T-Bone Served at First Club Racing School!

[JimW337]

I just finished and passed my first school, held at Summit Point by the DC Region, WOW, WHAT A RUSH!!! The weekend far exceeded my expectations and I got way more out of the weekend then I ever could have imagined. Can you tell I’m still pumped!

There was plenty of traffic, 38 cars in Group 1, mostly Miata’s, big surprise, and my Rabbit GTI. This was my first time at Summit Point and I came away really linking the track. Enough twisty sections to keep the Rabbit competitive and a long enough straight to let the Rabbit have enough time to get some speed up.

The biggest lesson I learned was check your mirror just before turn-in. After the first session on Sunday my instructor (Kipp Gaynor) was telling me I was leaving the door open for too may cars, DRIVE THE LINE he says. By now I am feeling pretty comfortable with the line and have more confidence in the other drivers, then T-Bone was served.

Turn one, trying to take it in a little deeper, squeeze the brakes, blip the gas, check the mirror, hit the turn-in, get on the gas, there’s the apex, turn the head to look for track out, a flash of BLUE and WHAMM (sounds just like on NASCAR TV).

The car jumps a car width to the left, I don’t think I ever let up on the gas and the car keeps heading for track out. All the wheels are still rolling, the car still sounds good, I take turn 3 a little tentative and head on for turn 4. The car still feels good and I keep on truckin’ and finish out the session not really thinking about the hit.

End of session and I get out of the car, how bad could it be, the car still drives fine. It looked real bad, the door into the side bars and the rocker panel pushed in way to far. No time to dwell have to get to the de-briefing. This should be interesting.

It was a blue Honda CRX and he really got reamed by the instructors. They called it a lunge, making the move after turn-in, he hit me square in the door with his front nose just before the apex. He was very apologetic and even offered to pay for the door. My instructor was very pumped that I didn’t give the line away and I finished out the session with competitive times. The Rabbit finished out the weekend without the door falling off. And I even passed a few people, including a certain blue CRX, in the 5 lap race.

I’ve got until June to fix the car before the next school, so hears my question. How much do you have to fix a car to pass tech? My instructor says, a dent puller and some bondo is all I need. My plan is to get a new door and see if it will still fit on the car. And have the alignment checked, I need to have it corner weighted anyway. If the alignment checks out and the door fits and I ‘scab’ on a rocker panel, should I be good to go?

In conclusion, this racing stuff is addictive, it should come with warning labels.

[joeg]

Get a replacement door; not worth trying to fix. As a matter of fact, buy up a few and have them all prepainted and numbered.

As for the rocker; do the best you can with a dent puller (you may need to weld a pull tab onto it ) and the bondo.

Cheers.

[Knestis]

... He was very apologetic and even offered to pay for the door. ... [/b]

Take him up on it. Might help him remember not to do it again.

K

[gran racing]

I'm with Joe. Go the the salvage yard and get a new door. (Just don't do anything silly like to get rid of the old damaged door until you know the new one fits.) I personally would not have the CRX driver pay for the door. It's a school, he too is a novice, and he appologized. It sucks, but that's racing. If he were a jerk about things, I'd approach it a bit differently. (By the way, that was very cool of him to offer to pay for your door!) I'm sure you two will be racing with each other again many times in the future. Keep that in mind what ever you decide to do. When you're car brakes during a weekend, then ask for him for a hand.

[JLawton]

Jim, very sorry to hear about the "incident". I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach!! No lie!
I'm sorry I didn't have any spare doors to go with the car!! Man, and that was the good side of the car!!
My big concern is the frame. You may want to have someone check it. Shouldn't cost a lot (under $200??)

It does sound like you came away with a positive experience over all. I'm glad it didn't sour you. I hope the car is running well for you!!

Hang in there!!

[RacerBill]

Jim: Congrats on getting through your first school.

Amazing how similar circumstances can provoke different responses from instructors. I had a very similar incident happen to me in my first school - at Nelson, Turn 13 comming onto to main straight. Concentrating on my line, turn in (did I mention that I am driving a BRICK! Champion leaner!) right hand turn, so the car is healed over to the left like a sail boat! Line of sight out the right door is in the sky! All of a sudden, I see a big splash of yellow out that right window. So I get over to the left a little faster than I was planning - but no contact! What I saw was the roof of another car!

The next day, our instructor tells us that when he told us to get close to the apex, he did not mean this close and shows us a picture of a yellow RX7, about two-thirds of a car width in the grass. And there is a big white Peugeot on the outside! Turns out the RX7 tried the bonzai move cause I walked away from him on the straights.

Afterwards, the instructor comes over to my car and starts telling me how it was my fault! The picture clearly shows that my nose was way ahead of his, he was passing me, I was holding my line (as we had been insturcted to do, just like you). But it would have been my fault if we had made contact. After it became obvious that I could get nowhere pleading my case, I just bit the bullet and said 'Sorry, I'll watch myself in the future'. Are we allowed to substitute lexan doors that we can see thru?

Anyway, I guess that part of passing is making sure the guy you are passing knows you are there. Also, be aware of any cars that may be overtaking you, that might try the banzai pass!

