Had a good/bad time at Infineon this past weekend. *TTA and American Iron write up*
10-10-2006, 10:54 AM
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Had a good/bad time at Infineon this past weekend. *TTA and American Iron write up*
Besides the usual issues with getting two cars and all the equipment to support the effort loaded and on the road, we had to deal with extenuating circumstances; the ghetto machinist didn't have the spring perches done for the mustang, putting us three hours behind schedule. The setback also meant we didn't get an updated certified dyno sheet for the mustang which meant running a lot of ballast Saturday in order to be legal for the AI weight
ower ratio. Luck started to go our way once on the road, we made good time, about five hours, and managed to get into the Infineon facility at 11:56pm, just four minutes before they lock the gates. After finding a decent spot for the trailer, it was time to salvage some sleep out of the evening.
Saturday morning was extremely hectic since again I was doing double-duty in both the Audi, running TTA, and the mustang, running American Iron. My brother, Don helped out big time by picking up the slack around the paddock and it was *ON* when Eric Fletcher arrived a little later after a rental car debacle in Oakland. NASA Time Trial in NorCal is ran very well, but sometimes the download meetings after the on-track sessions can be lengthy. Good thing I'm patient. While I was practicing my listening skills, the mustang got loaded down with ballast and re-scaled with the new rear shocks, which unfortunately didn't have the same amount of bump travel as the previous pair. This became a problem later.
Anyways, the Audi ran well despite being on old tires and not so great track conditions. We widdled a 1:49.9 down to a 1:49.28 which was good enough to reset the previous record by ~3.5 seconds. I'd like to mention that EF checked the codes on the car and the only thing that popped up were two communication codes for systems that are no longer in the car, I'm lovin' that!
All Photos are courtesy of Head-On Photos and can not be used for corporate or sponsorship purposes:
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v352/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R0086-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images19.fotki.com/v23/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R3179-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v351/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R4735-vi.jpg">
Qualifying for AI was interesting. Starter issues put me on track late and just in time for slower traffic. I took my lumps and qualified fourth in AI. The race later in the day was even more of a crap shoot, with the rear shocks bottoming out with excessive travel, it meant everytime the rear travel was maxed the rear wheel rate increased infinitely, resulting in an excessive oversteer situation. I worked my way to third in AI in the first few laps, which was a feat considering I started seventh due to a combined AI/AIX grid, but I couldn't make the car last in its condition. Ultimately the rear shock bracket broke off the axle on the last lap forcing me to pull off track. Bummer.
pre-broken car: Notice the back is jacked up a little (even though this example shows a little brake dive) in an effort to creat more rear travel.
<img src="http://images18.fotki.com/v17/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R2888-vi.jpg">
I was so down back in the paddock that I didn't have the motivation to try fixing the car in an effort to make Sunday's race. Thankfully Eric was there to not let me ponder on quiting. No sooner could I think about throwing in the towel when I look over to find Eric and Don with the car up in the air and the grinder going full bore on the remnants of the shock bracket. John Griggs from Griggs Racing rounded up a pair of Koni shocks, coilover sleeves and some stock shock brackets. Bruce Griggs opened up the shop for us that evening and even got his hands dirty with the torch. Not to mention, they got me a dyno appointment that same night! The get'er done attitude of Eric and Don along with the generosity and know-how of Griggs Racing got the car done late that night. There was of course time for a steak dinner and beer/hot tub to get rid of the sore muscles.
Sunday morning saw the schedule get pushed up with qualifying early that morning and a mid-day race. We scrambled to find another Toyo tire for the mustang since the fender made mince meat out of the previous one. Again, Griggs to the rescue as I had one of their spare tires mounted on my wheel. I qualified second and felt pretty good abount having the necessary travel in the rear along with a car that was nearly 100lbs. lighter. Sunday's 12:20pm race was a standing start. I started outside row 1 and in old skewl Pat-SoCal fashion won the drag race to T1. There were two lead changes in the relatively short race as the P2 car of Andy Bowman and I battled back and forth. Split times were all within half a second. I ended up on top after a pass on the inside of T2 and held Andy off for another lap and a half. It was my first AI victory in my fifth start and I was damn happy to have done it considering the huge sacrifices EF, Don and Griggs Racing made to get the car back on track.
Pics from the race:
Out Lap
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v352/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9256-vi.jpg">
Leading Andy out of the T7/7a combination
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v351/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9326-vi.jpg">
A little on-throttle oversteer
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v351/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9391-vi.jpg">
Andy battling by me in T7
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v351/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9430-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v350/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9431-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images17.fotki.com/v349/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9432-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images19.fotki.com/v23/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9433-vi.jpg">
Meh, I gave him way too much acreage...
