Superformance MKII, Riverside Racer 289 FIA vintage race car

[Alfa02]

Jim, nothing in your post that make's me happier, then hearing your keeping your right hand on the wheel too Pretty soon it will be second nature. Make's me laugh to think your going down the track, going o'yeah Tom said "Hands on the Wheel" Glad to hear everything went well, and yes the straights do get shorter, we call that "Cartoon Fast" I'll explain in our next phone call. Cheers my friend, Tom.

[1795]

Originally Posted by Blas

I would still run a pressure test on the cooling system. You can probably get a loaner tool from Autozone. Also consider a catch-can setup that returns fluid.
Blas

Blas,

Thanks, will consider your advice. Going to try to get the car up on jack stands and take a look at things today, while at the same time getting back to the building a new house project. Again, great getting to meet you at Mid Ohio.

Jim

[1795]

Tom,

Give me a call at your leisure.

Jim

[Moto One]

Jim, came across your video (I'm a subscriber) all looks good. Cant remember did you change the shifter linkage, your shifts looked much smoother.

Mark.

[1795]

Mark,

Thanks for the feedback. I readjusted the shifter linkage at the end of last year and replaced all of the spring clips with cotter pins to ensure that the linkage stayed attached. I did not notice any problems with shifting this time, everything was smooth. One less thing to worry about on the track.

Jim

[1795]

I had a good discussion with a fellow racer that was driving a C4 Corvette. He is an older person and a fairly good racer. We were both discussing how we had each reduced our lap times during the race weekend and we both are similar in that we are predominantly one man shows. We tow our cars to the races, perform all of the maintenance, get our own fuel and cover all of the expenses out of our own pockets. We spend more time repairing and prepping our cars than we do on the track and are scrambling to get to the grid on time. We have limited race budgets.

We then compared ourselves to the big teams that show up to the track in which the driver never touches a wrench and has one or more mechanics whose job it is to prep the car, make adjustments and have it ready for each race. All the driver has to do is be ready on time. Many of these race drivers have much larger resources than us and can afford to build engines with significantly more horsepower, as they can afford to have the engines replaced or rebuilt after a weekend or two. Some people own the cars and have professional drivers race their cars for them.

This lead to another discussion that went something like this, it is easier to drive a car to its limits when you have unlimited resources and can afford to replace it, or if you are a professional driver and it is not your car, than if you have limited resources and if you crash your season, or possibly several seasons may be over.

On this weekend at least five cars were totaled in the first day, probably over 20 for the weekend. There were 5 vintage racers that I know locally who went to Mid Ohio, one car was rolled and had to have significant work done to get it on the trailer and another one hit the wall the first day and had to have some body work done to get it back on the track and then it blew the engine on the last day.

I think that those thoughts sit in the back of my mind as I am on the course and pushing the car. I certainly am not doing parade laps, and have a competitive nature, but find myself not aggressively taking someone in a corner if it looks like there is a substantial risk of contact. I could have passed a Porsche in a corner, I was gaining on him and he over braked for the corner, but it was going to be tight and I would have had to get up high on the curbing to take him and would have carried possibly a little too much speed, so I broke hard and and that threw off my momentum going into the corner.

We both came to the conclusion that while we can be competitive and will seek to become faster, we will never be able to compete against race teams that can afford to build engines that are grenades and replace/repair cars that are damaged in short order.

As an aside, was talking with Jim Inglese today about changing my jetting and he asked me for a better picture of my car than what I had sent him as he is revamping his website and wants a picture of the car on it.

Jim

[CSX 4133]

Yikes, sounds like a very expensive weekend, for some anyway. As vintage racing becomes more popular it seems it's bringing less experienced drivers into the sport.
I hope none of the totaled cars were in Group 6 as I know most of them.

