That Which Does Not Kill You Makes You Stronger

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The BARC Labour Day race weekend is one I always look forward to because the weather usually tends to be comfortable and dry and this year did meet expectations although there was a slight chill in the air, perfect for making power and staying cooler both for car and driver.

Practice and Qualifying were rather uneventful and somewhat predictable as I qualified 8th overall and first in GT3. The one notable difference from previous weekends was a fully functional GPS antenna was now part of my data acquisition, enabling us to actually make more sense of the data the digital dash was gathering. For whatever reason the original antenna (a previous model) was having difficulty working with the AiM software however the latest generation of antenna and firmware update corrected all that.

With a commanding lead going into the 6th race weekend of the season, I was focused on two things; maintaining our lead in GT3 and hopefully lowering further my lap times into the 1:33’s. Maintaining a lead wouldn’t be difficult as mathematically we were substantially ahead of the competition regardless of
how we finished, however lowering lap times would be more challenging as everyone was finding Mosport to be somewhat lacking in grip. Certainly the combination of cooler temperatures and rain the day before made for slower times for all competitors.

As the green flag dropped I managed to open a sizeable gap between myself and my closest GT3 competitor Paul Myers, placing 4 other cars between ourselves after the first lap. I thought to myself that this would give me the opportunity to focus on looking ahead... WRONG! Ivan was letting me know over the radio that there were a number of GT1 and GT2 competitors that started further back on the grid who were gaining ground quickly. Not only that but by lap 6 my closest competition was beginning to turn faster lap times than me and was beginning to slowly gain ground. This continued for another 10 laps at which time we decided to come in for the mandatory 60 second pit stop.

With the pit stop I lost 9 positions to the class leader however I wasn’t too concerned as I knew that he still hadn’t pitted, giving me the opportunity to regain first in class. Over the next 3 laps I began to fall into “the zone” where I was dropping lap times - everything was coming together. At lap 19 I was on my own yet still trying to make up ground for when Paul had to make his mandatory pit stop. I rounded corner 8, a sweeping right hand turn, at a high rate of speed closely followed by turn 9, a tight left hand turn when my season-ending incident unfolded.

Just after turn-in as I approached the apex of the corner at over 140 km/h, the rear of my car stepped out quickly. I intuitively counter steered and applied more throttle attempting to regain control and continue to corner 10, however with the car’s adhesion reaching its limits, the driver’s side front tire touched the turtles slightly and in the process upset it enough to send it straight back into the tire wall. If you look at the photo above, several stacks of tires weighing at least one ton were displaced as a result of the first impact. The second impact came when the car was tossed around like a pinball into the tires laterally, destroying the passenger side of the car and spitting me back onto the track. Although data didn’t register the longitudinal g’s associated with the first impact with the tires, the second hit on the passenger side was around 3 g’s. Thankfully all my safety equipment did it’s job and I emerged only shaken and a little dazed.

Although this was a season-ending incident and we weren’t able to compete in the last two race weekends that accounted for triple points, we still finished second in GT3 and tied for 10th overall out of 127 competitors. With everything that we learned from the 2010 season, I’m sure we’ll be even more competitive in 2011.

Special thanks goes to Ivan and Chris who were a great team to work with and Vex Performance for their support. Looking forward to 2011 as a new Project GT3 emerges... stay tuned!

Runnin’ on Empty

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:17:25 -0400

Race number 5 brings the GT Challenge back to Mosport. With a third place finish at Calabogie, the points margin has narrowed between myself and second place Paul Myers in his Porsche 968. Heading into this race weekend I had a number of things I wanted to accomplish. First I’ve been struggling with the GPS antenna that connects to the AiM dash - I recently swapped it for a newer generation antenna which seemed to work, however now I’m finding it impossible to download the data onto my laptop and have it analyzed by Ivan. The other and more pressing item on my agenda was to push myself and the car to a personal best lap time while hopefully securing another podium finish.

After a long and punishing race at Calabogie, my BFG R1 tires were getting very tired so I elected to mount a new set for Mosport. With no time to test on Friday, there wasn’t an opportunity to properly heat cycle the new rubber much less set the car up for Mosport. No worries as my competition was in the same boat.

The weekend weather forecast was looking dry and pleasant - not the high heat and humidity we’ve been experiencing every race weekend for the last 2-3 months which takes its toll on man and machine. With these welcome conditions seemed to come a much more relaxed vibe in the paddock, however, this laid back attitude never does extend to the track when the time comes to race!

