Mikael at PIR

[944 Swede]

...and I just wanted to have a fun weekend racing at PIR.

 

This is an invitation to come forward and ask me direct questions about my car.

I understand there may be some doubts whether my car is spec legal.

I've been involved in competition all the way up to Olympic level and understand with success comes doubt whether a fellow competitor is "legal" or not.

 

I don't mind being targeted by officials, they are only trying to do their job but it would make me sick to my stomach if I don't have any respect or trust from my fellow drivers.

 

For what it is worth, with one hand on the bible right here on my desk, I am assuring you my car was 100% spec legal at PIR.

 

If you rather PM me in private, that is ok. If you rather call me, that is fine too. PM me and I will give you my number.

 

Respectfully,

[roberth944]

Mikael, I totally respect what you are saying and doing here. I have met you a couple of times at various events and you have always been freindly and helpful to me. You are a very good driver and show it every time you go out. I drive a red 86 944 at the HPDE events and am on my way to joining you racing. You set the bar high but that is what makes it fun. I have met most of the So Cal guys and they all seem like really good people. I now have myself and two other friends currently building 944 spec cars and driving HPDE to get to the races next year. Rob Hohler

[Capt Squid]

Mikael and I drove MY car in the 4 hour POC Tribute to LeMans a few weeks ago. His lap times in MY car were 3-4 seconds faster than mine and he had a 60 second lead on the other spec cars after his first stint. We traded cars at Buttonwillow and his lap times in my car were the same as in his car. My lap times in his car were slower. The bottom line is that Mikael is a very talented driver.

[Packfill]

Would the people who aren't coming to races because of Mikeal or any other car deemed to be faster please chime in here?? Mikael is offering the keys to the city... simply ask the questions, make the changes to your car, and you will be just as fast...

 

Tim, dont you have questions? You could use the pace...

[944spec92]

Mikael:

 

Thank you for the opportunity to directly ask you a question that has been bugging me ever since you passed me on the outside of turn 9 at Willow Springs. Again, this has been bothering me for the past few years and others may also feel the same way. Well, here goes, and again we all appreciate that you are a stand up guy and can take this for how it is meant.

 

Mikael, when you went over 100 mph while Speed Skiing for the Swedish Olympic Team in the Albertville Olympics did you turn to the right or to the left to come to a stop? Inquiring minds want to know. The reason I ask is because if you turned to the right, your downhill or outside leg would be the left thus making your clutching and left foot braking abilities considerably better than the rest of us since we can barely get over 100mph with our 944spec stock chips and headers. Now if you turn to the left, your right leg is dominant thus making your throttle application very quick and strong as well as your late braking skills so much better than those who use engine braking to slow their cars down. Please refer to a previously posted and boasted about in-car driving video from Cal Speedway a while back to see a fine example of the most useless engine braking ever done on a race track.

 

So with a posted honest answer, the rest of us mid-packers will get the complete skinny on what Mikael's actual strong points are in the driving skill arena. I await your response and will look forward to my physical training regimen change to adapt the one leg (Mikael's dominant side) being stronger approach to in cock-pit talent which seems to be quite prevalent here.

 

Oh, before I forget - there was a noticeable non-answer to a specific series director question. Maybe we can eventually get an answer on this. As a reminder, here is the previous post and question:

 

Tim, if you have a field of 10 cars racing 944 spec, how can you tell if any of them are running a stock chip or aftermarket? The only way I know of is to pull the chip and read it on a computer. Is there another way?

 

It is obvious there are more than 3 socketed chip variations, just count DME and engine management changes. There are 84/2, 85/1, 85/2-87, and 88. Then you have ROW versions for every year but 1988, which is worldwide. The Euro chips were designed to make more power on better fuel with higher compression and have the same rev limit. Who knows what Porsche did during production? I know I’ve seen more than one stock chip for 1986.

 

Say what you want about the other rule changes, the chip mandate is a cluster F that was not thought out by the decision makers. It’s also unenforceable unless/until NASA starts handing out sealed DME boxes.

 

I guess the series directors are getting 10 different spare brain boxes together to do the ECU swap on demand at the track. The real question is, how are they going to carry all of them if they don't trailer their race cars to the track?

 

Sign me off as irresponsible,

 

Tall guy still laughing at accurate prediction of decimated SoCal NASA 944spec fields

[Chuck T.]

I guess the series directors are getting 10 different spare brain boxes together to do the ECU swap on demand at the track. The real question is, how are they going to carry all of them if they don't trailer their race cars to the track?

