Racers Unite.
As Purchased
Last year I picked up a budget race car. The owner was extremely flexible on the price, and although no non genetically modified human being could fit in the car I saw some sort of potential. So against the advice of many who kn0w much more than I about racing, I started constructing.
Getting to work
The cage was originally produced for someone small, and modifications made it even smaller. Originally I planned on simply widening what needed to be widened, but quickly decided an entire reconstruction was in order.
Out with the old.
What I was left with was the Lynx Clone 4×4 frame and rear suspension mounts.
Frame Rails
The cars history was slightly unknown, but some clues were left behind. Someone from Canada once raced cars similar to this one who was named Brian. The cars were constructed well and performed well especially for the period in which they were run, which may have been the early 80′s. The car went through some hands before it was donated to a SCCA car build program. The SCCA volunteered a builder and tech to oversee the construction of the car as it stands when I got it. Volunteers would put names in a hat before each session where they would partake in the build process. Although I found much of the work to the book it was not my car and I had reason to change it. With a log book it would have passed inspection but that log book disappeared at some point in the cars life. With fresh homoligation it would be looked at with scrutiny and therefor required significant updates.
Updates included:
Roll hoop with proper min diameter of curvature.
Roll hoop with proper forward facing bracing
Front roll hoop constructed of single bent tube
Front roll hoop Bracing Update
Cell construction meeting minimum aluminum thickness
Roll bar harness height update
I took a break on the car to focus on my business, and after an 8 months away I was ready to rock and roll. The cage was 75% welded, had no bodywork, and like any racecar had uncountable details to be sorted.
I finished the welding and bodywork over the course of two long weekends and a few late weeknights.
So in April/May the car finally took its maiden voyage.. in the middle of the night.
The 10 best from Red.
A love of cars demands the love of at least one Ferrari. Here are my top 10 Ferraris of all time.
- Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
5. The Ferrari 250 GT Lusso is the fastback version of the traditional 250 GT. Some might find the Berlinetta to be there 250 GT of choice, but for me its the flowing lines of the Lusso which win. What more is there to say.
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In Depth
- Ferrari F40
4. The Ferrari F40 did not initially make my list, but a friend and I quote said ‘f40 is like iconic ferrari’. Maybe thats why its so easy to ignore, because its so known. As a person who often prides himself on the oblique I initially found the F40 to be too poster girl to be interesting, but that is horrible unfair. By the numbers this car is insane, and subjectively this car is stunning.
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In Depth
- Ferrari 275 GTS
3. I am a sucker for boat tail cars, but I am also biased. Having owned a Fiat Spider which I claim to be a distant relative to the 275 GTS I find everything about this car to be perfection. The 275 GTS perfects top down motoring with a v12 up front, quad pipes out back and knockoff wire wheels at 4 corners.
- Ferrari 458 Italia
2. Ferrari 458 Italia the replacement for the stunning replacement for the f430 was more of a revolution than evolution. In numbers the story reads baby steps, but on the road reviewers find it to be enthralling to drive, but techno savvy enough for the Gran Turismo generation. Merging the best of F1 with the best elements of Ferrari styling.
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In Depth
- Ferrari 330P
1. The 330P3/4 were varients of the P series cars intended as prototype sports cars which often competed in endurance racing. P series cars were produced through the 60′s and ended in the early 70′s. The 330 p3/4 varient was extremely rare and known for finishing the first and second at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
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In Depth
Team Orders
It is common these days to argue about team orders. Webber is not happy with the team orders at Silverstone and I don’t blame him as he is a racing driver, but to act like he is above the teams interest is another thing. He works for the team, is paid by the team, and races for the team.
Of course I ignored the team because I wanted to try and get a place. Seb was doing his best, I was doing my best. I wasn’t going to crash with anyone.
Webber
Right Webber, like you didn’t make a mistake on the start, and you didn’t go wide in the middle of the race. I like Webber, but I find his attitude towards his own actions slightly optimistic. He like other drivers make mistakes, and your team is meant to help in limiting those mistakes. They did just that today, and he is on the podium in spite of his own mistakes, behind his nearly faultless teammate.
The old circuit layout, with old cars, but a good idea as to the speed of cars at Silverstone.
Despite all that, the man of the day was Fernando Alonso, who was just plain faster when he needed to be.
Give me gasoline…
Recently I purchased a hybrid… yes a hybrid. Not because I love polar bears more the utility of a ‘better’ vehicle, but because gas is expensive, and I see no reason it should get cheaper. Our governments commitment to foreign intanglement, and north America drilling frowned upon is all the proof I needed.
It was only later that I found out that my particular hybrid performs much better without ethanol infected gasoline. It is an early model Honda insight that achieves part of its fuel saving through regenerative braking and subsequent electric boost, and even more through lightweight construction(thanks DOT for not giving us the choice of lighter cars), and a unique engine technology known as lean burn. Lean burn runs an engine far outside of the stoichiometric air fuel ratio of 14.7:1. It does so through advanced combustion chamber design, and engine management. Suffice to say it works. I average 55 when the car is not loaded up with a roof rack full of two bikes, and a trunk of gear.
The only problem is that lean burn works much more effectively without ethanol infected fuels. I could achieve 5mpg improvement if I could find ethanol free fuel. Due to the intended consequences of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 I find it nearly impossible to find such fuels.
the Act increases the amount of biofuel (usually ethanol) that must be mixed with gasoline sold in the United States to 4 billion gallons by 2006, 6.1 billion gallons by 2009 and 7.5 billion gallons by 2012;[1] two years later, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 extended the target to 36 billion gallons by 2022.[2]
Under the guise of national security all legislation is possible, especially when politicians can claim the added bonus of farm subsidies, and since ethanol is largely corn derived I can thank a farmer. Ohh how the hand of government is a hand of destruction, but isn’t all collective thought?
He turned in on me…
Lewis Hamilton has every excuse except the obvious… ‘I am not fast enough’. It is ironic that as I watched the race, I was also watching my brothers dog for the evening. She is a puppy and her inpatients is overwhelming at times. She forces her point, jumping at my dog, whining, testing every opportunity. I expect this behavior from a puppy, but Lewis Hamilton is supposed to be a mature racing driver, with the ability to see beyond the next turn. Hamilton fans may see through rose tinted glasses, assuming people are holding up Hamilton because he is faster. This is racing and you have to pass, not just be faster. So Hamilton get on with racing, get done with blaming, and turn your speed into wins, or take the best place you can without destroying the races of others.
In the words of Lewis Hamilton “Maybe its because I am black, thats what Ali G says” Tongue in cheek, but a ridiculous accusation. ”I will try and keep my mouth shut and enjoy the rest of the weekend”, too late Lewis, the idea is to keep your mouth shut before opening it. ”We have these weekends and its character testing” Yes it is.
