The MW Automotive Thread 5.0 GT

[dizman]

Yeah definitely air suspension, that looks better than any of the modern rolls on the road today.

[renegadeleader1]

I meant to say this earlier, but thanks for the words of support for my first race. Its less than 24 hours to go and I have that nervous uneasy feeling in my gut. I hope I can get some sleep before heading to the track. Star Speedway usually has a camera guy that records all the races, so you should be able to see how I did come tuesday or wednesday. Look for the Dodge Neon painted like a minion from Despicable Me, with a stuffed minion hanging out the window.

[reddsun1]

I'd say that's worth a Hell Yeah!

Best of luck!

[renegadeleader1]

banana?

Edited July 21, 2014 by renegadeleader1

[renegadeleader1]

Oh boy where do I begin on this horror story from yesterday? The good news is I'm not hurt, and the car is still mostly intact aside from some alignment issues and some fenders need replacing. The bad news is I didn't finish and the crap we went through just to run was almost intolerable.

I got to my brothers garage about 2pm to put the finishing touches on the paint scheme of the Minion-Mobile(number MIN-1), we were supposed to pick up a UHaul car hauler around 4pm to get the car to the track but their computer system was down and they couldn't process us. We decided to say the heck with it and drive the car up to the track ourselves. Its still technically street legal as long as the lights and blinkers are still working which we removed once we got to the track.

So there we are in the Minion-Mobile heading up the highway the whole way people are taking pictures, laughing, or just acting like WTF? We ended up getting stuck in bumper to bumper traffic where we passed a funeral hurst. My brother and I just looked at each other and said "That is not good omen". It was pushing 5:45pm when my brother decided to take an end around to avoid the traffic and get to the track.d

The racing started at 6:06 we didn't get there untill well after 6:30. We missed the drivers meetings , the practices, and the qualifiers so we would start dead last for our feature race. We got there in time for the New England Truck Series driver meet and greet session and the track owner had us roll out onto the track for the kids raffle give aways. Normally its usually just a bike but in honor of our first racing we brought a 3 pack of the Despicable Me movies(DM1+2+Minion shorts) to give away to the kids. People seemed to really love taking pictures with the car, more so than some of the trucks.

Once that was over we headed to the pits and began stripping the lights out of the car and making some last minute safety modifications. Apparently leaving the airbag in at the speeds we would be going would do more harm than good possibly snapping my neck if it went off so we took it out. We also wedged the back seat cussion between the door frame and the driver's seat to add more padding in case I got t-boned. Finally we also had to swap out the right front tire because it was worn down to the steel. My brother knew about since the day before, but never bothered to do anything about it untill just before lineup he found out our feature was 50 laps and figured the tire would blow. The new tire threw the handling off so I was screwed from the start pretty much.

As I lined up with the other cars the officials almost dqed me before I got on the track because I didn't have the sticker in the windshield proving I payed the entry fee and registerd. When we got to the pit shack earlier I guess we got caught up talking about the paint scheme and the hassle to get the car there they never handed us our sticker. This being our first time we didn't even know we needed it. At the very last second Bobby Webber the track owner cleared us to go and I was off

When the green flag dropped I had no chance. I didn't get a good acceleration and I had to fight the car hard going into the turns. It didn't help I had a regular seat belt instead of a five point harness(I wasn't lying about this being the lowest and cheapest level of racing) so gravity was trying to push my body out of the seat. By the 12th lap I was two laps down when the alignment and steering went. Going into the turn it was like steering a pirate ship given how I was having to spin the wheel.

The 17th lap I rubbed sides with a car going into the 3rd turn, I lost the rear end, over compensated, came back down in the 4th turn, fish hooked the other guy, he skidded out, over compensated, and we nailed each other fender to fender on the front stretch. The impact knocked the car out of gear and the dash lit up like a christmas tree. I hit the gas, but the car wouldn't go(apparently I was in neutral), I thought I broke something so I coasted to the pits, and my night was done.

