More of what I've been up to.

[Joe]

More of the same... driving around, doing stuff...

Heres a pic from the autoX I ran last weekend:


The car is pretty much in final trim that I wanted to get it to for autoX/track days. Its a Focus SVT and It has H&R Race springs on it (not those all for show sport springs, these are much stiffer, balanced, and not a stupid big drop, these are meant for racing and performance driving and not comfort or looks). Koni adjustable struts on all 4 corners, a custom 1" thick solid 3 position rear sway bar, Leo Capaldi racing Camber plates, and some other goodies. Its a DAMN fun car to run.


beyond that, nothing really new.. I am upgrading my workstation really for the first time in 5 years I bought my Tyan Thunder K7 board and 2 CPU's back in early 2001 ( I think). I sold that off (in its final form as a 2x Barton 2500+ machine) and went to a single barton 2500+ MATX machine I had. Which is sort of a down grade.

I bought some new gear (after a month of struggle to get hardware shipped) from a Pro/Chat personality and hopefully soon to be writer (warpath). Now I know its not top of the line or shockingly high end, but it will do what I need. Its a 4600+ X2 on an Asus A8N-SLI Premium, with a 7800GTX video card. It should move pretty good I think compared to what my current machine does.

As far as the site goes... I am the only writer currently that has any interest dealing with the site. I just am trying to find the time. Once I find it I can start writing again more and getting stuff posted as funds, product, sponsors, and my time provide.

[billbartuska]

"for autoX/track days"

Where/ When?

[Joe]

Well I was thinking of doing a track day at Black hawk Farms, but autoX I run at Miller Park for the most part with a few runs wtih teh Madison Sports Car Club in Columbus. I was going to be down at Joliet IL this last weekend to run the 2 day Chicago SCCA autoX, but I had other plans come up. Next AutoX I'll be running is the Milwaukee SCCA 2 day event on the 16/17th at Miller Park.

I am holding off on the track day stuff until next summer though just due to the fact that I want to get the car a bit more closer to being paid off before I risk destroying it in an uninsuried fashion

[ymboc]

Random Curiosity: So much is a focus like that worth?

[Joe]

I paid 11K$ USD for it from the dealership used w/26K miles on it and a few months of warranty still left. It had a small accident on the rear quarter that was repaired but they didnt tell me about it when I first looked at it. I found out via CarFax. So I came back and haggled the price down to 11K which was 3K below their price on the lot

The suspension, tires, ECU remapping, Exhaust, engine mounts, and other goodies here and there probably come up to $3k at this point. But the car is just brilliant to drive now, most fun daily driver I have had, it pivots like its a rollerskate

[billbartuska]

Originally Posted by Joe

Well I was thinking of doing a track day at Black hawk Farms, but autoX I run at Miller Park for the most part with a few runs wtih teh Madison Sports Car Club in Columbus. I was going to be down at Joliet IL this last weekend to run the 2 day Chicago SCCA autoX, but I had other plans come up. Next AutoX I'll be running is the Milwaukee SCCA 2 day event on the 16/17th at Miller Park.

I am holding off on the track day stuff until next summer though just due to the fact that I want to get the car a bit more closer to being paid off before I risk destroying it in an uninsuried fashion

We were at the Milwaukee Mile last weekend for the first SCCA event there since the 70's. Two firsts and two track records, but the event was very poorly attended. We're points racing for the Region 5 TRO Championship, so had to go. It was cool though, we did 9/10ths of the oval plus the infield road course.

We'll be a Blackhawk for the SCCA double regional on Oct 28-29. And the Champ car race at RA...Clueless Racing, that's us.

Hey, if you wast to go fast, the Alfa Romeo Chicago chapter will be renting RA for touring on Oct 7-8th. I think it's $300 for 4 x 20 min sessions each day. The "A" group is even allowed passing, but only on the straightaways. If they see that you know what you're doing it can be pretty much b.... out racing though. http://www.caroc.com/events/RA_06.html

[Joe]

You'll be at RA for the champcar race? sweet, I will be up there also. I may be wit Rusport, or with Newman Hass racing ( I have been offered tickets via CDW to hang with RuSport, or a friend I know who works for Hass Automotive is offering credentials for the NHR area)

I will have to meet up with you up there!

[billbartuska]

Originally Posted by Joe

I will have to meet up with you up there!

We're going to have our camper on the new paddock with NHR. We're going up on Wed. or Thurs. just ask anyone with "Clueless" attire where Bill is. Siebkens?

[billbartuska]

Originally Posted by billbartuska

We're going to have our camper on the new paddock with NHR. We're going up on Wed. or Thurs. just ask anyone with "Clueless" attire where Bill is. Siebkens?

