After reading these posts I have been doing a little of Don’s “navel gazing” regarding the subject myself. It is clear from multiple posts by qualified experts, including Greg, that you cannot expect a prototype car, especially a true race car contender, to be full up until it has had a great deal of testing, tuning, and refinement. Read Hutton’s post 42, Blake’s post 46, Ironwood’s post 51, and Weld’s post 58, which reads in part: ‘#3 -- Sutton built Dirt Missile.... $200K catalog car.... Expect to have LOTS of issues and LOTS of set up work and LOTS of testing and tuning.... but if you can't do little things even half right - and you are aware of an issue and don't bother to fix it -- and you cost me $50K in wasted time and effort.... you don't get to touch the car ever... because you're too F'n stupid. I'd prefer to pay someone double (not) to fix it.”
Two track sessions is not “LOTS of testing and tuning”. Sutton knew after the NASA event test what needed to be done, and he set about to do it as part of the expected series of “set-up, testing, and tuning”. Sutton’s post after the NASA event reads:
“The car was crazy fast, but it's not correct yet. The RSRT stuff I designed, like the chassis, suspension, brakes, 3rd Member & engine combo all worked well. Some of the things I just buy, also worked good, like the PPG Sequential transmission, QuarterMaster clutch & X-ineering "no lift" shift controller. But the ARE Dry Sump system had serious issues that were frustrating as Fu#$. So was the C&R cooling system. Both of those companies have awesome records of great products. But the systems they recommended that are "currently" on Greg's car did not work well at all. Gotta be fixed.
So back at the office, I'll be working with the cooling experts at C&R & the dry sump gurus at ARE to figure out what's wrong & make whatever changes are needed to Greg's car & future Track-Warriors. After we figure out what changes are needed to the dry sump system tank/plumbing/venting & cooling system, we'll bring Greg's car back to Randy's shop & make those upgrades/corrections. Well before it runs again. Frankly, we'll probably go test just to make sure the cooling system & dry sump vent don't have any issues & work as they should before going to another event.
At this time, the car is NOT plug n' play. Rob, I didn't want you to take me not posting a story with details as "all was great." I did want to announce the pool winner. As you know, it was rough. But we toughed it out & got a couple TTU wins which are really a testament to the car's capabilities & the crews perseverance. But we still have work to do.”
Greg, for reasons of his own and which he has attempted to explain in his posts, elected to terminate Sutton’s involvement and eliminated the opportunity for him to make things right. The car was fast out of the box, due primarily to a solid, well thought out suspension design. It needed finish work and correction of the Sutton-identified issues. Oil venting from high horsepower, dry-sump LS motors, for example, is a continuing problem (just read the Corvette racing or LS forums), but there are known solutions. Wiring and the body needed to be cleaned up – okay…all part of the process.
An individual can terminate a contract or relationship any time he chooses, but to slander the other party or use that as a basis to mount a campaign to wreck his business is just wrong. It’s fair to state your case, but to “imply” that the problem is wide spread without providing adequate supporting documentation in a vindictive effort to harm the other party is unethical.
Ron Sutton has provided a valuable service to this community with his knowledge and willingness to share that knowledge. Many of you who have jumped on the bandwagon have multiple posts on Ron’s suspension stickys asking for free advice. It was a bold step to try to create a business catering to the true performance end of the Pro-touring community. Someone asked why he thought he could compete with Summit or Jegs. Who wants to wade through pages of generic parts to get to real, quality performance parts tailored to our type of project? Have you tried to call Summit and ask for a quote on a very custom sway bar from Speedway Engineering? – How did that work out for you? Ron did that for me, and I got the bar in 3 weeks. He let me order a set of Forgeline wheels under one of his sales events, even though I didn’t have the backspace dimensions worked out yet. A couple of months later, when I got my act together and gave him the info, he ordered the wheels that day at the sales price (and free shipping). I have never had an issue with his service or responsiveness, although sometimes you have to wait for his supplier to provide unique or custom-order parts.
I know this post will irritate some members of the “club”, but so be it.
Pappy
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