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I am probably not going to be running until the June event. Trying to get a car together for the One Lap the first week of May. Then my daugher graduates from college the weekend of the Putman event. Will hope to see everyone in June. Glad the hear the car is back together Mike. Looking forward to seeing you at the nationals. The “black beauty” #19 is now the “Orange Crush” #19, after a quickie 300.00 paint job.
Simon… bringing the new bride?? Did you get married in the office season…also?
jfw46544 wrote:
[quote]
Simon… bringing the new bride?? Did you get married in the office season…also?[/quote]
Joe we’ll miss you out there, see you later in the year. I’m getting married in June.
I’ll see you guys next month at Putnam.
I had some work related stuff that got in the way of what I needed to do to the car this past weekend, so I am out for the 12-13th.
I plan on Comp School in July and hopefully being your backmarker that weekend as well!
I just noticed that there is a parking area shown on the paddock map for us and focus together. I may try to park there if I can but as everyone knows, no matter what the map says people park everywhere.
Michael
#36
ilateapex wrote:
[quote]I just noticed that there is a parking area shown on the paddock map for us and focus together. I may try to park there if I can but as everyone knows, no matter what the map says people park everywhere.
Michael
#36[/quote]
Sounds good Mike, try to save some space for Cartlon and I if you can, I definitely want to hang out even if that means parking in the grass. What’s your plan for tires this weekend? I have a set of R888’s mounted (4/32 shaved) and a good set of old RA1’s. I think I’m going to practice on the R888 the first session then run the RA1’s for quali and 1st race, then go back to the R888 for practice and mybe the quali and race on Sunday depending on times. We can compare notes on the tires. I did get the spec exhaust but won’t have it installed till Putnam. See you soon.
Carlton has a garage acording to the Garage layout. Will save you some space.
I don’t have the spec exhaust yet though was promised.
I have a set of RA-1’s I ran in the final race and qualifying at nationals and a new set of 4/32" R Triple 8’s. Not sure what I will use when. I figure to use the full tread RA-1 most of the time in the rain (installed in the right direction).
Michael
#36
Elephant4 wrote:
I installed mine at VIR with the car on my trailer. The only special tools needed is a Sawsall and a rasp to knock off BB’s from the original welds on the headers where the new piece slips over. Didn’t take long.
See you there! I believe I may be sleeping in the back of my truck. I have a kick-butt tent… for July. I hope I can get my wipers to function properly! I must’ve dislodged a connector putting the dash in.
Regards, Jamie
Despite the weather it was a pretty fun weekend. I got there Friday night and thankfully Carlton had a garage so I split it with him for the weekend. I unloaded my stuff and saw his propane heater in there and I was pretty happy about that. Saturday was pretty much dry until the enduro. I ran some brand new 4/32 R888’s in the first session and Carlton and I did some lead and follow. The tires felt pretty decent but not great, I think like the RA1 they will work better worn down some. We ran some 47’s working on the line together. Carlton had brake problems locking up wheels, his curse at Mid Ohio continues. For Qualfying I put on old RA1’s. Did a couple of 45’s and then a 44.5 at the end. I qualified 1st, Osborne 2nd with a 45 something and Carlton did a 47 but was still having issues with his car. They gridded us by group so we were all together behind the GTS group. At the start Osborne forced his way through some porsches and took the lead. Then after all that work he got bobbled by a slower Porsche in turn 1 and both myself and Carlton went past. We then caught a GTS2 911 and I knew I had to get around him quickly as he would be faster on the straights. I went around the outside in the carasoel and held my line coming onto the front straight and then went though in turn 1. Carlton and Osborne were then stuck behind the Porsche for several laps and I inched away slowly. Carlton and Osborne swapped positions a couple of times and then eventually Carlton blew a tire from flat spotting it because of his brake problems. When Carlton came in he also noticed one of his battery covers missing and the trunk smelled like acid (more on that later). Saturday night Carlton and I were signed up the 3 hour enduro using his car. It was raining lightly but the track was wet. We put on some R888’s as a good intermediate dry/wet compromise. We did go ahead and disconnect the rear sway bar as it looked like it was pretty much going to rain the whole time and took the ABS relay out just to turn the system off