Gateway???

[Speed Raycer]

Who's showing up at Gateway this weekend?

I'm having one of those weeks where I have to run to the parts store or the tool store every other hour and not getting anything accomplished, but I positive that I'll be there!

------------------
Scott Rhea
It's not what you build...
it's how you build it

Izzy's Custom Cages

[itaracer]

Scott,

I feel your pain. Same here. The only difference is I'll be there wheather the parts arrive or not. I may not be able to be competative but I will run.

[Speed Raycer]

Mine's all brake line issues, which means if I don't get them resolved, I can't run, but I'm pretty confident I'll be there.

Are you going to make the T&T Mark?

[m glassburner]

We will be there fri, sat ,sun mike g.

[itaracer]

Scott,

I wont get there till Friday night. I'm waiting for the UPS truck to bring the goodies today and will be working every night to get them all installed. Temps for Sat/Sun don't look too bad so maybe I'll be able to run more than 3 or 4 laps before I over heat. If you go Friday can you save me a garage spot? If you can I wont have to haul as much stuff. What brake stuff do you need. I can pull some parts off of "YP2" and bring them up to you.

[Speed Raycer]

Mark, I'll try and catch up with Dan H. (the Gateway Guy) and save you a spot. Poke around on www.r32.us (The St. Louis Regions test site for their new website. Your's truly is the road race webmaster )and you'll find Dans contact info. Thanks for the offer on the parts. I think I'm in the clear!!!

Just an FYI for everyone... Gateways instituting a new paddock policy starting with this race. It's first come first serve, and I believe no choice on Paddock spots. Each car gets a 40'long x 20' wide marked spot. There will be Paddock Marshals to meet you as you pull in and to guide you to the next spot. What they're trying to do is give the racers prime parking for their rigs and keep all of the other vehicles parked in the gravel. There's more info on the www.r32.us test site.

[itaracer]

OK Mr. Road Race Webmaster. I click on the Gateway link and it takes me right to IZZY'S Custom Cages. How convenient!!!! That's a neat way to generate web traffic!!!

[Speed Raycer]

Whoops! Fixed it... honest mistake

Here's the info:
http://www.r32.us/Default.aspx?tabid=30

Here's the forecast:

[This message has been edited by Speed Raycer (edited July 26, 2004).]

[Speed Raycer]

Just an FYI for anyone coming to Gateway via 55/44 through downtown STL... avoid the Poplar Street Bridge if you're coming in after 7pm. The DOT is doing construction work or something and diverting all 55/44 traffic into downtown STL for a big detour onto southbound 70 then back onto the bridge.

An alternative for 44 drivers would be to get off on Hampton or Kingshighway and head north until you hit 64/40 and take 64 east. 55 drivers might be better off to take 255 east/north across the Jefferson Barracks bridge.

Or just take the detour, you'll get there sooner or later

[Festus E. Simkins]

I should be there. First time since a friend raced at the old Mid-America track in Wintzville(?). I am definitely dating myself. I have had an interesting couple of weeks. Here's the long story.

A couple weeks ago I ran (IT-7) at Barber Motorsports park after a 2 year racing lay off. Going into the "cork screw" an ITS BMW decided to use me for a bank shot coushion. IMHO no need to try and pass there. It is a one car turn. He jumped the curb on the inside hit me and motored on to 2nd in class. Maybe, should have protested but didn't. Hit me in the right front wheel and door. I finished the race but handling went south. When we got back to the paddock it looked like about - 5 degrees camber and major toe-out on the right front. Got back home and got under the car and measured tie rod ends etc. Nothing appears to be bent.... Wrong. Took car into get aligned this last weekend. Have a race in St. Louis this weekend? Well, car would not align. I have camber plates. With max adjustment to stand the tire up, I still have 3.3 degrees negative camber in the right front. Also, still have some some toe-out (1.2 degrees each side.

Still can't find any bent pieces in the front. My only guess is it may have bent the front spindle or tweaked the strut a little. I don't think it would take much to put a lot of neg camber into the wheel if the spindle is bent.


I pulled it down last night and can't find a kink in the strut. With the front end up and the RF wheel off the threaded spring perch slides up and down on the strut with no problem. Shock still compresses and rebounds, etc. No visible wrinkle in strut or the strut tower on the car.

