SCCA MAM Race Report 4-25-04: First Contact/Engine Failure (Video Clips)
Mid America Motorplex, April 25th, 2004
My goal of winning the SCCA MidWest Division T1 title became significantly more difficult after the weekend in Omaha.
After driving 710 miles from Memphis to Mid America, the weather didn't cooperate at all on Saturday, with rain all day. Given that the forecast for Sunday was for clear skies, I didn't bother attempting to run in the rain.
Despite not having turned a lap of practice, qualifying Sunday morning went very well. I qualified on the pole, 1 of 4 in class, 1 of 17 starters overall. That was about as far as my good fortune would last.
Sitting on the pre-grid, the race was delayed slightly to vacuum debris off the track from the previous race. As my car was warm, I turned it off. Turning it back on, I forgot to disable TC. Last year my PCM had TC programmed out, so I am not in the habit of turning it off yet this year. Bad news.
I got a great jump on the drop of the green, which lasted only as long as it took my foot to go to the floor, which is about as fast as TC cut power to prevent wheelspin. Pete Looby, the track record holder, slid around me to the inside from the 3rd starting spot. Mike McGinley pulled ahead from the 2nd starting spot. But, both were very gentlemanly and left a lane between them which I pulled into breaking for the first turn. Going three abreast into turn one, I came out in 2nd.
Entering turn 3, the leader, Pete Looby, drifted very wide and I thought he would have to lift in the marbles. In a split second I decided to pull inside him and was nearly even with him when he collected it and turned in, unfortunately never seeing me. As he came into the apex we hit side to side, knocking me into a spin. After sliding to a stop broadside on the track with 16 other cars staring me in the face, I drove off the track to prevent getting T-boned and rejoined in last.
After a valiant charge back to 3rd, my timing chain broke ending my race.
I did finish enough laps for the race to count as a finish, which is some small consolation.
My schedule is in doubt at this point. St. Louis on May 1-2 is out. I’m striving to make Hallett on May 15-16, but its too early to tell.
Lap 1
The start through my first (and hopefully last) wheel to wheel contact.
Lap 6
Chasing down Mike McGinley in his beautiful new, Phoenix prepared Z06, as we work our way back up through the field.
Lap 13
As I position to pass a lapped SSB Miata, the timing chain lets go, ending my day.
Subdriver sorry to hear about your bad day!
Nice video's, by the way is the car ok from the impact?
I know it sucks but as long as your body is the same when you exited the car as when you entered it your doing ok....
Hope you get up and running again soon love the stories and vid's.
Sabot
Thanks for the report and the videos. What was your qualifying time? That sucks that you got taken out-looked like a good move to me. What is your rev limiter set at? 7k? I shift a 6k, so I am making quite a few more shifts per lap than you do. I also go down a gear where you leave it in 3rd, turn 14. Got any more footage?
What an unfortunate weekend. You had the goods to win this thing too. I can tell when your car bogs because of the traction control and you reach down to shut it off. That other guy wouldn't have ever gotten in front of you otherwise.
Is there much damage to the outside of the car after trading paint?
Isn't that a fairly new engine? I can't believe that the timing chain broke on you. I hope it's just the timing chain and not other internal problems like bent valves.
Well.. Hope you get it done quickly, so you can resume your race season. You need Schumacher's luck on your side.
All,
Thanks for the encouragement and support. I'm not too disappointed about the contact or the engine. I understand the risks and this is all part of the cost of doing business. I was actually having a great time working my way back from last to 3rd before the timing chain let go. I'll keep doing it until my money runs out... but I'll be sure to save enough to have another front row seat at the Runoffs in September.
The car is now in Norfolk at my brother-in-law's shop. He'll be taking the engine apart to see how bad it is. I'm praying there is no internal engine damage so we can get it back together in time to allow me to race at Hallett on May 15-16.
While he's got the car, I'm having him put in a new clutch. My car was starting to exhibit the first signs of the dreaded clutch pedal won't return syndrome (despite several bleeds - which is a major PITA) and I don't want that to bite me later this season.
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Is there much damage to the outside of the car after trading paint?
Actually the damage is so insignificant as to not matter. Mostly I picked up extra paint/rubber from his decals, which should buff out. His BSM took most of the damage as my LF wheel slid back along his door.
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Isn't that a fairly new engine? I can't believe that the timing chain broke on you.
Yes, the motor is new, with only two practice days and six race weekends. Some guys get years out of their race motors. However, the timing chain is a known weak link and many T1 racers have lost engines this way. It was only a matter of time.
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What was your qualifying time?
1:39.6 on a fairly messy track from the rain the night before.
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That sucks that you got taken out-looked like a good move to me.
Mike, who was sitting behind me, thought so too, which is comforting. I knew the move was aggressive and that there was a chance he wouldn't see me. I should've been more patient in a 21 lap race.
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What is your rev limiter set at? 7k?
It's actually different in each gear and as you can tell, it was too high. It was set for the Runoffs at Mid Ohio last year to prevent having to make an extra 3-4 4-3 shift. I was using the extra revs at MAM. I've having the PCM reprogrammed lower...
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I also go down a gear where you leave it in 3rd, turn 14.
After following Mike, who has a lot more track time at MAM that I do, I realized he was using 2nd in 14 and gaining a couple car lengths on me there, so I started using 2nd half way through the race. Much faster... as long as the motor holds together.
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I know it sucks but as long as your body is the same when you exited the car as when you entered it your doing ok....
Too true, and I do understand that. The car is only a car and there are others, but my body is the only one I have. Taking the safety aspect seriously, I did get a HANS device before the season started and am using that every time I go out on the track now.
Hopefully the car will be back together soon before Mike McGinley runs away with the MidWest Division points race.
If you want to be a frontrunner, you're probably going to end up trading some paint from time to time. Hopefully, the rewards will far outweigh the risks in the end.
I noticed some interesting braking in the corners. Trail braking to rotate or?
Dave,
I believe you are seeing the Z06 in front of me braking as he is held up by the slower T2 Camaro we both get around in the middle of the lap.
If it isn't that, then yes, trailbraking. I do trailbrake a lot in slower corners.
Brian,
Sent you a PM. Sorry I didn't see your post until after I got back to Memphis. Will let you know when I am going back to pick it up.
X,
The risks are obviously high. Another engine really wasn't what I needed. But the rewards are high as well. I am living my dream and having an absolute blast doing it.
The risks are obviously high. Another engine really wasn't what I needed. But the rewards are high as well. I am living my dream and having an absolute blast doing it.
No.. Does that mean that your new motor is toast because of the timing chain? I hope not.
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