1 (edited by kerosenecowboy 2018-12-17 02:05 PM)

Topic: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p39/neilaustinmartin/IMG_6267.jpg
(from L to R, Sean Glover, Jesse Moore, Keith Wilson, Neil Martin(Capt), Baylor Jennings)

Well, we finally did it. One year ago to the date we started out racing Lemons. Atlanta was our 4th race since we started. 4 engine changes and several smoked wheel bearings later we were finally able to win class C. This is the first race of ours that we didn't blow an engine. I found the key to not blowing up is to keep the fluids in it. (duh)

We blew a head gasket on our first engine at Road Atlanta last year because the alternator belt rubbed a hole in the radiator hose. We got it fixed, then it dropped an exhaust valve the next day. We re-powered the car from the old pushrod 3TC to a more modern fuel injected Toyota 4 banger. CMP spring we seized the engine after 14 min on practice day. It turns out that sugar in the gas tank and 2 qts of rubbing alcohol in the oil is not a good combo. We swapped the motor at the track, ran great until the oil drain plug fell out on Sunday and we smoked that one. CMP fall we had a hose leak and blew a head gasket, no gasket on hand so we did another motor swap.

Road Atlanta wasn't without issues either, but not as major. On Saturday as the car first hit the track, we had to bring it in after the first few laps because the windshield was so fogged up. We had defrost, but no heater core, as we damaged it putting the last engine in. We applied rain x anti fog, but no joy. We also tried shaving cream during a fuel stop, but that didn't work either. All of Saturday the windshield had to be wiped down by hand every lap for visibility. I bought a new heater core for I don't know what, from the parts store. Saturday night we cut the blower hose is half, and taped, zip tied and rigged in the heater core. It was pretty shady and half ass but it worked great on Sunday.

One of our guys spun out and got stuck in the grass on Saturday, he eventually got out on his own but that killed us in laps with a trip to the penalty box.

Late Sunday we were neck and neck with the AMC Gremlin. We were trying to stretch the car's legs and starved for fuel a few times, luckily the car made it back to the pits. In the last hour or so we gained P1 but still needed a pit, and knew the Gremlin did too. We were up by a few laps with about 30 min to go when the Gremlin had to pit again because they were out of oil.

We called the win at 4:53 pm when we knew if we blew up we still had it.

The feeling of joy was overwhelming. It was surreal. The entire drive home we still coudn't believe we had done it. I don't think the judges thought we could do it either with our track record. I think maybe that's the only reason we were in C to begin with.

We made a lot of new friends and besides the shitty weather, we had a great time.

To all the haters out there, no worries of us being back in C class from now on!

Four Stripes, Corolla Extra Motorsports
'83 Toyota Corolla #5
Winner, Class C, Yokohama Good Try, Road Atlanta 2018

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

There was much discussion in the Gremlin pits about whether or not you guys were going to have to do a 2nd stop Sunday! We had a great race going there, I was so disappointed that our race kind of fell apart right at the end. It still made the whole weekend that much more exciting though!

Owner of the Knights Templar Neon
A&D of middling proportions

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

We were crunching the numbers and doing lots of math trying to figure out what you guys were gonna do, and what we could do. It was a real nail biter for sure. I've never been that excited and focused in a race before. You guys were fast. I enjoyed the fierce competition.

Four Stripes, Corolla Extra Motorsports
'83 Toyota Corolla #5
Winner, Class C, Yokohama Good Try, Road Atlanta 2018

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

" We were up by a few laps with about 30 min to go when the Gremlin had to pit again because they were out of oil."

10x loser (Arse-Freeze '11 - Vodden '15) 1x WINNER! Arse-Freeze '14 in the Watermelon Volvo Wagon
Swedish Knievel Skycycle('90 Volvo 740 Wagon)

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

I can't make this shit up. It really happened.

Four Stripes, Corolla Extra Motorsports
'83 Toyota Corolla #5
Winner, Class C, Yokohama Good Try, Road Atlanta 2018

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

The oil drain plug falling out thing has happened to us before, too.  It's still one of my darker Lemons moments. 

Congrats on the class win!

Tunachuckers: 15 Years of Effluency
'08 - '10: 1966 Volvo 122, "Charlie"
'10 - '18: 1975 Ford LTD Landau --> 2018 - current: Converted into 1950 "Plymford"
'22 - current: 1967 Volvo 122, "Charlie ]["

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

mechimike wrote:

The oil drain plug falling out thing has happened to us before, too.  It's still one of my darker Lemons moments. 

