I went racing at Watkins Glen with the E36 for the first time since the motor blew last season ... sort of...
What was supposed to be 8hrs of open track practice on Friday, then 3 points races on the weekend turned into 2 days of repairs and two races on Sunday. I sheared off the upper spindle bolt on the driver's side while braking into the toe of the boot in the AM on Friday and somehow misaligned the power steering pulley in the process. I think the wheel floundering around may have contacted it when I was trying not to hit the tire wall but it took a while to figure out why it kept throwing the serpentine belt off at 5k rpms after we finished unbending the strut flanges. And two trips to NAPA for new belts took a chunk of time too. It took 2 days to finally get the car right again... so I missed all-day practice, qualifying and the first feature race of the weekend. When I finally got out in sprint race #2 I was about a second off the class leaders - unsure whether it was lack of seat time, setup/damage, or cajones but... was just happy to be back in the car. Certainly not my best effort to date ... but fun anyway.
So starting from DFL... 48th to 30th in 17 minutes ... wheee:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCVauY3SyQ4
The 2nd race went a little better, starting from 30th (determined by 1st finish) and working up to 23rd with a couple in-class fights and better pace. Still not enough, but closer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMplx_AKd00
I ran our club's annual 1hr motocross.
Was battling for second when an expert class (we sometimes run classes together) rider overestimated his abilities and took me out. I made it back from last to third. My legs are tired today.
These dads also participated.
623 is 80 years old, and 22G is 83. Both ran at a good clip for the full hour.
Zomby Woof wrote:
623 is 80 years old, and 22G is 83. Both ran at a good clip for the full hour.
Thats' awesome. I hope I can still ride the mower at 80.
I hope to still be riding in my 80's. We'll see how that goes 
623 ran our 6hr hare scramble solo last year on that mid 70's Zündapp. He's a previous gold medal winner at the ISDE.
Zomby Woof wrote:
I hope to still be riding in my 80's. We'll see how that goes
623 ran our 6hr hare scramble solo last year on that mid 70's Zündapp. He's a previous gold medal winner at the ISDE.
I know guys who are still driving race cars pretty well that are close to 80 but riding enduros on a dirt bike? That is pretty impressive.
Got together with three of my brothers and took our Dad to a car show. They roped off the main drag for four blocks, the usual dogs & fried dough and 50s music played through bad speakers.
Still a good day though.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
I went racing at Watkins Glen with the E36 for the first time since the motor blew last season ... sort of...
Sweetness!! I'll be up there in a week, again! Haha.
Spent my Father's Day at the track, running a customer in his Cup car. In return, he is going to take me and the ol' ball and chain on his yacht!
Driving back to Ohio from North Carolina after a graduation party.
DukeOfUndersteer wrote:
Sweetness!! I'll be up there in a week, again! Haha.
Spent my Father's Day at the track, running a customer in his Cup car. In return, he is going to take me and the ol' ball and chain on his yacht!
This seems like the sort of trade where you win on both ends of the deal. Are you working the Sahlen's 6hrs? Which team?
Rolled the rear fender lips on the A35 to fit the drag slicks, a day well spent !
Spent the weekend at Road Atlanta driving like the squid I am. But man was it fun! 
Zomby Woof wrote:
I hope to still be riding in my 80's. We'll see how that goes
623 ran our 6hr hare scramble solo last year on that mid 70's Zündapp. He's a previous gold medal winner at the ISDE.
If he's an ISDE gold medalist then he is The Man. I think they still would have called it the ISDT back then.
I autocrossed with my son....who is much faster than me in my own car. Most fun I've had losing. 30 runs each over Saturday and Sunday.
Curmudgeon wrote:
Zomby Woof wrote:
I hope to still be riding in my 80's. We'll see how that goes
623 ran our 6hr hare scramble solo last year on that mid 70's Zündapp. He's a previous gold medal winner at the ISDE.
If he's an ISDE gold medalist then he is The Man. I think they still would have called it the ISDT back then.
Yes, I think you're right.
Results are in, and he finished 7th in my class, super vet. The 83 year old finished 5th in +30C. They both had a good day.
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
My, that is a fast racetrack. Good watching.
One of my vids. Check out the Mustang at ~3.00 on the side, the hood flew up. Then at ~8:20 there's a BMW off to the left, it got away from him between 3 and 4, backed into the wall hard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMV4hjJQGOg
chuckles wrote:
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
My, that is a fast racetrack. Good watching.
Yes it is. Only Road America and maybe Mosport are in the same ballpark as Watkins Glen. There is only one apex on the whole track less than 75 mph (turn 9) in my car.
Curmudgeon wrote:
One of my vids. Check out the Mustang at ~3.00 on the side, the hood flew up. Then at ~8:20 there's a BMW off to the left, it got away from him between 3 and 4, backed into the wall hard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMV4hjJQGOg
Your car is very cool.
Also, that is an awesome track. I need to come down there for a race one day. The 17hr one way tow is a real ass-kicker though. It makes a 2 day race weekend 4 days long and damn expensive on fuel. Still... one of these days.
Road Atlanta is amazing and a helluva lot of fun. The first time you come out from under The Bridge at ~100 MPH it's like jumping off a cliff.
