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Thread: HI guys,

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Rocket City, Alabama
    Posts
    607

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    I thought I would go ahead and make my presence known. I have lurked here for a time now and done a lot of reading. I will pick up my ITS 240Z next week and start the process of updating it over the winter. I will be new to the current racing scene, but "back in the day" I crewed for a couple of IMSA RS cars and played heavily in the SEDIV SCCA autox in the 70's. I even finished a National Rally in a respectable position.

    Anyway, I wanted to say hello to you all and I look forward to seeing some of you at the track. I hope to run in SEDIV with occasional jaunts into Memphis and maybe even St. Louis are. I am located in North Alabama.

    Btw, here is a photo of the car. Anybody know anything about it?

    Thanks,
    Paul
    Paul Ballance
    Tennessee Valley Region (yeah it's in Alabama)
    ITS '72
    1972 240Z
    "Experience is what you get when you're expecting something else." unknown

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    newington, ct
    Posts
    4,182

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    Very cool car - I've always really liked the 240Z!

    Hope to see ya posting more here.
    Dave Gran
    Real Roads, Real Car Guys – Real World Road Tests
    Go Ahead - Take the Wheel's Free Guide to Racing

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Black Rock, Ct
    Posts
    9,594

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    Welcome!!! Cool car. Hope you have fun and do well with it. Perhaps a trip to georgia in November is in your future next year?
    Jake Gulick


    CarriageHouse Motorsports
    for sale: 2003 Audi A4 Quattro, clean, serviced, dark green, auto, sunroof, tan leather with 75K miles.
    IT-7 #57 RX-7 race car
    Porsche 1973 911E street/fun car
    BMW 2003 M3 cab, sun car.
    GMC Sierra Tow Vehicle
    New England Region
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Memphis, TN, USA
    Posts
    688

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    Paul, do you have your license? Don't forget that! Another ITS car wll be most welcome at Memphis; our first event is in mid-March and then Memorial Day weekend.
    Bill Denton
    02 Audi TT225QC
    95 Tahoe
    Memphis

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Rocket City, Alabama
    Posts
    607

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    Paul, do you have your license? Don't forget that! Another ITS car wll be most welcome at Memphis; our first event is in mid-March and then Memorial Day weekend.
    [/b]
    No license yet, that will occur in the spring. Memphis is on my list of places to go next year. Hope to see you there.

    Thanks for the welcome! Next week I will have a better idea of how much work I have ahead of me. The car was last raced in 2001 and has been stored inside ever since. I view racing like I do my boat. A boat is a hole in the water that you throw money at for a few hours of fun. Race cars are an oil spot in the garage that you throw money at and hopefully get you some track time.

    I anticipate seeking help from you guys as I go along. Thankfully I have a good friend that is a nationally licensed scrutineer and he will help me as well.

    Thanks again,
    Paul
    Paul Ballance
    Tennessee Valley Region (yeah it's in Alabama)
    ITS '72
    1972 240Z
    "Experience is what you get when you're expecting something else." unknown

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    1,717

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    Should be fun

    John Wilkins has a 240Z that's prepped at the same shop I go to. He usually runs VARA, but I ran with him at Laguna-Seca about a month ago. I really like the way SCCA gets the school stuff out of the way quickly. The only real place to learn, or relearn, race craft is racing. Welcome back.

    James
    STU BMW Z3 2.5liter

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Rocket City, Alabama
    Posts
    607

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    Well, I logged more than 1k miles over the last weekend to pick the car up and get it home to N. Alabama. The car is in GREAT shape and is very well prepped. Took it out Sunday to "play" a little at the local closed airfield/city park.

    Car ran great and seems to handle pretty well. Not enough space to really check 4th gear out, but did find out how well it pulls on a large sweeper with a 2-3 downshift and then right back into 3rd. On cold tires the car stepped out a little but a some countersteer and throttle brought it right back on line!

    Need to update belts, net, padding, etc. but it appears that with very little work I will be able to be at Roebling for school in February. Hope to puts some faces to "handles" next year.

    Hope to take it out to an autox this weekend just to get some seat time. The lock rear will not help it be competitive, but at least I will be spending time behind the wheel.

    Thanks to you all for the welcome and add one more IT car to SEDIV for 2007.

    Paul


    Paul Ballance
    Tennessee Valley Region (yeah it's in Alabama)
    ITS '72
    1972 240Z
    "Experience is what you get when you're expecting something else." unknown

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    NH, US
    Posts
    3,821

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    I second the comments on loving those cars!!! man thier are a ton of cars that I just love!!! good thing I am poor The Z always reminds me of my childhood back when Jim Reedy was the king of ITS

    Raymond
    RST Performance Racing
    www.rstperformance.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Posts
    1,215

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    That car used to run out of Springfield MO Correct? I've seen it run at Hallet and remember it in one very memorable rain race at Gateway

    I'd bet Norm Floyd could fill you in on more details, or know where you could find out more about the car. I think he goes by ITA_MR2 here.
    Scott Rhea
    Izzy's Custom Cages
    It's not what you build... It's how you build it
    Performance Driven LLC
    Neon Racing Springs

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Rocket City, Alabama
    Posts
    607

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    That car used to run out of Springfield MO Correct? I've seen it run at Hallet and remember it in one very memorable rain race at Gateway

    I'd bet Norm Floyd could fill you in on more details, or know where you could find out more about the car. I think he goes by ITA_MR2 here.
    [/b]
    Correct, the PO is from Springfield and he ran several times at Hallet. Hopefully Norm will see this thread, but I think I will pm him as well. Thanks for the info. The car began life in California as a TT and the logbook entries include Laguna Seca and others.

    Thanks for the info.
    Paul
    Paul Ballance
    Tennessee Valley Region (yeah it's in Alabama)
    ITS '72
    1972 240Z
    "Experience is what you get when you're expecting something else." unknown

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Rocket City, Alabama
    Posts
    607

    Default

    Well I managed to get the Z out a couple of weeks ago. Ran out good and I even managed to do ok at an autox. Still learning the car and 5 year old tires didn't help but it was a fun ride.

    Found out a little more about the car. Here are some race results from the original owner/builder from '93-'94. Thank you for help from the SF SCCA archivist!

    Mar 21 Laguna Seca 3rd
    Apr 25 Sears Pt. 5th
    Aug 7 Laguna Seca 4th
    Sep 18 Sears Pt 4th (listed as 1994 PCRRC event)

    1994

    Apr 30 Laguna Seca 20th
    Jun 18 Laguna 3rd
    Aug 7 Laguna 1st


    Here is are couple of pictures from my autox outing
    Paul Ballance
    Tennessee Valley Region (yeah it's in Alabama)
    ITS '72
    1972 240Z
    "Experience is what you get when you're expecting something else." unknown

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