Hey All....which I guess is me...lol.

Just thought I would post some video from last years Oktoberfast Club Race. This is Sprint #1 on Saturday. Unfortunately the video stops just before the end of the race as I ran out of room on my memory card. Enjoy!

Road America Club Race

So, I am writing this a few days after running at the PCA Club Race at Road America. This story is a little different in that I did not drive the 914. I was asked by another car owner if I would drive his race car at the event. The car is a 2010, Porsche Twin Turbo running in the GT1R class. Actually, it's the same turbo I drove and spoke about previously on this blog, although the current version is much, much different.

The car now weighs in at just over 3,000 lbs, and the engine operates and well over 400 hp. This car is fast, fast, fast. It's kind of a RSR look...very cool matte black paint. I was also provided some half day sessions at my local track to get to know the car prior to the event. That was a very good thing.

To drive Road America is fulfillment of a dream for just about any road racer, and to do it in this car made it all the more special. A great track for high speed cars. There's roughly 3 different straights that you get going near or over 150 mph, so it's very fast. 

Was an absolutely fantastic weekend and brought the car home in one piece (the previous race for the car had ended in severe damage - which happened to be the first time out after a fairly severe crash on a test day). One thing the owner desperately wanted - a car that got driven on the trailer at the end of the weekend. And not only did the car drive on the trailer, but also won it's class in both sprint races. The car ran very well all weekend, and it was an experience I will not soon forget. A huge thank you to David.

More soon..

2013 HPR Club Race

Finally got all my...er...stuff together to take the car racing again at HPR. I had told myself that I would run some local events before I went out of state. But my racing buddies were persistent and I folded like a lawn chair.

Made the drive/tow to Colorado again, hoping for better success.

As it turns out, a good move and a successful weekend. Beyond some early carb adjustment, the car ran beautifully, and ultimately finished the weekend for a change. Hadn't done that in a while, so I was very happy to be driving it on the trailer at the end of the weekend. Ran/drove well enough to earn 2 second place class finishes in the sprint races that weekend. Woohoo! I'm on the board at least.

Next up, an opportunity too good to resist.

Okay - it's been like forever since I have posted anything. So, a bit of catching up.

Since September of 2011, I have done quite a bit. The 914 got a new forged crank shaft and we buttoned it all up and I went racing. In April 2012, I went to Heartland Park PCA Club Race in Kansas. Almost made it through the whole weekend too, but broken throttle linkage ended that weekend a touch early for me.

Also went to High Plains Raceway PCA Club Race in Byers, Colorado too. Only to have the brand new crankshaft break in half again during Saturday's Fun Race. Needless to say it was all very depressing.

In the months following we felt (rather, my mechanic) that what was needed was to somehow change the "harmonic" of the engine. That this bad harmonic was actually stressing and ultimately breaking the crankshaft. And so, a new engine rebuild, with a new crankshaft began again.

This time however we also changed a couple of other items as well. The old T-bar throttle linkage was totally replaced by linkage that involved running 2 cables (rather than 1), each one running directly from the pedal to each carb. Very clean and custom built. Photo below. Made carb adjustment and syncing much easier and maintainable.

The harmonics were changed by lightening the connection rods. Each one was ground, sanded and polished to remove approximately 35 grams. Each, when finished would weigh less than a gram from any other one.

Also changed out some of the bodywork - the front bumper and valance specifically. Returning the look of the car to an earlier version I had originally. I like it much better.

And after re-assembly and some street driving and a lot of tweaking, I went racing again in August of 2013 to HPR in Colorado again more on that in another post. And that pretty much brings us up to date. Read on to see how Colorado went and other Club Racing tales.

Engine Rebuild/Turbo on track

Rapidly trying to get my engine together and stuffed back into the car for club race coming up September 30 - October 2. It's gonna be very close but so far things are going very well. I'm optimistic. Not too many surprises and most have been easily (and quickly) handled...so far. I owe most, if not all of this to my good friend and mechanic who knows these little motors, and this car specifically, better than most know their significant others...including myself.

Drove that 2011 911 Turbo with a PDK at the track last week. All I can say is "WOW!" That is one fast automobile. The PDK is amazing. Unbelieveably quick upshifting and downshifting - with engine blips done automatically for you on downshifts. Very stable. I did not drive the car without PSM(traction control) on, simply because that's the very first time I have driven a 911 turbo on a race track, and, it wasn't my car! Don't want to think about what happens if I put it in a wall or something. Final best lap time - 1:20.4 - fastest lap I have ever turned at Hallett and that was in the first session I was in the car. I also ran a 1:20.7 with student (250lb) in the passenger seat the next session. Might have been a 1:19...maybe. Anyhow, was great fun and I highly recommend it should anyone ever get the chance.

Woohoo! My ship came in..

After what seems like an eternity, I have finally received my apparently very rare crankshaft. My understanding is that it came with a shipment of just 49 other crankshafts, so there's really not too many. So get them while they're hot, if you need one. As it stands now I have about 2 weeks to have the motor put back together for upcoming Oktoberfast club race. It's gonna be close. Today, I am going to possibly have the rare privilege of instructing a driver with a 2011 911 turbo. Should be fun... and very fast.

Nothings easy...

I am currently frantically looking for a new crankshaft. Looking for a Porsche Type 4 crankshaft, 78mm stroke with 2-liter journals. Anyone who might have a line on one of these, please, please, please, let me know.