So what do car guys (and gals) do in mid-winter in the
northern climates? Think about
improvements, dream of buying more cars, get the car ready for the next
season, and look at racing movies!
[Hyperlinks add below in case you want to travel.]
It’s hard to imagine life without the Internet. How else did
we find things like Road America 1958? This vintage footage is almost as priceless
as the commentary. As one who more or less considers Road America the home
track, it’s really fun to see how much things have changed and how much things
have remained the same.
The safety of the track has certainly improved since 1958, for drivers and especially spectators. It’s hard to imagine people standing along
the track within 10 feet of cars going over 100 mph. But I can relate to things getting squirrely
in Turns 5 and 6.
Locally we also had our Second Annual Fox Valley Gearheads
Movie Night at the Barlow
Planetarium, enjoying Steve McQueen in the all time favorite LeMans. Nothing like watching this on
the big screen with THX Surround Sound! Thanks to the Auto Clinic of Neenah for
helping.
Season Schedule 2013
We’ve laid out the plans for the next racing season,
realizing that all plans in the game need to be flexible. But here are our
intentions. We hope that many of you will be able to come hang around the
paddock with us, have a soft drink during the racing and maybe a good beer
afterwards.
April 25-28 The
Mitty Challenge Road Atlanta (Georgia)
May 17-19 Spring
Vintage Weekend Road America (Wisconsin)
June 14-16 Blackhawk
Classic Black Hawk Farms Raceway (Illinois)
June 28-30 Vintage
Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Ohio)
August 17-18 Double
Race Weekend Road America (Wisconsin)
Sept. 6-8 Elkhart
Lake Vintage Festival Road America (Wisconsin)
Oct. 26-28 Savannah
Speed Classic Grand Prize of America Track
(Georgia)
We also may be showing at the Iola Old Car Show in July. The ’73 1800ES
has been invited to the Blue Ribbon Concours. I have proposed to the Iola leadership something a bit more
interesting, taking both it and the race car to the event and talking about vintage racing.
Winter Work
By contrast to last year, the work that needs to be done to get ready for 2013 is mercifully little.
Race Engineer David Farrington has the DL 1 data acquisition unit
and a power supply, intending to make connections more secure. Perhaps most
importantly he’s dragooned the services of a pair of engineers for a grander
scheme.
Upon moving from Rhode Island to Tennessee and needing a
place to temporarily store his 1800ES, Farrington found space with Brian
Tuteur, son of a frequent Road America race attendee and award-winning 1800E
owner John Tuteur. Brian likes working on cars, and is intrigued by a prospect
hanging around with us in the paddock.
At work (Mueller Company) Farrington found Mechanical
Engineer Timofey Sitnikov working hard on electronics. Tim has been convinced
to join the efforts to make data acquisition improevments. Seems Tim wants to
experience the thunder of unmuffled race cars at Road Atlanta as well.
Farrington received his BS in Chemical Engineering from
UConn, but has been working on instrumentation and data acquisition for many
years; while he dabbles in electronics, this isn't a strong strength. Having
Tuteur and Sitnikov aboard will be a definite help.
Together these real engineers will be making mods to the DL
1 data acquisition system.
Main input terminal block of the DL1 data acquisition system
has experience-proven spring clip system, putting continuous spring pressure on
signal wires
Our 1st generation power
supply - two channels of 10.00 Volts DC for the steering and throttle
potentiometers. Terminals used in the 1st generation
power supply had screw terminals - not quite so perfectly vibration resistant
What is most exciting for me is that they are looking to add some
engine performance data to the mix of information recorded. Having seen that
the twin Webers were frequent adjustment items to No. 1 as Crew Chief Dave Buettner worked hard at dialing in ignition and fuel
mixture, Mr. Farrington is devising a digital element to the EGTs so that we
can have data on the performance of each cylinder as we make our runs. The
analog connection will be retained so I can watch for any issues developing
before they become major problems. Click
here if you would like a treatise on EGTs.
Last year we added a data system-connected AFR to the mix, but because we burn leaded
racing fuel the AFR probe gets corrupted over time. I am able to see at a
glance a digital readout and we now know what the number should be when we have
the Weber jetting right. But theoretically, having good data to look at from
the EGTs should allow us to fine tune the engine performance.
So while they are playing with electronics, I’m back home
taking care of the rest of the chores.
The amount of work needed on our car this winter is
mercifully minor by contrast to last year. I've replaced the caliper seals to
make sure the stopping fluid stays off the track...
New dust boots and seals from iRoll Motors
... and built a new back-up distributor and gotten it ready for
play.
Ready to go at a moment’s notice …
I’ll be replacing the soft mounts on the Webers …
New mounting hardware from Pierce Manifolds
… and building a new limited slip 4.3 differential to
replace a welded one…
Think this welded 4.3 unit has ‘had it?’
… and assembling what we refer as to as ‘Engine A,’ the
original block and head combination that came with the car, creating a backup
for 2013. The cracks in heads were repaired by Indy Cylinder Head Indy Cylinder Heads, and Competition Specialists.
Hopefully these repairs will keep the exhaust out of the coolant
Stay
tuned for more information, and as the Volvo guys say. “Keep Rollin’!”