Qualification was interesting as it was difficult getting a clear run during the 10 minute session. Both Paul and myself went out at the same time and stuck with each other for most of it, however I must have had Lady Luck looking down on me as I was able to post a qualifying time that put me in first in GT3 with Paul immediately behind me. Knowing how strong a driver Paul is at Mosport I was very apprehensive about how the race would unfold. I knew that there would not be a single moment during the 1 hour race where I could relax as Paul (like any good racer) would immediately cease upon any opportunity presented. Right from the beginning of the race Paul was my biggest concern. For the first 10-15 laps he was always in my mirrors, waiting for the chance to take advantage of a mistake and make his pass. Ivan was letting me know over the radio what the margin was between Paul and I and whether Paul was gaining on me.

I came into the pits at around the halfway mark for my mandatory 1 minute stop during which time Ivan checked and adjusted tire pressures and gave the car a once over before sending me back out. During my stop I saw that Paul had followed me into the pits so I was eager to get out and make some distance on him. After 60 seconds had elapsed, Ivan sent me out and I was determined to put a gap on Paul but I had to remind myself not to exceed the pit speed limit of 60km/h otherwise I’d receive a penalty negating any gap I might hope to make. Success as the GPS antenna was working fine and showed me my pit speed on the dash so I needn’t gauge my speed on the radar display at the end of the pits.

Dashing out ahead of Paul I was singularly focused on maintaining a margin over him while staying out of trouble as I lapped or was lapped by other classed cars. Thankfully everyone on track kept a close watch on their mirrors and as a result there were no yellow flags shown during the entire race. Clean, hard racing was the order of the day making it a much rewarding experience. Although I couldn’t see Paul in my mirrors, Ivan was keeping a close watch on him for me and letting me know lap by lap whether I was maintaining or losing my gap on him. Without Ivan’s feedback and pushing me to go faster I wouldn’t have known where Paul was nor would I have been able to post my best lap times at Mosport to date, breaking into the 1:34’s. The trouble with faster lap times, especially at a fast and flowing track like Mosport is that fuel is consumed very quickly.

Starting with just over 50 litres, I could feel the car lose power in the last couple laps as the level in the tank dropped. With about a 10 second margin between Paul and I, it was imperative that I conserve what fuel I had in order to cross the finish line. I began short shifting by about 400 rpm on the last lap and a half, all the while maintaining contact with Ivan, praying that we would cross the line first. By the time I was exiting corner 5b of the last lap I knew we would have enough fuel to make it to the finish so I got back on the throttle up the back straight, hitting about 220km/h before braking into corner 8. As I rounded corner 10 coming onto the front straight I breathed an enormous sigh of relief, knowing that we managed to increase the points gap to 93 over second place Paul Myers in GT3. The added bonus is that we’re currently in second place overall in the GT Challenge with 327 points.

There is no way I could have beaten Paul or posted my best lap times at Mosport without the help and encouragement of Ivan - thanks for making this a reality!

Calabogie Marks Mid Season

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:40:28 -0400

About 5 hours east lies Calabogie Motorsport Park, the latest and most exciting addition to the CASC-OR Road Race schedule. Having raced at CMP only once before two years earlier, this weekend had the potential to be another memorable race in the 2010 GT Challenge Series, not least for the determined and strong competition in GT3. With a 90 point lead heading into the weekend my goal was to finish on the podium to maintain a comfortable lead.

