SCCA Runoffs in Topeka Kansas

[Hap Waldrop]

Well I head out Friday for Topeka Kansas for the SCCA runoffs at Heartland Park, it's our first time at HPT for the Runoffs. I won't be driving this year, shop work got in the way. I'll be crewing for Ron Bartell, 2 time HP champion, we helped Ron switch over from the 948 motors to the Limited Prep 1275s this year. Ron is running a new classification we call "hybrid", meaning the LP 1275 motor with the coil over suspension car, right now we feel the SCCA has our weight too high, so we don't think we can win it, but think we have a good 4th place car anyway and that's close enough to put us in the hunt should others get in trouble. Wish us luck.

 

[aeronca65t]

Man, that's a whole different world than my $1000 "bomber" Spridget.

Good luck! (that's a loooong pull!).

Are you guys running the quarter elliptic rears?
Also: what do you think a "limited prep" motor makes on the dyno?

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I bet you have as much fun if not more though. Ron almost didn't go this year, it's the first year with the new engine and classfication, with the weight being what it is with this first year classification they made sure we don't dominate, we need a good 25-50 pounds of lead off to be in the hunt. So this year for the most part is to prove to the rule makers we need a weight reduction. When Ron told me he thought he might not go because he didn't think he could win, for the first time ever I wasn't envious of his two national championships, because I've never in 25 years of racing not thought about going to a race because I didn't think I could win, being a national champion does have it's downsides I guess, I'm sure I'll never know as a drivier anyway. I'm going vintage racing in the future because I think it allows the most fun, SCCA national racing can sometimes take the fun out of it all with the serious effort it requires to win.

 

[GB1]

Good luck Hap.

Patrick

 

[aeronca65t]

[ QUOTE ]
.....because I've never in 25 years of racing not thought about going to a race because I didn't think I could win....

[/ QUOTE ]

I usually just go to a race praying my axles don't break...and if they do, then I'm hoping the beer is cold! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

By the way, Vintage Racer Group ( www.vrgonline.org/ )
usually runs an event in mid April at VIR....I'm sure they'll have one in 2007. That's not too far from you. They are a fun group to run with.

VRG also has a Turkey Bowl event coming up on Nov 24-26 at Summit, but I'm Chairing (and running in) our EMRA 4-hour the week before at Summit, so I probably won't make it to that. You are always welcome at our EMRA events too...we are very low key and just in it for the fun.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Yes, love VIR, we head there in couple of weeks for the second annual Production Car Festival. I raced there several times, great track, great facilty. It's probably going to take a year or two to build the vintage car in my spare time, but I still have the SCCA HP car to race while the vintage car is being built. I'm going to take my time on the new vintage car, I've got something to prove to a few vintage car builders /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Oh well, I working on a couple of cups of joe to get me kick started, then hit the shower and head out the door for Topeka, going to spend the night in Memphis, get me some suds/ribs/blues then head out of Memphis Sunday morning for the final leg of the trip to Topeka. Yall be good /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Tim Hollister]

Hap,

Have a safe trip and hope Ron and you enjoy yourselves!

Should be interesting how the hybrid runs -- however it finishes! (Will likely be in hybrid myself next season...)

Tim

 

[Gearhead]

Hap please keep us informed of how the weekend went lots of fans out here Mark

 

[Deleted member 3577]

Ran this weekend at the 41st annual WOR games in Mid-Ohio.
(SCCA double regional)

Had a blast & managed a 1:52.1 (not bad for a POS ITB Pinto)

We had 2 Brits in our group.
AH Sprite (H-prod) DNF Sat-DNS Sun
MG Midget (H-prod) DNF Sat-DNF Sun

Not a good weekend for Spridgets......

We also ran w/ Spec Racer Fords.
With a 10 second difference in lap times, it was kind of stupid to run us together.
Talk about getting passed fast...

 

[MGAdams]

Class HP qualifying is here:
https://leaderboard.vfx.com/SCCA/Runoffs/LiveTiming.asp?Class=HP
You can also follow live timing as well.

 

[Monkeywrench]

It should be noted that it was raining today, that is why there were so few cars on the track in Q2. Craig Chima is on the pole so far in HP. The first qualifying session was dry.

 

[cherokee]

Warning:
Shamless Plug!!!

Look at my pics at www.gt-actionphotos.com
Lots of LBC pics.

