Showroom-Schlock Shootout 2012 - roll call! (Page 4 of 4)

Sounds like we will probably only be bringing the BMW to Road America.  We have been bumped to class B in the Metro, but Phil will need to give us a residual.  Then we're gonna have to get some horsepower out of the Metro (read as engine swap).  No way we're running RA with a 55HP crapcan.   The front straight and the straight between 3 and 5 will take FOR-EV-ER as the car sits now.  I'm not even sure we could ever come up the hill out of Canada corner and then onto the front straight and up the hill of the front straight and still maintain 50 MPH.  We would have to install satellite radio in the car and some other things to amuse us as we go down the straights.

I feel your pain.  In the last hour of practice, an intermittent electrical issue popped up.  The Neon woud idle and purr like a kitten until we put about two or three laps on the car, then it would just lose power and pop/hesitate.  We replaced the fuel pump Friday night, and hoped for the best.  We started the race on time, but two laps in, the issue raised it's ugly head and we needed a tow back.  We spent the next 3.5 hours running to Autozone three times, and changed tons of parts, all to no avail.  We packed it in around 4:00 on Saturday. We still don't have any idea what the problem is (the car runs great in my garage and in the paddock!).  I'm hoping that the crank position sensor we used as the replacement was bad too (desperate)!

We'll figure it out, and catch you guys at Road America!

A rod bearing or electrical gremlin are probably the two most anti-climactic failures possible.  Neither one of us were slated for the heroic fix award.  We need to take better notes from Clueless Racing and learn to scatter our guts on pit row just outside the judges booth.

We unfortunately won't be doing Road America.  This little $500 car has already put quite the dent in my summer "recreation" budget and I haven't even started my boat yet for the season (which rewards me with a $500 tab every time I pull up to a gas pump...)   Also, the team owner (Mike) plans on spending some much needed quiet time at his cabin up north.  Once the summer starts winding down, we will regroup and consider our options for the fall.  One thing is for certain, I definitely want to 'up' our game a little. 

I use you guys (SMR) and Bucksnort as the benchmark for how I'd like to see our team run.  Hell, I must have spent all last week replaying the YouTube videos of the south circuit while at work.  Thanks for the scoop!

I'd be lying if I said that thought hasn't crossed my mind at least once or twice...

Top 10:

1 #711 Subliminal Racing (E30)
2 #61 Clueless Racing (CRX)
3 #44 If You Can't Duck It, Fuck It (Porsche 944)
4 #35 LemonAid Racing 2 (E30)
5 #101 Byte Marks Racing (Escort GT)
6 #18 Team Sheen (Integra)
7 #325 Pool Shark (E36)
8 #53 LemonAid Racing (Metro)
9 #75 Team Slightly-Less-Than-Credibles (CRX)
10 #76 Team Gutty (CRX)

Which further reinforces the notion that the CRX is the Midwest's weapon of choice. The Porsche guys ran a solid, error-free race from what I saw but just didn't have the pace of Subliminal and Clueless, who I think had the third and fourth fastest laps, respectively.

- Swiss Racing wasn't there; I believe their team captain was actually getting married that weekend.
- Skid Marks had some undiagnosable problem and only ran a handful of laps
- Bucksnort was third after Saturday but were out for a solid two hours Sunday fixing something, I didn't get a chance to ask what. They still set fastest lap at 1:45.2, but the lap times overall were generally about the same as last year.

I think Clueless' first black flag was for contact with the #75 car because they came in at the same time, but I didn't get the whole story as there were about 10 people crowded around the car. The second one was for passing under yellow.

Yeah... we're ain't too smart.  Our driver came into the hot pits under a full course yellow and was sitting (along with several other cars).  It occurred to our crew chief we were 15 minutes short of a driver change, so he might as well come into the paddock. He told our driver to come in.   Apparently during that time a red flag came out on the course, then full course red was called while several teams were making their way to the paddock.   (At least that was the story I got, I was in our trailer getting dressed as I was the driver getting into the car.)  I was in the car after the driver change, and we were told to pull up to HQ, and we were in BIG TROUBLE.  Jay was pretty pissed at us, as were the other judges.  At least 4 teams including Bucksnort (one of the judges said maybe 8-9) did the same thing.  They ultimately let us go back out after about 5-6 laps.  I'm not sure they even realized what happened, and how it happened.  They just knew our cars were moving around when they probably shouldn't be.   We learned to stop, no matter where your car is, even if in the exit of the hot pits entering the paddock.  Hell, stop dead in your tracks in the paddock if there is a red flag out.  Again, we were stupid, and sorry to any teams that took our lead on going to the paddock.  It would've been nice if someone in the pit lane would said, "whoah" while all of us were moving into the paddock. 

That was our only black flag for the weekend, and didn't cost us anything but maybe 3rd place.

Ultimately, we need to get a little smoother (faster) on the track.  Maybe find some HP somewhere or lose some weight.  I think our fastest lap was about a 1:50.  We have this stupid 2.7L motor, and 120 HP isn't quite what we thought it would be.  We had Cavalier's leaving us in the dust on the straights.  WTF?

our e30 was getting yanked by that silver cavalier in the straights!!

Our turd (team gutty..1984 crx) lost a valve early on Saturday and ran 7.5 hours on 3 cylinders ...
Swapped engines Saturday night.

Fuel pickup fell off and car ran out of gas Sunday too.

How it got a top 10 is a miracle.  The boys drove well....that's for sure.

Our best 4clylinder time (89 Hp on a dyno) was 1:51....best on 3cyl was 1:58

Autobahn south isn't a mega power track..... it loves a car that can turn

The Monza battled with the Bobcat for a long time Sunday afternoon. The Monza would rocket past on the straights but the Bobcat could wait a full brake marker later to press the middle pedal and scooted around the turns much better. Class C was hella fun to watch at this race.

Well at least until it decided to pick a fight with the armco.

Yeah, but I bet your pit stops were awesome!