West Series Finale/MX-5 Kickoff - LOOK OUT

[AlDelattre]

hey folks

In spite of significant challenges, I am committed to showing up at Laguna Seca for the West finale weekend and the MX-5 kickoff.

I know some of the usual suspects - who I know READ this - Alan Baia, Tom Roberts, Jeff Kaiser, Gray Gregory - have been somewhat absent this year (as have I). I know the Flying Mannheimers have been out there.....

I'm going to race in the West races, but also do at least the Saturday race in the Miatas. Key Point - get your asses out there. I'm way out of practice in a Skippy car, so I'll resort to my usual "wide car, full contact" mode if required!

Any Kaiser sightings? Can we get him back for one weekend - we can call it Skippy Masters or something?

Does anyone know who has been the West Mechanics Fund chieftan this year? I am looking forward to a shakedown....

[Quentin]

Al,
I think I can move some things around and see you there.
Quentin

[TomBobN20]

Okay, so that's a lot of notice, Al. I'll just cancel my trip to Hawaii and show up. Sorry I'm going to miss it. I think I'm going to be doing the MX5 race in June. Alan Baia and I are doing a weekend at the Nurburgring so a little pre-Ring lapping seemed a good idea. You need to come to that too. I know you haven't lapped the Ring yet. We're scheduled for the last week in July, same weekend as the DTM race. PJ Rashidi is working the race so he will be there as well. Join us.

[AlDelattre]

I forgot, you're a dentist, I should have known to schedule at least 3 months in advance....

The Ring sounds cool - but with BAIA? yikes. That guy is a walking International Incident!! ha ha. (of course, make sure he knows I said that).

Yeah, I decided this very last minute myself - jamming it into the middle of some road trips. Keep me posted on the Miata stuff - are you interested in running the Summit Point 12 hour, the VIR 13 hour, or Nelson Ledges 24 hour in a Spec Miata? I'm trying to convince Harsha and we need a third (at least!). We're planning on a Minardi-level effort to keep it high bang-for-the-buck...

send me email with Ring data!

[TomBobN20]

All this East Coast Stuff. Send me the details. Alan sent me some stuff on a class coming to the US from Europe called the Fun Cup (the name could use some work). Here is a vid of the start of the 25 hour race at Spa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_mj1qyEDRY

The number of cars is pretty mind boggling.

As far as Alan in Europe he has agreed to wear a muzzle for the European part of the trip, which is the whole trip. Should slow him down about 10%.

[dalyduo]

More than 150 rather odd looking cartoon Vdub Beetle type cars. Anyone know are they VW's? Impressive numbers. More than twice the field at the VIR Charge of the Headlight Brigade.

[TomBobN20]

These cars are definitely not VW Bugs despite their appearance. Here is the desciption from the website. Looks like a lot of...........well............fun.

http://www.fun-cup.com/about.html

[dalyduo]

Ha! Thanks Tom...
Well they certainly aren't spec Beetles but they've got VW engines and the aero profile of an old Beetle. Must be a handful on windy days as I had a 1959 Beetle with about 45 horsepower that used to change lanes all by itself on windy days.
They do look like fun though!

[TomBobN20]

I had a 59 too. Ice off the inside of the windows. Paid our dues in those buggers. Loved that car. Couldn't pay me to go back. This looks like a great series. Apparently it is pretty cost effective. They have a 25 hr race at Thunderhill in Cal.

[cdh]

my buddy in HS had an ancient Beetle (ancient even then), I asked him what the brick he kept in the footwell was for.

