I had a very similar experience playing with some little Formula Ford cars down at the Indee Motorsports Park down in BFE AZ. I finally got a little open space after being held up by slow traffic all day, missed my line and overcooked the exit of turn 2 only to find myself looping a 180. Had to get hard on the brakes to not back into the tire-barrier. The instructor pulls up in the truck and says "what happened?", I raised my visor and said "just ran out of talent, that's all".

Yeah --- I've run Indee --- and your BFE (Wilcox is the actual address - a friend owns the track!) description is spot on! OMG you're out in the pucker weeds!


One of the things I've been trying to do -- is to run a bit off line once in awhile just to experiment a little --- since, in traffic - that (being off line) happens all the time. You get a point by -- you mash it -- and that corner is coming up quick and you're off line and completely on the wrong side of the track… Now you're all in -- and driving your ass off! Or when you are hauling azz and all of a sudden the guy in front of you is all over the brakes way earlier than you would be --- and it's whoa! baby….

It's one thing to run these RTTC type events -- were it's a single car on the track -- it's quite another when you have traffic!

PT cars have huge by wide tires -- street tires yes -- but good quality street tires -- and they have huge brakes…. Charley and I are running 245's…. he's still running drum rears --- and I have disc all around but they're tiny little two piston fronts and single rears…. You really notice the braking "deficiencies" of these cars -- even compared to my newer big brake street cars!

Greg, only select 3 photos to send at a time, the email option will then appear next to the imessage option. More than three at a time can't be sent via one email, you have to split them up.

Yes David! I figured that out! It was a struggle - but I finally found the email option.


Thanks!!!

Sorry your lil car got hurt. Glad everyone is ok

Thanks Jerr!! It's what happens when you go on track…. we'll just hope it doesn't happen often.

Something had to go wrong… the Mustang was working perfectly! So you wouldn't want to have a perfect beautiful awesome week at Laguna Seca with your family and friends….


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA

Brian received the header and "de-cat" pipe for the Lotus today… it's ceramic coated… the muffler I ordered is shipped and is done in Stainless Steel.


He's got the list all figured out for all the other parts needed…. and he'll order those up and get 'em all painted and stickered up. I just wanted to save him the hassle of trying to find "non-factory" parts… such as this exhaust and the 5 element carbon fiber diffuser panel I ordered from Sector 111.


All in all --- this little "wad" will be around 20 grand to fix. The exhaust is expensive (because - it's not a small block chevy!)… the carbon fiber diffuser isn't free either…. and by the time he orders the other stuff he needs and paints it and labor to disassemble and re-assemble… yeah… Merry Xmas to Alex.




http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...13/file-36.jpg

Greg Welds Track Car
 

Greg,
when you guys come back down to pickup the
Lotus you need to stop by my shop and we can
do a Pizza. In Campbell, Ca not too far from Brian's shop
I finally figured out with Sieg's help
how to post a picture.. He will be telling me next
to get a better camera.. just off my phone now

Here was my 65 mustang Track car.. it may have been
at Laguna when you were there as I sold it to a Norcal
Shelby guy

Panteracer Norcal Bob

Oh hell yeah! I know the car. Nice car!


Okay -- you're on for buying pizza…

Ha ! That is the car I talked Chet into buying. He and Weld both hate me.

Isn't that funny Charley!


He posted that up and I'm like -- oh hell yeah - I know the car! I just didn't realize how well I knew it. I didn't recognize it as Chet's --- I just knew that I've seen it a bunch. My mind is mush.



WE only hate you when we are around you… or thinking of you… or fixing the crap you sold us (whether or not we bought it from you)… or when we get up in the morning… or go to bed at night.

