Saturday recap:

When I went to start the Camaro at 6:30am in the cold Vegas morning I discovered that the poor idle and off idle characteristics of my engine tune were even worse with a totally cold engine. After the car starting and dying 3 or 4 times I managed to get the revs up to about 2500-3000 and did the Mike Maier clutch technique to get the car moving out of the parking lot and down the street. The rest of Saturday I fought the engine in trying to move the car around the pits at slow speeds.

Jason gave away the look already in his pics but here is the car after going through tech and getting all stickered up for the event!
https://igcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.ne...84214766_n.jpg

I thought the stickers added a certain race car flare to the car :)

Saturday was the day Optima did speed stop and autocross. They broke the competitors into two groups and each group did one event for half the day and then switched.

I was in the group that did speed stop in the morning and autocross after lunch. speed stop was the event I looked forward to the least. It was one that I perceived to be really hard on the car due to launching hard like a drag race and having to stop from high speed and I already did all the flat spotting I want to do at Fontana within the last month. However, the speed stop was a lot of fun. They had a 90* left hand turn pretty close to the start so that combined with an unprepared surface meant the launch wasn't all that hard on the car. Then they had a half chicane like setup on the straight so you didn't get crazy speeds so the stop wasn't too bad.

After 5 runs I had blown the stop box twice and hit the exit cones (and flag once) at a pretty good clip. I was pleased my new spoiler took the blows and didn't' show any marks or deformation. However, at this point Jimi Day's warning not to "use up all your junk" on the first day is starting to play back in my head and I'm wondering if I can get a better time. I try to encourage myself and run two more times, each one being "just one more run." Sadly, both of those "one more runs" didn't improve over my first run let alone my best.

Feeling discouraged, I decided to call it quits on the speed stop and go over and get my car judged for the Engineering & Design portion. However, this gave me a perfect view of the speed stop event and while watching everyone else keep trying and having fun I realized I had to go out and try at least "once more run." It took so long to get through the line at the Engineering & Design I only had enough time for my one more run so this time it was for reel... sort of. After being told it was my last run the timing lights didn't trip so I got another shot at it. Bam! I was able to drop my time almost half a second. The effort to try one more time paid off as that better time was the difference between placing 8th and placing 4th in my class for speed stop.

In the afternoon it was time to run the autocross. This time my best run came on 5 of 11 runs so running "one more time" didn't pay off. Normally, I would of run all the auto cross runs they would let me but I was fighting a charging issue. The heat soak my alternator was experiencing at the autocross caused it to stop charging at idle and barely charging at higher RPM's. So I was slowly running my battery down. However my best autocross time was still good enough for 5th in my class for the day.

The end of the competition of the day came and it was time for the road rally. This time, not only would the cars be tested by having to go down the Vegas strip in stop and go traffic where it took 3-6 stop light changes to get through each light and about an hour to go a handful of miles but the entire 35 mile route we got varying amounts of rain. Again I was thankful for having working windshield wipers. Some great pics came out of the cruise though!

In addition to the pics Jason shared above the following two are my favorites. I take partial credit for being the vehicle these pictures were taken from... ha.

Maier's Mustang. I can't imagine how much his clutch sucked to drive on the Vegas strip...
http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/a...psgafslziu.jpg

Cheryll's Nova:
http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/a...psrchbtw6h.jpg

As you can see we had legit rain to contend with.

After returning to the track we learned the Holly party was cancelled due to the rain and I returned to the hotel with a mission. Reverting my tune back to the original Mast tune. After fighting the software for 2 hours I got it working on my wifes laptop and it took about 5 minutes to do in the car and Bam the camaro sudenly was fun to drive again! It started right up Sunday morning after sitting outside overnight and I could actually accelerate from a stop like a street car rather than race car. Yes!! I'm sticking with the no tools theory in that the computer doesn't count lol.

I will try and recap Sunday and post up the video I took from each of the events soon.

Thanks Efrain! As I will share in my Sunday recap the car still needs some work to be dialed in. Hint: I had warning from my previous track days and should of prioritized the changes/upgrades...

Ha ha Greg. Certainly this helped top off my addiction!

Yeah that is one of my favorite pics to come from the weekend. I had Jason from TCI ride along with me during the road rally and he was crazy enough to jump out at the lights to get some cool shots standing in the street, including this one.

Great shots Chad!! Also, great job out there, your cars certainly getting well sorted....

By the time you are done, you will have found every local shop NOT to go to... PVC, Mast motors, Wiener Tunes... hopefully you can find someone competent to iron out the tune.

