Video post: PCA Autocross, getting the rust out

After a year's worth of events had nearly passed by in 2012, the planets aligned and the impossible happened: I had off from the shop, there were no car shows to work, and I didn't already have 10 different things scheduled the day of an autocross I could actually attend. Finally, I could have a little fun.



It's a little intimidating to have your first event back be a Porsche Club event, after all, it's a little like bringing a knife to a gunfight. But there is shared DNA between the Porsches and VWs, so why not? Never mind that most of the cars there would have two to three times the power, let's see what we can do!



 Turning in times in the 59 and 58 second range (the very fastest entries were down in the 52-54 range), I managed to push the little 8v and land solidly mid-pack with a best time of 58.3, finishing 31st out of 52 entered.


Given a few more RPM and some more tidy lines I think I could have easily been down into the mid 57s, maybe even better, but as is I had a blast, everyone was very friendly and with a little luck, I'll be able to get out at least one more time this year. Planets allowing of course.

_WRS

VW Sport Caravan GTI (part 6.5, chassis work continues)

Optimism can be a cruel thing to possess. I've never been some chipper, happy-go-lucky go-getter can-do maniac, but at the same time I've never been one to think I can't do (or learn) something better than before if I apply myself. Seeing the potential in what others do not. Maybe I'm crazy? Or maybe they're lazy, either way I'm sick of cleaning and painting old metal.



At any rate, so much of it has been done that it's pretty close to finished underneath. A rear beam was procured and sanded / painted and installed - along with all new bushings, bolts, nuts and polyurethane inserts. There was a natural tendency to just go all-out and press in some spherical bushings, but ultimately we did not for a few reasons. First is cost. It'd be a shame to start blowing out the budget on every trick suspension piece we can find when the car doesn't even run yet. Second is the reality that it'll take some set up and time to get the car (and ourselves) sorted behind the wheel, and quite honestly, they aren't going to be a help to us at this stage of our driving.



We did throw in some coilovers with ride and damper adjustment. Nothing fancy, single rebound adjust, but it should be enough to get us in the ballpark, if not to home plate the first lap out.



The problem with being so clean underneath and at the back end, is that I'm not compelled to be as thorough throughout the rest of the car. 



I know it'll all be worth it in the end, but for right now I'm wishing some Elves would come in and finish up all the tedious work so we can start having fun already!

_WRS

Pic Post: The Gold Cup Historics at VIR

A few weeks back I made the trek down to southernmost Virginia - and the classic track that is Virginia International Raceway - for the Heacock Classic Gold Cup Historics. It was my first time to the once abandoned, now re-opened circuit, and I have to say I came away thoroughly impressed. It very much has the vibe and layout of an old-school track. It reminds me a little of Lime Rock but it's significantly longer with a lot more elevation change. It's awesome.


 

It has been a very busy last few months, and with VIR lying about a five hour drive it made for a very early morning on Saturday. And with temperatures dropping into the 30s overnight, it made for a very cold sleep in the trailer. It was all well worth it. The chance to help out Alan and get my feet wet for 2012 with the IMSA GTI was fantastic, and it left me really looking forward to next year...

Full selection of pictures after the jump...

ALMS - Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park

For the very first time, out of all the years that the American Le Mans series has come to a track even remotely close to where I have lived, I have finally been able to attend a race. Usually Waterfest and this East Coast event fall on the same weekend...for the past several years it has been at Lime Rock Park, and once it was even right in our backyard, the short-lived Washington DC street race.



Since this was such a rare opportunity...who knows when the stars would align in such a manner ever again...I HAD to go. Only one problem. A big one. The day of the race, July 24th, is the birthday of one Mrs WRS.



To convince my wife, who although loves and appreciates my own love of mechanized racing vehicles is not exactly a 'car girl', would take some doing. It's not that she isn't supportive, or not even that she doesn't usually go with me to the track. She has gone with me to Lime Rock for vintage events, the CTSCC, and she's had a blast. It's just that when it's a girl's birthday, well...you know how it can be.



