Made it to the last RallyCross of the season!
So to summarize the changes from the car's first event: Brakes that work, took out the moldy carpet, maybe better front suspension
So I packed up the car, and headed out to the event. I still haven't hooked the speedo up, so I just use a free GPS app on the phone... On the way out, it kept messing with me, I thought the RPM in gear was quite a bit higher to get the target speed, I figured my last running 240 was over a decade ago, and it was just fuzzy memories. Traffic was sparse, but as I got the highway, I was zipping by traffic... Again, I reconciled this in my mind as slow early sunday drivers, but as I kept going it was eating at the back of my mind. Finally I started poking at the settings, and kph would have been wrong the other way, so as I got in the menu, the berkin' thing was on Knots!!! Just for reference for those of us that aren't pirates or pilots in our spare time, 75 knots is 86 mph, so sorry to all the folks I flew by on the way there...
So I made good time there! I was looking forward to the pre-event just as much as the driving. Someone had brought their scales and for a $20 donation to the club's van repairs, you can get two weighs of your car. One empty, one with driver.
The empty weigh, I was excited. There's still half the interior, a half tank of gas, and all the sound deadening. So I can still get to under 2500 for free. Most of the weight removal is over the back wheels, and it's still only 54% on the front. Switching the silly rear battery to a lighter battery in the engine bay, gutting the AC and some stuff under the dash, and maybe some lighter panels and I'll be knocking on 2400.
So with that out of the way, I checked the fluids, wheel torques, and tire pressures, and prepped for the event. In solid juxtaposition to the last event, it was very cold, the mountain air just cutting through all 4 layers I wore, including the carhart farmer armor. But it's all worth it, as this site is beautiful. With all the trees showing fall colors in the mountains around, and the massive elevation change. This is certainly the best place I've rallycrossed.
Time to turn the wheel and press the pedals in an imitation of driving!
This course was faster, flowing, but bumpier than the last day I ran here. My driving was poor, to be honest the handling was a bit terrifying. It must have been hilarious to watch from outside, I'd try to get the car on line, but there'd just be random massive rebound events from the blown rear coilovers that'd shoot the drive wheels in the air, and all the weight on the fronts, causing random understeer off the course. Through a series of cone destroying events, a couple slides off course, I cemented my role holding up DFL. I did the first couple runs only in 1st gear, but was on the limiter for long enough to certainly be slowing me down. But when I went to 2nd, the wheel speed would fly up when the tires were in the air, and cause some good terrifying oversteer events go to with the understeer. However, when I had 'four on the floor' as my grade school teachers used to say, it got decent grip and seemed to handle well.
I got back to the paddock for the lunch break, munched on some beef jerky and pringles, and went to start it up to head back up the hill for the afternoon runs..... and nothing. I rocked the car back and forth in case there was a mismatch on the teeth.... nothing. Popped the hood, and noticed that the (solidly mounted) engine had vibrated the starter positive wire nut almost all the way off. Tightened it down.... nothing. At the point, most of the competitors had worked their way out of the paddock and up to grid. So I did what any normal person would do, and whack the living hell out of the start relay with a hammer.... nothing. Pushed the car a bit to kick start it on the level grid, and again, nothing. Fortunately, the guys paddocked next to me must have noticed this spectacle, and kindly offered to push start me. Got a bit of speed, kicked the clutch on the key, and thankfully it fired right up! Thanks guys!
Ready for runs in the afternoon, I wanted to focus on reading the course better, and try to work on shifting at a couple key points, but mostly just murdered some more cones. Of note in the afternoon: There was a great photog there! @iamgarrett really captured the motion of the event, and the scenery of the site. Second, Mike with the MR2 rode along with me (against all common sense) His perspective was invaluable! He confirmed that I wasn't going crazy, and the car's handling really was laughably terrible. Also he noticed something I was blindly ignoring: The engine's performance was all wrong. It seemed to lose torque on the upshift to 2nd, which should be a a KA's bread and butter. So I need to do som investigating there! It was a eye-opening observation. Thanks Mike! Here he is wondering why the hell he ever sat in the passenger seat:
And one more shot by @iamgarrett
(Back to E36 M3ty cell phone pics)
Time to work the course, but with a known inop starter, Iand a history of driving terrible 240s, I parked facing downhill:
We got done working the last heat just before the rain/snow started to come in, I went over to my car, and ran into Josh (Irish44j), and he offered to give me a tow back to the paddock. I cockily declined, I got this, I planned this out.... Well, slightly wet dust covered grass apparently doesn't give enough torque to pop the engine over to start... epic fail.
So thankfully Josh gave me a tow back to the paddock as I tried to remember to keep tension on the tow rope. Thanks Josh! Appreciate the assist!
Back on pavement I popped the clutch on the key and started right back up, and I just left it running as I packed the car up, drove back, and even (for the first time ever) while I filled up with gas.
While my driving, and performance were terrible, and the car sort of broke, I still had a great time! I got to meet more rallycrossers this time around, talk to more folks, was more comfortable with the car. It's great to see how friendly and helpful the rallycross community is, even at larger events like this.
I owe Josh a beer for the tow, Mike a beer for the advice, the guys next to me in the paddock some beers for the push, and the corner workers a keg for picking up all those cones I hit.