[Moto One]

Jim, please don't take this other than this is the coach coming out in me. After watching you last video (more than a few times). May I suggest that you keep your eyes forward more, drive your line, and let the faster driver coming up from the rear work around you on exit of corners, (it's their responsibility to safely pass you) Your responsibility is to check your mirror on or just after exit of a corner and then give way if needed. When you stay consistent in your line it keeps everything predictable.

Mark.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by 1795

Blas,

Did not boil out as much water the last race. I think that it was due to the higher pressure radiator cap. I am thinking that the increased temp for the coolant was secondary to the engine running on the lean side, and we finally got all of the air bled out of the system....

Jim, your water temp gauge reading appears to be low....is that a correct reading at between 120 to 160? You mention that it "Did not boil out as much water the last race"?

Great footage to watch for us armchair spectators! Aside from the ever present risk of bingles, as well as the long lonely nights in prep for the races, you must be having a ball on the track!


Here's cheers!!
Glen

[Alfa02]

Jim my friend, you have just what us vintage racer's want to hear. Your there for the "Sportsmanship, friendship, or just to be part of something we enjoy. A very good friend & fellow racer once told me, come the end of the weekend the prize money between 1st and 10th, is the same I think I have mentioned this before. We live by 4-rules in "Vintage Racing" 1-Take care of the other driver. 2-Take care of the other drivers car. 3-Take of your car, and 4th Take care of yourself. You live by those rules, and come the end of the weekend, your car will be undamaged by you or the other's around you, and that's what you take home, fun, friendship, and even a job well done The more time you spend with your group, and the more they trust you (It can a take season or two) then you can to start to run fender to fender or nose to tail, that's when the REAL FUN start's. Trust me Jim, I spent 16+ years running with the "Boys" and none of us EVERY touched each other, sometime it was CLOSE, but that's for another day . Again Jim I'm proud of your attitude, and mindset, toward vintage racing, keep it up Pal. Cheers Tom.

[1795]

Originally Posted by CSX 4133

Yikes, sounds like a very expensive weekend, for some anyway. As vintage racing becomes more popular it seems it's bringing less experienced drivers into the sport.
I hope none of the totaled cars were in Group 6 as I know most of them.

Steven,

No accidents in Group 6, we were one of the few groups that did not have any contact. However, there was some attrition do to engine and other mechanical issues.

Jim

[1795]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Jim, your water temp gauge reading appears to be low....is that a correct reading at between 120 to 160? You mention that it "Did not boil out as much water the last race"?

Great footage to watch for us armchair spectators! Aside from the ever present risk of bingles, as well as the long lonely nights in prep for the races, you must be having a ball on the track!


Here's cheers!!
Glen

Glen,

With the FIA fuel log there is no port for the water temp sensor. Tried to find a place with adequate metal to place a bung but could not find one. Had the engine builder make an in-line assembly, but there was no room to place it between the intake and radiator, as that is where the thermostat had to go. So, the only place left was in the line coming from the radiator back in to the engine. I did notice that once the thermostat opened that the temp went from 180 down to 140, so I am going with adding 40 degrees to the water temp to estimate engine temp. Not optimum, but it is what I am stuck with until I can find a better place for it.

Jim

[1795]

So far I have been pretty much trying to race with the factory street suspension setup. Have done ok, but other than adjusting the camber, castor and toe for racing, it is pretty much stock. Being an adequate mechanic, I have come to the conclusion that the car needs a race mechanic to get it setup correctly.

So, I talked to Dennis Olthoff and I will be transporting the car down to him and over the course of the next month he will be going through the car and getting it setup into race form. We will reinstalling lowering blocks on the transverse leaf springs to drop the ride height an inch or so, maximizing the camber, castor and toe, looking at the shocks, Rick Muck is supplying some adjustable sway bars and solid mounts, checking the bearings, fabricating brake cooling ducts, and Dennis will be taking a look at some race tuning of the engine as well.

The car should be ready for the US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in September. Looking forward to having the car properly setup and being able to just focus on my driving skills. With building a new house, I just do not have the time to try to get this all done myself, and I really do not have any where near the knowledge and skill that Dennis and his crew have.

