[Eric_K]

This Saturday we are making our 4th attempt at the Cascade 8 Hour enduro. The race is usually in October but it was moved to accomodate track paving this fall. We are running in the P1 class which is for cars 2.5 to 3.5 liters. They finally created a class above P1 so I won't be classed with GT3 Cups and big V8's. Whew. The main competition is a pair of euro-motored BMW M3's. They are faster so we have to try to beat them in the pits and on reliability. We finished 2nd overall last year and anything can happen in a long race.



The forecast is moving from just cloudy to showers. I might get the chance to try out the new hoosier rains.



Here is the video from last years race: Link



   

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[Mark]

Good luck Eric, those Euro M3's are quick hopefully you will beat them in the two categories you mentioned.

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[Jim Child]

[quote name='Eric_K' post='32433' date='Mar 14 2007, 04:39 PM']The forecast is moving from just cloudy to showers. I might get the chance to try out the new hoosier rains.[/quote]





Of course any horsepower advantage the M3's have will be greatly diminished if it rains. You'll love the Hoosier Rains. Hopefully you have a good rain setup to go with them if it looks like its going to rain all day. Good luck!!!

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[bob blackwell]

Good luck JIm! I know it will be a blast, just wish I could be there, Bob Blackwell.

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[Anchorman]

I've downloaded the video and looked at the first two minutes or so. It looks like you had great weather. I'm looking forward to watching the entire show tonight. Thanks for not dubbing in any music.



[4 hours later] I just watched most of the video. Fascinating - a few times, the battle with the yellow M3 had me at the edge of my seat. Too bad, though, that the camera angle changed so much as the event went on - the video becomes gradually less interesting as the view changes from straight ahead to diagonally across the car.



Was there radio communications with the pit crew, or was it all hand signals? Any car issues?



Thanks for posting - very interesting.

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[Eric_K]

Well it turned out to be a spectacular winter day, high sixties and sun for most of the day. We were able to finish second overall again and we would have had a shot at the overall but we had to stop 3 times to deal with the front splitter trying to remove itself 4.5 hours into the race. At that point we had the class lead with a lap on the black M3 (which would eventually win it all). The battle for P1 was pretty tight. The yellow M3 lead the first 1.5 hours before spinning. We had the lead for the next 3 hours until the splitter let go and then the Black M3 took over and won the race. All three cars posted best times in the 1:19.xx range so it came down to who had the least time in the pits. Unfortunately we lost that battle. Besides the splitter, the car ran flawlessly again only needing gas and a little oil for the whole 8 hours. Stephen (sguy) also came out to help crew and was a big help. I will post more details and pics later.

I just watched most of the video. Fascinating - a few times, the battle with the yellow M3 had me at the edge of my seat. Too bad, though, that the camera angle changed so much as the event went on - the video becomes gradually less interesting as the view changes from straight ahead to diagonally across the car.



Was there radio communications with the pit crew, or was it all hand signals? Any car issues?

Anchor - That is the video from last year. It was unfortunate that the camera drifted left during the race. I too would have rather seen out the windshield! There is a two-way radio in the car for communication. There were no issues in last years race, well except for the car being crashed an hour before the start. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Eric

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[Eric_K]

Here are a couple action pictures:

       



The main competition:

        [attachment=3577:attachm

ent]

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[Mark]

Congrats on the podium, sorry to hear about the splitter. Man I love the paint scheme on your car. Glad to hear your P2 was not the result of being bumped into the wall like the Sebring race this past weekend.

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[chris]

Congrats eric! Those M3's are tough cars, and sounds like you def had the ability to score 1st....just need to improve on the one thing you cannot improve on, luck! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Eric_K]

Here is Skip demonstrating the proper techinque for quickly removing a splitter (optional hack saw not shown). <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



   

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[sguy]

Erik, I had a BLAST at the track with you and and the crew, and I consider it a privilage to have helped out the team that fielded this car. I emphasize team because it was that, a great pit crew, countless hours of preparation, super drivers and a very reliable car. It was exciting right to the end. We were running third with about 7 minutes to go in the race and Erik was driving when the second place Caterham pulled off the track, and a quick time check showed we could overtake him and grab second. It turned out they miss-calculated gas and ran out and unfortunately did not get the car started in time to finish the race. The fuel light was blinking on our car and we were on pins wondering if we'd have the same fate.



It was too bad about the splitter. We think it might have been damaged when early in the race another car forced us off the track to take a short-cut across turn 12. It was probably cracked at that point and worked loose enough to have to be excise later, we could not make up the 4 or 5 laps we lost. It was cool to be pitted next the the BMW that won and that I knew that team well and could do recon for us. They had been trying for 4 years to win this race and finally got it all together.



If anyone gets a chance to help with an event like this, jump, you'll remember it and have new friends for the rest of your life. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> Now where can I find a car to do my Novice license?