 

 

Not Me ... I don't care much about tech... If someone screems by me on a straight section I will ask the question but as of now We just split all of the prize money and have FUN ! So for our next race the guy who finishes 1st both days will get around $300. The guy who is 5th both days gets $300. only advantage to winning is the trophy Girls That is a big perk but I don't think it's worth a $2000 trans axle .

 

Chuck

Rocky Mountain 944-spec series director

[944-Spec#94]

There is a very simple way to validate stock chips. I don't have time to explain it now, but it is quite easy really with right tools.

 

I will post more when I have time.

 

 

Still on Vacation you know.

[nhamden]

With Mikael's comment about "I just wanted to have fun racing at PIR" I want to say I hope that you did have fun and I hope that you will come back often.

 

The question about how do you know if a chip is stock or not, for now until June 1, I would hope that you can just ask the person and get a truthful answer and after June 1, I hope that you can just assume it's stock because that is the rule. I know, I am a dreamer, I guess even after June 1, there will be few with psycological issues that can honestly feel good about winning when they know they are cheating. Joe will have to answer the technical side of that and Dr Phil will have to answer the other part.

 

I believe Mikael when he says his car is 100% spec legal and Mikael was honest enough to say his chip is not stock (which IS legal at this point) and that is what may have cooked his motor do to it advancing the timing too much. I was hoping that we could have gotten one good run on the dyno to see the difference in stock or non-stock chips, but we didn't, I was standing at the dyno and the car would barely rev and would not go over 6000 rpms, the air fuel reading was all over the chart, no power was made over 4500 rpms which was something like 131hp and the torque was over 260 lbs. Nothing about the readings made sense on either run. To answer the question about how do you know if a chip is stock or not, one thing that Glenn and I noticed when coming out of nascar #4, is that we have to change into 5th or we will be bouncing off the rev limiter, Mikael didn't have to change. To my knowledge all stock chips have a built in rev limiters at about 6400 rpm's, taking the cars close to 7,000rpm's really makes a difference and it has been interesting racing with SCCA which if you max out the rules they are very close to 944 cup's rules and in racing with NASA against cars with chips, headers, shocks, hi tech lsd's, MY PERCEPTION IS, that there is a difference. I highlighted that so this won't become a debate, that is how I see it. So I am grateful for 944 cup and to be very honest with you, someday I might run cup, but for now, I would like to see how I compare to other drivers in this class, but we have to have the same car to know for sure were we stand against each other! Mikael has an awsome track record of driving other people's cars and going faster than they can in there own car and winning races in other people's cars. That is a sign of a great driver, I am looking forward to racing you Mikael, apple for apple, at my home track, I have only had the honor of beating you once out of 4 races on my track, so when your car is done and to the new spec's it'll be time to rumble! I love ya man, but inquiring minds want to know! (mine anyway)

 

Most importantly, WIN OR LOOSE, I am going to have fun!

[944 Swede]

Norm my friend.

 

Always interesting reading what you have to say. Yes, I certainly plan on coming back to PIR where at least going forward we all run the stock chip.

Prior to that,I hope to see you and Glen and everyone else at Willow Springs in July where we get to race on "my" home track. Beers are on me.

You end your post with "inquiring minds want to know". I'm lost buddy, what do they want to know exactly?

 

Happy Friday

[nhamden]

You could beat me in a Volkwagen Bug at WS, so if anyone is into off track betting, the odds are with you on that race.

 

After inquiring minds want to know, I put (mine mostly) meaning that I want to know if you can beat me on my track with the same p/w ratio. For those that are into off track betting, I think I have a shot! Maybe we should have a coast to coast bet going on that race, is that legal?

 

Thanks for being a good sport and a good friend, and I am glad that you find my posts interesting, (I think!)

[JSilverman]

To my knowledge all stock chips have a built in rev limiters at about 6400 rpm's, taking the cars close to 7,000rpm's really makes a difference

Im not 100% sure on this since I havent pulled my ecu to verify its stock, but Im getting the impression that the 88 ecu allows you to rev to 6800. Mine does it, and the previous owner swears up and down that the ecu is stock. I was driving my friends car which is also an 88 and it revved to 6800 as well. Ill have to pull the ecu next time Im under the dash and check to see if its been modified.

[944-Spec#94]

There is a very simple way to validate stock chips. I don't have time to explain it now, but it is quite easy really with right tools.

 

I will post more when I have time.

 

 

Still on Vacation you know.

 

Ok,

Now I have few minutes.

 

One way to check for aftermarket chips is easy seeing that we may be having a dyno at each Az race.