"That's my cruise control". Place brick on gas pedal, drive. It worked.

nice hijack

[dalyduo]

Taking the hijack one step farther...
That '59 was my very first car. It was a 10 year old repo beater that my cousin picked up thinking he'd build it into a dune buggy. After realizing it was going to take more time and money than he wanted to invest he passed it on to me. The radio push buttons had putty squeezed in around them because the front end had been crunched and badly restored so the seals around the front boot allowed air to freely pass through and enter the car through the dashboard. Brrrr. As Tom alluded to, the car had virtually no heater. There was a duct system that was supposed to heat air by proximity to the exhaust mainifold and send it forward but there was no fan and it never worked. Frost on the inside of the windshield was common because your face was so close to the windshield that your breath would fog up the glass and then quickly freeze. There was no gas gauge just a piece of bent metal rod sticking through the firewall below the dashboard attached to the valve of a small reserve reservoir inside the gas tank. You'd open the valve, fill the tank and then close the valve. When the car sputtered you'd open the valve and have that extra gallon to make it to the gas station. If you threw it off the Grand Canyon it wouldn't go more than about 75mph and the word used to describe acceleration in the car was "perceptible" and as previously mentioned it had a mind of its own when it came to lane changes on a windy day.
However... I was thrilled to have anything to drive at age 16 and it served me well until graduating to a repo'd Fiat 850 spyder that you could scare the bejeezus out of yourself with, without exceeding the speed limit... But we'll save that hijack for another day.

[TomBobN20]

You had a radio???? Man, you must have had the LX version. Don't forget it was the best car to have when it snowed, assuming you could put enough clothes on to stay warm. I learned the fine art of hanging the back end out in that car. I also used a stick to measure the gas. Everyone loves their first car.

[BlackFireACR]

well i was hoping to crash the finale weekend... mm, bad choice of words lol but it's not in the budget i miss you guys! i'll have to settle for a track day or three in god knows what when i finally make it out west this year. that said i will likely be at VIR or Summit Point for the aforementioned races... i'll be that a hole in the red Neon passing all the miata's ~Chris

[robbyracenut]

Originally Posted by TomBobN20

You had a radio???? Man, you must have had the LX version. Don't forget it was the best car to have when it snowed, assuming you could put enough clothes on to stay warm. I learned the fine art of hanging the back end out in that car. I also used a stick to measure the gas. Everyone loves their first car.

I disagree with that statement wholeheartedly... My first car was a 1991 Volvo 740 wagon that had been shipped from the US to Egypt, to Saudi, then back again, and all before I ever got my hands on it. In between it might have made a few trips through the Sinai desert while sucking sand every mile of the trip. To say that the thing was down on power and that the dampers were shot would be an understatement. It had a 4 cylinder 115 hp engine driving a 3000+ pound car through a 4 speed automatic. Let's just say it taught me to appreciate everything that has come since. I absolutely DO NOT love my first car!

[dalyduo]

The hijack continues unabated.
Current 2nd car is a '92 740 turbo wagon in remarkably good original condition with close to 150,000 miles. (As far as I know, it's never been out of the country ) Bought it with 96,000 miles 8 years ago as a grocery getter for our weekend place. It's a red damperless brick going around corners but pulls like a champ with most of it's 162hp and 195 ft. lbs of torque still intact even though it sounds like a Singer sewing machine gone wild. That torque moves it off the line respectably and the wide leather seats feel like old parlor chairs. Not a speck of rust and the paint still shines with a/c and heat that will alternately preserve and broil raw meat. Holds more than just about any station wagon ever built. Vicki loves it and because it's such a competent family transportation appliance I can't seem to find a good reason to move it on.

From the perspective of a '59 Beetle the '92 740 turbo is a 33 year quantum leap in handling, ride, speed and all forms of automotive competence... But compared to an '03 BMW 540iT wagon... The Volvo is like a '59 Beetle... In the end it's all about your perspective.

[chsutherland]

Isn't that your BMW DD? Like the M wheels. What's up with the new M3? Are they out yet, anyone driven one?

[gman]

OK - so here is the scoop. This past weekend, I went to Fontana to test the Fun-Cup bug w/ Gary Williams' Jr & Sr. We had a great time and Greg the US franchise holder was fantastic.

At the track, I randomly met someone that did the Spa race last year. He said it was the most fun he's had racing. The person I spoke to runs SoCal NASA (not the space agency but the car club) and reported having a lot of experience racing at many different levels. Budget permitting he would do it again without question.

The cars are built race cars and share only the front windshield with production VW bugs. They have a steel tube chassis and are designed to be inexpensive to buy, race and fix. The cars are a bit short on power and have an H box transmission. Cornering is very good and reportedly similar to that of a spec miata.

