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+--- Thread: ReidSpeed race report and video from NASA Summit Point (/showthread.php?tid=1359)
- fasthonda - 08-26-2008
hi guys!
i had a great weekend at summit!!!! report as follows -
first, the track is in pretty bad shape (as most of you know first hand!). it's rough everywhere, but is especially broken up in T1/T2 and in T5/T6. really broken up, and patched with epoxy and sand. rough stuff indeed....
i went down weds night, and instructed with RTR on thurs and fri (i had a really great time with all the regulars!!!!
). i spent the entire time on track dialing in my car, and trying different lines thru some of the turns. i think i pretty much 'perfected' the line around that place, considering the damage to the track. i also aligned/set up my suspension to work well there. in the process, i corded a set of tires!secondly -- i FIXED the Probenstien's handling problems! it has been really a mess since i crashed it in Feb at VIR; i don't think i have finished better than third since then, and typically 4/5/6th.... the car has been terrible.... well, i ended up replacing the control arms/bushings/tierod ends/ball joints. and then i took a very close look at the shocks (oem ford shocks) and found that the left front was slightly bent like a bananna; couldn't tell with it on the car, but when you rolled it on a flat surface, you could see the bend! some of the lower attachment hardware was fubar'd too. and i threw away the camber bolts and replaced them with camber plates. i installed four new shocks and changed the spring rates (bought the package from Ksport; they are called 'GT Pro'). after setting it up, and adjusting it on Thurs and Fri, i think i got a good balance for summit in its current conditions; car is SOOO much easier to drive now!
it was dry and hot all weekend, and the track could be really dusty at times... i qualified first (barely, by a tenth i think) in PTE on saturday. for the first time ever, i mounted the camera facing backwards; i figured it would be a neat experiment to try, and boy it turned out well!!!
![[Image: rofl.gif]](http://www.sr20forum.com/images/smilies/rofl.gif)
here is the video of saturday's race (it should be working now; the first half of the vid is a hoot!):
http://www.vimeo.com/1604290
i got a great start; Joe Henderson got a start like i have never ever seen in my life!!!! (he's in the monte carlo zx). even though i got a really good start, the SE-Rs seem to have a little bit better power to weight ratio; they pull me pretty good up to about 90 mph (look at eric in the black SE-R gain! and the white SE-Rs were creeping up, too). above about 100 mph, the Probenstien can start to creep (see on the front straight, after the start/finish line). i guess that is the Probe's more slippery front nose coming into play....
anyway, eric and i diced it up big time, and he stayed right on my Six; and, well, hmmmmmmm....... you guys watch carefully and you will see.....
after that, i was all alone, and i just drove. after slicing thru the backmarkers, i cruised on home. 1st in class, second overall (1st place was a very fast PTD Nissan 240SX; an ex Motorola racecar).....
sunday was a much longer race; we did an honest 30 minutes out on track. it was alot hotter out, too.... i qualified 1st, with a 1:29.8 (i think the track and the heat made the times slower). next was Joe (Monte Carlo ZX), with a 1:29.8. next was Scot, with a 1:29.8 (white SE-R)! then eric (black SE-R) and wade (white SE-R), close behind us. plus, the PTD 240sx driven by Speakman, somewhere in the mix (that's the car that had won overall on sat, easily besting me by over 1 sec a lap).
i didn't remember to put the camera in the car in time, for sunday! no video!