Taking advantage of an early arrival at Calabogie, I registered for the Friday test day. Testing would help me become reacquainted with the East track configuration, something I desperately needed before Saturday’s one hour event since I knew I would have very tough competition. I was anticipating the return of Paul Myers this weekend, with his Porsche 968 back in top shape not to mention the addition of some skilled racers from Quebec.
Testing went well, giving me the opportunity to get the car closer to a set up I was comfortable with and with the help of the AiM timing beacon, I was able to see immediately what changes resulted in lower lap times. Although the butt sensor is a valuable tuning tool, instant and objective feedback also plays an important role in a competitive car’s set up. The end of the test day brought with it disappointment as I was informed by track staff that my car was measured at over 107dB and I needed to lower the dB level if I were to qualify and race tomorrow. With the help of my fellow competitors (including my closest GT3 competitor) and the fantastic track management, we lowered the car’s dB level to within acceptable limits (see the 90 degree bend in the tailpipe above).
Leading up to Saturday, the weather forecast was constantly changing, from dry to wet although the forecasted temperatures would remain unchanged, with Humidex values in the high 30‘s. Needless to say I was hoping for rain during our race to give me a competitive advantage.
During qualifying on Saturday morning I decided to run with a very light fuel load, enough to complete the session with just enough in reserve to prevent fuel starvation in the corners. It was difficult to get more than one fast lap because the GT Challenge field would be one of the largest to date and with everyone qualifying at the same time on a relatively tight track, open laps were a rarity but at least all the competitors had the same experience. The net of it all was a disappointing qualifying time of 1:21:09 placing me 10th on the grid of 29 cars.
With more than 4 hours between qualifying and the scheduled race start, I took a little time to enjoy the beautiful Calabogie area, however unbeknownst to me or half the GT field, our race was to begin much earlier than anticipated. As a result all competitors showing up to grid less than 5 minutes to start would lose their qualifying position and start at the back meaning I started in 18 position. Although this was an unexpected disappointment for many of us, I reminded myself that this would make for a much more exciting race as we had to work our way through the field. Without doubt this was one of the most exciting and rewarding races I would have the pleasure of competing in. From the drop of the green flag all 29 competitors roared down the front straight and into corner 1, many going through three wide. Although it seemed like absolute chaos for the first four or five laps, everyone quickly settled into a rhythm, albeit a frantic one.
Within 4 laps I had moved up 6 positions however it would be another 21 laps before I’d begin to pick up more positions. By the time 43 laps were behind me, I managed to finish in 8th overall and 3rd in GT3. With such a technical and demanding track, my OS Giken LSD definitely helped launch me through some of the tighter corners better than the competition.
Thanks to Chris for coming all the way to Calabogie on Saturday to help in the paddock, keeping me informed/updated on the radio and timing my pit stop. It’s always good to know there’s a second set of eyes/ears to give feedback in case we need to change strategy.
After the third place finish we’re currently in first place, 75 points ahead of the talented Paul Myers heading into the next race at Mosport. Knowing how fast Paul is at Mosport, especially in the dry means that I’m going to need to be well prepared for a one hour battle royal with Paul.

It’s Good to Have Gas!

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Returning to Mosport on Saturday, July 3 for the third round of the GT Challenge series, clear skies and very warm temperatures dominated the weekend. Taking advantage of the test day held on Friday, this was my opportunity to test a few things leading up to the one hour race the following day.

Although the first race of the season was held at Mosport, a track known for its high average speeds and heavy consumption of fuel, this was the first weekend where Mother Nature did not influence speed or fuel consumption. As a result many competitors including myself were unsure whether our fuel tanks were able to carry enough fuel to last the distance without having to conserve by backing off the throttle. After a number of runs on Friday I calculated that there was a distinct possibility that I could last the 1 hour race without running dry before the end, however, only under race conditions could I confirm with certainty.

During Friday’s test day I managed lap times in the 1:35’s however, track conditions changed considerably on Saturday. With higher track and air temperatures, it became increasingly difficult to match Friday’s times as the grease lifted from the track surface thanks to cloudless skies.

Our 15 minute practice session in the morning was largely uneventful but it did give me an indication of things to come for the rest of the day. One of my closest competitors in the GT3 class was absent from practice. Paul Myers in his Porsche 968 wouldn’t be joining us on the grid this weekend due to a drive line issue. There was still Allan DeWolfe in his 3 series BMW, winner in GT3 at Shannonville to contend with.

Qualifying was scheduled immediately after lunch. Leading up to that point Ivan and I bled the brakes, replaced front front pads, set tire pressures and ensured I had enough fuel to finish qualifying. Knowing that the clear skies would only make the track feel greasier, I was nervous how I would qualify. I also found that my ultra stiff spring rates weren’t contributing to faster lap times, weighing heavily on my mind.

Prior to heading onto track for the qualifying session Ivan and I decided to check all four tire temps when I came in which would require an early finish to the qualifying session, however this would not prove to be detrimental in any way as I had set my fastest lap halfway through qualifying. Even though Ivan had previously told me, I found it very surprising how quickly tires can cool if you aren’t pushing hard. Checking the tires with a probe pyrometer after coming in on a hot lap showed a difference of almost 15F vs. letting off a few corners before coming into pit lane. The exercise also showed that tire temps on the front were very even across the tread however I needed to reduce some of the negative camber on the rear to put more temperature on the shoulders of the tires. In any event I qualified 9th in a field of 27 cars.

