Round 2, May 5th/6th

[JoshS]

Looks like we'll have as many ITR cars for round 2 as we have ITB and ITC. So far on the entry list:

ITR: 2 (both brand new builds, not old ITS cars!)
ITS: 5
ITA: 32 (27 of which are double-dipping Spec Miatas)
ITB: 2
ITC: 2

I don't know of any other local ITR cars being built right now, but I'm really hoping that we've got some momentum with this class.

Entry list as of 4/25: http://www.sfrscca.org/Calendar/Sche...7may5entry.pdf

[racer_tim]

Josh, just be glad your running in Group 1 not Group 5.

[JoshS]

I'm beginning to get comfortable with that. Fewer Miatas, that's good. Unfortunately, I'll be midpack, speedwise. I like being closer to the front!

[ccearlock]

I have not missed a race since 2004, but unfortunately I have to sit this one out, along with a few other race weekends this season. However, I am told that there will be a Thunderhill track championship this year consisting of the three back-to-back Thunderhill race weekends that begin with the regional on 5/25. Sounds like a cool idea.... a chance to win a championship for those of us that can't do the whole season. Hopefully some more of the 510s will come out. We had ten different ones show up over the course of the 2006 season.

[Z3_GoCar]

My rear sub-frame is still sitting on my garage floor, and I'd need to add the passenger side door bar. I'd love to run LS this season, but will probably settle for one race at Willow Springs or Buttonwillow to get my novice book signed off for a national license. The Vintage SCCA/BMW race was a couple of weeks ago too. Looks like I'll have to try to get D-Prepared off the ground...

James

[racer_tim]

James, I was looking for you at the SCCA Vintage with the BMW club group. Mickey Miller won in a "stock" looking 1988 M3 running DM. Some of the more "exotic" newer M3's had some problems with sound, and one guy's turbo was cooked and was blacked flag from the BMW tech guys, who didn't want him to loose the engine while running so lean.

I was in the tower, and worked with Ralph, one of the BMW stewards.

Weather was PERFECT.

[Z3_GoCar]

Hey Tim,

This year's shaping up of being more money spent on car development and less on driver. Imagine my susprise when I found that all my bushings are the stock rubber, and while I have the sub-frame down might as well make the rear adjustable. Then there's the sway's and a hard-top, that'll get me gobbs more top end. Then my tow vehicle has started to wander all over the road. Needless to say my accountant isn't too terrible happy right now Maybe I'll be out next season. I wish I'd have known where to find you last fall during the previous Vintage Classic. BTW, your video really helped me with learning the line at LS.

James

[Hracer]

How did it go for you guys? We were there running in ITA (#84 yellow/blue integra). It was our first race with the car in over a year and we had several problem throughout the weekend. Qualified 39th, but we finally got the gremlins out of the car for the race and ended up fourth. Laguna Seca is a fun track, but I have a lot left to learn about it. Anyone have any onboard videos showing a good line? I had a camera running for the race and will make some clips soon. We moved out here last year from the east coast and we're planning on running a few more races this year. Looking forward to it. JoshS, I did remember seeing an ITR BMW, was that you?

[lateapex911]

Alex, cool, where'd you move to? Guys, fair warning, Alex runs a pretty fast car and knows how to get the most out of it! Be on your game!

[Z3_GoCar]

While not my best lap of the weekend, I missed that as my camera batteries died just after this session, but my best qualifying lap on Saturday(9/23/06). I recognize the missed apex in 10, but I'm sure this is close. I could and did later get more exit speed in 4, 6, and 9. My best lap was a 1:47.414 by comparison the top D-Mod's were just over 9sec/lap faster.




James

[JoshS]

JoshS, I did remember seeing an ITR BMW, was that you?
[/b]

That was me! Obligatory corkscrew photo attached. I do run in-car video but something went wrong and it came out super over-exposed, so nothing to share.

Got down to 1:47.1 on my maiden voyage. Not too bad considering I haven't touched horsepower yet -- still got stock exhaust, including cats and muffler, and the engine has 100K on it. My goal is to get the suspension totally dialed before I spend the money on HP, unless a competitor comes along that challenges me a little bit more. The other car in ITR wasn't much of a threat.