After some mild groveling and explaining that this was a once in a very long while opportunity, and knowing how much fun I had at Sebring she acquiesced, with one stipulation: We had to stay at a nice relaxing bed and breakfast. No problem, sounded like a good deal to me, so I booked a room at the ever so lovely and awesome Cornwall Inn, just 20 minutes down the road from Lime Rock.



First off, it is worth noting that the Cornwall Inn is absolutely fantastic. Innkeepers Mark and Stacey are so very open and everyone who works there quite literally makes you feel like family. Added to that a bunch of fellow ALMS-attendees and it was a sure-fire hit.



One of the more interesting guests with whom we had the pleasure of meeting was Ginger aka 'The Porsche Lady' whom was there in her very newest 911 GT3 RS. Ginger is the sort of person whom is living the dream as far as Porsche ownership is concerned. The RS is but one of many in her stable, but you know what's awesome about that?



She actually drives her cars...all of them. Florida, California and everywhere in between, she had stories about road trips with this car and that one....unafraid to rack up the miles and put these cars through their paces. Simply awesome, and proof positive that the people at these events really make them that much more special.



On race day the forecast was originally for gray skies and potential for scattered thunderstorms, and the heavy rains on Friday night were suggesting they may be right. As morning rolled around it became clear that this was not to be...it was bright, sunny, and hot. Hot as hell actually, and this was early.



After a leisurely breakfast of homemade granola and fruit salad we embarked in old faithful to beat the crowds to the venue. The roads at Lime Rock are small, and even though we arrived before 10am traffic was already beginning to pile up on the small access road. After some brief stop and go we parked, grabbed our tickets and headed over the West bend bridge to say hello to some friends at Falken Tire and Black Swan before the race. It was especially cool how close you could get here, even closer than Sebring in some ways since paddock space was so limited.



Except somehow, even at a track as small as Lime Rock we managed to avoid running into even one of them. It defies logic, but it kind of figures. The insanely hot weather seemed to be effect everyone's ability to think, or maybe just mine, but the first half of race proved to be a real challenge.



If there's one thing I appreciated here it was that the 'lower budget' efforts were pushed over into the B paddock and working in the grass. It reminded me of some of the old school images I've seen online from the late 70s and early 80s of Porsche 935s sitting in grass while decidedly under-dressed team members work on them...a different time to be sure.



One of the guys from Black Swan invited us into their 'garage' area to take some better pictures. It was much appreciated.







Since it was the Mrs's birthday I didn't want to go too crazy with taking pictures and dragging her from corner to corner as I did, so we made our way to the far side of the front stretch for the start of the race. Sight lines aren't all that great, but I'd never been over there before and it was a great perspective for the start of the race. Lunch was decidedly classy...



The crowd was impressive from my perspective. Plenty of people took advantage of the open front stretch before the start.



With the Porsches of Flying Lizard and Falken Tire up front in GT things couldn't have been better.



The Dyson Mazda Lola, which I was personally routing for since it sounds and looks better than the Porsche RS Spyder, and the Highcroft car is too dominant, was off to a hell of start thanks to Chris Dyson.



It was not to last however, as a massive fireball on the overrun into turn run pretty much showed that the engine (or turbo, or both) had expired.



This marked the first of our three unfortunate attempts to get near the track during green flag running. Each time we walked away and headed to another location the race went green.



As soon as we got back to a reasonable spot, the yellow flag flew. It was exceptionally frustrating, and along with the heat it more or less killed the first hour of the race for us.







Lime Rock always produces some insanely close racing, perhaps sometimes too close, as cars usually end up passing in less-than-safe fashion down the no-name straight.



Eventually though things settled into a rhythm and we found an excellent spot right at the West Bend / downhill area, allowing great sight lines and close racing.





As the rain came out in the last 30 minutes or so things began to get interesting.