In the hours leading up to the race we didn’t have much left to do with the car except get as much fuel into the tank as possible. Although I’m not exactly sure of the quantity of fuel we got into the tank, we did manage to fill the neck to the very top just for added insurance to finish the hour long event. The remaining time leading up to the race gave me the opportunity to catch up on my second love... needlepoint.

As all the competitors proceeded to mock grid, an eerie silence fell over the area. Typically most cars are warming up in the minutes leading to heading onto the track. Since many of us weren’t sure how much fuel we would consume over the course of the race, most (including myself) didn’t start their engines until the 1 minute marker went up to conserve as much fuel as possible. As it turned out this was the correct strategy because later I was able to determine that my full size Chevy pickup gets twice the mileage of my car! Half the displacement yet half the mileage!

Heading out for the pace lap I ensured that I was in as tall a gear as possible to conserve fuel without sacrificing any efforts to warm my brakes and tires leading up to the start. As we rounded corner 10 onto the front straight, both Ivan and I were watching the starter closely, waiting for the Canadian flag to be thrown signalling the start of the race. As soon as the Starter dropped the flag the roar of 20+ race engines quickly followed. Although I was held up slightly by the GT2 truck directly in front of me, I managed to make up one position before we reached the first corner. For the next 35 minutes I would work my way through traffic making up another 2 positions to place 6th over all, however, I wasn’t able to stay on the lead lap as the quick Krikorian brothers racing in GT1 and GT2 lapped me soon before I came in to pit.

The last 10 laps of the race proved to be the most difficult; the datalogger temperature showed 101F in the cockpit and wearing four layers of nomex took its toll as heat exhaustion began to set in. Between the cramping, sweat running into my eyes and difficulty concentrating, I decided to back off slightly knowing that I would secure top place in GT3 thanks to attrition.

.... and as the checkered flew, I crossed the line to win the GT3 class and finish 6th over all. With three races completed, we are in first place in GT3 with 180 points heading into the fourth race of the season at Calabogie. This track is best described as one that offers the technicality of Shannonville with the flow and some of the speed of Mosport. Although I’ve only been to Calabogie once, I am confident that barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will still be very competitive.

It’ll buff out.... really!

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 17:04:12 -0400

Shannonville Motorsport Park was the venue for race #2 of the GT Challenge series on May 29. This track is about 200 kms east of Toronto and is probably one of the most technically challenging tracks in Ontario. Of the 4 track configurations available, we ran the “long” track, incorporating both Fabi and Nelson layouts running just over 4 kms. With very little time to rest between the 14 corners, hot and humid weather and no power steering, I knew in advance that race #2 was going to have its own distinct challenges, particularly with overheating of the car and myself.

The weekend at SMP was a sort of homecoming for me as it was where I got my first taste of open wheel racing when I worked many years ago at the Bridgestone Racing Academy (since moved to Mosport) with Ivan K who also happened to join me this weekend. We were also joined by Chris H who has helped me on many occasions over the last few years.

The day began with a 15 minute practice at 8:45am which I used to determine a few things before qualifying; the state of the track including grip, any surface changes from last year and my car’s handling characteristics. Later that morning we had our 10 minutes of qualifying which was rather short given that most competitors lap times were around the 2 minute mark and we were all eager to get onto the track. Needless to say getting a clean qualifying lap was difficult. I ended up qualifying 8th in the field.

Since the one hour race was scheduled for 4pm, we had time to make changes to the car. Topping the tank with fuel, adjusting bump and rebound settings on the shocks, reducing rear downforce, changing tires and getting everything ready that we would need for the mandatory pit stop. With so much time before the race we also watched some of the other races to get a sense of whether track grip was changing. About 2 hours prior to my race start, the clouds dispersed and the track began baking under a cloudless sky. Shannonville is a track that becomes very greasy when the sun begins beating down on it and it began to show as we watched the Formula Libre field try to cope with decreased traction in the corners.

As the time approached for pre-gridding prior to the race, Ivan, Chris and I determined our pit strategy and who was in charge of what when pitting. Knowing that the tires and engine would be running hot thanks to the tight track layout and it being a hot day, I asked that tire pressures be checked and the hood raised when pitted to vent extra heat during the 1 minute mandatory stop. This decision proved to be incredibly fortuitous as you’ll see later.