 

Even without a dyno at the track the process can still be accomplished.

 

Process goes like this.

 

Strap car to the dyno. Make two pulls till the rev limiter cuts in.

Save the curves

 

Replace DME in the car with one of 3 (83-85) (85.5-87) or 88 Stock DME. I have one of each.

 

Run two more pulls to the revlimiter. Then compare the curves. If the curves match with in about 1 hp, then clearly what ever chip that is in the car is either stock or the same as stock. If the curves change shape then something is different. Pretty simple to test really.

 

The last bit of important things is to then take the original DME and seal it. (not sure how to just yet), but this way at post race impound we just check for that "sealed" DME. Simple.

 

If you don't have an "at the track dyno" then take the car to a local dyno and do the same thing off track.

[mfoley]

Joe,

 

What's stock for my car? I have an 85.5 block, 88 head, 85.5 harness, 88 pistons, 85.5 DME with a Russakov chip.

 

If the answer is 85.5 then I won't let you replace the DME because the timing won't be right and you could damage the engine. If you say 88 then I'm forced to buy a new DME which are in short supply and will cost more than the proven chip that's in my car. I looked for an 88 DME before I went with the Russakov chip.

 

FYI - I now own a Spec Boxster and am considering making my 944 spec legal so I really do want to know. I also don't want to spend a lot of money making my car slower.

 

Thanks,

[944-Spec#94]

Joe,

 

What's stock for my car? I have an 85.5 block, 88 head, 85.5 harness, 88 pistons, 85.5 DME with a Russakov chip.

 

If the answer is 85.5 then I won't let you replace the DME because the timing won't be right and you could damage the engine.

 

 

When it comes to DME/swap/Dyno check time I'll just replace with what have. 88 DME in the car gets swapped to an 88 DME.

 

85.5 DME gets swapped with and 85.5 DME. As for you car you can run any stock DME you feel comfortable with.

[mfoley]

So what you're saying is I need to find an 88 DME. Okay, I'll start looking for one.

[PeanutinCA]

For what it is worth, with one hand on the bible right here on my desk, I am assuring you my car was 100% spec legal at PIR.

 

I'll ask. Mike, I was 'under the impression' that your car was 'spec' to the 'new' rules (from what you told me) when you beat my track record at Willow this last POC event? Is that the case? And if we can ask, how much HP and how much TQ does your car produce? Not that this makes ANY suggestion of cheating. It doesn't for one minute. But, you said we could ask, so I'm asking. Post a dyno sheet or even just email me one direct. So that I can know if my 134/134 dyno sheet compares to yours and thus you beat my time soley on driving and not motor?

 

Thanks,

Dylan.

[944 Swede]

Dylan, My car was POC legal when I beat your track record at WS a few weeks ago. Dyno numbers are not absolute unless we're on the dyno at the same time, right?

I was on a dyno April 10 and got a 133/135 reading.

There is nothing in the rules about max HP allowed. If I beat your times with a couple of HP less than what your car had, I suspect you still wouldn't credit my driving but tell me it's because of my LSD...

And if it's not the LSD, it's because I spent too many Fridays at WS testing or because I spent too many hours at Johnsons Alignment corner balancing my car to figure out the optimum ride height.

Maybe I need to drive someone elses car if I have a need to receive any credit for my driving. Oh, wait, I guess I drove Jim Pierce Escort in a 3 hr Enduro at BW on Apr.14. After my 90 min stint, we were 1st in class and 2nd overall. We finished 2nd in class and 4th overall.

See you this weekend mate

[PeanutinCA]

Those are politician's answers Mikey. You were POC spec legal, you lead me to believe you had "re-developed" your car to the new NASA rules. OK, so your POC legal, no problem, I was POC rules too so, only fair. As for LSD's, we are talking about 2/100ths for your new track record, you could have sneezed to gain that so, sure an LSD is a factor, but not anything I would use to say you won or lost. At 2/100ths, it's close enough for all I care, that I don't care. If you were 2 SECONDS faster, then I would be looking for reasons? But at 2/100ths, I laugh (like you have done also) that 2 years of development and testing for 2/100ths is a lot of effort. I've seen you drive and your car on track, it's on the edge and driven quite well. I'm not sure that's the question at hand though? Your April dyno numbers, was that the hp/tq numbers you ran at Willow or PIR with? OR, are you giving me the politician answer, you ran on a dyno April 10th and had those numbers? Sure, you tweaked it and are now at numbers higher than those, but on that day, first run, those were your numbers? Don't forget Mike, you have told me HP and TQ numbers much higher than that before? So there in lays the problem, with so many "dyno numbers" floating around, who knows what to beleive? And your right, as I stated above, high hp numbers don't mean cheating. It may not be in the "spirit", but I know how you guys feel about that rule! So, with your hand on the bible, did you run at Willow with 133/135 numbers? As to too many Friday's at Willow or too many days at Steve's, I disagree, those are PERFECT reasons for being quicker, or better yet, justifiable reasons. Actually it's "all of those things", like you say repeatedly. As to the enduro, sorry bud but that means nothing. You could have had 10 Stanton's as competition or 10 Gomer Piles?