<img src="http://images17.fotki.com/v349/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9434-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v350/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9435-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v350/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9436-vi.jpg">
And the final order
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v352/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9544-vi.jpg">
I also should thank my parents for coming to the track with me. It was great to have them there and of course track food can't compete with some of mom's trackside deli!
ower ratio. Luck started to go our way once on the road, we made good time, about five hours, and managed to get into the Infineon facility at 11:56pm, just four minutes before they lock the gates. After finding a decent spot for the trailer, it was time to salvage some sleep out of the evening. Saturday morning was extremely hectic since again I was doing double-duty in both the Audi, running TTA, and the mustang, running American Iron. My brother, Don helped out big time by picking up the slack around the paddock and it was *ON* when Eric Fletcher arrived a little later after a rental car debacle in Oakland. NASA Time Trial in NorCal is ran very well, but sometimes the download meetings after the on-track sessions can be lengthy. Good thing I'm patient. While I was practicing my listening skills, the mustang got loaded down with ballast and re-scaled with the new rear shocks, which unfortunately didn't have the same amount of bump travel as the previous pair. This became a problem later.
Anyways, the Audi ran well despite being on old tires and not so great track conditions. We widdled a 1:49.9 down to a 1:49.28 which was good enough to reset the previous record by ~3.5 seconds. I'd like to mention that EF checked the codes on the car and the only thing that popped up were two communication codes for systems that are no longer in the car, I'm lovin' that!
All Photos are courtesy of Head-On Photos and can not be used for corporate or sponsorship purposes:
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v352/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R0086-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images19.fotki.com/v23/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R3179-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v351/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R4735-vi.jpg">
Qualifying for AI was interesting. Starter issues put me on track late and just in time for slower traffic. I took my lumps and qualified fourth in AI. The race later in the day was even more of a crap shoot, with the rear shocks bottoming out with excessive travel, it meant everytime the rear travel was maxed the rear wheel rate increased infinitely, resulting in an excessive oversteer situation. I worked my way to third in AI in the first few laps, which was a feat considering I started seventh due to a combined AI/AIX grid, but I couldn't make the car last in its condition. Ultimately the rear shock bracket broke off the axle on the last lap forcing me to pull off track. Bummer.
pre-broken car: Notice the back is jacked up a little (even though this example shows a little brake dive) in an effort to creat more rear travel.
<img src="http://images18.fotki.com/v17/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R2888-vi.jpg">
I was so down back in the paddock that I didn't have the motivation to try fixing the car in an effort to make Sunday's race. Thankfully Eric was there to not let me ponder on quiting. No sooner could I think about throwing in the towel when I look over to find Eric and Don with the car up in the air and the grinder going full bore on the remnants of the shock bracket. John Griggs from Griggs Racing rounded up a pair of Koni shocks, coilover sleeves and some stock shock brackets. Bruce Griggs opened up the shop for us that evening and even got his hands dirty with the torch. Not to mention, they got me a dyno appointment that same night! The get'er done attitude of Eric and Don along with the generosity and know-how of Griggs Racing got the car done late that night. There was of course time for a steak dinner and beer/hot tub to get rid of the sore muscles.
Sunday morning saw the schedule get pushed up with qualifying early that morning and a mid-day race. We scrambled to find another Toyo tire for the mustang since the fender made mince meat out of the previous one. Again, Griggs to the rescue as I had one of their spare tires mounted on my wheel. I qualified second and felt pretty good abount having the necessary travel in the rear along with a car that was nearly 100lbs. lighter. Sunday's 12:20pm race was a standing start. I started outside row 1 and in old skewl Pat-SoCal fashion won the drag race to T1. There were two lead changes in the relatively short race as the P2 car of Andy Bowman and I battled back and forth. Split times were all within half a second. I ended up on top after a pass on the inside of T2 and held Andy off for another lap and a half. It was my first AI victory in my fifth start and I was damn happy to have done it considering the huge sacrifices EF, Don and Griggs Racing made to get the car back on track.
Pics from the race:
Out Lap
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v352/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9256-vi.jpg">
Leading Andy out of the T7/7a combination
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v351/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9326-vi.jpg">
A little on-throttle oversteer
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v351/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9391-vi.jpg">
Andy battling by me in T7
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v351/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9430-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v350/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9431-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images17.fotki.com/v349/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9432-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images19.fotki.com/v23/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9433-vi.jpg">
Meh, I gave him way too much acreage...
<img src="http://images17.fotki.com/v349/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9434-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v350/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9435-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v350/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9436-vi.jpg">
And the final order
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v352/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9544-vi.jpg">
I also should thank my parents for coming to the track with me. It was great to have them there and of course track food can't compete with some of mom's trackside deli!
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10-10-2006, 11:16 AM
#8
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Well I'm glad I have some "good" stuff to write about.
Sometimes a weekend at the track can yield only headaches and broken equipment. Been there, but thankfully it was an overall decent weekend.
10-10-2006, 11:20 AM
#10
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Heh, the front end usually isn't that low.
And the chassis is overall pretty soft and has lots of roll, especially stepping out of the Audi. Under acceleration the nose comes up pretty good:
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v352/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9474-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images16.fotki.com/v352/photos/6/681510/4129928/KG4R9474-vi.jpg">