Thanks for the suggestion, and I'll take it seriously. Of course I'll have to convince Marco at Turners, as their comparative testing lead them to the Borla instead.

I suspect that a proper job over the winter will be to finally replace the JCW intake (an early kit - circa Feb 2004) with a CAI, do a header - cat - exhaust, and then do a proper dyno tune.

It still has the original cat, so that has to go - the exhaust will be a grand, and the whole job must be between 2 and 3k. I better get a 2nd job!

I love cheap amateur racing...



Cheers,

Charlie

 

Well the 2010 New England Region SCCA Solo season is over, and Gollum managed to squeak out a class championship in STX. The car is still better than the driver.

This was the most fun I've had in a year of racing, partially due to the effort of going to DC, and Finger Lakes, and finally to Lincoln.

But mostly because Dave Thomas ran a powder blue RX8 this year, and he and I were about the same speed. We went hammer and tongs through nine events, and I had to be on my game (or as much as I have) every time.

He'll beat the p*ss out of me next year - mark my words.

4/11 Charlie, David 1.04
4/25 Charlie n/a - David could not attend
5/2 David, Charlie .28
6/6 Charlie, David 2.04
7/18 David, Charlie .26
8/15 David, Charlie .33
8/22 Charlie, David .27
9/26 Charlie, David .56
10/10 Charlie, David .007

Yep that is seven thousandths! I reckon that is about nine inches at 60 mph, which was the finishing line speed last Sunday.

I look forward to running against such close competition next year, and with as much humor and good will as we shared this season.

The saga must continue anon... only 148k miles for Pete's sake!

 

Ahh the off season. Time for bench racing, and time to get the snow blower ready...

My winter improvement plan for the driver was created by the extraordinary generosity of a friend, who after presiding over the end game at BearingPoint wound up getting a rack of nice Dell laptops at fire sale prices, and just gave me one!

What has this to do with driving in general, and Minis in particular?

THis means I will be upgrading the platform (and the wheel and pedals) that I use to race in the winter. I keep in practice with a simulation so old many of you will not have heard of it. I run the Nurburgring in a 1967 Ferrari using "Grand Prix Legends", which has a good physics model.

That good physics model includes the salient facts of that venue in that season, to wit: (1) 4-500 HP, (2) 8" wide tires, (3) over a hundred corners in a single lap with speeds from 51 mph up to 188 mph. I now have the rust off, and my lap times are in the 8:29 range. So much for the driver.

As for the car, it seems that the plan is to bite the bullet and replace the entire exhaust system -- nose to tail. Enough already with the resonator that sounds like a beer can full of pebbles, and enough too with the SES light that I have finally grown accustomed to.

So an OEM header and CAT, new O2 sensors, and then a Borla Sport system will be going on in February. That should bring the new crate motor alive finally, and will also make the car easier to drive smoothly because I will be able to hear the engine RPMs without effort.

That's going to be in the 2,700 to 2,800 range, which is my entire budget, so my other plan to go to 8" wide rims will have to wait. I think I can run another season on the Kosei K1s, as they served me well last year.

And after all, there is more speed to be had by tweaking the loose nut behind the wheel than by any other means. Even seven years and three regional championships after I started that is still true. A most humbling sport, autocross.

I wish you the joy of the season dear reader.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

The enduring passion one has Charlie, for both the love of the sport and for the love of this passionate little car and its infinite power it can produce.....LOVE IT

 

A wonderfully expressive and polite phrase -- much more so than the alternative which is "Bull goose looney!".

 

Check out Forza 3 for XBOX 360. The physics are amazing. You can drive a first gen MINI and mod it. The MINI concept coupe is on there as well.

 

I don't understand the title of this thread. To me, resetting the odometer "the hard way" means driving it until the odometer rolls over-- in this case 1,000,000 miles.

What does that have to do with building up a race car?

Unless you intend to put 1,000,000 miles of racing on the car. In which case, that would be the hard way. That chassis will be the loosest thing this side of a Pascagoula whorehouse!

 

Charlie - that's a great write up, one can truly feel the passion for sport and for life. I'm just glad I was there to witness part of the season that was. However, it sounds like any thoughts I had to be, even competitive next season will be quickly dashed.

By the way, word is, a certain black 330Ci will be making the switch from DS to STX next year - damn that puts me no better than 4th now...

 

I would really be delighted to see more STX cars next year - I look forward to it.

 

That hadn't occurred to me, but now that you mention it...

But I'm logging about 22k miles/yr, and to hit a million miles at that pace would take me until about 2049, at which time I would be 94.

