Road Course Junkies, Let's compare notes
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,247
Likes: 210
From: Detroit MI
Grattan footage
Last edited by 69autoXr; Nov 22, 2009 at 01:45 AM.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 294
Likes: 1
From: Racine Wisconsin
Last to First in One Lap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcqRtPsenUw
This has been around for a while. It's a Lotus Elise but some great footage of driving skill from the back to the front in one lap.
This has been around for a while. It's a Lotus Elise but some great footage of driving skill from the back to the front in one lap.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
That was some hardcore charging at Bathurst. Love it! 
Also, imagine going wheel to wheel at Grattan under the green with no coned off zones. It's what I categorize as a real "racy" track. And, that turn 3 (the first severely off-camber left) feels like you're going to just fall off of the planet, especially in the wet.
Also, imagine going wheel to wheel at Grattan under the green with no coned off zones. It's what I categorize as a real "racy" track. And, that turn 3 (the first severely off-camber left) feels like you're going to just fall off of the planet, especially in the wet.
Last edited by TheSkunkWorks; Nov 22, 2009 at 06:41 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,910
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Mid-America is a very safe course. Nothing to hit and big run off areas. Very tire friendly almost to point of feeling slick. I don't drive ***** out 100% in cars that are not mine. Actually I don't really fit in the GT-40 because it is set up for the shorter owner.
What i'm saying is that for a beginners course it would be fun to go to HPDE or PDX class there. It is smooth asphalt without surprizes or blind over hill turns
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
On my Vette I did all poly a-arms, bearings, ball joints, Speed Direct 600 pound springs for my Front QA-1 dual adjust, and new 13 inch rotors. I did a post on it.
One of our clients bought a ride last weekend in the 24 hours of daytona to get his experience level up. I take care of his 1967 Ford GT350R. We are busting *** putting the GT40 back together. We had it completely apart for a race prep because it is going to the historic 24 hours of Le' Mans. But since it is a real original the FIA from Europe sent some guys over to take pictures and catalog everything as future reference to eliminate clone cars from entering competition.
I'm doing the March ThunderHill California hmsa race in the March F2
One of our clients bought a ride last weekend in the 24 hours of daytona to get his experience level up. I take care of his 1967 Ford GT350R. We are busting *** putting the GT40 back together. We had it completely apart for a race prep because it is going to the historic 24 hours of Le' Mans. But since it is a real original the FIA from Europe sent some guys over to take pictures and catalog everything as future reference to eliminate clone cars from entering competition.
I'm doing the March ThunderHill California hmsa race in the March F2
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Well for years now we travel and pit next to the Shadow team. My specialty at the tracks is Hewland transaxles, lucas fuel injection, weber carbs, and brakes. So all those Can-Am cars like the Shadow have Lucas fuel injection, Hewland 5 speeds, and brakes. So I work on it at nearly every race we go to even though it is not our's.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Skunk, I forgot the story. Well when you blow the motor and a rod kicks out the side of the aluminum block it sprays about 3 gallons of oil out on the hot headers. The fire was so intense that the halon fire bottles only slowed it down for an instant.
As a driver if you are on fire and can drive to the fire truck it is better than stopping along the course and wait for them to get the all clear that they can drive on the track and come to you. So when you are doing 120 mph on fire just head to the place on the course where the fire trucks are located.
You have a pretty good fire suite on anyway
As a driver if you are on fire and can drive to the fire truck it is better than stopping along the course and wait for them to get the all clear that they can drive on the track and come to you. So when you are doing 120 mph on fire just head to the place on the course where the fire trucks are located.
You have a pretty good fire suite on anyway
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,910
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Doing a couple things at the moment to take out some more weight:
1) Modifying an F-car tubular front sway bar to fit my suspension setup (and taking four pounds off the previous 1 1/8 inch bar setup).
2) Recently finished welding up the aluminum lower radiator crossmember (Five pounds lighter than the original steel unit).
3) Designing some aluminum seat brackets to install later C3 seats (should take about 30 pounds off the car compared to the '69 seats).
4) New engine under (painfully slow) construction. Should take about 100 pounds off the front end).
