Willow on July 7-8

[FLASH944]

who's going next event at willow ?

[Tim Comeau]

I'd like to make that event. There's local AX'ing here in San Diego that same weekend and I might be renting cars out. I'd like to use the July event to knock the rust off me before the big August event at Willow.

[Tim Comeau]

[Tim Comeau]

Well, my July 7th AX renter just upgraded to the DE later in the month, so I just might make it up to Willow........

I was watching some old videos tonight of Joe Paluch and I dicing at Willow in May and July of 2003. My 924S still had A/C and heating and the "door dinger" relay!

Thanks for coming out and helping to get the class started in SoCal, Joe!

 

BTW,

It takes a while for the new guys to climb the race licensing ladder. They'll get there soon.

 

In the mean time, anybody who's complaining that there aren't any 944's at SoCal NASA events should remedy that by showing up and racing in the 944 Cup, or if their car is now legal, in the 944 spec class.

It's not like there's no where to race!

It's not like their 944's are unwelcome!

Either show up and compete and have fun, or stop complaining about the situation you're helping to perpetuate.

This isn't a butt chewing...just a simple observation.

Let's go racing!

[Tim Comeau]

I'm clear for the weekend. I've got the bases covered so I'll be up there with one car late on Friday afternoon.

I haven't been able to race in a while! I think I remember the shift pattern on my 944?? ......

 

Robert, Rafi,

Let's park behind the snack bar? I've got the E Z UP for shade.

[Tim Comeau]

See you guys up there.

I'm bringing Jimmy Hicks with me. He's got a 924S with a 968 engine and 6 speed.

[roberth944]

Tim,I'm not coming this month. I'll be there in August for sure. I'm installing a roll cage right now and the car is apart. Rob

[Tim Comeau]

No worries, mate.

Jimmy got called into work too so I went by myself.

It was really good to see some old NASA racing buddies. Tom Paule showed up on Friday afternoon towing his Honda with a frickin' honest to goodness hearse!

The plate read deathmobile.... Classic.

I met Mike Maddog Schmidt and let him know I thought he was doing a great job with the brand new drivers in HPDE. We shared some space in the paddock. We also shared space with Jeremy and his Honda. The is the same Jeremy that just won the contest on that TV show called "Set up." $100,000 worth.....

It's kind of a shame more 944 drivers couldn't make it because I had primo parking set aside right next to the snack bar.

I just wanted to use this event to shake out the cobwebs. It was fun getting used to the car and Willow again. Hopefully, I'll be a little quicker next month because of this last weekend. Had a couple major slides, but no offs. The weather was typical. Hot all day and then hair dryer wind in the afternoon. 105? Friday, little cooler on Sat. Bring your coolsuits for the August event. The CERATEC car ran fine all day with the exception of what sounds like a wheel bearing starting to go on the front left.

During Sat. qualifying, a Honda folded his hood back over the windshield on the front straight a couple hundred meters ahead of me. I couldn't see it immediately from my view point but the corner workers at start/finish and turn 1 were really animated about something ahead! The Honda slowed and pulled off the track onto an access road just shy of turn one. Poor guy! Remember those hood pins or just keep the stock system on your 944's!

I started the Sat. race at the back of the Group A pack and just stayed out of everyone's way that was racing. I was just practicing my driving in between dodging cars! Some NASCAR looking thing blew by me on the front straight like I was standing still, but then went off at 3, probably because of brakes. Got some kind words for moving offline when some Honda guys, who were racing closely, were coming up through.

So I just cruised to the checkered flag and collected 100 uncontested SoCal points.

Ex 944 spec owner/racer Steven Rea was there for the Sat night enduro in his 951-V8 project car. They won the enduro overall.

Since there was no 944 drivers for me to help in the HPDE groups, and I didn't want to push the wheel bearing issue when there was nothing at stake, I packed it up on Sunday morning and came home early.

So ileft the high desert at 105F and came back to San Diego at 75F. That's 30 degrees cooler! Crack a beer open to that!

Hope to see a bunch of 944 spec or Cup cars there next month.

[PeanutinCA]

How can it be, that it has come to this? Tim was the only car? Correct me if I'm wrong, there is still the Cup class for the old rules cars? And of course Spec for the new rules cars. Where are all the guys that wanted to go with the new rules? All the guys (along with myself but I don't have a car anymore) that defended and wanted the new rules, where did you go? You got them, how about supporting them? It's a sad state of affairs for the class. It's been divided up and now who is there, nobody?

 

Everyone who said they were behind the new rules, should show it by supporting it. Very sad.

 

P.D.

[944-Spec#94]

Dylan,

Arizona Region is doing well, Nor-Cal is growing, and Rocky Mountain Region is growing. Tim also seems to have crop of fresh racers waiting in the wings in So-cal.

 

Not sure what happened to everyone else.

[nhamden]

Hey Dylan,

 

Forcast for July's event stayed over 100 degrees ever since I started watching it a few weeks ago and it Looks like over 10 cars are coming out in August. So with those two factors, maybe everybody thought they would wait for the big points race. I would bet if the temps were in the 70's last weekend, more cars would have shown! Come out next month and take my car out for a spin, (not literally) I need you to show me how to shave a couple of seconds off of my times there.

 

Cheers

[PeanutinCA]

Dylan,

Arizona Region is doing well, Nor-Cal is growing, and Rocky Mountain Region is growing.