Cheers, Stephen

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[Eric_K]

Stephen - it was a pleasure having you there. I'm glad you had a good time. If you are serious about the novice program - I know a car you would be familiar with. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Our planned stops went off without a hitch. I will have to check the tape, but we were only stopped for about 6 minutes total for driver changes and fuel. What a crew! It was the unplanned stops for the splitter that killed us. One in a failed attempt to fix it, one to rip/cut it off (the damned thing was bolted on good) and one for a penalty for some crew not having gloves on over the wall. It just takes one problem to lose touch with the leader when you are running similar lap times. We did get good luck as two of the cars ahead of us died in the final hour (or minutes even).

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[Jim Child]

Great result Eric! Looking forward to the video!

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[sguy]

Six minutes sounds about right for the five planned pit stops. We were under a minute for just fuel and a little over with the driver changes. That is a reflection of the great crew and preparation you had.



I also PM'ed you about novice.



Cheers, Stephen

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[mike]

Congratulations Eric! P2 again is outstanding even though it sounds like P1 was well within your reach before your splitter incident. Could you have continued with the splitter in the condition that it was in or was it slowing your lap times? Or did the marshalls show you the meatball flag? Also looking forward to the video.



mike

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[Eric_K]

Mike - the back side of the "bat wing" undertray was dislodged from its mounting bolts sometime in the second hour. Probably from an trip across the grass. It flapped for the next couple hours until three bolts holding the right corner of the splitter onto the bumper cover let go. The splitter was dragging on the ground and we got black flagged. It would have never come off and wasn't hurting performance but it looked really unsafe. We caught a full course caution so we took the opportunity to take it off completely. It was a bitch to rip off in the pit lane! I ended up just cutting off the bottom slat of the bumper cover.



The video may be sparse this year. I did record 6.5 hours but the camera moved itself in the first few laps and ended up pointing out the drivers side for the rest of the race. Then the camera fell off in the last hour. Somehow it survived bouncing around behind my seat for an hour. I had made sure to really tighten it down too.

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[333pg333]

Great stuff Eric and crew. Looks like a lot of hard work paid off and almost took the whole thing out. Well done. Nice to have the audio link to your braking points with the pad squeal too!

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[skip]

Eric, thanks again for the opportunity to help out. As Stephen says, you don't soon forget it. Looking forward to next year already!



All, Eric's a really good sport about losing the splitter and possibly taking the race down to pit stop weirdness. I think he remembers the pause I took when he started hacking away at the lower bumper cover to get the splitter off faster. Not for money's sake, just for shear "you're cutting your car up with a hacksaw!". Judging from the amount of effort it took get it off, and the strength of the leftovers, I bet it would have simply worn it's way down to nothing and never really fallen off. Alas, it certainly didn't look or sound good scraping around the track.



Here's the tip we learned from this year's enduro race where bad things happen to good body parts - have a good hacksaw or two ready, maybe even a sawzall. The pickle fork and hammer (pictured above) were completely useless <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Still, a 2nd overall ain't too shabby! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Eric_K]

Skip and Stephen were both a really big help. This stuff isn't possible without guys like that.



Skip asked me two or three times "are you sure?" when I told him we're going to cut the splitter off. Of course I didn't really want to do it, but it was the best option at the time. I didn't think the remaining bolts were going to put up such a fight though.

   



Here are some more pics from the event.

Final prep in the pitlane:

   



Awaiting the start:

   



Bruce posing as he awaits the LeMans start. He wanted to add a little flair to the start and was considering doing a cart wheel or the moonwalk instead of running to the car. Among all the moves considered, he went with what looked like the Dance of the Sugar Plum fairies. The ballet won't be calling.

   



Driver change & fuel:

   



The team:

   

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[Charles Geer]

[quote name='Eric_K' post='33392' date='Mar 28 2007, 12:20 AM']Skip and Stephen were both a really big help. This stuff isn't possible without guys like that.



Skip asked me two or three times "are you sure?" when I told him we're going to cut the splitter off. Of course I didn't really want to do it, but it was the best option at the time. I didn't think the remaining bolts were going to put up such a fight though.





Here are some more pics from the event.

Final prep in the pitlane:





Awaiting the start:





Bruce posing as he awaits the LeMans start. He wanted to add a little flair to the start and was considering doing a cart wheel or the moonwalk instead of running to the car. Among all the moves considered, he went with what looked like the Dance of the Sugar Plum fairies. The ballet won't be calling.







Congrats, on the second. Did the cup car win it again this year? Outside of the splitter, did you guys experience any other significant problems? These cars are really proving to be extremely reliable for the enduros as well as sprints.



Driver change & fuel:





The team:

[/quote]





Don't know if my last message went through. Congrats on the second. Gotta love a battle to the finish. What tire selection did you go with and how many tire changes did you gus make?

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