A few cars spun, and the Falken Tire 911 RSR went off backwards at a fairly high rate of speed. I was about .2 seconds away from getting a great shot of it.



Bryan Sellers was able to drive the car out of the barrier under its own power and was soon back in the race.



The final laps saw a fierce battle in GT and LMP. LMP was close, with the Porsche and HPD running quite close, but GT was literally bumper to bumper. The #45 Flying Lizard Porsche was being hounded by both Rahal / Letterman BMW M3s.



Eventually the traffic which bunched them all together spread them back out, but the BMWs were going absolutely all-out, bumping even each other in an effort to score the team's first win. They didn't quite manage it, but they once again finished 2-3 on the podium. A win is literally right around the corner for these guys.



In the end it was the Porsche RS Spyder of Klaus Graf and Greg Pickett winning overall, and the 911 RSR of Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick Long taking the win in GT.





All in all it was a fantastic weekend, and despite the insane heat we had a blast and perhaps best of all, didn't even hit traffic on the way back into NYC.



Since the final East Coast race, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, happens to fall on the same weekend as H20 International this was probably the last ALMS race I'll be able to attend this year. I'm a little bummed since I'd gladly forgo H20 the Petit, but that's life...maybe next year.



The ALMS is at Mid Ohio next weekend, and will have LIVE free streaming thanks to Falken Tire and Mid Ohio...stay tuned for links.

As always check out the Flickr Page for a bunch of additional photos....

_WRS

Sebring 2010 - Race day cometh (and goeth), part dos

When we last visited Sebring, we had just stopped off at home base for a quick break and a little respite from the beautiful, but relentless Florida sunshine. To a northerner like myself, who spent all winter couped up in a small NYC apartment, the risk of a sunburn was well worth all the time outside.



The race itself was rather unfortunately decided by problems for the LMP1 challengers to Peugeot, more than actual racing, not that anyone really thought anyone other than Peugeot was going to win outside of a freak accident taking out both cars.





LMP2 Saw the Acura (sorry) HPD from Highcroft in a commanding lead over the slower but consistent Porsche RS Spyder, and the Dyson Lola Mazda with its early on bad luck.



GTC saw the Misson Foods Porsche from Alex Job Racing run start to finish in P1 in class. The Alex Job crew swept the podium in fact.



LMPC was pretty spread out, and the #55 Level 5 Motorsport car took command of the class and eventually the first ever LMPC win at Sebring.



GT2 was where the real battle was, and everyone knew it. The Corvettes managed to pull off a most uncharacteristically disgraceful move which put both cars out of the running: They ran into each other in the pits.



The BMWs and Flying Lizard Porsche #45 were always going to be in the fight, but Risi was the early on leader, and definitely the one to beat in these long run races.





Rather embarrassingly for Porsche, the #17 Falken Tire car shed a wheel (its second) which managed to tag the #45 Flying Lizard, and thanks to some bungling of the yellow flag / pace car timing, it sat in the pits for several laps before anyone was able to work on it. This effectively ended the Lizard's chances of a win.



Falken tire had problems of their own, with repairs needed to ensure no more wheels would be lost (stub axle and halfshaft I believe), which then dropped them down the order in no time thanks to the competitive field. One mistake of any kind in GT2, and you're done.





At any rate, we ran into our buddy Michael H Locke a few more times throughout the day, and he had plenty to say about the wild antics of Sebrings past. Going through my photos I realized I never took a picture of Michael...I should have, as it's the people that make events like Sebring as memorable as they are. Sure the cars are great and they are the primary draw at the end of the day, but it's randomly meeting some person who can impart a whole new perspective on the event to a newcomer like myself, which really takes it to the next level.











As the day turned into night things really hit their stride. The perfect light that washes over everything, causes it all to glow like something out of a memory. A summertime baseball game as a kid, a road trip with friends in college, that familiar feeling that this is something special, that must (and will) be remembered for years to come.



