Superformance MKII, Riverside Racer 289 FIA vintage race car part 2

1795 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-24-2018, 06:27 AM

I cannot get into the last page of my thread, so I guess it is time to start a new one. I went to VIR this past weekend for the first time and Byronpete was there to lend support, thanks a lot Byron! Byron will be posting some photos when he gets the chance. He and others enjoyed taking photos of me as I was upside down in the drivers seat repairing the kill switch. Met some new friends at the track and had the wonderful support of Dennis Olthoff and his team to help me take care of issues as they arose.

I had two issue free race weekends previously, so I was due. Managed to loosen both exhaust pipes at the header flange due to hitting curbing on corners. Had a brake issue that needed to be repaired. The brakes were not there consistently and that made my corner entrances slower than I would have liked due to having to brake early or drop speed early to make sure that I did not go flying off the corner. There was quite a bit of carnage with cars going off the corners and hitting the walls. The grass was wet and people slid a long ways. Dennis suggested some new brake pads that I will try to get before the next race.

We were paddocked between Dennis and a team of cars owned by Pat Ryan and his son Sean. They had a NASCAR cup racer, a Trans Am Camaro that was formerly run by Ron Fellows and a 1971 Camaro. Pat also owns an original slab side cobra. Also met Steve Shody who was racing a 427 Kirkham.

Theweather was hot and muggy, on my last race the sweat was stinging my eyes and I was starting to have trouble seeing. Had to miss one practice session due to dehydration. Saturday night a tornado was in the area and some canopies were destroyed and Dennis said that there was 3" of water running through the paddock.. Luckily nothing happened to my car or canopy.

nice track and facilities, will need a couple more times there to get the track down. There are some throw away corners that you have to figure out so that you can have the correct line for the next series of corners.

Here is one video. I will post more later. Fast forward through the first few minutes until the cars start to move. Still have not figured out how to crop the videos and remove the boring parts.

https://youtu.be/q8uXqPpgBGQ

Jim

Mark IV · #2 (**permalink**) 09-24-2018, 07:30 AM

Jim,

Coming home in once piece with the car still running is always a win!

When you have the engine out bring me the chassis, we have some ideas for the sway bars and some other tricks we will apply.

1795 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-24-2018, 07:51 AM

Rick,

Thanks! Sounds good to me. Yes, based upon the number of cars that came off the track with significant repairs required, it was a successful weekend. I had no misconceptions about doing well the first time at a new course. Finishing and having the car go back on the trailer in the same condition that it left it is a win in my books.

Jim

1795 · #4 (**permalink**) 09-24-2018, 08:28 AM

Rick,

It would be nice to have some suspension upgrades and to improve the braking. While most of the cars that you see flying by me are running 150-250 more horsepower than I have, the more critical factor is their brake systems as opposed to mine. Braking is what allows you to carry speed deeper into the corner and improve times. Those Corvettes, Mustangs and Camaro's are all running 4 wheel discs with vented rotors. None of them are running rear drums like the originals. I am running solid rotors that have a tendency to warp with increased temps. The pads that i have been using are not the best either, so going to a better pad should allow me to go deeper into the corners before braking and with some suspension upgrades that should help as well. Looking forward to next year.

Jim

Mark IV · #5 (**permalink**) 09-24-2018, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1795

Rick,

It would be nice to have some suspension upgrades and to improve the braking. While most of the cars that you see flying by me are running 150-250 more horsepower than I have, the more critical factor is their brake systems as opposed to mine. Braking is what allows you to carry speed deeper into the corner and improve times. Those Corvettes, Mustangs and Camaro's are all running 4 wheel discs with vented rotors. None of them are running rear drums like the originals. I am running solid rotors that have a tendency to warp with increased temps. The pads that i have been using are not the best either, so going to a better pad should allow me to go deeper into the corners before braking and with some suspension upgrades that should help as well. Looking forward to next year.

Jim

Don't you just love how SVRA makes you run solid discs and Girling calipers while the Mustangs run 65 Thunderbird (or equal) front rotors of bigger diameter/thicker size as "homologated" options!

We will improve the handling so when you add the power from the Webers you will be able to use it.

byronpete21 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-25-2018, 07:13 AM

Pics are posted under a new thread (Vintage Racing at VIR) I will also include a link to the google drive folder I have set up which will have a few more pics that I took. After seeing Jim struggle with the Girling brakes, I am convinced that they were made by the same people who created Lucas electrics. I have a slogan for their advertising department but they may not want to use it. " Girling brakes when you absolutely need to stop sometimes"

Best Regards,
Byron
Link to Pictures
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lY...U4Y2G7aEzigrt0