As some of you guys know, I participated in the Open Track Challenge this year in my 93 Civic hybrid. We kicked some serious butt the first day, but it was all mechanical woes from then on. Anyway, if you're in the mood for a bit of a read of racing misery, try this link.

http://www.hadamotorsport.com/new/OTCRecap.htm

Enjoy,
Dave

 

well done ...lol you need your own section in the Star.

I can't believe that front lip survived such a long trip

Are those 032R'S OR 038 you were runing?

 

Great analogies. Great recollection. Great story!

Jonathan, who wishes he could recount all of his memorable events with such detail and wit.

EDIT: And I've often dreamed about driving across the country through wonderful cities, with either the purpose of racing, or no purpose at all.

EDIT #2: Kind of reminds me of a loose interpretation of Jack Kerouac's "On The Road" before it gets boring about 3/4 of the way through the book.



[Modified by mojoGSR92, 8:30 AM 6/6/2002]

 

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed the article. I had fun writing it. The tires we were using are A032Rs, since the rules for Touring class required a tire with a 60 treadwear rating or higher. We searched high and low for a set of A038Rs, but we couldn't find anything in a 225/50-15 in North America. I did find a set in the U.K., but shipping them here would have cost me more than a heart transplant, so we opted for the cheaper 032Rs in the end. I wasn't actually expecting much from these tires, since I'd tried them on a friend's GSR, but either Yoko has improved the compound recently or my friend's were just really old and dried up because ours actually worked surprisingly well. I used to think the Toyo RA1's were head and shoulders above the 032R's, but now I think they're actually pretty similar in grip level and overall performance capability. If we go back next year, we'll probably run in Unlimited class to avoid pump gas and run Hoosiers or Kumhos. Other than the insane Lotus 340R in Unlimited 4 which is just crazy fast, I think we'll be very competitive in this class. Heck, we were about 18th overall the first day and not all that far behind the Lotus on our fresh 032Rs. Oh yeah, and we'll bring a spare engine or two as well

Cheers,
Dave


[Modified by Maxi, 1:44 PM 6/6/2002]

 

and your own trailor

 

A similar account from the Joel Gat, mechanic for Gary Sheehan's WRX
Pre Day1
http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthr...hreadid=191888
Day 1
http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthr...hreadid=193213

 

yup, AND a big *** diesel truck and trailer...no more freakin' 91 octane for my car!

 

Maxi~ I found some time yesterday and read your story. Not really knowing what to expect, I was thoroughly entertained. It was a terrific story of the highs and lows of your racing adventure.

Keep up the great writing. You've got a real knack for this stuff.

 

http://www.onelapadventure.com/opentrackmain.html

And Another one from A guy from THSCC Car Club.. He co-drove the Mini Copper S

 

The Mini guys were awesome. Their car was bone stock and they really had that thing hussling around the track. In fact, he got two wheels in the air off a rumble strip and the car's computer thought that meant he was crashing so it cut the fuel. I think they found a way to trick the computer so this wouldn't happen again. They actually had a lot of small mechanical problems, but like everyone else at the OTC they found a way to keep the car on the track and stay in the game. Just goes to show that a 7 day event isn't always about who has the fastest car, it's about who can keep their car in the event for 7 days and go as fast as possible. We clearly had the fastest car in class by miles, but it's tough to win while doing an engine swap Oh well, we learned a lot about the car in the process, so I'm confident we'll be able to return next year and get a full week of racing in on one engine. Beating that Lotus 340R will be tough, but it'll be fun trying.

Glad you guys enjoyed the article, hopefully next year I'll have a happier tale to tell.

Cheers,
Dave