 

[DART]

Man, that is a humongous effort!!! Kudo's for doing all those pics and making them available for free. How did the team you crewed for do?
BTW, is there still a sports car club in Jefferson City? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Re: SCCA Runoffs in Topeka Kansas *DELETED*

Post deleted by Hap Waldrop

 

[aeronca65t]

Man, I hate to hear stuff like that!
You guys probably spent in one event what I spend in a full season.
And that is why I do all my own valve jobs on an ancient KO Lee tool grinder (not a valve grinder) that I borrow once in a while. My three-angle valve jobs may not be perfect, but at least they are basically correct.

So anyway, what was the silly oil pressure mistake?
(if you did it, chances are the rest of us will do it too...and I'm switching to a 1275 next year, so it will apply to me)

 

[pbraun]

Bummer, Hap. Sounds like you did a yoeman's job attempting to fix the problem, tho. Next year, better results!
Notice how those MINIs did pretty well in SSC this year. Next year, no restrictor plate and they will have to kick the butt of the Solciste and others to win again! That will no be easy. Ever notice how when a car does really well, the SCCA gives it a major penalty? All in an attempt to equalize competition........hrumph! One reason why I am not running any more.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

The silly oil pressure problem is goofy for sure, Ron has been running dry sumped 948 forever, no engine dipstick, dipstick in the dry sump tank. Ron was doing all the oil checking , so I never paid any attention to the dipstick, until we pulled the motor and look closely at everything and saw no problems, then I saw the dipstick, it was 948 dipstick, they do not have a stop built into the stick, but rather the the 948 had and indention in the oil pan to stop the dipstick from hitting the bottom of the pan, the 1275 unit has a stop built into it which stops on the plastic dipstick tube. Long story short, the 948 dipstick was bottoming on the Winners Circle oil pan and the readings were low because of it, not enough oil in the pan to begin with. I told it was silly, but to Ron's defense, he just didn't know, he been using the dry sump set up for many years now and had never had a 1275 before.

Ron did good job to just make the conversion over to the 1275 and qualify for the runoffs this year, in the past he has had more crew throughout the season and with his job it has been tough to acomplish what he did this year. So he had alittle growing pains with the new set up and he knows now and we plan for next year, even with all this we were still the fastest "Hybrid (LP 1275 engine w/ full prep suspension) there and we were surely good enough for the top 5 had we not had the problem, so we chalk the first year up as a learning experience and move on.

 

[aeronca65t]

.......we chalk the first year up as a learning experience and move on.

Those are good rules for life in general!

That dry sump system costs more than my whole car, so I guess there is no chance that I will ever have that problem!

 

[Tim Hollister]

[ QUOTE ]
...even with all this we were still the fastest "Hybrid (LP 1275 engine w/ full prep suspension) there and we were surely good enough for the top 5 had we not had the problem...

[/ QUOTE ]

So Hap, just curious but have you modified your opinion as to the whether or not the hybrid weighs too much as classed?? (SCCA minimum weight for those that may not know...)

Curious because I'm considering doing the same thing next season, and maybe with two cars.

Thanks,

Tim

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Tim, no I thinks it needs a weight break, but we knew this going in, this year was to prove to the SCCA that it was classified too heavy at 1677 pounds, that's 100 pounds more than it had to weight with 948 and 144 pounds more than the LP car. I talked with Adhoc about this from the get-go and we felt like 1625 was the right weight to begin with, but they put us in at 1677 to place it safe and avoid a overdog.

Ron was the fastest "hybrid" in qualifying but I think we could go faster than we went, but at HPT even if we had put our best effort forward we would still be 2 seconds off Feller and another two off Chima, so we need a break for sure. Tony Drum, Randy Canfield, Kendall Jones, Loren Moore and few other were running this set up as well, Tony Drum did go faster in the race than Ron did in qualifying, but not much quicker. Also keep in mind the 1098 Spridget is now headed to HP at 1650 pounds for 2007 and I believe it will be the most potent package of them all, Look for Gary Whitman to make a good showing if he comes to HPT next year.

As for the hybrid and the LP 1275, they pretty much dominated the HP field, I think they were only 3 or 4 948s even in the race. So to answer your question even more, I think the "hybrid needs help, but even now at 1677 is a better choice than the 948, look for the 948s to be a thing of the past in a couple of years in HP.