Looking back

[JLawton]

Now that I've gotten some sleep............


- Keep the chicane. When Kevin Ruck made the comment about, "the way god intended" (or something like that), I was like, huh?? Then I drove it. Although it took awhile to get it down, it is a blast to drive. Yes it takes away a passing zone but anyone can drive in a straight line!! Keep it!!

- I was trying to think of a way to get more socializing between racers and struggled with that one. The pizza party was great, but a lot of guys had to run off to work on their cars before it got dark. Free beer always makes people sociable!!

- Contingencies would be nice. Between all the racers I'm sure there are a lot of contacts to the appropriate people.

- Talking it up on the forums helped keep the excitment level up.

- Tow funds

- Slow down the Honda's.

- I'm up in the air about the length. I had a tough time with the heat but it did add different strategies to the races which made it more interesting. Maybe 1/2 hour qualifying and four 1/2 hour races??

- Loved the track time!!

- Add dividers to the showers so no one else has to look at the Blethen's....

- I really liked that although everyone raced very hard, people weren't over aggressive. Even the guys who got shuffled back in the pack were patient with their passes when coming back through the field.

- Again, as I had said a few times before, everyone went out of their way to make it a great experience!!

I really can't think of anything else to change........


Great job, can't wait for next year!!

[Dave Burchfield]

Some thoughts about the myriad of great thoughts offered here:

No one can predict the amount of time it is going to take to clean up after a qualifying session or a race. Since I work as a Course Marshall for Pro races at MO, I am somewhat sensitive to this. In the Sunday qualifying races, there was a greater amount of cleanup than expected. There is a choice here....leave the cars out until lunch or bring them in after each session. If you are brought in, you might have a chance to get the car ready for the afternoon race.

Please remember, our sage Race Chair, Todd, said that track time would be dependent upon time spent cleaning up. This was shared early in the planning on this board. This comment is not to be "preachy" or to scold, just to add some clarity to the situation.

Any time past 5 p.m. on Saturday is billed to the region at over $1000/hour. Remember, MO has to pay their employees. On Sunday, the stop time is 5 p.m. no question unless prior arrangements are made($$$$)

Now that we have had one successful event and it looks like it is going to happen again, we can go after sponsors and contingencies. Most corporations plan their advertising and marketing budgets before the end of the calendar year. You can bet we will be after them soon.

The showers at MO have been without dividers for as long as I have been going there(15 yrs) I don't see that changing any time soon.

The learning curve was steep this year, we learned much about putting on this type event, and with all the excitement that has been displayed in this community, we know it can be a success in the future. You can be assured that there will be much analysis of data and brainstorming to make the future events a success for all participants. This year was a bit of a gamble inasmuch as we were in somewhat uncharted waters. The IT and SM communities stepped up and said that this was an event that they were willing to support which is appreciated.

In the coming weeks and months there will be information shared here.

I too am looking forward to next year. Thank you all for supporting us!!!

[924Guy]

7. Head to Colorado, Brent will be waiting.
8. Already did, its called a $2 switch
9. Left hub. Spins a lot then hits wall.
10. Couldn't catch one if I tried.
[/b]

[gran racing]

9. Left hub.[/b]

Left rear rotor.

[Eagle7]

Left rear rotor.[/b]

How'd the wheel come off?

[Greg Amy]

Actually, to be specific (I inspected the results quite in detail) apparently Dave's car has a single-piece combination hub and rotor in the rear (yep, one piece, just like the front of my Ford heavy duty truck). The caliper is, of course, mounted to the knuckle/housing assembly.

What happened is that the hub failed at the bearing interface radius (just like the VW front bearings); the bearing collar itself remained on the car, secured to the stub axle with the hub nut, but the hub face broke off at the radius to the wheel flange. Since the brake rotor is one piece with the wheel flange, and the brake rotor ring was retained by the knuckle-mounted brake caliper, when the hub broke away the rotor ring broke off from it as well (and, as far as I can tell, the rotor ring was never recovered.

So, what we were left looking at is the car with the bearing and the immediate "housing" part around it and the wheel with the hub flange still bolted to it, with the AWOL rotor ring nowhere to be found.

Dave's immediate problem is that this year Prelude ('87) is a bastard child with a unique rear suspension/brake system. He indicated - quite strongly - that this hub/rotor assembly is nowhere to be found: not from Honda, not from NAPA, Advanced, Pep Boys, or online, and very rarely from a salvage yard. And, even if you *could* find one in a salvage yard, I'm personally not impressed with the quality of the casting materials used; it looked to me very much like "pot metal" (though I'm sure it's not. It just didn't look like high-quality cast iron...)