As the temperature fell the battle on the track began to heat up. An electrical problem for the Highcroft car meant that the Team Cytosport Muscle Milk RS Spyder took P1 in LMP2. A position it would hold until the end.



Dyson was out and running, but out of the running, so to speak.





By the way, it's worth mentioning that the SCCA's track cars were some fantastically 80s Nissan models. This rare Stanza wagon was one, and a classic 'square-back Maxima' was the other...



As mentioned, the Peugeots were on cruise control, and nothing much was expected from them in terms of on-track excitement.



GT2, just like the start of the race, was anything but calm. The two BMWs from Rahal Letterman were charging hard to try and catch up to the Risi Ferrari, itself about a lap up thanks to another safety car bungle.







Flying Lizard was charging hard to try and make it as close as they could, but with a field as closely matched as this was, it simply wasn't going to happen.



Both the #44 and #45 were pushing it though, and time and time again they were leaving the concrete of turn 17 as they bumped along the old bomber base surface.



The Falken Tire Porsche RSR was pushing hard too. So hard they were getting BOTH right side tires off the ground in 17. They were in a race of their own to complete 70% of the distance covered by the leaders, or risk being not classified.



In this, their first full season of ALMS competition, every lap and every point will count. Even now, with this new team, it's never too early to start thinking about championships. For Bryan Sellers and Wolf Henzler, Sebring wasn't exactly ideal, but then it wasn't ideal for anyone really, outside of the class winners, all of whom had a fairly substantial cushion between them and their closest challenger.



As the fireworks shot towards the sky, and the engines died down as suddenly as they started, everyone still capable of walking made their way to the winners area. There were many who were not, whether that be through too many drinks or too many miles of walking around the track.





Some of the cars were out on the front stretch (all the class winners) but for some reason the Dyson car was there in place of the Cytosport Porsche. Who knows, maybe they took a wrong turn. Either way, they were all heavily guarded from the throngs of people crowding around, much like the open grid at the start of the race.



It should be noted this is probably a good thing, as people were beginning to tear down everything that wasn't bolted down to take home as a souvenir. I can imagine that some people might have just been drunk enough to try and walk off with a bit of a splitter, or a wing, or maybe even a number off of a car.







Josh stalked the Michelin Man for a photo op...



Crazily enough we decided to drive the two hours back to West Palm Beach to crash at Kevin's place before heading north the next day. It was rough. Luckily Josh was up for it, as I didn't have the energy to drive anywhere, and the sunblock that migrated into my eye didn't make things any better.

The following day, after a great brunch thanks to Kevin and his lady Marcy, we embarked on our blitz back to the north. No stopping this time, just trading off time at the wheel in an effort to make it through DC before Monday morning rush hour. I decided that even though I was tired, we had to stop at the legendarily bizarre South of the Border for a few snaps. I think this was about 1am. Or maybe it was 3, I can't recall...



At any rate, we did make it through DC before the worst of it, just barely, and I had the rather unenviable task of driving through Northern Virgina at that time. Stop and go is even less fun after you've been driving for 15 hour straight, with less than enough sleep. We made it from West Palm Beach Florida to New York City in 19.5 Hours, with a 65 MPH average. The total trip was a whopping 2810 miles in 5 days, with an average cost of $3.05 per gallon for 93 octane premium fuel...a total of 88.078 gallons of gas. We had a 28.2 MPG Average over the first 2486.8 miles, with a stop speed of around about [redacted]mph...



So will we do it again? Absolutely. Will we drive? Most definitely. Will we give ourselves a little more time? Without question.

More (many / larger / better) pictures at the Flickr account. Believe it (or not) we're STILL not done with Sebring. In the final installment we will take a peak around the paddock area, both before and during the race. It will be the (maybe) last look at Sebring. For a while at least...

One last thing - This post was done with manually sized pictures, linking to the original images over on Flickr. This means that clicking the image takes you directly there. I was wondering if this caused the page to load slowly for anyone? Please let me know in the comments if it did / didn't. Thanks!

_WRS