I spent last weekend at the Midwest Muscle Car Challenge stretching Barney's legs on the Putnam Park Road course and the concrete surface at Terre haute airport for some autocross. While we had some weather to deal with all weekend long, we still had a blast and got lots of seat time in.
Here's a little clip of the video I took while Ramey Wormer of UMI was riding with me on track. Not only were we broadcasting on facebook live during the session, but after Ramey was describing a better tactic for me to use in the upcoming hairpin turn...he decided to answer an incoming phone call while we were out on track! It was freaking hilarious!!
This video was taken during the 3rd session in the rain, so we were only running 6 or 7 tenths at most...but it was still fun to stretch Barney's legs with Ramey in the car.
This video was taken during the 2nd session when I ran my best laps. The first lap is a 1:23.672, 2nd is a 1:24.875 and my high speed was 122 mph. I'm still learning the new setup under the car along with the new tires and especially when to take full advantage of them during a run session.
This video shows my best couple of laps in the 4th and final session. I ran very similar times, middle 1:23s but the car was low on fuel and fuel starving on the straights (you can see and hear it nose over about the start finish line) limiting me to about 115 mph top speed. That just shows how much faster I was getting through the turns in that session.
The next day we autocrossed... The day was cut short by weather, only 3 dry laps in. Here was my best which put me right at mid-pack something I'm pretty proud of considering the competition.
The car still needs some help, there are some big plans for the future...I just need to get some other priorities lined out and finished first before we start on Stage 6 or 7...wherever we are now. Huge thanks to Ron Sutton for helping me get it this far, can't wait to see where it goes next.
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Lance
1985 Monte Carlo SS Street Car
Here's a little clip of the video I took while Ramey Wormer of UMI was riding with me on track. Not only were we broadcasting on facebook live during the session, but after Ramey was describing a better tactic for me to use in the upcoming hairpin turn...he decided to answer an incoming phone call while we were out on track! It was freaking hilarious!!
Anyone who knows Ramey personally would not be surprised by this in anyway... that is the best part
Naw, I don't think so. That would involve major sheet metal surgery and flares and this is too nice of a car for that. I believe we can make better gains by fixing other parts of the car that don't involve destroying the stockish appearance it has.
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Lance
1985 Monte Carlo SS Street Car
Finally figured out how to export my Midwest MuscleCar videos at Putnam from Solostorm with data overlayed on them. This first lap was my fastest lap of the weekend (1:23.684) chasing Keith Lamming... Check out the sustained cornering Gs and top speed on the front straight.
This lap was a 1:25.501 but if you look at the top speed on front straight it was about 7-8 mph slower because the car was fuel starving coming on to the straight. The rest of the segments were faster than the fast lap above.
I did a little prep work on Barney this weekend and he is registered to race at Heartland Park Topeka next Sunday for the SCCA autocross there. Big plans are getting closer to happening with the pending sale of our house...hopefully will be able to show some parts soon...
Meanwhile...we wait...
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Lance
1985 Monte Carlo SS Street Car
Just got back from CAM East where Aaron Oberle and I wheeled Barney all weekend. Here is my update post from facebook for those that don't do facebook...
Finally caught up and have fully reflected on last weekend at CAM East. What a fun event... I know everyone has their own idea of what makes an event fun for them, this one just seems to hit 100% on all of mine. It's a great mix between a super fun and fast, yet still very technical course, a FANTASTIC group of attendees and people that put the event on, and just the right amount of fun mixed in yet still very competitive at the same time. Even though Aaron and I in Barney didn't have anything for the top drivers in our class...we gave the mid packers everything we had and by the end of the qualifying runs Sunday morning, I made it into the Challenge which was a first for me. I am so glad that I decided to go.
It was very cool to see so many of my distant racing friends (family) again, it's amazing how even though you may not have seen someone for a year or so, you start right back where you left off the last time. You all are good peeps for sure!!
Barney is wounded...but still left all he had out on the track. I have to say thanks to the Ron Sutton Race Technology tuned suspension and especially this weekend the RSRT locker which kept both rear wheels pulling all weekend long. Pretty sure there will be a few more of those installed in some other cars in the coming weeks. I worked course on corner 5 and there sure seemed to be a lot of mad posi units by the finish of every run. If anyone wants to know more about the locker, just let me know.
Here are my last three (and fastest) runs from Sunday morning. The third was a 44.5XX which put me in 14th out of 28 cars I believe in class. Watching these back along with other driver's videos, I know there was a 43.XXX for us out there for sure...that just shows why the really good drivers are always at the tops of the charts.
Can't wait to do it again, we'll be back locked and loaded ready for the fun and the competition this event provides.
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Lance
1985 Monte Carlo SS Street Car
... I have to say thanks to the Ron Sutton Race Technology tuned suspension and especially this weekend the RSRT locker which kept both rear wheels pulling all weekend long. Pretty sure there will be a few more of those installed in some other cars in the coming weeks. I worked course on corner 5 and there sure seemed to be a lot of mad posi units by the finish of every run. If anyone wants to know more about the locker, just let me know.
Hey Lance, I sure would like to know more about the locker. I have read some people complaining about some posi units being too Loud for them. I know you like to drive Barney on the street yet, how is the noise level from the rearend in the car? What springs are in it? Sure sounds like you are liking it at this point.
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Chris
1969 Firebird: injected Pontiac 462ci, T56
The locker noise is subjective I think, some might think it's unacceptable for a street car, others might not even notice it. I have Ron's 40# springs in mine. During street driving, you will notice it clacking a bit when turning while backing up mostly. Once under way going forward, it really doesn't make much noise at all. You never hear it engage and only once in awhile will you hear it disengaging when entering a slow turn in a parking lot.
Driving wise on the street, the only thing I notice is every now and then it'll kind of pull one way or the other just a bit, never enough to upset anything....it's just something the you notice about how the locker acts just a bit different than a clutch or other type of posi.
On track, it acts completely different than a regular posi...and it makes more noise too. I still haven't figured out why the noise level varies, but when the locker disengages on corner entry, it can be anything from unnoticeable to a clang loud enough you think you dropped a driveshaft. I believe it has to do with how much tension is built up on the mechanism just before it releases and whether there is compression or acceleration input onto the pinion. If you are steady state when it releases or accelerating just a bit...it's not a big deal, if you are decelerating under engine braking on turn in when there is lots of grip (like on concrete) it'll bang pretty hard. You can clearly hear it in some of the runs in the video above.
Regardless of all of that...if you want spool like traction on corner exit with a diff that will also release for easy cornering on street or track...this is the ticket.
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Lance
1985 Monte Carlo SS Street Car
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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