Jim

[Moto One]

Jim, when Dennis lowers the car,(and I'm suer he knows) too check the play in the rear axels/CV play, we suspect that is what cause my CV to pull apart. I'v add one spacer at the hub to add some slack in the CV's. It never cross my mind when lowering and adding some camber that it would cause the axel/CV play to become too tight.

Mark..

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by Moto One

Jim, when Dennis lowers the car,(and I'm suer he knows) too check the play in the rear axels/CV play, we suspect that is what cause my CV to pull apart. I'v add one spacer at the hub to add some slack in the CV's. It never cross my mind when lowering and adding some camber that it would cause the axel/CV play to become too tight.

Mark..

Jim's (1795) car has a Salisbury diff and therefor the Spicer sliding spline halfshaft axles rather than CV joints. Dennis will go through the car properly and return it ready to race at Watkins Glen. The standard ZF diff with the CV joints is not eligible for vintage racing.

[1795]

Originally Posted by Moto One

Jim, when Dennis lowers the car,(and I'm suer he knows) too check the play in the rear axels/CV play, we suspect that is what cause my CV to pull apart. I'v add one spacer at the hub to add some slack in the CV's. It never cross my mind when lowering and adding some camber that it would cause the axel/CV play to become too tight.

Mark..

Mark,

Thanks for the thoughts. As Rick said, I ordered my car sans differential as I had to have the Salisbury rear end to qualify for vintage racing. Dennis was able to point out a couple of things from the start that we will be working on. He also is going to manufacture a set of spacers, 1/2", and two at 1/4" so that I can play with the lowering and find an optimal performance level. Dennis is also going to see if he can get some brake cooling brackets that attach to the rotors to focus the air coming from the cooling ducts and more directly cool the brakes.

Jim

[Moto One]

Brain fart>>> on my part forgot that you have the Salisbury.

Mark.

[1795]

Hi,

Quick update before heading back to the Glen. I had Dennis Olthoff do some modifications to the suspension and brake cooling that had great results Yesterday afternoon and today were test sessions and from the start there was a noticeable improvement in handling and braking. Dennis lowered the suspension via blocks placed below the transverse leaf springs. We lowered the car an inching the front and 1.5 inches in the rear. In addition he fabricated some brake cooling ducts fro the front brakes to help support the FIA cooling ducts that are located on the underside of the car. The intake for the brake cooling ducts are on the outsides of the radiator and then the tubes food into a chamber that is connected to the wheel uprights.



Sorry for the orientation of the photo, it is rotated, but I do not have the time to play with that now. Will also have some race video later. Started the test day getting familiar with the car and ran a 2:22 and then lowered that time to 2:17 over the next few sessions. I am really looking forward to seeing what the car will do at race speeds. Dennis did a session in the car and was amazed at how neutral it handled. I agree the is no pushing, or difficult handling and you can go over the curbing without unsettling the car.

Well, back to work.

Jim

[1795]

I have not had time to look at the videos yet and get them posted. Probably will do that in a few days. One last race Sunday and the weekend is through. Continued to improve over the weekend and ran several 2:15 laps, almost ran a 2:14. best times ever at the Glen for me. Ca is handling great. Did a 60 minute enduro and had I noticed Dennis Olthoff trying to call me in for the mandatory pit stop and came in then, rather than 2 laps later under a full course yellow I would have finished 2nd overall. As it was, I finished 6th overall and 1st in group. Not too bad of an outing. My next race was less than stellar. It was an hour and a half after having raced the enduro and I was thoroughly exhausted. It was a struggle to keep going.

Afterwards, my wife and I served a homemade pasta and sauce dinner to about 30 people and there was a lot of good socialization, food consumed and maybe a little bit of wine and beer as well.

time to head to bed.

[Moto One]

Good to hear that.

Mark.