By the way, that's a big advantage of a Krylon paint job - touchup is a breeze!

[mgyip]

Congrats on completing the school

Sorry to see your damage but as you're aware of and willing to accept, its racing and there are risks. I'm on the fence about accepting payment for the damage - while it is a nice gesture from the other driver (Jeff?), it can very easily turn against you. Case in point is a friend whose car was dented by a competitor at a Pro Solo event - the competitor offered to fix the damage but wanted to use his Dad's friend who is a retired Paintless Dent Removal contractor. When my friend balked b/c he wasn't local, the competitor stated a low-ball figure as the only amount the he would pay - period. In other words, the competitor went from good-guy to prick b/c he wasn't able to save money to fix his mistakes.

As suggested, accept his appologies - that is, IMHO, enough for someone to admit fault and offer an appology.

BTW, I was there as crewing for the black ITB Golf and black 2002 in the same group as yourself - the damage doesn't look too bad but then again, even my car used to look go from 50' at 50 mph

[Bill Miller]

Sorry to hear about your incident, that's never the way to start a racing career. Some pics would help a lot as to determining the extent of the damage. As others have said, just get a spare door and hang it. I've got a couple but they're in NJ, and probably won't do you much good. First things first though, get the car in the air and check the diagonal alignment (measure point to point, across each front/rear diagonal. That will give you an idea if the chassis is tweaked. Summit Point is a great track, but Turn 1 does tempt people to make some ill-advised moves. You carry a lot of speed comming into that corner, and trying to go up the inside of somebody is a low-percentage move.

[JLawton]

[quote]
Sorry to see your damage but as you're aware of and willing to accept, its racing and there are risks. I'm on the fence about accepting payment for the damage - while it is a nice gesture from the other driver (Jeff?),

Not me, I sold the car to Jim, hence the ill feeling.

Hey, I resent the comment about Krylon paint!! I used only the best!! Rustoleum from Home Depot!!

[JamesB]

An unfortunate incident indeed and by another 1st schooler. The cheif instructor was very very stern about that incident. But im glad the damage is more cosmetic then anything.

I hope the repair goes well for you and see you out there!!!

[JimW337]

I've never been too sucessful with a dent puller, turns out more like swiss cheese. Could I cut a long access 'door' on the inside of the rocker and then pound out the big dent? Then just weld the 'door' back up after word. Here's couple of pic's...

[JimW337]

I know the CRX driver felt real bad about the hit and it affected his driving for the rest of the day, way off the pace. I really don't have any hard feelings toward him, partly because he showed real regret for what happened and partly because it didn't affect me in the school. If it had ended my weekend and I wasn't able to pass the school then it might be a different story. I guess it's just one of those racin' thangs and we both go home, lick our wounds and get ready for the next race.

This was his second school, his instructor for his first school was my instructor this weekend. So I guess they expect more from a second school student, maybe it was just a red mist kind of thing. My instructor was in turn one for the 'incident' and witnessed it all. He said it was pretty spectacular, blue plactic parts flying everywhere high up in the air.

So, my first school had it all, I can hardly wait for the second school so I can get out there and do it all again. All except for the T-Bone part.

[JamesB]

I thought it was his first school, I dont remember him from the Fall School. But then I had enough on my mind. I am glad to see the incident didnt get you down or ruin your weekend. I hope the next school will be contact free for you.

BTW, instead of a drill based puller, if you know any friends who do body work see if they have a stud based puller. basically the stud uses a gun to tack weld to the dent and a 2-4# slide hammer to pull the dent. Once the work is done you cut off the studs and grind/bondo it smooth. Much better then swiss cheesing the metal.

I can show the pictures to a few body guys I know and see if they will write up some DIY instructions for you this week. As for the door, toss and replace, its easier, like others said.

[Bill Miller]

That thing's tweked pretty good. I noticed in the top pic, the top of the door sticks out a good inch or so. In the bottom pic, where the rocker meets the A-pillar is tweaked pretty good as well. I'm guessing the lower door hinge is pushed in, which is probably leading to the top of the door sticking out. You may have a hard time getting a new door to fit right, w/o a lot of tweaking things around. I'd get the car on a flat, level surface, and start checking some dimensions. Make sure that the wheels base is the same on both sides. You also may want to consider investing in a Porta-Power, or at least find someone that's got one. Without trying to sound like a wet blanket, I think that as you get involved w/ that, you're going to find out that it's a bit more involved than pulling the rocker and hanging a new door. I hope I'm wrong.

I will say this though, if you were going to get T-boned, you got it where it's causing the least amount of damage. A foot farther forward, or two feet farther back, and your weekend would have ended sooner than you wanted it to.

[joeg]

Now that you have the pics up--I repeat, buy some replacement doors.

Take it to a frame shop and for a few bucks, they will weld pull tabs to the rocker and pull it back into rough shape. They can check if the chassis is tweaked at the same time and fix that too.

You cannot fix that particular rocker satisfactorilly with a dent puller or a stud welder. It needs a powerful tug--actually a few of them.

[16v]

ouch. And that car was pretty