As we followed the pace car, I ran through my race strategy in my head to help me focus on what I need to accomplish and help me hopefully stay out of unnecessary trouble. Rounding the last corner before the start finish line, I always find myself anxious about the next few seconds when all hell is about to break loose. Just as I see the green flag waving, I hear Ivan over the radio saying “green green green” and so the race began as everyone jockeyed for position heading into the first corner.

The first lap is always very exciting with everyone trying to establish their position as the field begins to spread out, however, by corner 4 of the first lap I narrowly averted getting caught in a nasty tangle that could be best described as an unfortunate racing incident. Rounding the sweeping left, a series of events transpired that resulted in two cars becoming airborne directly in front of me. What had happened as I can best piece it together, the #06 Porsche understeered through the sweeper, eventually reaching the transitional pavement of the adjoining track. This then led to a tank slapper heading back onto the track which set off the next chain of events resulting in 4 cars coming into contact with each other including yours truly. At the time I wasn’t sure what damage I sustained but since my car was still handling fine, I continued to charge. As it turned out I had a slight scuff on my right fender from the BMW’s left rocker panel when it became airborne and another scuff on the passenger door and fender from the beemer’s bumper. Unfortunately for the others, they sustained considerably more damage.

As the race wore on I managed to work my way through the field, making a pass for first in GT3 before coming in for my mandatory 1 minute pit stop. As I came into the pits, Ivan and Chris readied to check tire pressures and open the hood to let excess heat escape since we were running hot. About 15 seconds into the stop, Ivan spotted a fuel leak at the fuel rail. Chris quickly grabbed the wrenches to tighten what appeared to be a loose AN fitting, however, after a couple attempts they realized that this was a problem that couldn’t be fixed in the pits. As it turned out the fuel rail had a crack on the bottom, spraying fuel into the hot engine bay so as a result I pulled out of the race. Thankfully we spotted the problem before I was sent back out, narrowly averting an early and possibly dangerous end to the season.

With this early retirement we are now tied for first in GT3. Many thanks to Ivan and Chris for their help over the weekend. The next stop on the schedule is Mosport on July 3.

Great start to the 2010 season

Mon, 10 May 2010 19:26:18 -0400

The first race weekend (BEMC Spring Trophy Races) took place at Mosport International Raceway May 8/9, featuring the inaugural race of the GT Challenge series. Typically the first weekend is an opportunity for all the seasoned racers to reacquaint themselves with their cars, the track and each other. This time of year also can bring unpredictable weather which can make racing even more challenging, especially when you experience torrential downpours, brief bursts of sunshine and heavy winds over the course of an hour, again somewhat typical of Mosport’s unpredictable nature.

Unbeknownst to me I would experience one of the most fateful race weekends to date. It all began Friday when I arrived at the track to set up in the paddock and run some on-track testing prior to our first 1 hour race of the season on Saturday. Never having been on this track with my new set up proved to be somewhat challenging but not insurmountable.

I had to develop a feel for the new weight distribution of the car now that the k swap moved the weight from the driver’s to passenger’s side. Additionally I needed to relearn new braking and acceleration points thanks to the increased power from the k24 swap and enhanced grip from the OS Giken LSD. I couldn’t believe how quickly all the corners were now coming up on me. My lap times dropped 4 seconds a lap even though I was using 3 year old Toyo RA1’s that had been exposed to freezing temperatures. This is a true testament to how I was able to gain greater corner exit speeds thanks to the noticeable grip from the LSD and power from the k motor. In the past my helical LSD would spin the inside tire even with significantly less power than I have now.

About halfway into the day someone from my past showed up unexpectedly at my trailer; my old room mate from many years ago when we both worked at the Bridgestone Racing Academy. With an engineering background he had gone onto spend the next 15 years working for various race teams including working as the Asst. Engineer/Shock tech in IndyCar for 9 years. Luckily for me he was willing to lend a hand throughout the weekend, letting me benefit from his pro racing knowledge and insight, without which I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the weekend as much as I did (thanks Ivan!).

Saturday morning we had a 15 minute practice followed by a 20 minute qualifying session prior to lunch. Although the practice was uneventful, qualifying was decidedly more exciting. As the morning wore on, temperatures were dropping and winds picking up. It had remained damp leading up to qualifying so I elected to qualify on shaved tires as there was little standing water on the track at the time. Unfortunately during pre-grid the rain began to fall, quickly turning to a downpour. Praying the rain would soon stop as it had so many other times throughout the morning, I went out for 3 qualifying laps only to come in and swap to full wets as there were no signs the rain would stop. As luck would have it I got back into pit lane only to be told qualifying had just ended. The result was qualifying mid pack, 13 out of 26 cars. Looking at the bright side I said to myself that this will make it a more interesting and fun race since I’ll need to work my way through the pack over the course of an hour.