 

Sounds doable to me, so in addition to your mechanical talents, you need to watch what you eat and drink. I won't be here to see if you make it, but you should have a lot of fun along the way. Take care of yourself!

 

And now, after hiding in Tampa for most of the winter, 'tis time for Spring thoughts to creep out.

And the first Spring thought is Turner Motorsport of course, where a replacement header, cat, and OEM O2 sensors are now installed.

And it's about bloody time too - running that crate motor through a cat with 140k miles never made much sense to me, nor did the SES light that has been on so long I've gotten used to it.

Of course the ECM wants to be touchy and so a little extra shop time is called for to get the trim out of the AFM and convince the whole system that everything is normal and healthy.

I'm hoping that power and economy will improve with this final piece of the puzzle in place - not that either has been bad, just not quite good enough.

Now if the several feet of snow that I am surrounded by would just find somewhere else to go...

Cheers,

Charlie

 

First - congratulations to Turner Motorsports for their fine win at Homestead - now that's a promising start to a season!

I hadn't the budget for the whole exhaust system from head to tailpipe, so Marco and the Turner's team did the header, CAT, and O2 sensors. Finially the new motor (now about 20k) can breath...

But - would that SES light respond? Nope. Despite an extra half day of work at the shop, the darned thing just stayed on, and finally Marco and I agreed that was life. Turners of course had done their usual excellent work, and all the parts were OEM, but the ECM system stayed grumpy.

But - four days ago the ECM finally figured it out, and turned the light off. I don not know how many drive cycles I had on it, but it took well over a week for the healing to occur, and of course that put a major grin on my face.

So April 10th is the season opener, and once again Gollum is legal for STX and although running some very tired tires, I'm counting down unntil the day the belts go back on and the flag drops.

Happy Spring everyone,

Charlie

 

Ask and ye shall receive!

The opening event for the 2011 season featured five STX cars, and several more including our first time participants.

To my complete amazement and despite the April 10th date up here in New England it neither snowed nor rained, and many folks including me left the venue with a sunburn. What a delight.

The timing system did not fail, all the workers were prompt and enthusiastic, and we got 7 runs and still left around 5:45 pm. Just a wonderful day.

STX looks like a hoot this year, as all of us street tire types were on the same second on a 60 second course which made for great competition.

A big shout out to a JCW owner who came to his first event yesterday, ran in STX, and took a nice bit of glassware for 2nd fastest novice across all classes.

Next event on the 23rd, so only two weeks to wait.

Just too d*mned much fun.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Nice start Charlie.

 

I just mounted some Toyo 225/45-15 R1Rs which I used in '09 and are bloody marvelous in mixed or wet, and darned competitive in the dry.

It took three attempts to chase out a vibration, resulting from radial runout in the tire itself, not balance. The poor lads at Town Fair Tire got a bit tired of it I should think, but we got it right at last. I kinda thought roundness would be a "critical to quality" attribute for Toyo - perhaps they had a bad day. We finally found the worst ones and banished them to the back axle.

I did just beat the class in the season opener, but only by .2 on a 60 second course, so they are nipping at my heels. That was on last year's rather "cured" set of Dunlop Star Specs though, at 205 mm, and I hope that the new rubber will help.

I do so love aggravating my worthy foes. It's supposed to rain on Saturday for the next event, and in the rain the R1R is like a gun in a knife fight.

Unless I forget how to drive, which is always a possibility!

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Ah springtime!

We paid the price yesterday for the lovely weather during the opening event. It rained all day and the temperatures hovered around 40 degrees.

Those with only slicks to run on were brave, but their cause was hopeless. Those without foul weather gear and at least several layers beneath it were hypothermic - some seriously so.

It is a measure of the disease called autocrossing that at an ad-hoc midday driver's meeting the majority present wanted to stay for more runs, despite doppler images that offered no relief at all.

The Jr. kart drivers set the pace for courage - how can one slink away from a venue where small children will come to the line over and over again to race in an open wheeled vehicle over a mile of puddles?

Such conditions destroy the normal pecking order of the classes, as power can not be applied to the pavement, tires are of paramount importance, and driving technique has to change radically.

The good news is that lightning struck again, as it did back in '09 when I first ran the R1R in the rain up at NHMS. I took top PAX on the day, and raw timed all but a few competitors. Yay Gollum!

The bad news is that the ride down and back to Devens convinced me that the new tires vibrate too much to be tolerated, so I shall have to go back to Town Fair Tire on Monday and work with Danny to figure out what to do.

Fortunately I have no doubt that Danny and the team will ultimately solve the problem, even if it means sourcing another set from Toyo - they stand behind what they sell bless their hearts.

Next event is at NHMS, and only a week away!

