The RTR Lemon

[betegh9]

Just got back and couldn't wait to tell the ones that were not there all the details.

I knew approximately when Darren was going to show up at SPoint, so I called, and he replied that ETA was 5 minutes.......... what timing.  I met Darren at the paddock and proceeded to unload the trailer immediately.  You can't miss that thing (trailer), It must of been the biggest trailer there...... so big that makes his house look like a matchbox next to it, well, that's besides the point but I had to say it.  Obviously, after a long drive, beer was in order, so we proceeded to head to the Shennandoah paddock where the dogfish brew was being served.  Darren rode shutgun in a seat that didn't exist, but who cares, the beer was waiting chilled.

Arriving to the RTR compound, we were greeted warmly by the half looped croud, and were told that the lemon looked toooooo good....... sure, anything or anybody looks good after a few drinks, but compared to the other lemom at the event, everyone thinks that our car will be crushed..... Oh No!


Next morning, at 7 am, I tried  to start the car to go to the tech line but not a sound.  I giggled some wires and moved the fuses, so finally, the dash lit up and off I went to the tech line.  To my surprise, everyone liked the cheap ride, specially all the grand am first and second place stickers all over the rear windshield.  Paul Walsack, head of safety and tech, shook his head as he looked inside the car, but passed us non the less.  I had 2 students to instruct, so the only opportunity to go on the track was either in the white or the red/black sessions.  I figured that I would be hammered by the fast GT3's and turbos in the upper groups, so I decided to go out with the white.  I didn't have to look so much in the rear view mirror and could concentrate on the car.  Needless to say, the the little lemon shook, rattled, and got going very well as long as the revs were kept above 5000 rpm.  The car handleled flawlessly even though the suspension was only NICKTIGHT,very neutral.  The faulty rear shock didn't matter one bit as I pushed the car thru the carousell which developed a lot of downforce Gs.  No matter how I pushed the car, the car handleled flawlessly.  I could not get the car sideways, no matter what I did.  After about 6 laps, I noticed a delayed reaction of the car as I accelerated, most noticeably on the uphills.  I asked Chris Karras to take the car out and have fun.  His  assesment was exactly the same.......clutch slipping.  Thanks to Justin, the tire choice was excellent, the grip was nearly what the R coumpounds are getting, and thus, was able to keep the other lemon (a Cougar XR-7 with V8)at a distance benind me.

I can not ask any more of the car except survive the LEMON race, so I can use it to get my NASA racing license and race it in the Conie Lingus Team (CLT)