Hpt rn

[jimwheeler]

We had a Regional/National/PDX at HPT. I towed up Friday night, and then came back to KC to get my Vette. A friend drove it in the PDX on Saturday. Of course, after impound, on Sunday, I had to drive back to KC, get the truck, go back to Topeka and then hook up, load up, and tow home. I was one whipped puppy.
Saturday regional, I was going to use to scuff tires in the morning, and test the brake system in the afternoon. Kopp was going for a finish, Tucker was there, as was Kim McDonald. I was on pole, with Kopp, Tucker, Kim. My new pedal layout didn't work very well, as I went off the outside of turn 8 on the first lap, destroying the entire splitter. I had a fair amount of shrubbery in the radiator and oil cooler.
Kim got the win and Kopp got his finish. His ps box worked as powered on right turns and as non-powered on left turns. Fortunately, I had a new spare in the Big Kahuna, so he was back together, for the Sunday national.

Sunday, I got pole again, on a slightly damp track. Kim ran ITE, so it was just the three of us.
wheel 1:49.876
kopp 1:50.112
Tucker 1:51.744

I got a decent start and watched Jeff and Tucker battle it out in my mirror. Kopp had it, then Tucker, then Kopp. Jeff pulled a Kyle and flat spotted a tire down to air.

wheel 1:49.715
Tucker 1:50.250
Kopp 1:50.614

Kopp, Kim and I were whistled on Saturday, for compression. We all passed. Jeff and I both had to dimple a small dent in one of the header pipes to allow clearance for the fitting, but not a big deal.

[SedanMan]

Originally Posted by jimwheeler

....Kopp, Kim and I were whistled on Saturday, for compression. We all passed. Jeff and I both had to dimple a small dent in one of the header pipes to allow clearance for the fitting, but not a big deal.

Holy Cow! You were whistled at a National that wasn't the Runoffs or the Sprints? That's a pretty sophisticated (and motivated) bunch of tech guys. I can't even get them to weigh all the AS cars out here....

Sorry to hear about your splitter Jim. Was it a brake learning thing, or was there something wrong with the new brake setup?

[jimwheeler]

Bill,
I widened the brake pedal and, unfortunately, bent the throttle pedal rod at the same time. I put my foot on the brake, with the same feel as before, but actually put the throttle full on, at the same time. Bad thing to do in turn 8.
I will PM you about the whistle.
wheel

Originally Posted by jimwheeler

Bad thing to do in turn 8.
wheel

I'm trying to think of a good turn to do that in.

[fastandyracing]

Wheel,

I made similar "adjustment" to my pedals before a Sebring race a while ago, couldn't figure out why it wouldn't stop worth a damn, until I noticed that the revs were going up when I hit the "brakes".

It was clearly a case of unintended acceleration, I should have called my lawyer

I was just lucky that I wasn't fast enough then to end up in the dirt, or tires.

Andy

[jimwheeler]

Andy,
As long as I have been doing this, I still find it possible to fk up. If I had run 20 laps in practice, with the new pedals, I probably would have worked out the "feel" to the point that they were perfect. I got caught up in the heat of battle and brain fade took over. I should have waved everyone by, and worked on the brake deal without somebody on my bumper. I wasn't going to run the whole regional race, anyway. It really does amaze me how stupid I can be, when the red mist hits.
wheel

[jimwheeler]

The whistler was used after the regional race, on Saturday. Since I went off on lap one, I did not report to impound and was not whistled, and didn't know they had whistled anyone. Later, Kopp told me that they had whistled the finishers. When I got done rebuilding the spoiler, using the hydraulic lift, on the front of the trailer to flatten the bent pieces, I asked Ken Patterson (Midiv top Steward) if he wanted me to bring the Firebird up to have it checked. He said, sure, so we towed the car up and they whistled it that evening.
The whistler was dead nut accurate.
I took a short course in how to use it at the national convention. They had one there, along with a rep from the company that builds them. Pretty slick tool. They didn't check anything, except weight after the national, on Sunday.