 

Yeah I see that Joe and that is great. I'm just not understanding the difference? What has happened here? I thought 6+ months ago, there was a bunch of people talking about getting in and supporting the new ruiles? Where are they? I really hope it wasn't a bunch of people who were "forecasting" that they would start racing by a certain date and finances don't allow them? Because that financial shortfall for these people could be costing the class a lot more in the long run. It's one thing to say there is people waiting in the wings, but I thought they have been waiting since Jan 07? It's time for these people to step up and put their money where their mouths were.

 

Norm,

I'd love to swing out and run some laps in a 944 again. But, I'm pretty sure your pretty fast without any coaching?

 

P.D.

[Packfill]

Everyone who said they were behind the new rules, should show it by supporting it. Very sad.P.D.

 

PD... i think everyone in SoCal who supported the new rules DID show up....

[roberth944]

August is looking good for me as the cage is being built and installed right now. Rafi's is done and in but he has to work the Ferrari Challenge race the same weekend next mounth so he won't be there. I will with Fred and his 84 944. Rob

[Tim Comeau]

Dylan,

I know you're not being mean spirited, and the class is better for it.

BTW, Norm, you're just as quick as Dylan.

Please keep in mind that the guys who didn't support the change were people who had already modified their cars with chips and headers, and were attending races. So the drop off of current attendees at the time didn't come as a surprise to anyone.

Let me give you some idea of where the new rules supporters in SoCal are, Dylan. These are mostly guys who are building cars or climbing the experience ladder and they appreciate not having to spend more money on chips and headers and the subsequent trips to the dyno to try to match the highest HP engines that were in the class.

John Rickard

Sean Steele

Marc Sexton

Doug Briggs

John Kinkaid

Chuck Sharp

Greg Sharp

Rob Hass

Everett Delano

Gunther Enz

Andrew Enz

That's a quick list I just rattled off and not exhaustive.

Why aren't they at the events? Car's are being completed or licenses are being worked on. Believe me, I've been trying to get some of these guys to come out and just enter the HPDE groups.

 

Where did all the "old" spec cars go?

These cars are not current NO SHOWS because of the rules changes.

Dylan's car sold to POC TT'er.

Eric S's car sold to POC TT'er.

Jason Wilberding's car sold to PCA TT'er.

Bill Addy's car for sale. He wants to spend money elsewhere.

Russ McKee's (ex Marguglio) car for sale. Hasn't turned a wheel in several years except at local AX's.

Steve McConnell's car for sale?

 

Here's some others:

Dicius- not happy with the rules.

Jim Marks- not happy with the rules.

Weitze- ran a couple events in SoCal and Southwest Championship.

Foley- Talked with me about running his 944 in NASA events and his new Boxster with the POC.

Richmond- following new rules and will attend Aug event at Willow.

Jackie Corwin- switched back to stock chip. Still trying to get her to race. She raced for the first time with the PCA at Fontana.

Dement/Bernheim car? Can't say.

Puddester- unknown?

Pete Yousko- ?

 

Robert and Rafi have been working on their cars for some time and are attending the HPDE groups.

 

Some people still don't think the change away from aftermarket chips and headers was the right thing to do. In terms of both equalizing the cars and reducing the cost of our cars, it was spot on.

Consider this. My Zebra 924S had 134 peak HP and 133 peak Torque with stock headers and reflashed chip. We had great dicing among Weitze, Scott, Marks, and myself, in 2005 at those power levels.

 

In 2006, I had heard claims of 142 HP and 148 ft/lbs of torque.

 

In 2007, under the old rules, a car in SoCal made 141.7 peak HP and 150 ft/lbs of torque. So those figures were proven as achieveable. That was this year, but under the old rules. Those figures include "any initial cam timing, a chip, AFM tuned, stock late headers (torque), modified exhaust, and about 12 dyno pulls. I've seen the dyno results myself.

 

Under the old rules, my newest car makes much more power with MSDS headers, chip, modified exhaust, etc.

How does that stack up against the average guy's 135 HP and 135 ft/lbs of torque? Is that the intent of our spec class?

We're still doing research, but enough test results are in to say, without a doubt,

If you want to race and spend lots of money on developing your 944, there are other classes for you within NASA. If you want to embrace the spirit and intent of the 944 spec rules, which means nearly equal cars, then 944 spec is the right class for you. The rules aren't perfect. There are still loopholes. If you find them, let's work to close them up and make the rules more clear. To be sure, this class isn't for everyone. And if it isn't, please enter your 944 in the Cup classes. You don't have to spend a dime more. Keep your 944 as is and just come racing.

[PeanutinCA]

Your right Tim, I'm not being mean. I'm just disappointed witht he lack or turn out. Maybe the rules should have been announced and implemented in 2008?

 

You didn't need to re-sell the new rules to me, I agree. I didn't want to spend the money chasing higher hp and tq numbers, I have seen the difference, from behind the steering wheel. BUT, that's was never the point of my post anyway.

 

I'm trying to put a foot up the butt of many people that posted as being behind the rules, but are not attending the races now. For myself, I had the deposit on my car in hand when the change of the rules was announced. But, had I been attending today, it would feel like a waste of money turning up to race nobody. Time to put some pressure on people to step up and support "their" new rules.

 

How about a couple cash races? And cash for either Spec OR Cup? Get some cars back on the grid. Yeah I know they will be there for the August event. But what about the event after that? Time to start putting some 944's back on the grid. Anyone got a Spec car they want to lend me?

 

P.D.