Road Atlanta DE this weekend - back on track at last!
10-31-2005, 11:27 AM
#16
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Sorry to hear that Mark. I was wondering where you went... Despite a little richness problem, my car ran great for its first time to Road Atlanta. Even ran some 18" wheels with Hoosiers off my instructors' car one seesion! Niiice. Hope PI can get you back together in time for January!
Mark T
Mark T
10-31-2005, 12:35 PM
#17
Drifting
Thread Starter
Let's just say that following a tow truck was not the way I had planned to spend my Saturday! Definitely feeling pretty down about it, and a little afraid of what I might hear this afternoon, but it's fixable and will be better than ever in a couple weeks.
This was my very first mechanical failure, after several years of track driving (knock on wood). I always felt bad when it happened to someone else, and now I know the feeling!
This was my very first mechanical failure, after several years of track driving (knock on wood). I always felt bad when it happened to someone else, and now I know the feeling!
10-31-2005, 12:51 PM
#18
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Mark,
It was nice to meet you as well, sorry for the head gasket. Hopefully nothing else is damaged.
I had a wild ride on Sunday afternoon. I had my student riding with me, we are having fun, all is well. I pass couple of cars on the front straight and going hot into turn 1 (I'm usually doing 130+) before braking. Without any hint, the rear of my car gets loose, tires screeming, and here we go spinning, walls get closer and closer, I'm getting pissed as I just finished restoring my car after an encounter with the wall at Road Atlanta few years back. Luckily we don't hit anything. Now we are sitting sideway on the track, and the cars we just passed are coming at us. Luckily one went for the grass, the second car slowed down enough for me to restart the car and get out of the way for him to pass. Getting hit on the side would have been VERY ugly.. It appears that there was coolant and/or oil on the track, and I was the lucky one to find it.. Oh did I mention that a CUP car at the same time was spinning on turn #3.. The corner workers did a great job, the other instructors did a fantastic job by evading us.. Welcome to Road Atlanta.
It was nice to meet you as well, sorry for the head gasket. Hopefully nothing else is damaged.
I had a wild ride on Sunday afternoon. I had my student riding with me, we are having fun, all is well. I pass couple of cars on the front straight and going hot into turn 1 (I'm usually doing 130+) before braking. Without any hint, the rear of my car gets loose, tires screeming, and here we go spinning, walls get closer and closer, I'm getting pissed as I just finished restoring my car after an encounter with the wall at Road Atlanta few years back. Luckily we don't hit anything. Now we are sitting sideway on the track, and the cars we just passed are coming at us. Luckily one went for the grass, the second car slowed down enough for me to restart the car and get out of the way for him to pass. Getting hit on the side would have been VERY ugly.. It appears that there was coolant and/or oil on the track, and I was the lucky one to find it.. Oh did I mention that a CUP car at the same time was spinning on turn #3.. The corner workers did a great job, the other instructors did a fantastic job by evading us.. Welcome to Road Atlanta.
10-31-2005, 02:09 PM
#19
Drifting
Thread Starter
John, it was great to meet you. After my trip back to the paddock on the flatbed, I watched your run group for a little while and I have to say the speed you carried down the front straight and through turn 1 was really impressive. Glad to hear the incident was just a spin and nothing more.
As soon as I'm back together, I want to get my car set up right with a set of custom chips. Looking over my data I think I had a part-throttle lean condition that caused a hot spot. It was running about 11.5:1 on full throttle, but up around 14 at part-throttle, not sure why. The problem was I couldn't run full throttle all the time due to wheelspin, so I had to feather it. Crap.
As soon as I'm back together, I want to get my car set up right with a set of custom chips. Looking over my data I think I had a part-throttle lean condition that caused a hot spot. It was running about 11.5:1 on full throttle, but up around 14 at part-throttle, not sure why. The problem was I couldn't run full throttle all the time due to wheelspin, so I had to feather it. Crap.