![[Image: squint.gif]](http://www.sr20forum.com/images/smilies/squint.gif)
i got a really good start, and stayed ahead of all the SE-Rs, and the PTD 240sx. Joe and i really diced it up for the first few laps, and then Joe faded back (probably braking problems). i think, from that point on, i drove the best i have ever driven in a race (at least, for that long period of time). i made ZERO mistakes; i hit every brake point, and turn in, and apex, and track out perfectly. i was super concentrating on preserving my tires, but on also driving swiftly. i was easy on the shifts, and was using 5th every time on the straightaway. the temps on the motor stayed very happy (below 210). the brakes were awesome. and i could see in my rear view, the SE-Rs all together, fighting for position. and i had clear track, and just clicked them off. lap after lap! ![[Image: smile.gif]](http://www.sr20forum.com/images/smilies/smile.gif)
with about 6 mins to go, i saw the PTD car coming on strong. my front tires had really started to degrade, and i was going pretty slow in the carosel, trying to protect them. the Speakman 240SX PTD car was about 20 lengths back, and closing big chunks every lap. the white flag came out and he was about 4-5 behind me. i drove as hard as possible, but never made a mistake. he was about 2 lengths behind me approaching the last turn; i got thru T10 perfectly, and pulled a few lengths. that motor is super duper strong in the 240, and he pulled up along side; at the stripe, his front wheel was right at my door! anther 100 feet, and he would have had me! so, i finished 1st in class, and 1st overall! that's the first time for me, ever, i think, winning a race overall!!!!! ![[Image: biggrin.gif]](http://www.sr20forum.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
the 'Stien is finally running right; in fact, handling better than it ever has; it was worth the investment in the shocks and springs; it made such a difference over how the car handled before! my checkbook is still smarting, but i feel pretty good, knowing it made a real difference. i'd have been beyond sick, if it had not had a positive effect!
see you all soon!
Todd
#11 PTE ReidSpeed Ford Probe GT
- George3 - 08-26-2008
Todd............ You & the Probenstein did great and dominated that race! Interesting perspective of the camera facing backwards. I don't think I'd want to drive that way. I like the little puffs of dust in some of the corners. Congrats !!!
nice "Yahooooo" at the end ....................
- Larry Herman - 08-26-2008
Great racing Todd. I like the view, very interesting. What was the white car that started behind you? It looked like something from Death Race 2000!
- fasthonda - 08-26-2008
Larry Herman wrote:
Quote:Great racing Todd. I like the view, very interesting. What was the white car that started behind you? It looked like something from Death Race 2000!
hi guys.
that car was in the 'sports racer' category; they really didn't know where to put it, so they put it in small bore.... and yes, you are right, it really did look like David Caradine (Frankenstien), or Sylvester Stallone (Machine Gun Joe Viturbo!) should have been driving it! (one of my all time favorite 'super cheesey' movies!). it was called a 'Monte Carlo ZX' -- it was a 7/8th scale tube frame version of a Monte Carlo; it was powered by a 3 liter SOHC Nissan 300zx V6 motor, with a 5 speed. it was about 1900 lbs with driver. the car was built for 1/2 mile oval racing, and the new owner bought it really cheap and is trying to run it on bigger sports car tracks. he's a good driver (Joe Henderson) but the car isn't set up too well, and has terrible brakes. its got amazing power to weight ratio, though!!!! came from last, to 2nd in about half a straightaway, from a dead stop!!!!
i'm glad both george and larry liked the rear perspective; its the first time i've tried it out like that..... and i like seeing the dust poofs out the back, too -- means i'm driving right and using all the trackout!!!!!!!
todd
- Darren - 08-27-2008
Nice Job Todd!!! I wish I could have made it but I had to test out my new "wheels":
![[Image: August_in_MD_001_sm.jpg]](http://www.mingis.com/misc/Catalina/August_in_MD_001_sm.jpg)
- Mark Fox - 08-27-2008
Quote:What was the white car that started behind you
At first I thought it was an IMSA mustang from the early 80's and it was goong to get you on power, but you just walked away from it on the second lap. Very nice drive.
- fasthonda - 08-28-2008
Mark Fox wrote:
Quote:Quote:What was the white car that started behind you
At first I thought it was an IMSA mustang from the early 80's and it was goong to get you on power, but you just walked away from it on the second lap. Very nice drive.
thanks, mark! and i must say, honestly, that i wasn't pushing anywhere near 100%; that was an 'easy drive' for me; i just concentrated on my line, and clicked off good laps after i got ahead of the black SE-R.... it really helps to NOT have to be protecting everywhere!!!
todd