There really is a kind of family atmosphere and camraderie at the track. Once I came to a stop I had several different drivers and crew some I didn't know run over to see if I was okay and wasn't hurt. Once we figured out the car was still drivable they wanted me to head back out, but there was only 4 laps left and it wasn't worth it. After that they helped bend the fender back out we got the lights and signals back in and I drove the damn thing home!

The divisions founder wants me to come back August 2nd, and says I didn't do bad for a rookie. He also gave me props for the paint scheme, the funny thing is the guy I started next to had a Tow-Mater scheme last year, so they are used to this kind of thing.

EDIT: When I started writing this I was still pissed at the BS I went through just to get the car running, and the fact I didn't finish. But you know what? This was awesome, scary, crazy, stupid, and amazing all at the same time and I can't wait to get back out there! Now that I've had the experience I can be better prepared next time.

Edited July 20, 2014 by renegadeleader1

[dizman]

Sounds like you had a blast! I'm glad you're ok and that the first taste of racing didn't turn you away from the whole thing. Can't wait to see the video footage .

[David Hingtgen]

Semi-OT, but awesome:

Buick has managed to yet again lower the average age of their new car buyers. Check it out!

Now only 1/5 of them are 75+.

Also, for the first half of 2014, Japan's sales numbers are in. And Pontiac outsold Buick. Yup, Pontiac, which hasn't sent any new shipments to dealer lots in a LONG time. Apparently they'd rather have 2009's than 2014's, when your other options is a Buick. (and I'd choose the same!)

I'd still love to have gotten an 08-09 G8. Sigh, I could have had one, if I'd waited like 6-12 months. But I honestly didn't know it was coming. Which is why I now regularly check car blogs etc for "what's coming next year" even when I have zero intention of getting something else at the time. I will NOT be caught again by "similar yet better/cooler car coming soon for the same price".

[reddsun1]

Oh boy where do I begin on this horror story from yesterday? The good news is I'm not hurt, and the car is still mostly intact aside from some alignment issues and some fenders need replacing. The bad news is I didn't finish and the crap we went through just to run was almost intolerable...

...EDIT: When I started writing this I was still pissed at the BS I went through just to get the car running, and the fact I didn't finish. But you know what? This was awesome, scary, crazy, stupid, and amazing all at the same time and I can't wait to get back out there! Now that I've had the experience I can be better prepared next time.

Hehe; dude--someday, you're gonna look back on this and laugh. Main thing is: you're livin' the dream, baby. I envy you.

[areaseven]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8dayNyJYvk

[areaseven]

A little something for A1.

[reddsun1]

Well, it's certainly. Unique. Makes me think of that Pike's Peak racer from the old Gran Turismo game...

[reddsun1]

Hehe.

Sub-compact, with an attitude...

[renegadeleader1]

Well here it is, my racing debute! I wish I was in the video a little more, but like I said the handling was off(berthing in the control arm went) so I was nowhere near the front. There's always next race! Which is tomorrow at Star's sister track Hudson International Speedway.(If I can get the control arm fixed)

Just a disclaimer even though the class is enduro it really is more organized than that. There's a point system in place with an end of the year championship. We are technically supposed to be the roadrunner division by rule definition, but that class is full of rodded out mini-stocks.

[reddsun1]

Best of luck! Dude, you should be in the garage getting ready though.

I would highly recommend a thorough checklist that you can work through in the days/spare time leading up to any given race weekend. Something along the lines of...

or

Basically, the approach that I observed the majority of the pros use when I worked in racing could be summed up along the lines of: Go through and check everything. Then, go through and check it again.

In. The. Fu*.

[areaseven]

And now for some classic car cinema:

Ronin (1998) - No CGI, no shaky-cam, no neon or NOS. Just a pure white-knuckled car chase on the streets of Paris.

[reddsun1]

Yup, definitely one kick-ass car chase. Hehe, I dunno who should get the award for most convincing "puckered-arse-tense-driver" performance though; Deniro, or Roy Scheider for his job at the wheel in The Seven-Ups.