BMW hit the rear half of the RF wheel. Very minor damage to the front fender (basicly scuiff marks). Real damage was to right door just below the mirror. Nice size dent about 12-15 inches long by 7 inches high. Also, along the beltlline where the side impact bar is. Just high enough that I can't get into the inside of the door and push the dent out.

As my buddy says, "Ain't racing fun."

Well guys I laid my hands on the struts again last night and still can't find where it is bent. Checked unibody shock towers...not bent. Guess I'll just buy a new strut and see if that fixes the problem.

Now, I am going to cry in my beer a little. This week has been pure hell. It all started last Saturday:

1. Blew a tire on trailer going to Barber. Shredded tire destroys brand new trailer tail light and rolls rear of fender up like a jelly roll. Have replaced tail light but light system is really screwed up now. I have chased wires till I'm blue in the face. Hell, its only 3 damn wires. I could have completely rewired the trailer for all the time I've spent on this. Giving it one more try tonight.

2. Took race car in to get aligned. We know the story about this one.

3. Before taking car to alignment shop I had to turn the trailer around. BANG! Left rear spring shackle breaks completely off. One U-bolt was already gone (didn't know it) and the other broke when I turnd the unloaded trailer around at the end of the street. Could have been a lot worse. We towed back from Barber at 85 mph. If it would have broken then I think it would have been quite a ride. We got parts and fixed trailer.

4. While race car is at alignment shop. I go back home and jump into my 86 SVO and go to AutoZone to get some things to fix trailer lights. Come out of the Zone and car won't start. Dead battery. They jump it off and I ask them to check the alternator. Only putting out 11 volts at any speed. I see a new alternator in my future.

5. Get to within one block of the house and get a hot burning smell in the car. Paint on hood is not bubbling so I get to the house OK. Smoke is pouring off the RF brake caliper. The RF brake has locked up.

That was my Saturday and it hasn't gotten any better since. I am now hell bent on getting to St. Louis for the race. But hey, I have been blessed. All of this stuff could have happened 300 miles from home. The Lord really does take care of us.

P.S. Rewired the trailer. Everything works. Getting car aligned this afternoon. Scheduled to arrive in St. Louis late Friday afternoon.

Dirve well.

[bldn10]

Doug Ford and I got you beat on the Barber trip, Festus. Doug was using a trailer he was thinking of buying and we had 3 tires go! 1 on the way over - thankfully there was a spare. First 1 on the way back - no spare but thankfully it's a Chevy hub so we use the spare off my Tahoe. Another one separates south of Byhalia but is holding air so we limp the last 25 miles at 20 mph. Of course, you know what happened to me Sat. I have a small wrinkle in the left frame rail but it is forward of the strut tower and it aligned OK. I'll be at St. Louis but ugly.

[itaracer]

This sounds like the week for problems. I finially get an aluminum radiator and don't have enough time to get it installed. I'm half way through moving the oil cooler and fitting the new radiator and leaving tomorrow. Just not enough time. I'm going to put all the old stuff back on tonight and get the car on the trailer. I'm arriving late Friday but I'm going to run until the temps get to high, probably another 3-5 laps of good racing then I'll just be in the way again. Dammit!!!

Festus, Scott, Bill, Scott, Lynn see you all there. Maybe between all of us we can put together one good car.

[miketrier]

I won't be at Gateway. Might be done for the season. Car is great. I just can't seem to get away. Too many things going on. I just don't seem to have the passion anymore. If you know anyone who might want to buy the #99 IT7 with or without the enclosed trailer, send them to me.

[This message has been edited by miketrier (edited July 30, 2004).]

[Festus E. Simkins]

Ok, guys the saga continues. St. Louis was an eventful weekend. We get there Friday afternoon and get set up. I take tires over to the Hoosier man and get them mounted and balanced. Everything is good.

