varkwso

This endurance stuff is hard work as it requires a grueling schedule with challenges all along the way. Even though it was the second LeMons race at the same track, with the same team and the same car it demanded precise planning, flawless execution and management skills. It is a good thing for the Team Saab Story I was the arrive and drive participant and did very little both years. The team principles did all the work prepping the car, doing all the entry bribes, bringing the car to the track, getting it through tech and the BS inspection. All I had to do was show up in time for the race start and I could really get used to this method. Since I brought over the enclosed trailer and some tools so I was of limited team value. I also managed to rile up the event staff as I processed through the line on Saturday morning but in true LeMons tradition someone else paid the price for my action. The driver line up was Wayne, Dale, and Keith with me driving in the drag position. Wayne had the misfortune of collecting a spun car in the first hour of the race at T3 (aka T11) through no fault of his own and had the opportunity to practice his mime skills as we sat out a 30 minute penalty. Wayne looks good in whiteface and a beret by the way. Dale and Keith were able to run clean. Unfortunately even though the car had fresh brake calipers (with the pistons inside for a change), racing brake pads, brake ducts, a fresh clutch, repaired trans linkage, better tires, a little camber in the front and many other tweaks it started having vapor lock problems by the time I got in the car after about 3 and half hours. I ran great for 35 minutes with brakes that worked, a clutch that functioned and car that pulled strongly. That is when the car started to stumble and almost die at every corner exit between 2000-4500 rpm. After hoping it would get better for about 5 laps I brought it in to keep from stalling on track. Due to bad timing that was when the rest of the team was setting up some sun shade near the pits so it took a while for all of us to get together. We added some gas, zip tied the plug wires on the cap and it seemed OK. I went out again for 25 minutes and it ran great - right up until it fell flat on every corner exit. I brought it in again. We started checking wiring and looking for any fuel delivery problems. That is when II noticed the exhaust was aimed straight at the gas tank. We added more gas, shielded some gas lines, insulated the fuel filter and sent it out again. That is when the clutch started to fail with the added benefit of no brakes. After bleeding 2 quarts of brake fluid through the clutch and brakes (single reservoir - Swedish engineering) it was determined the clutch was FUBAR. This cost us quite a bit of time and it was determined going into Camden to buy over a gallon of brake fluid and eat dinner was the preferred team option. After a late night of wrenching (not wenching), drinking and BSing we hit the sack. About 20 cars had already permanently retired so we felt pretty good about our 3rd gear only race car as I took the track on Sunday morning. Other then making sure I never came to a stop (since with no clutch the car would stall or run with no way to get it moving) I was able to lay down a lot of laps in the 1:05 range and gain us about 10-12 positions on the board. The plan was for me to run it as hard as I could for as long as I could before a driver change. I ran for about 75 minutes when the car started to stumble on right turns, after a few more laps it would almost stall on every corner so I brought it in for a driver change and cold gas. Wayne took it out and after a few laps it died on track. No spark. We spent a lot of time looking for the source of the problem and charging the battery. In the end it was a bad alternator and battery so we used the battery out of Waynes Subaru, since it was only needed it to get home to Florida, and this was far more important then getting home. Sunday, after my first stint, was mostly spent getting towed in from the track and working on the car. There was the E30 fire and Mustang crushing to take our minds off our problems but otherwise we did our best to log laps with an ailing car. About 3 PM we pulled the plg and started to load up for home. We finished 64th overall and 21st in class.

LeMons is a circus that also includes a little racing. The people are great and the level of prep on the cars is impressive. It seems quite a few take $500 merely as "guidance" and others come there for the good time. The drivers can pay $50 bucks and with no track experience, ever, can go out wheel to wheel and it shows. Many drivers are unpredictable and would get tossed from any other sanctioning body (except demo derby, maybe) within a few laps. The costs for minimum safety equipment continues to increase and so do other costs (e.g., camping, entry fees, licenses, etc.) so at some point those LeMons Miatas and CRXs can run a NASA or SCCA enduro for about the same overall team cost. But no other experience will be like the LeMons since even with the bloodsuckers it is good time.