[peter]

And now for some classic car cinema:

Ronin (1998) - No CGI, no shaky-cam, no neon or NOS. Just a pure white-knuckled car chase on the streets of Paris.

Didn't they mention a Nitrous Oxide system for the S8 in the film?

[derex3592]

Ronin was just soooo badass. For so many reasons.

[areaseven]

[reddsun1]

William Harley and Arthur Davidson, 1914

[areaseven]

A major incident occurred last week at a Sprint Car race, when Kevin Ward, Jr. was sent to the wall by NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart. When Ward got out of his car to confront Stewart, he was fatally run over by Stewart. Whether or not this was intentional is still up to debate.

Stewart Investigation Remains Open, Ongoing

Edited August 13, 2014 by areaseven

[renegadeleader1]

As someone who is heavily involved in the short track community I ask that you please take that video down and not link to it. If somebody wants to see it they can google it, but posting it here isn't in good taste.

[reddsun1]

I've been fortunate enough to have spent some time in racing; been away from it longer than I care to admit, love it--and racing folk--and miss it dearly. I cannot in good conscience allow myself to watch that. My knee-jerk reaction at the speculation that Stewart may have done so intentionally--no matter how much of a "hot head" he may be--is to think: utter bollocks to that (and a slew of other unmentionables).

Please don't keep that link. Thank you.

Edited August 13, 2014 by reddsun1

[anime52k8]

A major incident occurred last week at a Sprint Car race, when Kevin Ward, Jr. was sent to the wall by NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart. When Ward got out of his car to confront Stewart, he was fatally run over by Stewart. Whether or not this was intentional is still up to debate.

Stewart Investigation Remains Open, Ongoing

As tragic as any motorsports fatality is, I think it's pretty clear what happened and who's culpable for this accident.

[jenius]

I'd been reading about this in the news but hadn't seen the video. I assumed it the tragic accident that was the fault of the driver who confronted a moving vehicle. Then I saw the video and man... that really looks bad for Stewart. Why the heck does he stomp the gas? I think it would be hard for him to be found guilty of a crime though unless he says something incriminating. Since the killed driver was somewhere there'd be no reasonable expectation of his being, and since he was not stationary, I imagine Stewart's claiming he didn't see him until the last moment and then he jammed the gas and turned to try to avoid him. The video makes it look like he jams the gas to mow him down but I don't see how you can prove it either way. Even if he escapes criminal justice I suspect he'll have a civil case heading his way.

[dizman]

He didn't run the man over on purpose, end of story.

[reddsun1]

Okay. Need to switch gears....

Hah! TA, next to TA.

[jenius]

Love the juxtaposition

[reddsun1]

Good Lord. Ferrari GTO sets new record at auction...

http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/14/autos/ferrari-gto-world-auction-record/

[renegadeleader1]

I'm at Hudson Speedway getting ready for my next race. Of the last two races,, the first the car wasn't fully repaired, and the second got rained out. Am I nervous? Yes, but I've grown up around this track all my life and know it better than Star Speedway.

Edited August 18, 2014 by renegadeleader1

[dizman]

You've got this, just take it easy and have a good time.

[renegadeleader1]

I FINISHED!!!! Lapped and nowhere the top 5, but I still finished and not in last place! I actually feel pretty good even if the handling was still off.

[Atharun]

Sold my 370z and purchased a mini cooper s. Have to say it is the most fun I have had in a car in a long time.

[Knight26]

What;s the best way to check to see if you have a blown headgasket? I think the one on my 98 tacoma might be bad, I hear bubbling in the radiator after it gets hot and when driving it gets hotter the faster I go.

[rotorhead]

Re: head gasket, check for coolant in the oil, oil in the coolant, and bubbling with the radiator cap off while idling. None of these are definitive, but may point you in the right direction.

Edited August 18, 2014 by rotorhead