Made it to Siebkins Sat night about 11:00. HA! $2,000,000 and he drives off the track! Don't know if you had a scanner, but the corner worker went bullistic when Legge went off at the kink. Did you see Allmendinger's burnout at turn 5? I only made it there for Sat night/Sunday. I had a ticket for the Driver's party at Siebkins Sun night, but no place to stay overnight and I wasn't going to drive home at 2:00am! Our Yoda" Tonis Kasemets...Bad ECU, then loose popoff valve, then bad transmission...out.

[Joe]

Hehe... well I was supposed to be up there Saturday, I ended up spending my Bday (sat) at a beer festival in Mt Horeb WI. Then Sunday... I was supposed to be up at RA in the morning but the dude who had my ticket was still drunk and passed out from the day before, took till 10:00am to get him up so I could get it. I got to the track 30 min before the start of the race.

I saw your hauler, but no one around it on Sunday.

The Legge crash was pretty epic, I had a scanner but didnt have time to score a frequency list from any of the vendors, so I didnt use it. I can see why a corner worker would have been freaking out... it was a very violent crash. Much like Kimi's off a couple years ago when his rear wing fell apart mid corner. The survival cell did its job! It's always great when they need to red flag the race so they can repair catch fencing hehe.

[billbartuska]

Originally Posted by Joe

I saw your hauler, but no one around it on Sunday.

Yes, we just brought that up to haul the golf cart and scooters.
Sorry I missed ya. Perhaps cell #s next time?

I had all the drivers on the scanner...other than A.J asking for laptimes of those behind him on the grid during the red flag and someone's(?) dead starter batteries there, it wasn't too interesting.

Next race is the double regional at Blackhawk on Oct 28-29. Though the "rookie" driver was making noise about a Midwest Council race a Bliakhawk on Oct 8-9??? who knows?

Ever been here? http://www.chicagoindoorracing.com/

[Joe]

Yeh I dont think my fat arse goes in Karts too well My 300Lbs puts me at a distinct Power/Weight ratio disadvantage

Yeh the cell thing hit me when I was standing around yer hauler October is a pretty busy month for me, not sure I can make it down to BFR for any races. the 8th is a SCCA autoX, and I am out of town on the 28/29 picking up my Omni GLH turbo

[billbartuska]

Originally Posted by Joe

Yeh the cell thing hit me when I was standing around yer hauler picking up my Omni GLH turbo

Yea, no phone # on the hauler...no letting the wives know what we've been up to!

Didn't Mr. Shelby have a hand in that one?

[Joe]

he had a hand in the Omni GLHS (S for Shelby) But all the Omni GLH's are nice. the Non Turbo weigh in at 1600 lbs adn have 110Hp, the turbo are nearly the same weight but with 146Hp stock... this one has ~200 hehe

its going to be my new autoX/RallyX car

[HammerSandwich]

This must be the place. Let's see if anyone can figure out where I've been spending my time. But don't worry, I'll be sure to address the cooling.

Joe, those Chrysler turbos are wicked. Seems like they can make excellent power with a Value Meal's worth of mods. When a minivan can run 12s, I'd be wary of an Omni with a few mods.

[Joe]

nice, what gen of RX7? what year? Going to do anything crazy with it, like maybe add a rotor or two?

[Hallis]

I've been looking into running some auto-X events in my WRX. Have gotten to knkow quite a few people in the subbiecommunity here in the Dallas area.

[HammerSandwich]

Originally Posted by Joe

nice, what gen of RX7? what year? Going to do anything crazy with it, like maybe add a rotor or two?

Thanks, Joe. It was built January '92, but labeled as a '93 as part of the change to the 3rd-gen. The main goals are:
- inspect the turbos, rebuild or replace if necessary
- convert them to parallel (aka non-sequential)
- remove PS & AC
- manual boost controller
- simplify vacuum-line nightmare
- improve the +12V and grounding
- ducting
- clean, clean, clean

Basically, I'm just trying to make it a little faster and a lot more track-worthy without dumping too much more money into it. It's already out-of-control, of course. I have a PLX wideband coming soon and just started shopping for a bigger oil cooler, so you can see why I like the GLH! Anyway, when I'm done, #Rotor will still consider it only 2/3 complete.

[Joe]

Yeh Hallis, you should autoX the WRX, but you need to make sure that those RE92's are off of it and get some good autoX rubber on it. better suspension wouldnt hurt you any either. STX is sort of a hard class, cause its nornally flodded with semi legal WRX's

[Hallis]

Haha, I've just got some Rota Attack wheels for it. Next plans are STI Pink suspension, and then a few other things. I'm slowly building a Ver 7 Sti a piece at a time.

Shane