Blog Title: Adventures in Racing
Inspired by DG's old Talon Digest race reports, I've been chronicling my own race experiences. You'll find write-ups here dating back to 2007, although I've been active in autox & time attack since 1999.
Here are my adventures in racing. Hope you find them interesting / entertaining.
Here are my adventures in racing. Hope you find them interesting / entertaining.
2008 Canadian Autoslalom Championships on PEI
Race Report
Friday, Test & Tune
Weather was perfect. Overcast but warm. Forecast for the whole weekend was looking great. Emptied out the car, mounted the race wheels and head for the Test & Tune course.
There were 54 entries registered for the Test & Tune, so it was quite busy with a long queue for runs. But still, I managed to get 8 runs in before it shut down. It took several runs to get the cobwebs out and get a feel for the new Cusco center diff and Big28 turbo, but by the end I had the 2nd fastest time of all the street legal cars, and was only 1/10th away from 1st. I was stoked! The car was fast and it was looking real good for a National title.
Saturday, Event #1
The weather forecast took a turn for the worst, and it was calling for rain all weekend. Having never run the new setup in the wet, I wasn't sure how the car was going to behave.
Luckily, just before my run group was set to go, the track dried out. So I went with the race slicks. First run the car was hooked up and I got an awesome time, but it was off course. I missed a whole section of the course! Turns out a *lot* of people did. The course had a poorly designed section that was throwing off nearly 50% of the competitors.
Then before my second run, the sky opened up and it started to rain. I did a conservative run in the wet with slippery race slicks, went off course at one point, but managed to circle back and register a time of 112 seconds, 7 seconds slower than my competitor.
My 3rd and 4th runs were a dismal failure. I pushed too hard in the wet, and the tail wagging from the rear biased Cusco diff sent me into multiple cones and went off course both runs. I ended the day with only one time of 112 seconds, which was over 11 seconds off my competitor's best. Basically, I blew any chance I had for a National title with a time deficit that large.
Sunday, Event #2
It was another wet day, but things dried out for my run group. My first run I went out and got a clean run, posting a time of 97 seconds and 6/10ths faster than my competitor. There was a lot of time left on the course too, as I had lost some time getting sideways at one point, and knew I could carry much more speed through most other elements of the course. It was looking good for event #2!
On my second run, I was going much quicker. No hit pylons, no tail wagging, just hooked up and flying through the course. Then 3/4 the way through I heard a *POP* and the engine died. Damn! Blew an intercooler pipe off the turbo outlet.
The course workers pushed my car off the course and I ran to get my tools. Working feverishly, I got the car back up and running in time to make my 4th and final run (missed my 3rd). My competition had since dropped his time, so I was playing catchup. I had one last chance to win the day's event.
Again, I hit the course hard making no mistakes. I was heading towards the final sectin of the course with a great time when I heard that *POP* once again. #$%^&!!!!! Blew the intercooler pipe again!
So much like the previous day, I ended the event with only one valid run. And it ended up 6 seconds slower than my compeditor's best.
Overall, the weekend was a cluster f$%k. The weather was crappy, the courses were over non-intuitive & poorly designed, my driving was not at its best, and the car did not cooperate when I needed it the most. But.... I'd happily do it all over again.
Looking forward to the next time the Nationals land in Eastern Canada, likely in Quebec in 2010. Surely by then I'll have the car all sorted out and be able to take another crack at a national title.
Next event for me is Aug 17 at Atlantic Motorsport Park.... A huge, fast course on a road racing circuit where I'll really be able to let the new Big28 stretch it's legs. That gives me a couple weeks to sort out the IC pipe blowing problem.
Here's a few pics of Slemon from Gordon Sleigh:
Friday, Test & Tune
Weather was perfect. Overcast but warm. Forecast for the whole weekend was looking great. Emptied out the car, mounted the race wheels and head for the Test & Tune course.
There were 54 entries registered for the Test & Tune, so it was quite busy with a long queue for runs. But still, I managed to get 8 runs in before it shut down. It took several runs to get the cobwebs out and get a feel for the new Cusco center diff and Big28 turbo, but by the end I had the 2nd fastest time of all the street legal cars, and was only 1/10th away from 1st. I was stoked! The car was fast and it was looking real good for a National title.
Saturday, Event #1
The weather forecast took a turn for the worst, and it was calling for rain all weekend. Having never run the new setup in the wet, I wasn't sure how the car was going to behave.
Luckily, just before my run group was set to go, the track dried out. So I went with the race slicks. First run the car was hooked up and I got an awesome time, but it was off course. I missed a whole section of the course! Turns out a *lot* of people did. The course had a poorly designed section that was throwing off nearly 50% of the competitors.
Then before my second run, the sky opened up and it started to rain. I did a conservative run in the wet with slippery race slicks, went off course at one point, but managed to circle back and register a time of 112 seconds, 7 seconds slower than my competitor.
My 3rd and 4th runs were a dismal failure. I pushed too hard in the wet, and the tail wagging from the rear biased Cusco diff sent me into multiple cones and went off course both runs. I ended the day with only one time of 112 seconds, which was over 11 seconds off my competitor's best. Basically, I blew any chance I had for a National title with a time deficit that large.
Sunday, Event #2
It was another wet day, but things dried out for my run group. My first run I went out and got a clean run, posting a time of 97 seconds and 6/10ths faster than my competitor. There was a lot of time left on the course too, as I had lost some time getting sideways at one point, and knew I could carry much more speed through most other elements of the course. It was looking good for event #2!
On my second run, I was going much quicker. No hit pylons, no tail wagging, just hooked up and flying through the course. Then 3/4 the way through I heard a *POP* and the engine died. Damn! Blew an intercooler pipe off the turbo outlet.
The course workers pushed my car off the course and I ran to get my tools. Working feverishly, I got the car back up and running in time to make my 4th and final run (missed my 3rd). My competition had since dropped his time, so I was playing catchup. I had one last chance to win the day's event.
Again, I hit the course hard making no mistakes. I was heading towards the final sectin of the course with a great time when I heard that *POP* once again. #$%^&!!!!! Blew the intercooler pipe again!
So much like the previous day, I ended the event with only one valid run. And it ended up 6 seconds slower than my compeditor's best.
Overall, the weekend was a cluster f$%k. The weather was crappy, the courses were over non-intuitive & poorly designed, my driving was not at its best, and the car did not cooperate when I needed it the most. But.... I'd happily do it all over again.
Looking forward to the next time the Nationals land in Eastern Canada, likely in Quebec in 2010. Surely by then I'll have the car all sorted out and be able to take another crack at a national title.
Next event for me is Aug 17 at Atlantic Motorsport Park.... A huge, fast course on a road racing circuit where I'll really be able to let the new Big28 stretch it's legs. That gives me a couple weeks to sort out the IC pipe blowing problem.
Here's a few pics of Slemon from Gordon Sleigh:
Total Comments 0