Glad to see you are getting to drive it and enjoy it despite all the setbacks. Sweet car, man. Keep it up.

Chad,
Congrats.

Are you going to paint the spoiler?

Sweet Chad.

Thanks! I'm trying. I've still got some work to do.

Thanks. To be fair Westech was willing to revise their tune but I never made it back to their shop.

Yeah my plan all along has been to pain it black like an OEM spoiler. Thought the current color has grown on me a little bit.

Thanks!

Sunday recap:

Sunday is when they run the road course. It is organized and run a lot like a typical track day for anyone that has been to one of those. The group was split up into three classes, beginner, intermediate and advanced. Each group would get 5 approximately 20 minute sessions on the track so tons of seat time!

the difference in the run groups were:
Beginner - no passing at all, I believe less strict on safety gear
Intermediate - passing on straights with point by only
Advanced - open passing on the straights.

I ran in the intermediate group.

The course we ran was the LVMS outside road course. I guess it is named that way because the course it outside and next to the big Nascar oval. Its a fun track but much harder on brakes than most of the socal tracks I've run and that came to haunt me. Just based on the parade laps I knew this course was going to be tough on brakes. In my first session out I didn't push that hard but still got some brake fade. Subsequent sessions got worse until my third session where I tried to push on the car I boiled the fluid and by the time I got off the track I had no brakes at all. The consequences of my brake problems meant I had to brake much earlier than I should of had to and a super inconsistent pedal making toe heel braking extremely difficult for me. I was pitting with the Wilwood guys and was taking some flak for not using a more aggressive pad compound on this track.

I sat out my 4th session figuring I was done for the day but then "one ore time" syndrome started and I decided that on my 5th and last session I would try and get near the back of the lineup and just go run some laps for fun. Which is exactly what I did. I decided not to even try and toe heel shift and to just focus on the braking in a safe and controlled manner. I got 3 laps in before I boiled the brake fluid again but I was having a lot more fun as I had taken the pressure off myself. Funny enough I ran my best time of the day in those three laps too.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...pslscqbrh3.jpg

After pulling into the pits and letting the car cool off it was time to pack up for the long drive home.

I'm super glad I stuck around for the awards ceremony as I won the first timer award. They give this award out to the new driver at Optima that scores the most points. Now technically I scored the second most points of new drivers but since the guy that scored more than me also won his class I got the first timer award. I'm still stoked with the award as there were other newbies there.

One of the coolest things about Optima is that after the finish the award ceremony the post all the results for the weekend. Literally walking back into the pits you can go online and see all your lap times, points scored, etc. It was an even bigger surprise when I went online on my phone and saw I came in 4th in the GTV class. I'm pretty damn proud of this accomplishment.

Finally, I picked up my wife who was working all weekend in Vegas and started the long drive home. Sunday night drive from Vegas to Socal sucks but we got to watch the sun set over the desert which was picturesque.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...pswcmsl3zi.jpg

And here is video of my fastest runs for each of the three events.

Awesome Chad, sounds like one of the best ways possible to spend a weekend in Vegas!

The "pros" will all tell you "slow is fast"...... You're more relaxed - you're not sawing the wheel - stabbing the gas then slamming on the brakes.... so the average speed carried ramps up. You watch Hobaugh run an auto cross and you'd swear he's the slowest guy out there... til they post his time.

Not saying I can do this or drive like this - just relating what I hear and see all the time.

Glad you had a great time. Those that HAVE NOT gone to one of these events are really losing out.

More Autocross footage

Not ALL... watch Popp or Maier sometime -- I know you have -- I am just saying... HAIR ON FIRE FTW! :D

:rockin:

So I finally made it out to an SCCA autocross this past Sunday. The San Diego Region gets a great turn out for the CAM class and are a great group of folks that I've seen around at some of the other SoCal events. They took me in and showed me the ropes of getting signed in and working a run session. Also, a great turn out on Sunday with 11 folks driving in the CAM class.

I don't know if all of the SCCA courses are this big but I was stoked to see how big the course was when I showed up. Also, it was cool that for the SDR guys when they get to use the west lot at Qualcomm there is a decent amount of rolling elevation changes that makes for some fun on and off camber turns. The only draw back to this location is the pavement there is way slippery. The slipperiest surface I've driven at an event. According to my GPS the course was .7 miles long. This compares to the Hotchkis Fontana event at .4 and GoodGuys Del Mar at .5.

