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Ry is on his way to pick up his car at my shop. Is has some new TCD suspension parts... along with re-welded front a-arm mounts, and the correct charge pressure in the shocks.
OK: here's my Friday update. Weather fine & clear, about 95 degrees. We had a practice session and qualify session today.
Despite placing his car first on the grid for qualifying about an hour before the session, Rylan spent too much time talking with Joe and was late into the car for the session, so went out last. In the end it did not matter as there were not too many cars on the track. Rylan managed to get second on the grid behind Kent Jorden's Evo with a 2:04.1xx. Rylan did not fell that this was anywhere near his best and commented the time was slow. However the fatest GT2 car at 2:04.17, so the track was not that fast. Afterwards there was a lot of activity around the back of his car and we did notice that the rear shock lower mount bolt was bent. Also a front rotor cracked in practice and Rylan borrowed Richard's spare.
Richard went 2:07 or 2:08 the qualify 7th or so (can't remember). Richard was not that happy with his times but the car was running ok and we think the times will drop once he finds some new lines in the race. Of course, leaving the tools in the trunk will result in a pit stop during the race.
I ran ok to get a 2:04.8, and ended up behind Rylan in the second row of the grid. With some more laps I can probably drop a second or two. No real problems except my window air deflectors were deemed to be a safety issue and I've had to remove them.
I'm sure that during the race it is going to be close between myself and Rylan, until we catch up to the lapped cars. If Richard can hang with us and follow I'm sure he'll be right there in lap times
Saturday update: Start went well. The two cars in front of Rylan and myself cleared out and Richard overtook the carsin front of him so we were 3,4,5 by the second corner. I pushed Rylan along for a few laps, with Richard a little behind. After about 5 laps I overtook Rylan down the last straight - he was having trouble getting out of the corner into the straight and it seemed to me that he was having trouble with the transmission and was missing a gear. Rylan dropped back a little. A couple of laps latter I came out of 6 and the engine died, which I quickly found was do to no fuel pressure. Richard went past, but Rylan actually had pitted on the previous lap when his car died. After the race he quickly traced the problem to a dead alternator and flat battery. I found the fuel cell bone dry and had gone through 9.5 gallons in 20 minutes - the result of a fuel leak. So Richard won, improving his time from Friday by 3 seconds.
Rylan drove to Sacramento and picked up an alternator, and I fixed the fuel leak. Richard repair his spillter after a 4 wheel off on turn 1 in the race.
Qualifying in the afternoon was slower due to it being hotter. Richard was DQ'd for 'driving off track to gain advantage', which is a new Thunderhill rule which is somewhat controversial. Rylan went OK, but slower than the moring, to qualify 3rd. I did about 4 laps and then got an intermittent rev limit, so got 4th behind Rylan. The rev limit was traced to a intermittent bad TPS, which must be unhappy with the radiator airflow passing over it.
you can make about 10 laps on a extra small hawker battery, but when the power steering goes, forget about it. especially when it comes and goes mid corner.
race started with derek and I along side each other. at the start I couldn't see the green and derek and the camero behind me get around. I follow derek for a few laps before getting a run on him that started in1 and I get by inside of 4. about a lap later derek stops with fuel pump problems. I proceed to chase down the camero and finally get around him after swaping positions a couple times on lap 11 or so he's close but I work out a good lead, then on the last lap I get a huge fuel cut going over 9 and I look at my gauge to see i'm out of fuel. I have to short shift to make sure I finish the lap which allows the camero to catch me and with another big fuel cut coming out of 15 he's able to beat me to s/f so I finish 3rd in ite and first in HC. When I go to get the results I see the camero got docked 1 lap for sound so I get 2nd. richard finished 2nd in HC and 4th in ite.
08-03-2006, 03:18 PM
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