 

Let me answer your post with a question, because "if" I apparently would say you only beat me "because" of those items you listed. Would you run without them? And if so, would you be as quick? Which is irrelevant because it's not the subject at hand. You run with them because you setup to the rules as aggressively as you can. And ultimately that's the debate in 944 Spec, there is a HUGE difference in building "to the rules" and building "to the spirit".

 

And I'm still waiting for the video from your car at Willow, turn 1. And actually some of you and the other Boxster's battling would be interesting too.

 

P.D.

 

P.S. I'm not trying to pick on you Mike. But you said we could ask, so I'm asking.

[comatb]

Mikael, from far away it is interesting to read the continual questions about your SPEED. If your car is legal which I assume it is, then I say good for you, for maximizing your car and driving abilities. When someone really thinks that their car is as well prepared as yours, then the only question should be how to improve in the drivers seat! I know that's where I need to improve and will work on it. Hope to see you at Mid-Ohio for the NASA Championships.

[944 Swede]

Yes Dilly, those are the numbers I got on the dyno and I haven't made any changes to the car since then. The 138hp I once showed was before rebuilding the car to current spec rules.

 

Bill, thanks for a short, to the point reply. You are right, all we should worry about is being beat by a car that is legal but you see out here in the crazy West there is always a short supply of tampax at the track

[PeanutinCA]

Yes Dilly, those are the numbers I got on the dyno and I haven't made any changes to the car since then. The 138hp I once showed was before rebuilding the car to current spec rules.

 

OK, so your car is to the current rules (which is not the rules to come in June/July) and makes the same hp mine (now Brad's) and David H's, and a few others on the grid. So members of the 944 group should be happy right? And, as stated earlier, Mikael was a whopping 2/100ths faster (not the significant point) at Willow, last event. Mike and I have always been about the same speed. He puts in the effort, I did not. Well I did, but only half an effort. Mike puts in the whole effort. So unless there is a glaring rules violation, then all Mike is guilty of is 'pushing' the rules, not 'violating' the rules. I suspect that's why there is so many "Russokov" motors and Guards LSD's on the grid? In an effort to keep up with the Jone's, or in this case, the Weitze's.

 

Thanks for your response Mike.

 

P.D.

[Bradicus]

Mikael,

 

If I may ask, what weights do you see at each tire?

Do you favor a few lbs more at one corner? One end?

I completely understand if this falls under trade secrets.

 

I also want to say thanks for the advice at CSW. You, Pete, Jim, Mark, and all the guys have been very welcomming, making the GSR/R9S a great group to join.

Not so easy to win thou...

 

Cheers,

 

Brad

[944 Swede]

Brad,

 

It was great to see you at CS this weekend. You drive a very fast car so it will be fun to see your progress.

 

I spent alot of time dialing in my ride height and suspension and alignment. It may not be in the spirit of this unique class to spend that kind of time and money but I feel I have an obligation in the spirit of competition to bring to the track, man and machine, prepared to the best of my knowledge.

If interested, I would drive your car and give you pointers on improvement but unless you made any changes, i think Dylan really got that car dialed in.

[PeanutinCA]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Mike. To be honest Brad, I drove the car given to me by the mechanics and alignment shop (Steve Alarcon). The only personal change I made was going to a 350# front spring from 400# when it was pushing. Of course I moved some swaybars around. I couldn't tell you tow or camber, at least not accurrately anyway? Although you should have the sheets from Steve? I did switch shocks, but temporarily ran short of cash and never got the chance to see it through with the upgrades. So, I think the car as it stands could do with some re-development? Although driving it at the Cal Speedway STS event, it still seems to go ok.

 

P.D.

[Madmax]

Great reading these posts and almost comical to some degree. It really reminds me of an old racer's adage that goes something like this :

" the guy ahead of me is faster because he has a better car, and the guy behind me is slower because he isn't as good a driver " Something like that anyway ! Cheers, Max.