I got to agree with Bill on how much fun the track was. I took my TR6 up
there and had a ball. I wasn't very competitive, but had fun with a 510 and
a 2002. The track is short with lots of hard braking and I can't to Bill, I
only spun out once! And I think that was in front of Bill and the Porsche.
I still haven't got the car sorted out, but I think the problem is the cam
timing. I plan to work on that this week and my next race will be the
historics on the 4th of July weekend @ pacific Raceways.
Again what a great time, eh?
Charly
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Babcock" <BillB@bnj.com>
To: <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 7:10 PM
Subject: Trailer tires and mufflers
> Two comeuppances in a single weekend--maybe three, eh?
>
> I'm going to be saying Eh for awhile, having just come back from a great
> weekend in Mission, British Columbia, at a very cool little track--busiest
> damn track I've ever been on--and you need to pronouce that "been" as
> BEAN.
>
> On the way back today I saw a stream of white smoke well behind and
> thought "some fool doesn't know he's blown a tire--oh, crap, it's me". One
> of the world's heaviest twenty foot trailer tires came apart (I swear the
> thing was built to haul bulldozers, though Baxter says it was a sprint
> car). I had to disconnect to go get a replacement, and once it was on I
> checked all the tire pressures and found almost all of them were soft. I
> swear I checked before I left, but I'm the guy that goes into the kitchen,
> picks up a spatula, and wonders "why am I here and what's the spatula
> for?" So check those tire pressures, eh?
>
> At the track on saturday, after telling Henry Frye to leave his muffler on
> and play nice with the db meters, I got nailed for 98db. Hmmm. Not much
> problem to fix, but it definitely felt like some Karma had run over my
> Dogma.
>
> And third (I guess) I didn't win this weekend. Of course I think that's a
> great thing, but that's just me. I stuck myself in Group Two since the
> Poopers weren't around and I didn't see anything I could really play with
> in group one. On Saturday I had a great dice with Greg Campbell's
> outrageously quick 356, but then he broke a shift linkage, so I slowed
> down to play with the 911S gaggle that was about five seconds behind us. I
> waved one past me, planning to repass him after some good dicing. Of
> course he got really inspired being in first, and I couldn't get around
> him for love nor money. Heck, I thought he was going to lose me a few
> times.
>
> Sunday I had a great dice with Greg, held the lead for awhile, then we
> swapped a few times, and finally he made it stick for a few laps and in
> the dash for the finish he got over the transponder line first, though all
> my fans (my wife) say I had him by a nose at the flag (he might have
> lifted 'cause he knew where the wire was).
>
> Second race on Sunday I lead for awhile, and then it all went bad. I guess
> a season and a half might be too long for a set of Hoosiers. My tires felt
> like they were greased, the brake pedal went to the floor twice at really
> exciting times, and I spun twice. Finshed fifth, in sight of the leaders
> once I got my ducks in a row, but too far back to do anything without two
> or three more laps--and maybe not then. Turns out one of my anti-tramp
> bars broke on the rear end--that might have made it so loose feeling. but
> mostly I think it was the nut behind the wheel.
>
> Time to rebuild those master cylinders, buy a new set of tires, and calm
> down a little. Of course I need to get it all done before Thursday since
> I'm towing down to Sonoma (sears point) for the Wine country classic next
> weekend.
>
> If you ever get a chance to race at Mission, take it. It's like a go-kart
> track. One very short straight, hard on brakes, and tough on the arms and
> shoulders, but a lot of fun. It was my first time on the track, and I
> don't think I used the same line twice in any corner for the whole
> weekend. Fun though.
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