Saturday morning practice/qualifying. I have never been on the track. I am heat cycling a new set of tires. Lap #4 going into turn 1 backend slides out to right. Not going very fast. Next couple of turns same thing. I come in...flat right rear. Take wheel and tire to Hoosier to see if I picked a puncture. Hoosier man says they tore the bead when they mounted the tire. He doesn't have another 03 so the gets another wheel from me and mounts me two new 04s...no charge. Stand up tire dealer. It would have been real easy for him to say I picked up a puncture and that's racing. These guys have got my business from now on. Race time. I mount my new set of heat cycled tires from Tire Rack. I am grided 7th in IT7. We take the green. I pass 3-4 cars at start. I move up the track to turn down into turn 1. The right front BLOWS out. Big bang. I make it to the access road and miss hitting the wall in 1. Luckly no one was on the outside of me. I think its the same problem with the tire. The Hooiser man says that they have problems mounting tires on PanaSports because of the large drop center. We check the tire no bead problem. The inside of the tire is cut alway through like a razor did it. I check out car and find problem. With the slightly bent spindle I got from Barber and the 4" offset wheel and the 225 Hoosier we have an interference problem with the strut. We figure the problem out. I go get the good 03 the Hooiser man took off when he gave me the o4s. He mounts and balances it...NC. I mount it on a 3.5" offset wheel and put on a .25" spacer and we have plenty of clearance. Sunday goes pretty well with only 4 laps under my belt. I qualify 2nd. Still don't know the track. Two guys get around me. One spins and I can't catch the other. I know I'm leaving lots of time on the track. I finish 3rd.

Coming home we hear a different rattle coming from the trailer. The spring shackle we replace is half broken again. This is outside Sickston, MO, at 7 pm Sunday night. Make it to truck center. No help (they did try). No parts stores open. We jury rig the axel 1.5 hours delay. 35 miles north of Grenada, MS (140 miles from home) the shackle comes completely apart. It is now 12 midnight. We spend the better part of an hour trying to chain the axel up enough so we can limp on in to Jackson, MS. 140 miles at 45 miles an hours we get home at 3:30am.

Everybody is safe. The lord does bless us. I wake up at 5 am as usual so I'm at work. I know bldn10 had his trials getting to St. Louis. I had mine coming home.

Drive well

[Speed Raycer]

Sometimes I wonder why we do this!

Sorry to hear about the trailer problems Festus. Trailer problems are the worst (well, maybe next to blown motors ). My brother (yellow SSC Neon) toasted a bearing (or something) in his trailer on the way home. His wheel and hub fell completely off.

On a different note, what did everyone think of the Parking/Paddock arangements? I thought the change was a good thought, but needs a lot more tweaking. Having my trailer blocked in was a little annoying. Next time, I'll just keep it in my spot.

[OTLimit]

When I was over there Friday night, I noticed a couple of things. First, I thought that NO ONE would be allowed to save space. Riiiight. The second thing is that if you tell people they get a 20 x 40, they take ALL of it, even if they don't need it. We usually have anywhere from 3 to 6 cars in a fairly small area, but we couldn't do that very well this time because of the way everything got blocked off. The secret is to just let everyone work it out, and ask them to be nice. You aren't going to make everyone happy anyway, and I'm sure that the same people who complained before, complained this time. On the other hand, if you have someone who takes advantage, you have to have someone willing to talk to them about it.

------------------
Lesley Albin
Over The Limit Racing
Blazen Golden Retrievers

[m glassburner]

Did anyone hear any info on the spec miata driver that hit the wall in 1-2 aera?? Hope hes allright!! Nice to meet you izzy and your brother.Sorry about your bad luck...mike g.

[JIgou]

My wife just spoke to Tony's (SM driver) dad. He says that Tony is prety bruised up and sore, but that there were no serious injuries.

He's working on the car and plans to have it back on the track at MAM at the end of the month.

Jarrod

[L.Lamb]

Mike,,,,,I need to get your dist. back to you. I don't seem to have your address or business card so,,,,,,,[email protected] Let me here from you,,,,,,,Later, Lynn

[mcgyverit]

mike, enjoyed meeting you and all the info you had on my Neon. Looking at the results it seems you guys ran pretty well.

as far as my trailer goes, I am just happy that it didnt turn out worse than it did. If I was going to wreck my car I would rather do it on the track than on the back of the trailer on the way home. Not that I am wanting to wreck on the track, I had a close enough call on Saturday as it was.