5 out of 5.........not too bad Charlie. :thumbsup:

Greg Welds track car
 

Yes Chet. He is a big Chebby guy
He figured he can beat the the car up and
If something happened no big deal
since it was just a Mustang

He also bought my 69 camero shell
and was going to do a Donahue clone
Not sure how that project is going

That car was fun and easy to drive
The Pantera just was faster

Panteracer NorCal Bob

I think I did pretty good talking a Chevy guy into buying a Ford. Then he needed a better trailer setup. Before that I talked him into having Brizio build his pickup. Before that I talked him into a 32 Ford 3 window. For the time being Chet is in the lead for money I have made him spend but when Greg gets his garage done that has to be big enough to hold the Renegade setup I got him going on then Greg will be in the lead.:G-Dub:

And who said helping others spend their money isn't a sporting event. :lol:

Do us all a favor and leave the country for awhile….

Greg Welds Mustang
 

Reminds me of the guy who helped me set my Firebird up
20 years ago.. he would say do you want to cry about the
money or do you want to win.. I finally won an SCCA regional and Divisional
title autocrossing and a few Slush series.. so he was right but
pushed me hard to get it right the first time.. real old technology
as I was running Koni Oil shocks on the car.. I bought the car
for $300 and a week later paid $350 for the Koni Oil shocks.. my
wife thought I was crazy.. that was many moons ago.. I wish it
was that cheap to modify things to win now. I have $25k in the new
motor fixing it .. but better than putting an LS in it:waveflag:

Panteracer Norcal Bob

That's what keeps the sport unattainable as far as track days are concerned… the costs are just prohibitive for many folks. But I see guys out at the track events that you know are struggling to be there - but they have the desire… and while they may not have the fancy paint job or trailer - some of 'em are hard to pass! I give kudos to those folks. They're out doing what they love.

Greg Welds Track car
 

Greg,
I hear you on the costs for many.. back when we were kids
we could get an old car and still get many parts from the Junkyard
Most of those cars are gone from any junkyard or picked over
With todays electronics and sensors.. it could cost $500-$700 for
a sensor just to keep the damn thing running

Kids have it tougher getting into Hot Rodding at todays prices

Panteracer Norcal Bob

That's why I love the "rat rod" movement…. What I see there is the 20's and 30's somethings being able to use and build some skills and the camaraderie that comes with it.

Greg Weld's 65 track car
 

Yes Rat rods.. love those cars
I mention it to a few of my buddies and
they think I am nuts.. Dad has a few old dumptrucks
sitting up at the ranch that I keep looking at
but I don't need any more projects now.. would
be great hauler conversion project:lostmarbles:

Panteracer Norcal Bob

Oh hell yeah --- I've seen some of the best hauler/conversions… and if I had the time right now I think I'd be planning a project - but the next two years are tied up with building the new house here in Sun Valley - which means we are splitting our time between the old home and here… so between trying to keep the two track cars going - and that - I just don't want to start anything. That's also why the '33 is being built at Brizio's. If I started it right now - I'd be 65 by the time it was back on the ground. UGH!

Greg Welds Track Car
 

You could always get a bunch of cattle around
the Sun Valley home.. my dad runs cattle and
every time I go to the ranch we have a project to do
Going there tomorrow to brand the new calves
...we got snowed out a couple of weeks back

Last time I was there instead of helping fix fences, gates
etc he had me work on the tractor, generator and welder
He never has been a mechanic and figured out since I am
always working on my cars he could get more mileage out
of me. Time to dust off my Cowboy hat

Panteracer Norcal Bob

Brian Hobaugh texted me another car that's now behind the poor little Lotus at his shop -- seems with a similar fate....





http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a.../IMG_9590.jpeg

Unforgiving track....

Kudos for keeping the 65 off the wall. The 65 I had was slippery as heck just going to the DMV and back..

E ticket ride for sure..

I've gotten better at driving the Mustang... and frankly a couple changes in alignment really made a big improvement.

The Lotus --- that was a greasy POS... I was not able to get any laps in at Laguna because I was letting my son drive it... so I have no idea if it was improved or not. I'm hoping that Brian will take it to the track and give me some feedback once he has it all back together.

