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View Full Version : Grattan Sept 3-4



Rabbit07
08-02-2005, 05:04 PM
Who's up for it?

Eagle7
08-02-2005, 06:30 PM
I'm in for sure.

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Marty Doane
ITS RX-7 #13
CenDiv WMR

C. Ludwig
08-03-2005, 04:53 AM
In.

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Chris Ludwig
08 ITS RX7 CenDiv

R2 Racing
08-04-2005, 10:34 AM
It doesn't look like I'll be there. Have fun guys!

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Kevin
Ruck Racing
'92 ITA Acura Integra RS
'92 ITC Honda Civic CX
'85 ITC Honda Civic S
'95 ITS Honda Prelude Si

C. Ludwig
08-08-2005, 10:39 AM
Unfortunately it looks like I'll be sitting this weekend out. The autopsy of the engine later today will reveal more. For those of you who may have coolant ports plugged with rubber caps...don't! Get them threaded and put a pipe plug in them. We lost an engine Sunday morning due to a plug coming off and dumping all the coolant out. The engine never got hot enough to seize but the combustion chamber got warm enough to detonate and it wiped out the front rotor. Going to try to get it back together before the last weekend at M-O.

R2 Racing
08-08-2005, 11:45 PM
Wow Chris, that really sucks. I'm sorry about your luck - that car has been hooked up like crazy this year though. I hope you get it back running by the Autumn Classic!

C. Ludwig
08-09-2005, 12:35 AM
Thanks. That's racing. We've run too well this year to really get too down about something like this. PaulD has been nice enough to offer some help that'll go a long way toward getting us going again. Live and learn eh? :D

Guest_GEO46_*
08-09-2005, 09:27 PM
Rabbit, you Know JPM and I "plan" on being there, depending on our engine situation.

George

planet6racing
08-19-2005, 02:18 PM
I'm considering heading across the pond for this. Depends on $$$, of course, and whether I can get my trans back together in time...

KevSC1
08-19-2005, 10:57 PM
Originally posted by C. Ludwig@Aug 8 2005, 02:39 PM
For those of you who may have coolant ports plugged with rubber caps...don't! Get them threaded and put a pipe plug in them.



I'll 2nd that. We broke our rubber plug at Autobahn during Sunday Qualifying. Didn't harm the engine, but we did loose a bit of coolant. Got the car in to the pits, to the paddock, and back out on track fully repaired in 9 minutes (and we have the transponder times to prove it!)

planet6racing
08-23-2005, 09:28 AM
Alright, I sent in my registration today! I plan to give the ITC guys a run for their money!! :D

Anyone have any driving tips about the track? This will be my first time there. Also, how is camping at the track? What about directions to get there?

C. Ludwig
08-23-2005, 10:23 AM
If it's your first time there I HIGHLY recommend you do the practice day on Friday. Almost every corner on the track has a blind apex. It's a very fun track once you learn where it goes over each crest and dip. But it takes quite a few laps to get to that point.

planet6racing
08-23-2005, 10:37 AM
Originally posted by C. Ludwig@Aug 23 2005, 09:23 AM
If it's your first time there I HIGHLY recommend you do the practice day on Friday. Almost every corner on the track has a blind apex. It's a very fun track once you learn where it goes over each crest and dip. But it takes quite a few laps to get to that point.

58891


Unfortunately, no can do. I'm going to have to learn this the hard way! (Stupid budget)

R2 Racing
08-23-2005, 12:32 PM
Bill - good luck at doing Grattan blind! I did it that way a couple of year ago and I've never been more confused on track than I was during that first qualifying session on Saturday morning. There's 13 turns on that track and I'd say that 6 or 7 of them are completely blind, fall horribly off in the middle of the corner, or are completely blind AND fall horribly off in the middle of the corner. Now after I've been there 4 or 5 times, it's one of my favorites.

Too bad I can't join you guys.

planet6racing
08-23-2005, 12:47 PM
Anyone have any video? I've seen some, somewhere, before, but it would be nice to get a full lap that I could watch over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and...

ddewhurst
08-23-2005, 02:58 PM
Bill, Grattan is a track you MUST attack......... T3 gets your attention, T4 is enjoyable, the right hander before the toilet bowl tends to unload a rear wheel drive car, the toilet bowl just flat ass removes your speed & get your marks correct WAAAAAAAY back in the far corner or you'll be looking where ya came from. :119: There is some water in the infield where camping would be neat & use the showers which are outside the main gate near the main regestration building. The infield showers are worst than at the Farm.

Have Fun ;)

John Herman
08-23-2005, 04:39 PM
BTW, Grattan does have allow a 1/2 test day (>1pm) for like $60. The problem with a tape, is it doesn't come close to showing all the small things needed to set up for the corner. Basically, if you wait to see the corner before you start the turn-ins, you're going to be mowing grass. I don't think there is a level section of track the whole way around. Here is a link to the track site, http://www.wmr-scca.org/jz10grattan.htm which is better than nothing.

Eagle7
08-23-2005, 08:30 PM
Glad to see you're coming Bill. I think you'll love the track.
I've never been accused of being very fast, but I'd be glad to lead you around for a couple laps in qualifying.
I've got video, I could send you a DVD if you want.

s.procter
08-29-2005, 11:39 AM
New to the forum (well, ok, I've lurked for about five years or so, but just now registered), but I'll be there along with Dad (share the car, been running it about 3 years in Cendiv). Blue and white BMW 2002, usually paddocked down near the esses. Little down on motor this year and can't afford the Hoosiers, but hell, it still oughta be fun. I mean, it's Grattan. :)

I'll be running the car Sunday, Dad'll be driving it Saturday, and one (maybe both) of us will be there on Friday. Somebody stop by and say hi if you get a chance...