completely. Carlton was doing great in the rain and were running 3rd I think in E2. Then eventually he came in and said he could smell the battery acid again, the cap had come off again so I did some tape work and sent him out again. A couple of cars in E2 went off or broke so I think we running as high as 2nd or even 1st, not entirely sure. At around the 1 hour 25min mark I was ready to get in the car and we were going to signal Carlton to come in. The only problem was we hadn’t seen him for a while, we waited and waited, eventually we saw him getting towed in. So that was the end of that. The battery was the culprit and acidic fumes had filled the car. Later Carlton figured out that his voltage regulator had expired and that was the reason he kept blowing batteries (note to self, replace mine, it is goes on the back of the alternator if you’re curious). I forgot to mention before the Enduro Osborne was going to be our fuel guy but he slipped and cracked some ribs. He is going to be out for awhile so get well soon buddy. A couple of friends of mine helped out (thanks Carlos and Karl). On Sunday it rained all day. I was happy that I could practice my rain driving (because I need it) but overall the rain sucked. I put my wets on for pratice, I spun coming out of the keyhole on the first lap, not a good start, it was really slick. Qualfying was more of the same, and at the end Carlton went by like I was standing still. I then spun again coming over madness. I was determined to not give up on the rain. During the race I just stayed out of everyone’s way. Carlton disappeared into the mist on the start. I really couldn’t see anything. The conditions got worse as the race went on, grip was about the same but there was more standing water. Eventually I had enough and came in just before the white flag. I’m pretty sure Carlton would have lapped me if I had stayed out. Obviously I need more work in the rain, I don’t know if it had anything to do with the tires which had never been scrubbed. Either way I think I could have had real rain tires on and Carlton would have whipped me. My rain driving is definitely a work in progress. I have video from Saturday, and some pictures I’ll get them up later.
jlucas wrote:
[quote]Nice to have met you and Carlton in person.
See you at Putnam![/quote]
You to Jeremy. It might be just you and me at Putnam. Osborne is probably out now with his cracked ribs, Woodward has some prior engagement, Dave doesn’t have his license yet and not sure when Tom White will be joining us again after his motor blow up. Still judging by the way you were hustling that Honda around I better bring my A-game. See you soon.
Man what a good picture. That center car sure looks fast. Too bad the driver is not.
Don’t think I will make it to Putnam. Ribs are doing better but I was sure bumed to miss Sunday’s races after trying to get two in for the weekend. I also hit a deer on the way home with the van and busted the grill and headlight.
Glad to see you guys again and definitally need to polish up my game.
Michael
ilateapex wrote:
Its that “Alpina” airdam. :laugh:
Sorry to hear you got hurt. And then hit a deer!
I’ve had that lightning strike twice. Last year coming back from Putnam - I blew my engine and had to get the car I had planned on driving home towed. Luckily, my wife had driven up, so I was riding home with her . . . and her alternator went kaput on the ride home!
The lucky thing was the flatbed taking my car also had the tow dolly arms on the back of it - so we got him to stop, and he tagged the van on back and me, my wife, and Greasy Skeezy Jethro rode the rest of the way back in the cab of the tow truck. :woohoo:
Hope you feel better soon!
[quote]Elephant4 wrote:
You to Jeremy. It might be just you and me at Putnam.
Still judging by the way you were hustling that Honda around I better bring my A-game. See you soon.[/quote]
I’ll be there. I don’t know why some of the GTS guys don’t run in SE30.
Thanks but I’ve got a lot of time in that (25Hours of Thunderhill) and not so much in the E30 so I’ll be happy if I just keep up with you. :laugh: Always more fun to run in a group than by yourself.
BTW, what tires did you run on Saturday’s race? I inferred RA1s from what your wrote but I didn’t know for sure.
jlucas wrote:
Their cars are probably pretty far from spec e30, especially in the suspension department. Mike O used to run in GTS1 actually he won in 2006 I think? But he bought another E30 to run Spec E30, he can comment further.
jlucas wrote:
[quote]
BTW, what tires did you run on Saturday’s race? I inferred RA1s from what your wrote but I didn’t know for sure.[/quote]
Yes I ran RA1’s, I only ran the R888’s in the first practice session. I still have a lot of life in the RA1’s so I’ll probably run them the majority of the time at Putnam but will test the R888’s again. Hopefully we will have more dry track time.