The race was scheduled to begin at 4pm however with so many delays due to on-track incidents thanks to inclement weather, the race didn’t get underway until after 5pm. Regardless, I was excited to be creating history with my fellow racers in the inaugural GT Challenge race. Unlike the GT Sprints which last 20 minutes, the Challenge is a one hour race and requires at least one pit stop, however no fuelling may take place. These differences require significantly different strategies which I learned quickly over the course of the race.

As I left pit lane to join the rest of the field behind the pace car, the rain began again, this time mixed with snow! I was focusing on my strategy over the course of the hour long race. First and foremost I reminded myself that I don’t need to win the race in the first lap or for that matter the first 15 laps, but rather to finish. Thankfully we put the wet tires on however it was impossible to get enough heat into them for them to develop maximum grip. At least everyone else would have the same problem, somewhat equalizing the field in that respect. As the field rounded corner 10, I heard green green green over the radio... the race had begun!

As I approached the first corner, I maintained an inside line and managed to make my first pass moving up to 12th position. Then heading through corner 4, I took the inside running side by side with a Chevy Cobalt down into C5 staying on the outside where there was more grip and making the pass for 11th. Going up the Andretti straight I was struggling through 5 gears to get traction because of all the water washing across the track. Despite this I managed to get enough traction to make another pass for 10th, making up 3 positions in the first lap. The next lap I managed to pass 2 more cars followed by another 2 cars the following lap. By the end of the third lap I moved up to 6th position, however I still needed to catch the other cars in my class (GT3). On lap 4 I caught the first of the two GT3 cars ahead of me heading into C4. Approaching turn in I was side by side with the Porsche, taking the inside (dry) line which is noticeably more slick than the (rain) line on the outside. Travelling down through the corner my back end broke loose as I made the pass and I had to counter steer and apply more power to bring it back in line... a little exciting but it got me to 5th position!

With a clear track ahead of me for the next few laps I managed to put down some good lap times and in the process catch the first of many cars that I would end up lapping. After another few laps I caught the first place GT3 BMW and we ended up nose to tail for the next few laps. During this time the pits opened so I radioed in to say I was going to come in the next time around because I couldn’t safely make the pass on the BMW. Had the BMW decided to pit at the same time I would have aborted my pit stop until the next lap since I was looking for a clear lap to make up time. Thankfully I pitted first and the BMW came in the next lap. As I was coming along the front straight I heard over the radio that the BMW was leaving the pits. Rounding C1 I could see that he was gaining speed through pit exit and as I exited C1 he and I were running side by side. I managed to out brake him and gained first entry into C2 and in the process keeping him behind me for the remainder of the race. At this point I was third overall with about 25 minutes left during which time I continued to pass lapped traffic.

As the clock counted down the GT1 and GT2 Subaru’s pitted enabling me to take top position for several laps. With about 3 laps to go the Subaru’s caught and lapped me and with the last corner of the last lap the GT1 Viper make a clean and spectacular pass on the inside (I’ll never know where he found the grip to do that!). Despite the terrible conditions, I managed to win the GT3 class and finish fourth overall, helping end the race weekend on a high.

I want to thank Richard Foegle and Cindy Armstrong for getting the ball rolling and helping make the new GT Challenge series a reality. Additionally all the sponsors that have come on board to help kick start this fledgling series shouldn’t be forgotten; Toyo Tires, Moton, Hawk Brake and Paragon Competition and all the volunteers that make all our race weekends run smoothly and the hosting clubs. Lastly I can’t forget Ivan K. for coming out to help change tires, set tire pressures, time my laps, keep me informed of what was happening on track, etc - thanks for all your help!

The next race will be held the weekend of May 28/29 at Shannonville. This track is known for how punishing it is on brakes and tires, not to mention just how incredibly technical it is and with slower average speeds compared to Mosport, cooling will be an issue. Strategy is going to play a significant role this race weekend.

Breathe In... Breathe Out

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 12:10:45 -0400

With the powerplant settled into its new home, it was time to upgrade the intake and exhaust. Both intake/exhaust were custom fabricated by professional (and expert) welder Darren deRoos. The K24 will now be breathing through 3” mandrel bent piping on both ends to maximize the engine’s air flow efficiencies.