Some pics of the SD CAM guys.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...pstdh8evv2.jpg

I still have all the Optima stickers on and my temporary SCCA number and info.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...psweqebxlj.jpg

Lined up for our session
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...psttvadshm.jpg


This pic is horrible but at least shows the lot. If you look at the light posts way in the back left, the course goes back there.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...pstup9kz8t.jpg

You only get 4 timed runs that count so I kicked off my first run by spinning at the finish. Did I mention this surface was slippery? This is one of the only times I've run the car that I didn't once have to worry about push and was chasing rear traction that whole time.

Here is the video of my spin and my last and best run. I came in 4th in the CAMT class.

Chad, you really get around these days. :D

I dig that spoiler as is... I say leave it. It'll disappear and blend in to the background if you paint it black.

When you have their seat time - and their skills -- then you can drive like that.... very few can do that.

Haha thanks Dave! I'm trying to get to as many events as I can. I penciled in Streets of Willow 5/9 but it looks like I'm not going to be able to get my brakes sorted before then. I know I don't have to tell you but man driving it is sure a lot more fun that working on it!!

The spoiler has definitely grown on me and does help the car stand out from every other red first gen Camaro out there. I'm still not sure if I will leave it or paint it black. Though I refer you to my comment about driving it instead of working on it... it may be a while before I paint it :D Been thinking about adding some black vinyl sticker "war stripes" on the front fenders to help distinguish the car more too, which if I did that I would for sure paint the spoiler black. Tired of everyone asking me if I'm driving Sal's car from TCI ha ha

I have a few updates on the car.

I finally got the manual brake upgrade completed and replaced my brake pads after toasting them in Vegas at the Optima Challenge. The brake effort is only slightly more on the street but the effort is actually less at threshold braking and now hopefully more consistent than my intermittent assist I got before from my low vacuum motor. Also, installed a new bracket that Currie makes for their rear end to help reduce pad knock back when on the road course.

New master cylinder set up sure looks a lot better than the old one.
https://scontent-lax1-1.cdninstagram...79857827_n.jpg

The car became drivable again on Saturday so I headed straight to San Diego for the SCCA autocross the next day on Sunday. What better way to test out my new brakes! Both times I've gone, the courses they have at Qualcom for the SDR SCCA are the funnest autocross courses i have done. They are really big and nice and spread out.

Shot of the pits. There were 19 competitors between the three CAM classes.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/image...9/19108897.jpg

I had a very fun and successful outing and won the CAM T class!! Very excited about that.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/image...9/19108898.jpg

Any most of my winning run. Had some trouble with my phone so it cut off part of my run. My best time was 58.8 as seen in the above pic.

Nice work Chad!!! Talk about hitting it running.

Looks great with the silver front spoiler too.

Thanks Vince! It was a fun day. The silver color has grown on me. Will probably leave it like that for a least a little while.

I've been thinking about painting it black and adding some black war stripes / fender stripes to the front quarter. It gets old having everyone think this is Sal's TCI car :)

Then tell Sal to paint his. :D

Congrats on the WIN Chad! :thumbsup:

Chad,

Congrats on the win.

How was the knock back on the rear after you installed the part from currie?

Any issues with spindle flex/bearings on the front?

Do you know the width of your rear end?

Well deserved win Chad!

Thanks Dave. Any updates on your Camaro or did you buy that Mustang by chance? :twak:

Thanks! I never had pad knock back on the autocross nor most of the turns on a road course. The primary situation where I experienced it was when I had two road course turns 1+g's back to back in opposite directions where I didn't need to break between them. Small quick autocross turns don't do it and single direction road course turns no matter how long or high of G's didn't do it.

Also, I actually had some work done on the spider gears to axle fit as well which may be an even bigger factor in the pad knock back as it was allowing the inner axle ends to move up and down.

As far as I know I didn't have any knockback caused by spindle flex. though I have also had a preload spacer on the spindle bearings since day 1 which is supposed to help. But I'm not expert at this stuff either. I will be sure to post an update the next time I make it to a track where I saw some knockback previously.

Thanks Tom!! As the guy who had the increasingly larger target on his back thanks for keeping it real and fun.

Who says lightning can't strike twice?

Another win today at the Fontana Hotchkis autocross!

Way to go Chad!!!


BTW -- Being mistaken as Sals car.... isn't all bad -- he's one hell of a nice guy and can drive too! So good company to keep.

Congrats on the win!

sweet build!

Very true Greg! Sal really is a great guy and has continued to provide great service after the sale. A lot of my recent success with the car on the track has been from great advice from him. It really helps when a company like TCI has figured it all out already and can provide a detailed road map for your own build and wants you as the customer to be able to beat them.