 

Well another event is in the books - this one at NHMS in the VIP Lot. Up there we get a 30 second course, not the 60+ seconds at Devens. It's often a game of tenths and even hundredths as was the case today.

After the morning runs, two of my most able competitors co-driving a 330 ci were .13 ahead of me, and two tenths covered the top four places in STX.

After the afternoon runs the gap had grown to .4, and the left front R1R was separating with a circumferential band of de-laminated rubber evident about one half inch from the shoulder of the tyre.

Great rain tires - just awesome. At 70 degrees on dry pavement I was struggling with vagueness, lack of grip, and generally beating my head against the wall.

So - two challenges. One, I got out driven. Two, I reckon I need to do something with these tyres. I went from 38 down to 36, then 35 during the 8 runs of the event and it didn't make a tinker's damn to the times or the rapid deterioration of the LF.

Hmmm......

We did have six Minis - at least. Let's see - D Stock had a dual driver, and we had three Works cars in STX and one S as well. I think there was one more that I'm forgetting... A very nice turn out in any event.

 

And now the wait. Bless the folks that volunteer each winter to negotiate dates for the NER club to run at NHMS and Devens - theirs is not an easy task. That we have Devens again this year is wonderful, as I have yet to run on another venue (except Lincoln) that has the advantages that can be found there.

June 12th the season resumes at Devens, and I have my hands full in STX this year, even more than last year. The Toyos are history, as I finally admitted to myself that without wider rims they cannot deliver in the dry - I am back on the Direzzas again, which is a good thing as they are proven winners on my setup.

To get back to the Z1 at minimum cost, I traded the nearly new R1Rs for labor at FunHondas in Maynard - presided over by Chang Ho Kim who is an expert autocrosser, a damned good mechanic, and utterly trustworthy.

After reverting to the Z1, we still had the slight vibration at 67 mph that first appeared (apparently) when the R1Rs were installed. Chang and I both drove the car in an extended check ride, and having confirmed the symptoms we returned to the shop and the lift, and after much patient scrutiny Chang pointed to the wheel bearings as the likely culprit.

Since the bearings have only 30k miles on them (renewed at Turners in February of '10 during the rebuild) I was surprised. One does not ignore good advice however, and so I withdrew from the Corvette Club event on 5/21, and have booked some of Marco's time up in Amesbury for a final review and most probably replacement of both bearings. Sometimes sh*t happens I reckon - we shall see.

When the dust settles both Gollum and I will be ready, and devoid of excuses, for the June 12th event. I look forward to rejoining the battle, and seeing if I can drive well enough to beat my talented and good humored competition.

158k miles at present - and one could only tell by examining the rather pitted leading edge of the hood!

Cheers,

Charlie

 

The dust has settled, and Marco at Turner's is a peach (with Alex at TireRack a close 2nd...).

Marco took custody of Gollum this morning, and after I had spent about a half hour in the luxurious and trophy-infested lounge at Turners he popped out from the shop and said - "Hey, come back here I have something to show you...".

So back I went, and saw Gollum suspended from a lift with Kim in the driver's seat.

Marco directed my attention to the right front hub, axle, and wheel, and held an inspection light to help - and Kim started the car and spun the front wheels at a modest speed.

What I saw was obvious - the Kosei rims were not precisely centered on the hubs! They were enough off-center so that the rim was just slight eccentric when rotated.

Marco then said - I don't need to do your wheel bearings, and all of the joints and bushings are fine. Your hub-centering rings however are knackered, so go get some new ones. And then Marco wouldn't take a dime for the time spent test driving, inspecting or consulting with me.

That's another reason why I am delighted to have been doing business with Turner Motorsport in Amesbury Mass for all these years. Their expertise is matched only by their customer service.

So I called Alex at TireRack, and he has shipped me four new aluminum hub-centering rings to replace the very tired nylon ones that arrived with the Kosei rims back in February of '05. Also no charge, which I deeply appreciate!

One lesson of this tale is that the next time I am chasing a slight shimmy, which looks very much like a wheel balance issue, don't forget to spin the wheels while they are torqued to the rims! No amount of rebalancing or other acts of kindness on a balance machine would ever have found the cause of my problem.

So - back to battle in twelve days.

Did I mention I now have the honor of sharing a co-drive with Charles Moss? Hopefully for the rest of the season this delightful gentleman who normally runs an ESP Eagle Talon will team up with me to make the STX battles even more entertaining than they already are.

Charles claims he just needs to get the rust off his driving, but I know he is too modest and has far more success in the National Tour venues than I have - consequently I would not be surprised to be beaten in my own car before all is said and done.

Too much fun.

