Watkins Glen National Race, 8-9 July 06 Options

[groot]

There will be at least 3 914s running in E and F Production at the Watkins Glen.

Eric Madsen, Tom Burdge and me. Come by and say hello!!

[nine14cats]

Good Luck and have fun!

Will you have any in car video?

Thanks,

Bill P.

[groot]

Not for me... Eric may though.

I ran into some trouble at the test and tune last night, so depending on what I figure out tonight my trip to the Glen may be sans race car. My shift lever jammed between the shift forks.

[groot]

Well the shift lever wasn't jammed, but the expansion bolt that holds the gear stack on the mainshaft loosened up and was flopping around. I torqued it to spec when I assembled the trans, but over the last season it loosened up. So, I put it back together and will be headed to the Glen for next weekend.

[groot]

Eric and Tom didn't show. Les Handley was there and was very fast.

My story from the weekend:

I got the gearbox working and we headed to the Glen.

Interesting weekend, for sure. I had never been to the Glen before... big power track. I ran the practice session on Friday to get some seat time at the track. Car was still getting hot, with the timing silly retarded... 24 degrees and made some jetting changes to get the EGTs right. I bumped the timing to 27 degrees total advance and it still got hot (over 400 degrees, but I didn't let it get over 410) after a few laps. This track has a crazy long uphill "straight" where your at wide open throttle for a long time (longer than any track I've been too). The gearing was a bit off and I hit an aero wall at about 115 mph, 6300 RPM.

Friday lap times.... 2:25, still learning the track for sure.

Saturday, first qualifying session on old tires. Ran 5 laps, and managed a 2:22, put me in the middle of the field at the tail end of EP. EGTs were spot on. CHTs got hot again. Second qualifying session on new tires (heat cycled on Friday). EGTs were a bit too high, should have made a jetting change due to the 5-8 degree temp increase. Managed a 2:20.3, putting me 3 of 4 in EP and 14th on the grid. The next EP car (second gen RX-7) was right behind me on the grid.

The guy behind me was sorting a newish car, but clearly had some motor on me. The start was exciting and I made up a few spots by being aggressive. The EP RX-7 motored by me on the long straight and just kept pulling away. I had a good and fun battle with some GTL cars until I took a wide entry into a turn and got into the marbles. I jumped the curb and slip through the gravel coming to rest in the grass, stalled. The battery was weak, so I waiting a minute or so and then restarted it. I lost about half a lap. I just putted around after that. Finished in 4th with a fast lap of 2:18.859.... still finding time on the track.

So, here's the interesting thing. I pushed the hell out of the car in the first 5 laps and the temps got to 400, but didn't seem to climb after that. With this track and it's crazy long straights, this setup would probably cool at most tracks just fine.

Other fast laps from the race:

EP

Girven, RX-3 - 2:13.689
Fox, Caterham - 2:16.036
Dryden, RX-7 - 2:17.867
Groot, 914 - 2:18.859

FP

Handley, 914 - 2:16.896
Strittmatter, Lancia - 2:16.431
Kicak, Midget - 2:17.444
Broring, Spitfire - 2:24.344
Cefalo, Miata - 2:23.477
Carpenter, Acura - 2:17.282
Schlosser, Sprite - 2:44.945 (DNF)

[Joe Ricard]

But did ya have fun?