RRRex
08-03-2006, 05:34 PM
Well, what a weekend it’s been. I was competing in at the SoloSprint Time Attack last weekend at TMP (aka Cayuga) and had a few issues arise to slow me down. Wednesday of last week did an oil change and fresh alignment on my Splitfire/Buddy Club/Option JDM/Castrol sponsored CRX. Thursday night I took it out to heat cycling some tires – 15 minutes of figure 8s in an empty parking lot. Car was feeling good - no issues to speak of.
Friday I went down to Cayuga for some lapping to learn the track. That was the first track I’ve ever driven on, but a couple years have past since it’s been open so it’s like a whole new track to me. On my second lap, pushing about 70% a balljoint popped off of the LCA. It took out the axle and a good chunk of the fender with it. Big mess. Strange thing was the pin was still in the balljoint. It was an OE balljoint that was about 6 months old. My best guess is it was a defect of some kind. Stuff like that doesn’t happen. The axel was also OE and only about a month old. Talk about bad luck.
Got it on Shane’s tow dolly rented from U-Haul for the weekend and towed it to Splitfire in Brampton for repair. Thanks Shane! Came back at 11pm that night to pick it up and it sure enough it was done. The car felt good. I used some pliers to bend the fender out of the way of the wheel and some trusty duct tape to cover the roughed up edges. The car felt good. Back to the track I go for Saturday’s competition.
On my 5th lap during open lapping the radius rod broke on the opposite side. I run an aftermarket traction bar from ETD racing. This is the second time I’ve broken the radius rod in a braking zone. The other fender is now mashed up. I call ETD Racing on my way back to Splitfire and sure enough they’re still open and have extra radius arms in stock. They’ve taken over the manufacturing of the traction bars and have strengthened the original design from Todem (sp?). They were really helpful bunch, especially since I left my wallet in the racecar at Paul’s shop. Talk about a bonehead move. So I grab a couple spares just to have and back to Splitfire I go. 10 minutes after arriving at the shop, Johnny pops on the new radius rod and the car is back on the trailer ready to go back to the track.
Sunday comes and I’m a little hesitant in warm up after having two suspension bits break on me. The first session I’m sitting in 3rd about a half a second behind Luca in his Subaru. The second session comes and I push the car a little harder. I shave a second off my time in the second session but Luca steps it up too. I’m still a second behind. By the third session I was feeling comfortable that the car wasn’t going to break on my so I went out pushing it hard. Shaved a second and a half off my time and am sitting firmly in second place a second behind Dr. Dave and his LS1 powered Camaro on his cheater V710 tires. Fourth session comes out and I know I’m leaving some time on the track. Wish I had more seat time on the track. Alignment is off too from the front wheel mashing up the fenders. So decided to push even harder and try to take down the Camaro.
Get the green flag and off I go. Added a bit more air to the rear tires to make up for some of the alignment issues and pushed back all my braking zones by a foot or so. First lap I cooked turn 1 by going in way too hot. I hang on the brakes to the apex to scrub some speed and the back end starts coming around like I expected with the higher rear pressure. Back on the gas I go and the car stays on the track. Must’ve looked kind of hairy from the pits but whatever, gotta a V8 on uber tires to put in its place. Continue to push hard throughout the session but times didn’t improve. Think I pushed a little too hard. Oh well.
Have to thank Paul and Johnny from Splitfire for doing such a great job getting the car ready for the track, Shane for use of his Pathfinder and the guys at ETD Racing.
Friday I went down to Cayuga for some lapping to learn the track. That was the first track I’ve ever driven on, but a couple years have past since it’s been open so it’s like a whole new track to me. On my second lap, pushing about 70% a balljoint popped off of the LCA. It took out the axle and a good chunk of the fender with it. Big mess. Strange thing was the pin was still in the balljoint. It was an OE balljoint that was about 6 months old. My best guess is it was a defect of some kind. Stuff like that doesn’t happen. The axel was also OE and only about a month old. Talk about bad luck.
Got it on Shane’s tow dolly rented from U-Haul for the weekend and towed it to Splitfire in Brampton for repair. Thanks Shane! Came back at 11pm that night to pick it up and it sure enough it was done. The car felt good. I used some pliers to bend the fender out of the way of the wheel and some trusty duct tape to cover the roughed up edges. The car felt good. Back to the track I go for Saturday’s competition.
On my 5th lap during open lapping the radius rod broke on the opposite side. I run an aftermarket traction bar from ETD racing. This is the second time I’ve broken the radius rod in a braking zone. The other fender is now mashed up. I call ETD Racing on my way back to Splitfire and sure enough they’re still open and have extra radius arms in stock. They’ve taken over the manufacturing of the traction bars and have strengthened the original design from Todem (sp?). They were really helpful bunch, especially since I left my wallet in the racecar at Paul’s shop. Talk about a bonehead move. So I grab a couple spares just to have and back to Splitfire I go. 10 minutes after arriving at the shop, Johnny pops on the new radius rod and the car is back on the trailer ready to go back to the track.
Sunday comes and I’m a little hesitant in warm up after having two suspension bits break on me. The first session I’m sitting in 3rd about a half a second behind Luca in his Subaru. The second session comes and I push the car a little harder. I shave a second off my time in the second session but Luca steps it up too. I’m still a second behind. By the third session I was feeling comfortable that the car wasn’t going to break on my so I went out pushing it hard. Shaved a second and a half off my time and am sitting firmly in second place a second behind Dr. Dave and his LS1 powered Camaro on his cheater V710 tires. Fourth session comes out and I know I’m leaving some time on the track. Wish I had more seat time on the track. Alignment is off too from the front wheel mashing up the fenders. So decided to push even harder and try to take down the Camaro.
Get the green flag and off I go. Added a bit more air to the rear tires to make up for some of the alignment issues and pushed back all my braking zones by a foot or so. First lap I cooked turn 1 by going in way too hot. I hang on the brakes to the apex to scrub some speed and the back end starts coming around like I expected with the higher rear pressure. Back on the gas I go and the car stays on the track. Must’ve looked kind of hairy from the pits but whatever, gotta a V8 on uber tires to put in its place. Continue to push hard throughout the session but times didn’t improve. Think I pushed a little too hard. Oh well.
Have to thank Paul and Johnny from Splitfire for doing such a great job getting the car ready for the track, Shane for use of his Pathfinder and the guys at ETD Racing.