Kind regards,

Charlie

 

Great thread

Makes me want to jump into the autocross realm (maybe I could get the classic Mini sorted out for that hmmmmm.)

 

One, two, three - JUMP!

 

Well I fitted the aluminum hub centering rings today - carefully.

They are TIGHT, and I do not look forward to removing them any time soon. The fit to the hub itself was "interference", and I almost heated them to make life easier. This after careful cleaning and sanding of the relevant surfaces on the hub, and with judicious use of WD40. I do believe getting them off will require a little heat. 73mm OD and 53mm ID, which is the correct part.

And - problem solved. Vibration is finally gone completely at all speeds tested, thank goodness.

Joe Kraetsch of the NCR-PCA opened their event to SCCA members this coming Saturday, so that will be a welcome shake down, and a good warm up for the 12th. Given how tight STX is this year I'll take any edge I can get a hold of!

Fortunately Devens was unscathed by the tornadoes in Massachusetts, although to say so makes me feel pretty selfish given the four deaths and extensive mayhem suffered here yesterday.

Kind regards,

Charlie

 

Running with the North Country Region of the Porsche Club of America is a blast. Ten runs, and a very nice 65 second course, and perfect weather, and most importantly a great group of folks. I'm most greatful to Joe for the invitation.

I now have an "I know Scruffy" T-shirt, which immortalizes a most entertaining gentleman who happened to be running a lime green RSR, and was our course designer. 'twas his wife's doing I think, based on non-PCA members turning up from time to time as though the place was a speakeasy and saying "psst... i'm not a member, but I KNOW Scruffy!".

I had the pleasure of conversation with a delightful gentleman, who recently returned from Germany where set two records on the Nurburgring - one for fastest lap time for his age, and the other as the oldest gent ever to run the ring. I believe he is 87. While there for a few weeks he also toured the factory in Stuttgart and otherwise enjoyed himself immensely.

The club asked if I would instruct, which I have managed to avoid for years despite the three class championships that theoretically qualify me to do so. In this case however I stepped up, and after spending ten runs in the right hand seat of a late model 911 with a woman doing her 2nd autocross, I find that instructing is fun and at least in this case hugely rewarding. She got faster (she's a good natural driver and fast learner) and I learned the course thoroughly before ever getting into my own car.

When Gollum ran I was delighted to observe that with the Dunlops back on the car the handling and performance are as good as ever. At this point Gollum is like an old sneaker, and we were able to cut some good runs and PAX in the top five for the event.

So the goal was essentially a test 'n tune for the next SCCA event on the 12th, and the result was all that and a whole bunch more. Hopefully the practice, preparation and resulting confidence will help when the STX battle resumes next Sunday.

Kind regards,

Charlie

 

It doesn't matter that if I had stayed home I could have watched the last five hours of Le Mans, and all of the Montreal F1 race, and tried to watch the RSR Motorsports team at Watkins - all with a barcalounger, a beer, and a roof.

It doesn't matter that it was 58 degrees and raining steadily at the start of the day.

I rose at 3 am, and after watching just two hours of Le Mans it was off to Devens, splashing through the puddles with joy in my heart.

Six runs later? No regrets!

Gollum ran perfectly - for me, and also for my distinguished co-driver Mr. Moss (no relation to Sir Stirling). We had a total of 10 competitors in STX which is a new record in NER for the class. Three cars and six drivers were all at the sharp end of the field - at many points with 10th separating the runs on a fifty second course.

The conditions changed continuously for the first two thirds of the day, with the rain tapering, then changing to light drizzle, and then finally ceasing altogether although the grey overcast remained threatening at all times. The course progressed from soaked, to damp all over, to patches of dry, and then finally reached dry for 2nd and 3rd heats in the PM.

We had about twenty novices or so, and my work assignment was instructing so I had the chance to meet and drive with several of them which was a great pleasure. I have discovered how much fun it is to provide support, approbation, and a few suggestions to folks that have taken the plunge and are embroiled in their first few events. It certainly reminds me of my own baptism and freshens my sense of fun.

After the morning runs I held first in STX, but the writing was on the wall as a couple of my worthy foes held raw times almost a second faster than mine on dirty runs.

In the afternoon, with the course now dry, it was essentially a new event and all drivers went faster than in the AM. When the dust settled the top spot went to a well driven RX8, with one of my friends in the BMW 330 ci back .5 seconds, and Gollum I trailing in 3rd place another .3 seconds slower than that.

No complaints, no excuses, and a heck of a good day of racing!

My thanks as always to the dedicated volunteers of the New England Region SCCA who make it happen..

Cheers,

Charlie

PS: Since this is an odometer thread... when I parked Gollum in the garage after the ride home the odometer read 160,001.