Pretty sure I can take over a second off of that with just minor suspension tuning and minor aggression tuning ... can't wait for Thunderhill in two weeks!

[Z3_GoCar]

Hey Josh,

How far along are you with your suspension mods? Did you go with aluminum or Ireland's urethane sub-frame bushings? How about sway bars, did you find something other than the Racing Dynamics 4/3 hole bars? I'm having the sub-frame adjustors welded on and going with all of Ireland's bushing, as well as having my LSD rebuilt. I'm also on the look out for a used hard-top, ~$2k, because Jerremy said I can't run DP without one, otherwise I'd have to buy a donner just to pull all the IT required stuff back on. You've seen my car, you've probably got a good idea on what's missing.

James

[JoshS]

I used the E30 Gruppe N rubber subframe bushings (straight from BMW) ... lots less void area than the stock stuff, but not urethane or metal either. You have to cut them down to match the height of the Z3 ones thoughs. And I'm using Delrin trailing arm bushings (TCK got them for me, but they are from Korman).

I'm using the H&R adjustable front sway and no rear sway.

I used the Dinan adjusters for the rear. They are basically like the Ireland ones, but much beefier (and correspondingly more expensive.)

I think the suspension is pretty close, just tweaks to be done. I think I can get where I need to be with ride height and shock adjustments, at least, it'll be pretty darned close. As it was last weekend, it felt pretty good, just a bit too much understeer mid-corner under power.

As far as a hardtop goes ... I see those on BimmerForums from time to time. Here's a recent ad for one up here in SF: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=742826

[racer_tim]

Alex, I have a bunch of in-car video from Laguna. Movies are at


http://www.timlinerud.com/racing/videos/index.html

Go down the the bottom and look for Laguna Seca. These were in 1994, so turn 10 is different, but everything else is the same. This was in my ITB Scirocco.

The movies here are from 2003, and a bit more up to date. This is in my G Production Rabbit.

http://www.timlinerud.com/racing/200...-LS/index.html


I also have the entire sessions if you want to look at those. Thank god I'm not hosting these movies any more. Please don't stream them. Do a "save as"

http://www.timlinerud.com/racing/2003/Apri...at-Practice.wmv and is 91 Mb and

http://www.timlinerud.com/racing/2003/Apri...-Double-Sun.wmv and is 112 Mb

[JoshS]

I'm also on the look out for a used hard-top, ~$2k, because Jerremy said I can't run DP without one.[/b]

James,

Are you planning to run Nationals in DP? If not, come on up to SFR and run in ITE without the hardtop. SFR isn't offering DP in regional races anyway (or more specifically, DP cars are explicitly invited to run in ITE.)

Josh

[Z3_GoCar]

Hey Josh,

I may just have to. I'll see how this summer stacks up.

James

ps. thanks for the pointer on the hard top, my guess is it's already sold....

[AntonioGG]

This is my ITA race. Sorry not doing a whole lot of editing on this video...I was pressed for time.

http://www.nitrodyno.com/videos/lagu...6-2007-ita.wmv

[Hracer]

So many vids, thanks to everyone. Here are 3 from our car (#84 ita integra).

start of the race, 1 green lap then full course yellow http://uncutvideo.aol.com/videos/8b7271802...f7827f09f0321e7
restart #1 until next full course yellow http://uncutvideo.aol.com/videos/f301bf1bf...35077f4d528ad59
restart #2 + some sloppy laps at the end (our only clear laps of the weekend with a well running car) http://uncutvideo.aol.com/videos/86c0c0815...04de76998e611b1
(some other videos can be found here http://uncutvideo.aol.com/users/alexmuresan06 )

Lessons learned, at least on a fwd car, Laguna Seca requires all the oversteer you can dial in your setup as possible. We put some understeer in the car before the race to be on the safe side with it being a new track, but I quickly realized that's the last thing you want to do around here. I also hate placing myself in a position out on track where so much of the situation is out of my control, and that slight contact at the start was a little disconcerting with that inside wall being such a constraint and I'm glad nothing more happened to anyone. I feel bad for these guys however who weren't so fortunate http://www.molaps.com/videos/tommyo_pinball.wmv Can't wait to get back and work on learning this track better.

edit: Z3_GoCar, your car sounds awesome.