Beginning with the intake, we wanted to ensure a plentiful supply of cool air was easily accessible. The most obvious and readily accessible solution was to modify an existing 3” AEM aluminum intake tube, reducing its length by almost two thirds and positioning the filter where the headlight assembly originally was. This will give the filter unobstructed access to cooler air through two screened headlight ports.

Next to tackle was the exhaust side. I elected to use Vibrant Performance parts for the build because they offered exactly what I needed and were reasonably priced. Since I’m not concerned about oxidation resulting from our winters and I wanted to keep weight down within budget, I elected to use mild steel instead of SS for all the piping. The selection of SS parts used were race muffler and resonator, v-band clamp assemblies and an eccentric reducer.

The first challenge was to open the rather restrictive bottle neck at the end of the header. To do this we needed to create a transition from 2.25” to 3” and this is where Darren’s expertise shone. Although the original plan was to remove the flex pipe from the header, it was decided to keep as much of it as possible so that there still was enough “give” to reduce the chances of a cracked header. Instead the flange was removed and an eccentric 3” reducer was welded onto a pie-cut flex pipe. This combination repositioned the rest of the exhaust so that it would be completely centred and tucked up as high as possible to avoid off-track damage that may occur.

Next part of the custom exhaust was to incorporate a resonator for when we visit Calabogie Motorsports Park which has noise restrictions. I wanted the flexibility to replace the resonator with a test pipe easily so that I don’t need to give up any performance at the other tracks we visit. The use of v-band clamps now makes it incredibly easy to swap the resonator for the test pipe, requiring the loosening of only two nuts to accomplish the swap. Darren’s meticulous approach to his work ensured that the removal and installation of this piece is effortless.

Moving further back, Darren cut and welded the 3” mandrel bends to help the exhaust pipe negotiate all the twists and turns needed to reach the rear bumper. In all more than a dozen welds were needed to make the exhaust fit and flow as well as it should.

With such high quality work performed on the exhaust, I have one less concern about something breaking during the season.

The next step preparing Project GT3 for the 2010 season will be the dyno tune tentatively scheduled for next week. Hoping to see some exciting HP and TQ figures!

K24 Infusion

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:24:03 -0500

In the last week and a half we have managed to mount the K24 engine and RSX-S transmission, plumb the new oil, fuel and cooling lines, install the shifter box and cables, wire the RC 550 fuel injectors and polish the RBC intake manifold with only a few hiccups along the way.

One of the many small challenges we ran into was having to weld one of the “bolt in” motor mounts to the frame because not all bolt holes lined up. This wasn’t a big deal since we literally pushed the car across the street to stitch weld the mount, taking 10 minutes to complete. At the same time we welded a couple 1” square tubes to the chassis tunnel to mount the RSX shifter box, locating the shift knob at roughly the same height as the steering wheel, thereby reducing the time my hand is off the steering wheel. With the shifter mounted we could then connect it to the transmission with the shifter cables, routing them through the carefully cut hole in the firewall.

The next step was to plumb the new oil and fuel lines. Going from B to K series means that these lines must all be custom made in order to accommodate the move of the engine from the driver to passenger side. There was some debate as to how best run the oil lines from the back of the block to the oil cooler without interference from accessories belt or exhaust manifold however we unanimously settled on the shortest and safest route possible. The fuel lines were very straight forward, running from the stock fuel filter location to the Skunk2 composite fuel rail and on to the Aeromotive FPR.

The Skunk2 K swap header went in easily and was a perfect fit, located smack in the middle between the axle and front sub frame leaving plenty room to locate sensor wires without any worries. Lastly before we could turn the engine over for the first time, we still needed to ensure the conversion wiring harness and Pista dash were properly connected. We initially thought we made all the proper connections however when we tried turning the key, there was no fuel pump sound... no power to the ECU. We located the unplugged connection and tried once more. Again a problem but this time it was a starter that wasn’t working properly. Thankfully we had a spare and swapped it. With fingers crossed we tried a third time to turn the engine over and as luck would have it, third time’s a charm! The engine started, the Pista dash lit up and there were no fuel, oil or water leaks anywhere. At that moment you couldn’t wipe the grin off my face!

The next step is to fabricate a new exhaust and intake, then take it to the dyno for break in and tuning.