This past Sunday I was registered for Speedventures at the Fontana Roval. I spent Saturday doing a nut/bolt check, (over) packing what I thought I needed and dropped the car off in the Fontana garage. Since Torino man lives closer and registration opened at 7:am, I spent the night at his house. Beers, dinner and off to bed for a 6:a wake up call.
Next morning, I do the drivers meeting, refer to Ron Sutton’s shock settings, check my tire pressures and hope for the best on an untested new set up. I hop in a c6 z51 w r888s for a ride along. ‘Klaus’ the driver absolutely kills it. Ran a 2:00 lap hitting a buck sixty on the high banks. I’m thinking, NO WAY my car has this much grip. I was right too
Then it’s my turn. Two laps with Klaus riding along and he gets out and says I’ve got the line and I’m ready. First lap, I get black flagged for entering the track to early. Session over and I'm a dumbass. But the car felt f’n GREAT!
Next session, after one warm up lap I get meatballed. Leaking they say. I go back to the pits and the car is bone dry. Rob was there by this time and we do a check. The only thing it could be is my fuel vent. We leave the track at lunch and burn off some fuel, come back for the third session and tell the official there’s no leak. She checks and says you’re good to go. I get staged fourth behind a fully race prepped caddy challenge car, an Audi S5 and an Infinity. One warm up lap, one hot lap and the caddy is gone but I’m right on the other two. Of course, track officials meatball me again for fuel, we pull in and sure enough there’s a puddle. This time, we pull in the pits and ponder a fix or calling it a day. The fuel vent is leaking right above my tailpipe on a 100* day, so this isn’t funny anymore. On the trailer with only two real hot laps for the day? F’that Rob says. We crawl under the car and spent an hour re-routing the vent line so it exits the tank into a 90 and then uphill. Problem solved.
Final session. I’m now staged twelfth. With the problem now fixed I get my first full session. By the first lap, six cars are gone. I’m not sure if they left my group in the dust or exited the track but we never saw them agin. It’s now me and the top two in my group and a race spec Miata. I gave the Miata a point by, and he returned the favor. One lap I hit 127 on the straight. What a rush on the high banks! The Miata and one other car drops off and now it’s just me and the top guy in my group. He did not shake me off his tail so I felt pretty good. Top lap was a 2:!7 and I’m sure I left five seconds out there. Not bad for just one full session (six laps?) plus two hot laps earlier in the day. I’d say the car got it’s mojo back and the wingnut driver is not far behind.
Some pics:
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Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
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