• Marc
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Fort Wayne, IN
  • Registered: 2009-10-06
  • Posts: 1,378

Topic: Wow, the Lamest day was even better than I could have ever expected

The experience was fantastic. we had 4 guys with absolutely no track experience on our team. one that had never even driven a stick shift before this car. and our 5th guy was a circle track guy.

we showed up with a 1986 Toyota MR2 that had a fresh coat of silver paint, some wings grafted on and Indiana plates on it. the plates were actually legitimate, the one team member drove it a bunch on the street to figure out how to drive a stick shift.

everything went great in practice. the car was quite fast on the back stretch we had a top speed of 90-95MPH. unfortunately our luck would not last. we were in 56th place after the 1st hour with a best lap time of 1:46

That's when it went south. I had to pull into the pits after 75minutes and there was oil coming from the bell housing and a bad knocking noise. we ended up pulling the motor and sending someone out to get new bearings and main seals. we never did find main bearings so we used a nail file to smooth out the old bearings. welded together the broken main cap and made an executive decision to just run it till she blows. thankfully we got another 4 hours of racing in and according to the other guys, it was still reasonably spunky until the last two laps where the top speed went from the 80's and 90's to about 35. at that point we pulled it in because we were a danger on the track.

all that aside, i very much enjoyed most people's attitude in the paddock. everyone was having a good time and it was contagious.

also, the bathrooms and showers were amazingly clean considering how many people were using them. this speaks great to the cleaning crew and the people generally being courteous of the place.

our plan is to get a more reliable motor and transmission installed and maybe some slightly wider rubber and re-enter the car in the next race that comes to this side of the country. if there's a Nelson Ledges 2010, we're definitely there.

Thanks everyone for making this an enjoyable way to blow a bunch of cash!

  • From: East Pittsburgh pa
  • Registered: 2009-05-23
  • Posts: 54

Re: Wow, the Lamest day was even better than I could have ever expected

Marc, I agree with the conditions at the track, and everyone was absolutely great. Thanks for the use of your engine hoist as well as team Dead Bull Racing's engine hoist.
                      Dave,  Team Peanuts & The Snoopy Van

  • Registered: 2009-05-27
  • Posts: 322

Re: Wow, the Lamest day was even better than I could have ever expected

So, from before the race, I wrote:

EvergreenDan wrote:

So let's see. The mosquitos have collars. The track is a bike path and bumpy as a Manhattan construction site. It's darker than the back side of the moon and colder than Alaska. The headlights will look with Close Encounters of the Third kind in your rear view mirror and a button-battery flashlight through the windshield. The enclosed trailers are going to get torched and all E30's and Miatas are going to get egged. I've already racked up 10 penalty laps for just showing up and there's no drinking Saturday. My motor's lubed with pee and I'm gonna be DQ'd for a door bar 1/16" too big. My competition is NASCAR and Koni Challenge and my other competitors drive by braille.

Sounds like fun!

No bugs, fantastic paddock (they even laid more stone), grass was green, very little mud, given the rain, super clean bathrooms (multiple honeywagon visits), superb coffee in the middle of the night, super night workers, reasonable competition (not too many teams were scary-professional), track was plenty wide and sufficiently smooth (at least for non-cheaty suspensions), night driving was fun (although thank god the race was dry), weather was great (considering), we neither roasted nor froze, gas was available, paddock neighbors were cool.

Great event.

Near-Orbital Space Monkeys
#528 BMW 528e 121hp Black "Saturn 5" Rocket car with orange foam flames. Sold.
#71 Yellow Fox Mustang. For sale.
  • From: Warren, OH
  • Registered: 2009-08-28
  • Posts: 105

Re: Wow, the Lamest day was even better than I could have ever expected

I almost went off in Oak Tree (4) when I saw the back of your BMW I was laughing so hard...We came in Pieces!!! That was priceless!!! smile

Bryan Bartzi
Nelson Ledges Roadcourse