(Or wave as you fly by on track :)



-Sam Smith
'68 2002, ITB
Chicago/Louisville/St. Louis

Marc Henry
08-30-2005, 08:03 AM
Hello all. Sadly once again I will not be racing with you. But I will be in the starters stand both days so wave as you go by, and stop by as the weekend allows and say hello.

C. Ludwig
09-01-2005, 02:04 PM
Wow weather looks perfect! :D weather.com says highs of about 76 and sunny both days. :023:

planet6racing
09-01-2005, 03:28 PM
Originally posted by C. Ludwig@Sep 1 2005, 01:04 PM
Wow weather looks perfect! :D weather.com says highs of about 76 and sunny both days. :023:

59514



Great! Thanks! Now I'll have to bring the rain tires!! :P

R2 Racing
09-01-2005, 07:48 PM
Chris, did you get your car back together?

I'm kind of worried that all of the nice weather is going to be used up this weekend and it'll suck next weekend for Mid Ohio. If it was raining this entire weekend I'd feel better about having to be here building an engine and not at the race track.

C. Ludwig
09-01-2005, 08:16 PM
Originally posted by R2 Racing@Sep 1 2005, 07:48 PM
Chris, did you get your car back together?

I'm kind of worried that all of the nice weather is going to be used up this weekend and it'll suck next weekend for Mid Ohio. If it was raining this entire weekend I'd feel better about having to be here building an engine and not at the race track.

59537



Yeah it's running. I didn't have time to throw together another trick engine so I finally built the budget backup engine I've been wanting for a while. No idea what kind of power it'll make. I've used up all my good will with my neighbors as far as impromptu dyno sessions on the street so I'm just winging it. Will probably be at Mid-Ohio next weekend if everything goes well this weekend.

Eagle7
09-05-2005, 04:45 PM
OK, I'll start. The weather was wonderful, I improved my personal best every session, I stayed on Keith Bartu's tail the entire Sunday race (a first for me), I had a great time, and I'm exhausted. Thanks to John Herman for some helpful advice. Was great to meet and share paddock space with Bill and Dave @ Planet6Racing. My biggest downside was some repairable quarter-panel dings from being punted in the hairpin.

New track records in both ITS (Rob Huffmaster) and ITA (Colin Botha) both Saturday and Sunday (1:29.047 in ITS and 1:29.531 in ITA). Colin's always been fast, and now we know that Huffmaster kid's no slouch either.

Ray Huffmaster brought a new T3 RX-8 that was great to see on the track. He ran just behind his kid in the RX-7 all weekend. Said it was lots of fun to drive.

Sadly, others didn't fare so well. John Herman lost his engine and George Russell lost 5th gear in his transmission in Friday's first test session. I didn't get a chance to meet Brian Shanfeld, but he pulled off in Saturday's race and went home. Steve Barth showed up on Sunday and blew a head gasket in qualifying. Lance Loughman had carb problems on Sunday and pulled off. Bill @ Planet6 pushed a shock up through his hood, but said he loved the track and wants to come back. Chris Ludwig had two disappointing days - I hope he wants to come back.

C. Ludwig
09-06-2005, 12:15 AM
I lied to everyone. I'll be at Mid-Ohio this weekend. :happy204: Can't end the year on a sour note. Grattan is still a beast of a track. I'm sore and tired. Congrats to Rob! Hell of a weekend. Won four races and set track records in two classes AND won the Grattan Grand Prix GT4 Tourney.

R2 Racing
09-06-2005, 08:39 AM
Originally posted by C. Ludwig@Sep 5 2005, 11:15 PM
AND won the Grattan Grand Prix GT4 Tourney.

59674


Wait a minute....you guys had a GT4 tourney without me? :angry:

Colin and I raced against eachother at Grattan at the Memorial Day weekend and he's just flat out fast around there. He was really close to the record back then so I'm not surprised he broke it. I imagine the conditions were pretty darn good too.

I feel for some of you guys who had problems there since I've had an engine blow and a shock literally fall out of the back of my car there before. I don't know, it must just be tough on cars.

planet6racing
09-06-2005, 08:47 AM
What a weekend! And what a track!!

First off, a special thank you to Marty for helping show me the line and taking the time to walk the track on Friday night. That was probably the biggest help of the weekend! Secondly, a big thank you to Tom Long for the use of (1) lugnut. I still can't believe I forgot my spare bolts bucket!

As for my experience, well, the track is a lot of fun, but definitely in rough shape. I still can't get over how bumpy it is in parts! But, as I learned the track, I definitely got faster and learned more about the limits of dead hoosiers than I care to know.

As for being rough on the car, I have to completely agree. At some point, one of the lug nuts and stud departed the front left of my car and, after turning in a little too early in turn 11, the big bump sent the upper part of the shock through my hood!! Luckily, things were just bent and I was able to continue, but still a surprise to come in and find a hole in the hood.

I'll be back next year, but with better tires. I didn't like watching the entire ITA field walk away from me...

datadude
09-06-2005, 11:36 PM
All results are posted on Mylaps.com. Go to Neohio and find the event. Remember it is 2 days.

Eagle7
09-07-2005, 06:37 AM
Originally posted by datadude@Sep 6 2005, 11:36 PM
All results are posted on Mylaps.com. Go to Neohio and find the event. Remember it is 2 days.

59772

Thank you. Much appreciated. :023: