924Board.org

924RACR · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:55 pm Post subject: Video of the new racecar

Here's some trackside video of the new racecar, the #65 D Sports Racer Hidari Firefly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moGuSOcTQ2o

This is from Friday practice; we have in-car and trackside video from the race this weekend, but it'll take some time to get around to posting it...
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

924RACR · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:59 pm Post subject:

Here's the race report...

So, after 2+ years of hell, suffering, and marital strife, we finally finished up my new DSR enough to get it out on track for a race weekend. That stuff you keep hearing about "buy, don't build" - that goes x10 for formula/sports racers... :banghead: Still, when you wanna go really really fast, without buying off the shelf...

So we went out for practice on Friday, see about getting used to the car and start getting it roughed into shape. Was stupid fast, but pushed badly (by intent, on the setup) and real darty under braking. Came back in, took a look, and one of the rockers had worked its way loose with stripped bolts. Never trust 20-yr-old hardware, eh? Still, was easily 9 seconds faster, within only 10 laps, than my previous best around that track in the ITB car... great fun!

So no more practice that day, sadly, but we took the rocker back to our sponsor's shop, 4M Industries, a CNC shop, and easily helicoiled it. Back together for practice/quali in the morning.

Practice was going great, ripping right along, and knocked another second and a half off my Friday pace. Braking was a little better, but the car still wanted to wander around a lot - pretty much 2 cars wide at that point! Then, right after setting a hot lap, the push caught up with me, pushed out onto the rumble strips, and a weak ground crimp popped loose and ended my fun.

No big deal, easily fixed, and my time got me mid-pack, behind a nice gaggle of FC's. We also took time to work over the setup a bunch more, getting the alignment and ride height closer to desired to both help the understeer and braking dartiness.

I started at the back of the grid by choice, since it was still my first race in this beasty and out with Things With Wings (aka Big Bore Formula). But I F'ed up the 2-1 downshift on the pace lap, right before the start, and shifted the diff (which I didn't know could move??) and inducing a good bit of chain slack!

I took the start anyway, though I knew immediately something was really off; I tried to baby it, rolling into and out of the throttle, and just get laps in. After a half a lap or so behind a slow-moving FC, I got my game on, made a move down the end of the front straight and moved on by - first pass! I chased down my teammate, but with the chain problems, couldn't get by. Meantime we picked up a misfire, aggravated by the chain slop, which was further impairing acceleration to try to get by him. Finally, after about 4 laps, I realized things were just getting worse, and decided to park it before I really busted something good.

We came in and spent some time fixing the chain slop, intending to go out first thing in the AM for emergency practice. However, that morning in the process of prepping the car, we busted off a wheel bolt and eliminated our chances of running. Thankfully we did have a spare on-hand, and were able to get it swapped in; as we were run group 6, there was loads of time to make the repair.

Did I mention that, the whole time we were playing with and debugging the DSR, my wife was busy with her own races in my old 924? Crew was pretty busy... and it was a hot, sunny, humid day... :roflmao:

So we effected the wheel bolt repair and got the car back together; gridded up at the back again for the first Sunday race.

Had a great start, and was into the mix with the slow FC's; wasn't able to pick any off at the start, but fell into line and started working over the slowest FC. However, as I was starting to get into a groove, 3 laps in the downshift to 2nd at the end of the front straight was terminal. I ran around till my upshift point, then grabbed for a 3rd gear that wasn't there! After a few swipes of the shift lever, it was obvious it wasn't attached to anything - snapped the shifter cable yet again.

Oh well; I thought I was in 3rd, so kept chasing the FC. But while I had lots of accel in the slow stuff, I didn't have any revs to keep going by! LOL So I chased him around for some time, till the motor had had enough of the high revs and blew water and some oil everywhere, and I was meatballed in. Doh. Still, made it 7 laps this time, nearly the full race distance (10 laps - 14mi).

So we replace the shifter cable with the spare (repaired from the previous break), and refilled all the coolant that went bye-bye. After a prolonged bleed session, we were good; we also dropped our front ride height again, trying to get the car happy in the turns.

Back on grid for the last race of the day - at the back again. As I told everyone and anyone who'd listen: "I'm done learning things about this car, I don't want to have any more learning lessons: I just want to drive it and go home!"

So off for a pace lap... no more 2nd gear, just leave it in 1st and rev 'er hard.

Line up... polesitter's bailed on the start and jumped to the back, to have some fun (non-points Feature race). I'm starting next to my teammate (Radical Prosport, also former 924 ITB driver), behind a Cheetah DSR; we've in fact 5 DSR's in the field, and only 2 Continentals, almost an exclusive DSR race!

We take a much faster start than before, and my teammate's caught out; he's just dropped his sprockets down for this track, and hits his rev limiter almost immediately, and I'm past. I slot in behind the Cheetah, driven by a rookie. Boy, is he in for it. Now, as I'm still just getting my feet wet in this car, I'm not looking to race him too hard.

However, my brakes haven't been sent the message. Not enough rear bias, and too much front camber, and we get to the end of the back straight, and I very nearly ass-pack him despite trying to stay clear!

This performance repeats for the next few laps; I get a good run through the turn onto the straight, but he's got a little more gear or motor and pulls clear... then I suck up so hard through lack of braking that I even once have to bail off-line to avoid. Not easy on a two-lane track!

I'm also dogging him hard in the slower sections of the track; as I have so much more time around the track, I can easily run faster through here, and in fact am losing about 2s/lap off my pace from him being in front. So finally, on the 5th lap, I get a nice run on him onto the back straight, and he eases out of it and lets me go without a struggle.

After that, it's right back onto my pace, and just knocking out consistent laps, working with the limitations of the car. I have a few entertaining moments; once, coming through the Esses, I see a big shiny muffler I think is mine laying on the ground! Then I look up and I'm blowing through the grass at high speed!

Don't do that. Look where you wanna go. Right? :nono:

A couple more laps go by, and I can see I still have a very healthy gap to the leader (who started behind me) - not lapped yet, woohoo! Then we get the one to go - I've very nearly made race distance!

Keep 'er on the track, don't throw it away in the last lap. Come around to take the checker... and... nothing! Starter's looking off at the back straight - WTF???

Well, it ain't over till they throw that black and white flag... so, back on it, keep moving at speed. Watch the corner workers - no end-of-session thumbs-up... race is still on! One more lap around... and THERE'S the checker! Good thing we made sure the tank was full!

Whew. What a long exhausting weekend. The crew was even more exhausted, they worked their asses off, and we never missed a session (E-practice doesn't count) despite breaking SO MUCH. And the car (and driver!) were stupid fast, much better than expected for a debut weekend - there's hope yet for being competitive!

Thanks to all who worked so hard to finish the project (OK, yeah, it's definitely not finished, no racecar ever is till it's sold) - especially our crew, and of course our sponsors - 4M Industries, Munk's Motors, Gulf Oil, Ideola's Garage, and Great Lakes Machining.

_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

Rasta Monsta · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 11733 Location: PacNW

_________________
Toofah King Bad

WeiBe (1987 924S 2.5t) - 931 S3

morghen · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 9102 Location: Romania

emoore924 · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 2822

Rah dude. Go team.

Faster is as faster does.

fiat22turbo · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 4040 Location: Portland, OR

Awesome.
_________________
Stefan
1979 924 Carrera GTS (clone-ish)
1988 944 Turbo S (Silver Rose)

jazz guy · Joined: 26 Nov 2002 Posts: 434 Location: Colorado

Vaughn,

Excellent write-up, as usual. I really enjoy reading about your racing team's escapades. That is a nasty little machine you have and it just has to be a kick in the pants to drive. Keep us informed of your progress.

Cheers, Brian
_________________
'81/'81/'82

924RACR · Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:52 pm Post subject:

Here's a lap of in-car, from the qualifying run...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo0MEoInTgs

This is about 10s faster/lap than the ITB car...
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

skytrooper · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 461 Location: Canandaigua, NY

Looks like serious fun !
_________________
Matt

1987 - 924S "Black Pearl"
1982 - BMW 633CSi
1984 - BMW 528e
1983 - 944 N/A "Blue Max" (Gone)
1981 - 931 "Scarlet Harlot" (Gone)
1976 911S Targa (Gone)

Joes924Racer · Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 3:55 am Post subject:

and what kind of fun should there be other than serious fun, Hasnt
it been a serious fun project so far... By the way you guys did a great job decorating body ... love it.
_________________
1979 porsche 924 Na
1980 porsche Turbo 931GT Replica
Have u ever driven a turbo.

924RACR · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:42 am Post subject:

Thanks guys!

Should be back out for some more practice end of next week...
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

924RACR · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:12 am Post subject:

Here's some fresh in-car...
http://vimeo.com/25673196

Hang on!
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

Grenadiers · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:16 am Post subject:

Holy chit there Vaughan, had to hold on! Amazing video, how fast does that thing go?
_________________
'83 944 Track car.
'88 924S Track car.
'89 944 Turbo
2004 Winnebago Vectra monster RV
2012 Jeep Wrangler
2014 Kia Soul
2001 Ford F350 powerstroke

Rasta Monsta · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 11733 Location: PacNW

Yikes! Looks a little bouncy. . .but fun.
_________________
Toofah King Bad

WeiBe (1987 924S 2.5t) - 931 S3

Ian89C4 · Joined: 01 Apr 2011 Posts: 561 Location: North Carolina

Wow!! Great videos!!! I can sit an watch stuff like that all day.

Cheers
_________________
Ian Edgerly
North Carolina

Current:
1981 924 SCCA/ChampCar Weissach Race Car ("Serenity")
1987 924S ChampCar Endurance Car ("Der Weg")
1980 924 Euro ("Wahala")