Grattan Sept 3-4

[C. Ludwig]

Wow weather looks perfect! weather.com says highs of about 76 and sunny both days.

[planet6racing]

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

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

[R2 Racing]

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]

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.

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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]

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]

I lied to everyone. I'll be at Mid-Ohio this weekend. 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]

Originally posted by C. Ludwig@Sep 5 2005, 11:15 PM
AND won the Grattan Grand Prix GT4 Tourney.

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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]

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]

All results are posted on Mylaps.com. Go to Neohio and find the event. Remember it is 2 days.

[Eagle7]

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.

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Thank you. Much appreciated.