That would be very interesting for everyone! :thumbsup:

Indeed.

For my skills I would want a sticky corvette, better technology makes me look good alot better than I am, HAHA. Just like my SLDR camera!!!

Personally --- I think that's part of the fun of track days -- driving the old stuff with all it's foibles... skinny little tires -- too much power for the tires etc... I know a lot of guys are all about their track times --- whereas I'm just enjoying the seat time.

I agree. It's all about the fun in the seat.

I'm with ya here. Plus there are soooo many late model Vettes out on track days. Get lost in the shuffle there.

It's fun to try to make these old junkers do something nice and keep up with those Vettes. :thumbsup:

From junkers to gold carated junkers.., uh 'vintage racecars'.


:D

And it's more fun to make those Vette pilots drive past their talent level chasing your old junker. :rules:

I found some interesting information for the Top Track lap times at Spring Mountain Motorsports.... We'll see if you guys can figure out why I'd find this interesting..... LOL




Top 25 SMMP 2.2 mile Lap Times
1:43.052 (Brent Bauman; 07 Exige S; Yoko Slicks; 212whp/~2070lbs w/driver; Nov 09)
1:43.343 (Andy Kern; Lotus 211; R6; 220whp/1860lbs w/driver; APR 10; video)
1:48.2xx (Eddie Park; 05 Elise; R888; 227whp/~2000lbs; Nov 09)
1:52.978 (Thomas Barrett; Corvette Specialty C6 Vette; A6; 400hp/~3700lbs; Oct 09)


Top 25 SMMP 2.3 mile Lap Times
1:55.76x (AJ Latteri; 06 Exige; Yok Slick; hp?/~2200lbs; Oct 08; Video)


Top 25 SMMP 2.7 mile Lap Times
1:56.867 (Andy Kern; Lotus 211; R6; 220whp/1860lbs w/driver; APR 10; Video)
2:01.99x (Manly Kao; 05 Elise; R888; 165whp/~1900lbs; Oct 08; Video)


Top 30 SMMP 3.1 mile Lap Times
2:13.057 (Billy Johnson; FXMD Turbo NSX; Yoko Slicks; ~600whp/~2700lbs with driver; Sep 09)
2:23.98x (Brent Bauman; Jack's 2010 211; Yoko Slicks; 240whp/~1885lbs w/driver; Mar 10)
2:26.264 (Andy Kern; Lotus 211; Yoko A005/S01; 220whp/1,840lbs w/driver; Oct 10; Video)
2:27.25x (Jack Fried; Lotus 211; Yok slicks; 255hp/~1860lbs w/driver; May 10; Video)

Only two cars have over 240 whp?

Well actually with more digging around -- I haven't been able to find any OFFICIAL track times for SMMP... You'd think that would be easy info to find out. This came up in a search - and it's a website where you post your own times - so it's really only that those particular guys found the site and posted to it. But those times - from what I can find - are very very fast.

I would think the Radical SR8's could wipe up on the little Lotus - and both Andy Kern and Jack Fried (as you know) have them. So I would think if they could run better in the Radicals - they'd have posted that up?

I would have thought the 8 cylinder Radical's would have been quicker too. They certainly look like the real deal. The RX8's are in the 1500 lb. category with 400+ hp.

http://sieg.smugmug.com/photos/i-Zxt...-Zxtc4PP-L.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/photos/i-rXN...-rXNKsBf-L.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/photos/i-VtK...-VtK7xdm-L.jpg

Track times
 

The first time our Pantera group ran with the Radicals in Pahrump was
a real awaking... I am running in our race group and all of
a sudden I see this yellow flash in my mirror and then gone
I look to the outside of the corner and in the marbles and the
guy was passing me and gone.... it took a few times out
to figure that what is flashing in my mirror does not effect
me because by the time I figured it out he has passed me
and gone:animated_bye_bye_em

Very fast and light and to drive them in the marbles is really something else

Panteracer Norcal Bob