The cars aren't the fastest, but they definitely handle. On the Oval, the cars will top out at 115mph. The series runs on the same BFG's as the regional RT's. A little slow in my opinion for a lapping day, but look like a good time to race.

[dalyduo]

Right you are Craige... Birkmama tells me the only BMW with lower production numbers in the states is the Z8. It's a rare animal because most people who want wagons aren't especially concerned with performance. This wagon has the M Sport package that includes the M suspension and sport seats to go with those wheels. The engine is a stock 540i V8 with 290 hp and 324 ft lbs of torque. The only transmission available in the wagon (or Touring, in BMW jargon) is the M-Sport Steptronic automatic. I've had it at speed around Lime Rock in the dry and on the autocross at LRP in the snow. It's a wonderfully competent high performance road car in a handsome and stealthy family wagon wrapper. Makes me smile every time I drive it.

Went to the auto show last night and saw the race prepped M3 coupe that Birkmama unvieled with Bobby Rahal recently. One of the highlights of the show. As you would expect... absolutely gorgeous with performance that should exceed its good looks.
I was critical of the M3's looks when I saw the first photos but after seeing it in person I'm now a convert. Great proportion and flow.

Originally Posted by chsutherland

Isn't that your BMW DD? Like the M wheels. What's up with the new M3? Are they out yet, anyone driven one?

[WatertownNewbie]

Originally Posted by AlDelattre

In spite of significant challenges, I am committed to showing up at Laguna Seca for the West finale weekend and the MX-5 kickoff.

Well??? How was it??? (Notice that I hi-jacked this thread back to its original purpose.)

[WatertownNewbie]

Is there a news blackout on this thing?! Skippy is usually quick about getting results posted on the website, but so far -- nothing. And none of you who raced there seem inclined to spill the beans either. What up, dog?

[sjames2222]

I can't speak to the western series finale or their banquet but I was able to participate in the first "official" Mazdaspeed Challenge weekend. I had a great time. First time at Laguna Seca and it's a great track. (I tested for my upcoming SCCA spec miata race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Thurs and let me tell you it's entirely different)
My race group (3) saw Dion (racing in KONI in a VW GTI with Randy Pobst), Philip R. (a journalist from Racer mag) and Ian Ziering (Steve from the TV show 90210...very nice and polite gentleman)
Race Group 5 had Michael Skeen (from the Speed program Setup, apparently doing a piece for Speed on the MX-5 cup series...I have a feeling that he won the Setup program), Mike Monticello (feature editor for Road and Track, very fast in his first race weekend), and Tim Suddard (editor for Grassroots motorsports mag)
Although not as fast as the formula cars the MX-5's are definitely a blast to drive and very forgiving. The setup has changed since I drove the cars at Road Atlanta and Skippy is getting a better feel for the cars.
Hopefully we'll be able to see some longer races and even enduros like they did at Sebring last month.
Hope to see you all at VIR next month, try the MX-5, you will definitely come out smiling!

[AlDelattre]

I was there....it was a blast. I ended up getting delayed coming in, so I showed up Friday around 10am (sleepless) and self-elected to only do teh Miatas for the weekend...( I did a "new thing" - the "half double")

The MX5 cars are great - basically the opposite of the R/T in every way (except low power is the same). Push like dogs, have ABS (which you need to learn to use strategically), trail brake where you'd never do it in an R/T....etc

I did both races - in R1, I was doing pretty well until I tossed it off T5 and had to pit (wasn't sure I'd survive that, since T5 runoff resembles the moon). Ended up P5 - I was catching P4 but ran out of time. R2 was a blast - ended up in P3 when 2 guys pulled an old Riverside NASCAR maneuver off into T4, but made two dumb mistakes and lost 2 spots - (screwing up the ABS-centric, trail-brake-all-day T2).

All in all, well run, it was a blast. For those who have raced Spec Miatas, or SSM, these cars are CUSHY....feel a lot softer, heavier, squishier brakes. However, once you adapt, it's the same old rule - doesnt' matter what you're driving, as long as you're hauling ass and having fun.

Am going to do the Grand-Am LRP thing and will try and do a few more Miata races this year...