Congrats on the class win!

Oofa.  Been there and glad to know we're not alone.  Friday practice at NJMP one year.  Cobbled together enough spare engine parts to run 22 laps on Sunday.  11 races, and our first trophy was for blowing up.

We now announce it loudly to eachother everytime it gets put back on and properly tightened and during pre-race check.  Sometimes I call them when I do oil changes on the DDs at home.

NJMP '11--#132 (Speedycop), NJMP '12 to '16--#215 (Philthy Motorsports), NJMP '16--#75 Most Heroic Fix, NJMP '17--#75 (still drying out), NJMP '18--#75, NHMS '18 - #75 Datsun 510

8 (edited by VanillaHaze 2018-12-19 09:16 AM)

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

gump wrote:

" We were up by a few laps with about 30 min to go when the Gremlin had to pit again because they were out of oil."

Once it dried out and we could carry more speed into the braking zones, it started burning oil. If you didn't baby it through turn 10, it would puff a BIG cloud of oil smoke. Oil pressure started meandering all over the gage, bottoming at 20, then 17, then 15. Didn't like turns, but would come back on the straights. Finally it went to about 5 coming out of 7 so we had to bring it in and fill up. Went back out, had strong oil pressure again, and even bigger clouds in turn 10. So yeah, ran out of oil.

Owner of the Knights Templar Neon
A&D of middling proportions

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

jbl wrote:
mechimike wrote:

The oil drain plug falling out thing has happened to us before, too.  It's still one of my darker Lemons moments. 

Congrats on the class win!

Oofa.  Been there and glad to know we're not alone.  Friday practice at NJMP one year.  Cobbled together enough spare engine parts to run 22 laps on Sunday.  11 races, and our first trophy was for blowing up.

We now announce it loudly to eachother everytime it gets put back on and properly tightened and during pre-race check.  Sometimes I call them when I do oil changes on the DDs at home.

We do the same thing.  "TIGHTENED THE OIL DRAIN PLUG!!"  Sort of a running joke with us.  Because we all remember that one race...

Tunachuckers: 15 Years of Effluency
'08 - '10: 1966 Volvo 122, "Charlie"
'10 - '18: 1975 Ford LTD Landau --> 2018 - current: Converted into 1950 "Plymford"
'22 - current: 1967 Volvo 122, "Charlie ]["

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

Gremlin was laying down smoke in 10 all day Sunday. We caught it on camera in the morning session and then again late Sunday. See the clips starting at about 11:36 in the link below. In the clip from late on Sunday the smoke was so bad that the poor 151 car gets lost in the smoke and drives deep into the turn before turning. My driver, Craig, was surprised to see the 151 car emerge.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDdC3mQFTHU&t=36s

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

moparfan wrote:

Gremlin was laying down smoke in 10 all day Sunday. We caught it on camera in the morning session and then again late Sunday. See the clips starting at about 11:36 in the link below. In the clip from late on Sunday the smoke was so bad that the poor 151 car gets lost in the smoke and drives deep into the turn before turning. My driver, Craig, was surprised to see the 151 car emerge.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDdC3mQFTHU&t=36s


Are you wearing a poncho over your race suit?

Mark G. Davis - Hong Norrth Mazda MX3
https://www.facebook.com/#!/hongnorrth
www.e3storage.com

12 (edited by kerosenecowboy 2018-12-25 08:22 PM)

Re: Corolla Extra Class C win at Road Atlanta, A Very Long Season

Our oil plug drain was tight to start with at CMP. The car has a way of rattling out almost every bolt that doesn’t have a lock washer or loctite on the bolt. We even lost the lower control arm bolt nut at CMP and the LCA bolt had made its way almost all the way out when we noticed it during a wheel bearing change. That could have been catastrophic. As for the oil drain plug, it’s been drilled and safety wired. I’ll be doing the same on my rattling TDI diesel daily driver as it too likes to let bolts loose. I’ve found that racecars, diesels, and motorcycles usually have heavy amounts of vibration that require special attention to all the fasterners to keep them from coming loose.

On a separate note, the team next to me in the paddock said “You’re rival’s engine isn’t so healthy, I saw them smoking real bad out there, just keep up the pace and I know you guys can win.” - team Bummerworld in their GM FWD 3.1 with only 3rd gear. (Awesome dudes)

Four Stripes, Corolla Extra Motorsports
'83 Toyota Corolla #5
Winner, Class C, Yokohama Good Try, Road Atlanta 2018