Season opener

[Michael Oritt]

I'm down at Road Atlanta for VDCA's Winter Games event--the east coast season opener. We had a practice session yesterday and it managed to stay on the track so it looks like I did not forget everything over the winter.

Temperatures yesterday were very nice and today it should get into the 50's. However it is scheduled to go freezing tonight and early morning sessions on Sunday may be problematic.

Anyway, I thought I'd spread a little sunshine around the forum and I'll follow up with an after-action report.

 

[dougie]

Michael I hate you.......Not really, just very jealous. We don't open our season until April here in the NW.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Dougie--

I had a feeling this might land hard on you but buck up bucko....

In yesterday's race I finished 3rd to a very muscular 1275 spridget and a Spitfire. This morning there is an 8:30 enduro that I am going to pass on given that temperatures are below freezing but hopefully it will warm up in time for today's 1:00 PM feature. More later.

 

[aeronca65t]

Michael: I'm in Hawaii right now. No car racing but the weather is great. I'm skipping the VRG karting thing, but I'll see you at the Jeff 500.

 

[dougie]

Michael: I'm in Hawaii right now. No car racing but the weather is great. I'm skipping the VRG karting thing, but I'll see you at the Jeff 500.

Oh great, Michael's out racing and you're basking in the warmth of Hawaii....Now I really feel crappy. It's starting to rain, I think I'll go out the garage and pout.

 

[aeronca65t]

LOL!:wink-new: Sorry, Dougie!

 

[Michael Oritt]

Dougie--

Quit bitching--it should stop raining for 15 or 20 minutes at some point.

Today's feature was a copy of Saturday's except that I finished 4th to the guy who was right behind me yesterday. Actually he would have finished 3rd yesterday as well except that while upshifting for the flag he accidentally shut off his power switch and I sneaked by him!

 

[blueosprey90]

Batting 1,000

With my trusty battery charger and extension cord, I went to the barn where I keep the S. Haven't looked at it since putting it away last November. Pull off the cover, get in, turn the key and push the button. Click, click, click of an almost dead battery. Nope. The car starts up on the first revolution of the crank. And best of all, the mice and rodents spent the winter elsewhere.

Come home. Re-install the carburetors on the A. Put a gallon of gas in the tank. Turn the key. Fuel pump kicks in and I have a small leak at the carbs. Fix that pronto. Generous spritz of starter fluid - key - pull the starter and it roars to life. Need to balance and tune the carburetors, but

Both cars running!

Two weeks until my season's first track day event at Lime Rock with the S. Extended weather forcast calls for high of 53 and cloudy. No snow in sight. After that, skid pad and autocross warm-up with the A in late April, then on to Pocono for a weekend of vintage race action. What could be better?

 

[dougie]

We've got the Alfa track day next Saturday at PIR. It's an open event an there's still room available if anyone in the PNW is interested;https://alfaclub.org/Track_Days.html I'll be there with the '57 100-6 MM if dry or the JCW Mini Clubman if wet. Either way a good change to shake off some rust. SOVREN's opener is next month at Pacific Raceway in Kent, WA (Seattle) a fun track.

https:// untitled-4784 by dougescriva, on Flickr

 

[blueosprey90]

AARGH !

I hope I didn't shoot myself in the foot.

Time flies when you're not having fun. I looked at calendar after I made that last post. The skid pad / autocross is in 3 weeks, Pocono in 4. I though it was all at the end of April. I can get by without the tachometer that I sent off to Nisongers for a rebuild, but I sent my belts back to RCI for a re-web just this past Thursday. Hope they are returned in time!

 

[aeronca65t]

I'm in the same boat with outdated belts (mine are FIA and five years old).

I was thinking of rewebbing but it's getting late so yesterday I decided to just order a new set of G-Force FIA belts from SafeRacer. $155 and free shipping.

I wanted to do some race-car engine work today in the garage but it's snowing and too cold. So I'm watching the Sebring 12 Hour on SpeedTV instead.:friendly_wink:

 

[philman]

Last weekend at the Emerald Empire SCC Icebreaker event.

 

[dougie]

The Alfa track day at PIR went well, my big Healey performed well and it felt great to back get on the track again. It was cold in the early seasons, there was frost on the roof of my garage as I rolled my '57 out to load on to the trailer at 8:00 am prior to arriving to the track.
I was by far the oldest vehicle at the event (which is often the case) the Healey represented well. A fun day was had by all.....

 

[blueosprey90]

I don't know if either of these qualify as a "season opener".

The first video, is my very first run of 2013. Honda S-2000 at a HPDE event at Lime Rock with NASA-NE. That was last Saturday. For a first run, it felt really smooth. It was all downhill after that.

The second video is one of my runs yesterday at a VSCCA autocross, also at Lime Rock Park. 1959 MGA running with a substitute 4.85 differential. Lots of fun as I was able to spin my tires in 2nd gear almost at will. I normally run a 4.1 rear end which is very sluggish. I was experimenting with a roll bar mount and an external mike on the Go-Pro. The mike is to cut down on wind noise. On this run, it is laying on the floor behind the seat zip tiend into a shop rag. Running an autocross was a first for the VSCCA. I think Lime Rock is planning to open up its autocross track to commercial use and offered us this opportunity as a shakdown day for what it has planned for later in the year.

Next weekend, a real race weekend with the VSCCA at Pocono North.

 

[dougie]

No way.....blue sky in April. Live'n large.

 

[aeronca65t]

No way.....blue sky in April. Live'n large.

LOL! Weather is great here in the eastern USA. Drove my MGB to work the last two days.

 

[blueosprey90]

OK, I think last weekend officially counts as my season opener. Pocono North with the VSCCA.

Infield section of track has been widened to about 45 feet and repaved. New curbing installed.

Was pretty chilly and windy, so a bit uncomfortable between runs. Small run groups, that got smaller as the weekend progressed. But still had fun. Car ran quite well.

In this first video the Porsche is perhaps trying to show us the line. Two students in the MGA #90 and MG Miget #67. The #311 coupe is my usual competition, as can be seen in the second video.

 

[aeronca65t]

Nice spin at 11:45! (second video)

I may be one of the few people who actually likes Pocono (specifically, Pocono North). If I had been free, it would have been a handy event for me (I'm just over an hour away). I'm glad to see that they've finished the new paving. I hope to run there again at some point (I ran some NASA events there two years ago).

Lots of folks at VIR last weekend for The Wild Hare event, so it's no surprise that turnout was light at Pocono.