This reminds me that I intend to assist Dave in finding a suitable replacement, especially if this is going to be a regular wear item. Worst case, we may get to test the ITCS in that it implies non-available parts can be substituted by some else... - Greg

[Joe Moser]

Prelude Si Parts Options:

1987 Prelude Si
$1.00 - 1987 Prelude Si - Front End Damage (Los Angeles)

1987 Prelude Race Car
$1200 - 1987 Prelude Si Race Car - UGLY

There are quite a few 1987 Prelude Si's available on the West Coast for ~$300, but you'd need somebody over there to pick up the car, get anything usable off of it and scrap the rest... You know anybody racing a Prelude in Honda Challenge that would help you out (and need some parts as well)?

[Rabbit07]

I for one, would like to see the races stay at 25 laps. I have always enjoyed driving for extended periods of time. For those of you who think the races need to be shorter, there is a thing called a cool suit.

I would not change much about the event at all except adding sponsors. Perhaps a real test day the day before instead of a PDX? However if it was just race cars this year, then the number of cars would have been low. I actually expected to see more race cars there on friday.

Also, slow down the CRXs, and Greg Amy :P

[TAC]

Prelude Si Parts Options:

1987 Prelude Si
$1.00 - 1987 Prelude Si - Front End Damage (Los Angeles)

1987 Prelude Race Car
$1200 - 1987 Prelude Si Race Car - UGLY

There are quite a few 1987 Prelude Si's available on the West Coast for ~$300, but you'd need somebody over there to pick up the car, get anything usable off of it and scrap the rest... You know anybody racing a Prelude in Honda Challenge that would help you out (and need some parts as well)?
[/b]

Maybe Rick Maki (SM driver) could help out since he does live in L.A. I'm sure he has some West Coast connections and had a great time at Mid O this past weekend.

Todd

[gsbaker]

This reminds me that I intend to assist Dave in finding a suitable replacement, especially if this is going to be a regular wear item. Worst case, we may get to test the ITCS in that it implies non-available parts can be substituted by some else.[/b]

Time for a Chevy 12 bolt.

[RacerBill]

Prelude Si Parts Options:

1987 Prelude Si
$1.00 - 1987 Prelude Si - Front End Damage (Los Angeles)

1987 Prelude Race Car
$1200 - 1987 Prelude Si Race Car - UGLY

There are quite a few 1987 Prelude Si's available on the West Coast for ~$300, but you'd need somebody over there to pick up the car, get anything usable off of it and scrap the rest... You know anybody racing a Prelude in Honda Challenge that would help you out (and need some parts as well)?
[/b]

My son lives in Bakersfield and works in a private auto repair shop - might be talked into stripping and shipping some parts off one of those el cheapo's.

[tom91ita]

just want to say thanks to the cincy region for a race well done. my car was not quite well done thanks to the prompt use of a fire bottle.

this is the cause of the oil on track during the morning race. i apologize for any that got into the oil.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/tom91ita/album...460762405165539

tom

[BlueStreak]

ouch!

My temptation to make a smarty pants remark is overridden only by the realization that if I do, my engine will be next!

[924Guy]

As mentioned in the other thread - my wife got video of the event in the pits... will try to include it in a highlight reel of trackside vids later...

[Catch22]

Hi guys,
I wasn't racing, but I'm an experienced guy and I was watching. I also have lots of ARRC experience as well.

All in all it was a GREAT event that really made me wish I still had a race car. Loved the format, the track is great, and the event ran smoothly best any of us could tell.

A few suggestions for the future, many of which have already been mentioned...

- Add a couple of 10 minute hardship sessions first thing Sunday morning. Folks can't go out unless they cleared it with a steward.

- Shorten the Sunday morning races to 20 minutes. Creates time for the hardship sessions and also makes time in case something goes wrong so the afternoon "feature" races don't get shortened.

- Split starts... This really is a big deal for the slowest of the 2 classes on the track in the IT races. We watched a particular ITS car completely bungle up the front of the ITB race for about 1/3 of a race. Splitting them gets ITS racing with ITS and ITB racing with ITB at least until things start to string out and passing slower cars is easier.
A couple of years ago at the ARRC the CS decided to NOT split the ITB/ITC race and the first lap was a DISASTER that took out a bunch of cars in both classes. They've vowed not to do that again.
A "championship" race should take every measure it can to get cars racing mostly with other cars in their own class, and its really not that hard to do, and everyone is happier when it happens at the ARRC.

Great great great event that should only get better as the organizers settle in and word spreads.