Thanks!! It was a great weekend. I didn't win Sunday (came in 2nd) but I had just as much fun thanks to all the great people that participate in these events. The camaraderie and good natured bench racing / smack talk is great. Also, while I'm competitive the most satisfying day on track is when your own times get better throughout the day. Sunday I ran my quickest time on my very last run so I was stoked.

Thanks Scott. It sure has been a lot of fun driving it now instead of trying to build it :)

I finally completed step 1 of some long coming safety upgrades planned for the car!

For several months I have been looking at fixed back seats and sitting in as many models as I can. After a lot of deliberation I decided not to go with an aluminum seat and instead do a fiberglass FIA rated seat. The comfort difference was simply to great for me to ignore.

I'm a taller guy at 6'3" with a taller torso so I struggled to find a seat that really fits me. A lot of the seats marketed for taller people move the shoulder harness slots higher in the seat but didn't make the seat back itself much taller and often the shoulder wings / bolsters would come out at my armpit and not touch my shoulder at all.

It was amazing to me to look at the difference in height measurements between a reclining seat and a fixed back seat as the same manufactures really shrink the fixed back seat down comparatively.

For me personally I found the Sparco Evo II to be the best fit. The shoulder wing mounts were higher than any other brand seat I was able to either sit in or find accurate measurements for online. Their Ergo L model is even higher but I didn't like the look of that seat and it was a little too wide. The problem is that due to the port strike Sparco has been out of stock on this seat for months! I finally found a 1 year old authentic model for sale locally and bought it and installed it.

The seat:
http://www.sparcousa.com/sites/defau...20GRP%20NR.jpg

The mounting setup I used. I may make a 2nd mount setup without the sliders for hardcore track days to increase safety and headroom. However, I decided that for now I wanted to keep a slider so that my wife can drive the car as well as preserve the option to get fast drivers to drive the car and provide feedback.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/image...9/19109593.JPG

And the seat installed in the car.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/image...9/19109594.JPG

This past weekend's Hotchkis autocross event at Fontana was my first chance to try the seat out. It really does help you drive better to not be using the steering wheel as a handle and getting pushed around in the car.

Now I can finally pursue getting rollover protection built as we will know exactly where my head is in the car. Then it will be time for 5 point belts.

Sounds damn good.

Chad ,

Do you have any pics of how your exhaust was installed? Especially the rear...

Hi Jr.

The closest thing I can find right now is this pic.

https://igcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.ne...38748464_n.jpg

If you need to see something else, let me know.

EDIT: It BARELY fits in the rear with 3" tailpipes.

Are you running a baffled oil pan, accusump,etc with your LS? Are you having any oil pressure problems at the track?

I'm running an autokraft oil pan which has 4 trap doors rather than just baffles, the windage tray that comes with the GM hot rod pan and a large oil cooler which also added a little more than a quart of additional capacity.

So far I've had no serious oil control problems. I say that based on never seeing the oil pressure gauge drop in a turn on track though to be fair my attention is usually elsewhere. But I also take a lot of comfort in the fact I've also never had a low oil pressure code. My Mast M90 ECU will trigger a code if the oil pressure drops below 15 or 12 PSI (can't recall the exact number) so I know for sure I've never had a total loss of pressure from cornering.

I'm still considering an accusump though.

It had been a while since I went through your thread, but I seen that you were using an aftermarket pan. I have a Texas Speed 570 hp LS3 in my 69 firebird with the Holley 302 pan. I got my hands on their new trap door pan insert that I will be installing after I drop the sub and pull the motor....I haven't fired the motor yet. I also have an Accusump 3qt to plumb in. I will be using my car similar to what you are doing.

Sounds like a good plan. I saw the improved racing insert recently and that is a great alternative to buying a whole new pan. I haven't seen the Holley one but if its similar it should work great.

If you are going to be doing track days with 20 minute road course sessions I would recommend an oil cooler. Even 10 minutes on a road course heats my oil up a LOT. At minimum get an oil temp gauge and get one that goes higher than 250* (280* minimum) so you can see what is happening.

I thought Improved Racing is who came up with the pan insert for the 302 pan, but it is sent in Holley packaging. I have a C&R rad with built in oil and power steering coolers. I went with an Improved Racing thermostat that bolts up to the pan. I will be keeping tabs on the motor with a Racepak dash with warning lights.

http://www.pro-touring.com/threads/1...rack-car-build

Custom built exhaust I assume?

Sounds like some great parts! I will have to check out that thread at home as PT.com is blocked for me at work.

Yes that is a custom built exhaust.