This video was produced by a Datsun shop called S30 Motorsports but right off the bat and throughout, there are 914's in the mix...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BabI6tZh07Y

nice video

the 240's and the 914-6 (2.0 of course)
were both C production cars back in the day and run in the same class

I know I find early Z's in my classes at vintage events
the Z's have good power and good torque, but they are a bit heavier and struggle more in the turns. A good battle with a 2.0/6 for sure

It didn't hurt the Z to have 50% more HP either. Part of the reason they had so much success back then. If the 914/6 came with more HP and Torque, the Z wouldn't have had a chance. I have a neighbor who is a buddy of the younger Andretti's, Amendinger, and a few others. He was a national shifter kart champion and was paid to coach the Andretti boys. He has driven both my Z and my 914. He says the 914 is the closest thing he has ever driven to a shifter kart and the Z has 'potential' but he would choose the 914 for just about any battle...

Here's a recent picture of Brady at Infinion... His buddies, Graham Rahal and Tony Kannan. We hang out a lot! I get comped to the races and VIP box seats. Though Brady likes the pits best, as do I... Unfortunately, his parents don't have a few million to start his racing career... They live across the street from me.

Nice pics...


what do the pro built shops get out of those 2.4 water cooled motors in race trim?...

I'm guessing 240 hp? maybe even 250 or 260

(its amazing that porsche held on as long as they did to air cooling... its tough to get 100hp per a liter from air cooled.... easy to get it from a water cooled motor even with 1970's technology)

Rebello Racing has the shop closest to me. I think their claims might be in the 275 range with triple Webers which I don't know Vintage rules well enough to know legality on. I have triples. I would guess I am in the 200hp range. My car wouldn't be legal though (even if it had the log book to get me in). My cylinder head is an E31, which is correct, but it has been ported and polished and the later 280Z valves were put in. IIRC, vintage must run the factory SU carbs. That is a strong limitation in my mind. But still, out of the box, 150+hp to the 914/6's 200hp. Even the couple hundred pound weight difference will not make that up.

As you can see, the brakes are a problem. Single piston front, drum rear.

By the way, it looks to me that the contact at about 8 minutes was totally the BMW's fault. The red Z had position at the apex and the BMW cut into him pretty hard.

ouch..
hard to overcome those numbers
water cooled is a great advantage in racing.
but those straight -6's are sweet motors too

Love that 904 replica in video

I would be almost certain that the 904 is real and not a replica
replica's are usually not allowed to participate, and I've seen quite a few real 904's in different vintage events...

(sometimes with the 4cam 4cylinders, and others with the later factory 6cylinder motor option)

Then I love it even more

A friend of mine was allowed to participate in the event formerly known as the Monterey Historics with his 240Z BRE replica. I'm pretty sure that the only reason he was allowed into the race was because he had the endorsement of Peter Brock and Peter and his wife were invited guests. On the plus side for him, he now has a logbook with a vintage race in it. He created the replica by buying much of the graphics directly from Brock and extensive discussion with Peter and Gail his wife.

Interesting. The open track "lines" they took are atrocious. While certainly Tom's brakes were fading, the leading factor to his off-road excursions/spin are the poor line(s) he took. They (Tom/Clark) probably just haven't driven RA before.

The blue/red Z was CRAZY to think he could pass in T7 like that - balls with no brains! Had he not nailed the 2002, he would have
spun trying recover with that pace and line. That is precisely why I don't race - idiots on the track who think they are Phil Hill.

Actually HSR has allowed a bunch of cars that you would think would be illegal due to their shrinking fields

But the fact that Tom tried to stay on pace when he knew he didn't have brakes was just plain stupid

There have been a lot of cars I have driven on the track with stock brakes but I only drove a Z once. Brainerd International Raceway. 10 turns with the last being a pretty much square corner onto the mile long front straight. As I came into that corner I was flat out and wanted to squeeze on some brake to scrub speed. I got nothing! I managed to get through the corner but dropped the outside two wheels off in my track out. I will never trust Z brakes that aren't performance pads and a good fresh bleed. Not sure why the difference in philosophy but every Porsche I have ever had seemed to be over-engineered in the braking system. The Z was good for the street, don't go to the track.
TC, if you go to Amelia Island this year, I will have to get you and Carl Beck together. He's the owner of the BRE Rally car you and Paul photographed.

Weakness of the Z is the drum brakes in the back. After a couple of laps at TWS the Z's in CP get brake overheating, then you slide right by

There's a method to driving them so the brakes don't overheat. I doubt it's the drum rear that causes it though. When I drove my Z at Brainerd International Raceway the brakes were gone by turn 10. The drums were fine, the rotors and calipers were so freakin' hot the rotors were warped.

I actually had a system I put together on my first Z that released a stream of water in the brake cooling ducts when I put the brakes on. It worked, but it is a solid rotor and it warped still but now only in one direction.

PMB worked over the brakes in my Z and believe me, with Bill chasing me in the other white Z, after a 20 minute session, most Z cars would be soggy in the peddle. Mine is fine... Bill has Brembo front and rear and a custom aluminum suspension.

Believe it or not, this guy is 80 years old! I would love to drive that course! Anyone have any idea where it is?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqMbkrnQIGY

That is the famous Road Atlanta course!