5) Rounding up additional aluminum material to eventually weld up a replacement for the stock radiator core support. (another four pounds, perhaps).
A couple of these items aren't high-number weight reductions, but I'm running out of ideas to cut the weight without it being obvious that the car has been lightened.
1) Modifying an F-car tubular front sway bar to fit my suspension setup (and taking four pounds off the previous 1 1/8 inch bar setup).
2) Recently finished welding up the aluminum lower radiator crossmember (Five pounds lighter than the original steel unit).
3) Designing some aluminum seat brackets to install later C3 seats (should take about 30 pounds off the car compared to the '69 seats).
4) New engine under (painfully slow) construction. Should take about 100 pounds off the front end).
5) Rounding up additional aluminum material to eventually weld up a replacement for the stock radiator core support. (another four pounds, perhaps).
A couple of these items aren't high-number weight reductions, but I'm running out of ideas to cut the weight without it being obvious that the car has been lightened.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Are you going with a Gen 1 SB aluminum block? If so can you share the build with us. Maybe a separate thread. I'm on the fence on whether to do anything with my Rodeck block.
Corvette owners of Mass is going to 2 new motorsports clubs this year. Monticello New York and New Jersey Motorsports park. They're both high end clubs so it will be exciting to have the opportunity to drive on a track that i can't afford to join.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
IMO - The way to go on the drivers seat is something like a Sparco fiber seat that only weighs 12 pounds
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,910
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Are you going with a Gen 1 SB aluminum block? If so can you share the build with us. Maybe a separate thread. I'm on the fence on whether to do anything with my Rodeck block.
Corvette owners of Mass is going to 2 new motorsports clubs this year. Monticello New York and New Jersey Motorsports park. They're both high end clubs so it will be exciting to have the opportunity to drive on a track that i can't afford to join.
Corvette owners of Mass is going to 2 new motorsports clubs this year. Monticello New York and New Jersey Motorsports park. They're both high end clubs so it will be exciting to have the opportunity to drive on a track that i can't afford to join.
I'm building a standard bore engine, and it was a nightmare getting pistons with a C.R. I could feel comfortable with.
Our builds are different (sb vs bb), but I'd sure like to see you build that Rodeck.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,910
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
I've found it's a lot more fun to go fast in a "stock looking" Corvette (and watch people scratch their heads wondering why it runs as well as it does), rather than make it look too much like a racer, and then no one wonders why it's running quick.
Just my thing for amusement.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Good for you! Last year some of our clients wanted to race there during the New England swing. I did not get to go
http://www.monticellomotorclub.com/
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, New York
Oh forgot!
Here's a video of one lap at buttonwillow Ca. with a lot of passing and a lotus that is purposely trying to hold me up. (so I won't beat his best lap time). Friendly competition.
http://members.***.net/keiferpkr/buttonwillow.wmv
Here's a picture of the car in action after I passed a porcshe and Mustang.
http://members.***.net/keiferpkr/racevette.jpg
Here's a video of one lap at buttonwillow Ca. with a lot of passing and a lotus that is purposely trying to hold me up. (so I won't beat his best lap time). Friendly competition.
http://members.***.net/keiferpkr/buttonwillow.wmv
Here's a picture of the car in action after I passed a porcshe and Mustang.
http://members.***.net/keiferpkr/racevette.jpg
I'm feeling like I need to try this, but don't want to make a complete a** of myself. Not having any experience with road course racding, I would thinjk the handling is better with the T-Tops in place, correct? Are they off for any reason besides heat?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
T-tops do nothing for handling. You are better off removing them for weight savings. My club wanted me to have arm restraints when running with them off. Like either top is going to stay on during the first roll.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
our stock brakes or for that matter any caliper that doesn't use some type of heat shielded piston is doomed for failure within just a few laps.
With Wilwoods you need to buy the optional "ThermLoc" pistons. You also need to read about what weight of car a caliper is intended for.
You want to get the biggest piston diameters for any type of caliper.
With Wilwoods you need to buy the optional "ThermLoc" pistons. You also need to read about what weight of car a caliper is intended for.
You want to get the biggest piston diameters for any type of caliper.