SCCA E/P '88 Convertible (07/02/03)

(Other results/movies and full build pictures are lower on this page)

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Road America June Sprints at Elkhart Lake Wisconsin
June 19-22

Second biggest SCCA Amateur race in the country!
(Biggest is the "Run-Offs" at Mid-Ohio in September --our next outing)

Started second, Moved to FIRST on first lap, led ALL the laps, WON THE RACE, and set a LAP RECORD !!!

Lap 1 - The pass for the lead - and the win

Same movie - two choices

Click here for
10 Megs, 3.0 Minute MPEG
(It's a 4 Mile track remember!)
Click here for
somewhat better:
24 Megs, 3.0 Minute MPEG
Start of the race, and two more laps - camera in pit lane

13.3 Megs, 2.5 Minute MPEG

The "Changing of the Hats" and then champagne spraying

8.9 Megs, 2.5 Minute MPEG

(Sorry, the mic is inside the car so there is almost no sound)

Some of the paddock (unbelievable number of cars and trucks)

3.8 Megs, 1.5 Minute MPEG

Wandering around on Thursday -- if you have never seen Road America, YOU SHOULD.
(QUITE a change from racing in the desert around here -- it has TREES, and WOODS, and GRASS!)

9.2 Megs, 3.25 Minute MPEG


Fourth National Weekend - 04/26-27/03 Buttonwillow
Saturday - On E/P pole, well under track record. On about the 3rd lap, a rear stub axle pulled out of the diff (again! - thought we had it fixed)
DNF - first one for the car

Blocked at turn 1, and Bob Neal (with the E/P 12A engine we just built for him) gets by. He goes on to win his FIRST NATIONAL race ever, and sets a NEW track record -- looks like the engine worked quite well!!


4.7meg MPEG, 1.5min
Cars spinning/crashing
Sunday - on E/P pole again Race went MUCH better than Saturday.
Got blocked again at turn 1, and Bob got by again. Passed him in a few laps, and went on for the E/P win


Lap One, 2min MPEG, 7megs
The Sunday win wraps up the 2003 Southern Pacific Division E/Production Championship for us !!!
Pass for the lead (and win)
1 minute, 3.8megs

03/29-30/03 Testing at a Regional
Won on Saturday, set a new track record
Sunday was not so good --was hit BIG time by a novice (with NO "X") GT5 car in qualifying! Have some work to do --
needless to say, we did not race.
Aside from the obvious body damage, the rear control arm was badly bent.

Third Weekend - Arizona Motorsports Park 03/7-8-9/03
NEW track - this was the FIRST race on it. It's a nice facility
Qualified on the POLE!
Got a great start, but the Caterham (Lotus Super 7 Replica) was on my butt for most of the race. Had trouble with the trans shifting the whole race, oil temp was 240+, rear tires were blistered and REAL loose, but we WON.
Start of the race, + first lap
2 Minutes, 12 meg MPG
Middle of the race from on top of the trailer.
1.5 Minutes, 5.1 megs MPEG

Second Weekend - Willow Springs National
02/22-23/03
Qualified first in class on Saturday, but was second Sunday morning.
Good start, first place car nicely slid off the track on the third lap. I took over first and stayed there for the rest of the race.
Lap showing him slide off - AND the lap I set a NEW E/Production LAP RECORD !
2 minutes, 9 megs
Outside camera shots
1 Minute, 5.6 meg MPEG

Pics and Movies from PIR 01/17-20/03
(New car, first weekend, 1 First, 1 Second)
Pass for second place --
(White car in front is Tony Rivera, in E/P lead)

(We never had time to rig our camera up - movie is from Wayne Graham's E/P RX7 -- thanks)

90 seconds, 4 megs
Then (in the distance), I pass Tony for the lead, and go on for the win.

1 minute, 3 megs

(Sorry, but it was very overcast, and the movies are pretty dark)

We are "returning" to the roots here -- building an E/Production '88 convertible!! (started road racing in 1971 in E/P) The prep was started 7/22/00, and will probably proceed rather slowly (lack of available time). -- Except for the rush at the end, as shown below.

Newest progress at top of this page, older as you go down.

Note: We took more than a year off to go Pro7 racing

01/15/03 - Wednesday
Essentially done !!! Quick trip to the alignment shop for 4 wheel align, then just start gathering/packing spares and equipment. Can't believe we got it all done !!
Planning on leaving for Phoenix Thursday morning, registration late Thursday, test and practice day Friday, then races (for our group) are Saturday and Monday.
Sorry, no time for pictures.

01/12/03

Annual tech done, engine runs (still has not driven under its own power).
Still to do: pull gearbox for a fix, pull diff to install torsen (just arrived), all alignments, corner weights, exhaust hangers, finish windshield, headlight covers, more graphics, and many more little things.
Need to load the car in the trailer on Wednesday afternoon.

01/06/03
By the way - we are shooting for the National Races at Phoenix 01/17-20/03 !!
 
   

12/29/02 9:00 P.M.
(Working on the car during the day, and running the engine on the dyno in the evenings)
   

12/27/02 4:30 P.M. - Now the fun starts !!!

12/05/02 - Plugging away --
MANY brackets made, many more to make. Exhaust all tacked together. Interior mostly figured out. Most front sheet metal / fiberglass done. Windshield prototype done, need to make the final.
Hopefully can take it all apart next week and go for real painting.
 

09/20/02 -- Getting ready for Seven Stock #5
(In gray primer)

07/16/02 - Cage was removed (was only tacked in place), chassis was dipped, cage welded in and "finished".

Seam welded
Next we scrape, grind, and sand for a week or so, then it goes to the bodyshop for primer, then REAL construction/assembly begins. (Of course, you build a good portion of the car, then take it all apart for real painting).
02/16/02 -- E/Production Engine On the Dyno

For the hard core (with fast connections) here is a typical dyno run.
(Sound is really good on this one)

This is a 6-port engine with an IDA Weber carb.

RPM's (you can hear the changes) are: 7k, 8k, 9k, 9.5k, and 10,000 RPM!!

That "white" spot in the middle of the picture IS the headers -- then watch them return to "gray" when the run is over.

E/P Engine / Dyno
9.3 Megs, 3.5 Minutes
02/12/02

Engine on the dyno

Still on the dyno

Rear subframe

Chassis on "spits"

Fiberglass nose -- all four fenders are here also

Misc pieces

The Beginning
Day 1, 7/21/00
Day 2, 7/22/00  
August 8, '00
Starting weight 3020#
After day 2, 2050#
This round, 1740#
(about as low as needed before we start the "build")


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