugly and grindy - that would be the other 2nd gear - the one with no synchros.
That sort of misshift can be eliminated by using the reverse lockout on the Rennshift, and not trying to hurry the gearchange. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)
No matter what kind of upgrades are done to the shift linkage outside the gearbox, there's still an inherent limitation inside the box which requires some patience, especially when changing gates. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistle[1].gif)

I'm pretty sure that mods/adjustments to the comb and selector rods inside the box could improve the accuracy and reduce the likelihood of missed shifts like Randal made, but I haven't experimented with that yet. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[Randal]

You are exactly right Chris.

"So in the sprit of competition I shifted right in the middle of the right 90 degree corner and hit reverse and had to regroup on the clock. But never mind that ended up being my fastest run. BTW the second to third and back again worked perfect."

As I mentioned earlier your new set up worked great throughout the course. Never had any issues with the second to third or back shift. Looking forward to putting in your new bushing on the firewall as well. I will wait for that modification until after the Medford Enduro.

BTW lots of competition up there from the hill climb folks. They like HP and good handling cars so a fun group. Basically a great opportunity to run with the big boys or go home. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

A few of the cars that will be
running the Enduro:



These two are identical Z06's. Real American Iron (IMG:style_emoticons/default/flag.gif) and very fast on the hills.



And if you want light and fast try this one:



And if you want a bit heaver (1900#) and fast:



Or a pair of these running e-mod:

[ChrisFoley]

That looks like some real stiff competition.
I think its great that a 914-4 can be competive with such a variety of automobiles.

BTW, the shift linkage and firewall bushing are now available on my website and, as always, over the phone if you prefer to use a credit card.
Tangerine Racing Whats New Page

[grantsfo]

I agree with Grant. The new cars are so advanced and forgiving, it won't be long before a race ricer shows up in a Nissan and starts competing.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

Oh you mean like this at GGR event two weeks ago? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) I just pushed a button and the car did all the rest!

1 Andrew B 1971 - 914 45.429
2 Dave D 1970 - 911 45.566
3 Steve L Cayman S 45.703
4 Grant K Nissan 370Z 45.789
5 Monty P Cayman 46.553
6 Chris H 1971 - 914 46.581
7 Larry S 1993 - RSA 46.657


Signed, Mr. Race Ricer (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[Randal]

That looks like some real stiff competition.
I think its great that a 914-4 can be competive with such a variety of automobiles.

BTW, the shift linkage and firewall bushing are now available on my website and, as always, over the phone if you prefer to use a credit card.
Tangerine Racing Whats New Page

The big HP cars will fly on the hillclimbs, but give us a few corners, like at the Medford facility and we can do OK.

Was able to stay within 2 seconds, i.e., pretty close to a couple of serious Canadian hill climbers with a 600RWH Mustang at Cascade. Should be more fun next year with a couple of laps under my belt.