DeTomaso Mailing List: May 2000, Message #26

Just one mans story:
    Heck, I didnt get the stroker finished in time for this event, even
though all my preparation was geared for it, I even had a tow hitch on
the car to bring my race wheels, tires and jack,(yes, I take this track
stuff seriously!)
    Well I decided to go ahead with the trip and leave the 'spare' motor
in the car and run the event anyway, and why bother with the trailer, as
using this motor with street tires will probably be more fun anyway!

   Leaving for Vegas on Wed about 11am was uneventfull, and I was just
cruising, enjoying that exhast note, feeling how wonderfull this all
was, when just  about 20 miles before Nevada state line,  a terrible
metal to metal screeching and a vibration through the whole car that
made me hit the brakes and sent me to the shoulder NOW!
    A quick check revealed a collapsed front wheel bearing, shoot still
70 miles away from Vegas....
    Our German visitors ( Roland and ??? please forgive, your name
escapes me) that I had passed a short while ago, pulled over to see if
they could assist.
We decided to try and drive carefully to stateline with them behind,and
re-assess my options there.
  I discovered that if I weaved like a drunk the bearing did not grate,
and if we were to re-pack the bearing with grease then, possibly, it
would make a repair in Vegas a much more viable solution.
    I am indebted to my two helpers ,who got just as covered in bearing
grease as I, and then followed my car on an extremely laborious 50 miles
more to our destination.

    Thursday morning saw me trying to find a place to do the work on my
car, Class Act turned out to be the only expedient option. I hoped that
we would fix the car and then head out to the track for the remainder of
test day.
    This was not to be, basically a two hour job was spread over a seven
hour visit, due to problems removing the hub assembly, and getting the
right replacement parts.
I would resign myself to having one track day only.

    Friday I left for the track, filled with gas in Pahrump, and
proceeded to have the most fun I have had for a long time. There was
space in the 'b' and 'c' run groups that could be bought for just $20
each, so I jumped on that deal, and signed up for every session of the
day!
    Please forgive my lack of details of other track gossip, but I was
so busy driving I didnt get to chat or socialise much.

    That 'spare' motor in my car is sweet, it never overheated, and just
kept running without complaint with two small exceptions, I had a small
oil leak at the intake manifold and block, which although very small ,
the air turbulance would cause it to cover the inside of the whole
engine compartment with an oil mist. Also the motor is jetted at sea
level and with  aggressive driving and no race plugs (I had left all my
performance prep stuff at home) the motor was running rich and beggining
to foul the plugs, so I decided to remove the mufflers which shoul lean
it out and correct the carburation.... it also sounds Bitchin!!!
    Having removed the mufflers and took  a short lunch break |I
noticed... I have less than a 1/4 tank of gas!
Shoot, I have to go to Pahrump again to fill up, before the groups run
again in about 15 mins, and I realise... I have no mufflers!
    Well, keep the rpms(noise) low and go for it!
Got back just in time for the next run group and proceeded to have fun.

Driving the track is awesome! I don't think it suitable for amateur
racing, but it is perfect for its intended purpose, which is to school
drivers how to DRIVE.
    This track is technical, I quickly find that the street tires don't
compare to the DOT legal R1's and are constantly at their limit of
adhesion, and boy do they squeal!   Around the 180deg sweeping turn 1
right hander, and turn 2 left hander I see that with the max
speed/adhesion for these tires, turning the  steering wheel no longer
affects how tight I can turn, it makes no more difference!  If I start
drifting out towards the outside of the turn I gently lift the gas , the
front tucks in and when the car is pionted on the right turn radius I
roll on the gas again, what a blast!

    Up to now I gave a ride to my girlfriend, her brother, his wife, and
Curt was setting up a car cam system, with the lens taped on the side of
my helmet that would be shown back at the hotel and on the web!

    Well its time for qualifying now, so I get on the grid and wait my
turn.
Question... do you go all out for best time and risk a spin? that will
start you off at the back of the grid,   or do you give it 95% and be
sure of no trouble ?
well I decide to do the 95% and then I can give 110% in the race!
    The times are in, and Dennis Quella is on the pole with a 1:52 run,
and then
the next four cars (my car, two original race prepared GTS, and a car
that did not show up in the race) are all within one second of each
other with 1.59.2 thru 2.00.05(me!) and ten more cars behind, that
included two Porsche Boxter's two Miata's, a Firebird, Corvette and more
Pantera's.
I am on the grid now, Curt has the helmet cam running, better not screw
up or the whole world will see!
    I am still pumped with adrenaline from the earlier run groups, now
sitting on the grid, my stomach is in knots and all the race
anticipation thoughts racing through my mind,  what will happen on the
start, who will be where?, will the slower drivers with horespower get
in the way at the first turn? man... shoulda used the bathroom!
        Ok we're under way thinking about the start when that green flag
waves (I'm not even thinking about Dennis, he'll be out of sight in the
first lap)....I'm thinking of my 95% qualifying giving me a time within
1sec of the three guys in front of me...does that mean that when I give
it 110% I will be faster than them, or did they do the same qualifying
routine as myself? Well all I think is, I have great brakes and if
anyone is in front of me at the end of the straight I will attempt to
outbrake them and enter the decreasing turn faster than they want
to.....

    We're in tight formation, I'm revving in 2nd gear, the green is up
and we're off!
Dennis in front of me pulls carlengths away immediately, the GTS to my
right darts to the right of the GTS if front of him and blasts away from
both of us. my car creeps alongside the othe GTS, (did he start in the
wrong gear, miss the flag or what? )were going over 100mph past the
brake marker the car alongside me hits the brakes and the GTS out in
front is already on his, YEEAAHHH!!! I new it.... don't let off the gas
yet!... hold on.. not yet...PASSED HIM...brake.. damn this is faster
than my practice.. oops sliding sideways a little.. get it back.. yes,
I'm into the pit chicane in fine shape..I did it!  now in second place,
I check my mirror towards the end of the straight and I am safely ahead
of them both, a nice steady lap up to the far end and screw up a
downshift ..get out of shape ..get straightened out and WHOAH those guys
are up my rear! back down to the main straight ( Rats! I needed distance
on them into this straight so they can't power on by me,  I've blown it)
floor the pedal into the straight, go thru the gears..there goes GTS 2
by me.. (can I outbrake him again??) end of the straight and he is
already into the turn, get on his butt through the chicane into the pit
straight, hes gone,  roll off the gas as I enter turn1 sweeper.. darn!
GTS 1 sneaks through my inside, (where my sticky tires when I need em?)
and then ZOOOOM (Holy Sh**t who the heck is that maniac) an orange
Pantera goes Straight by my inside, cuts his own apex while sideways and
nearly rear ends   GTS 1, he straightens out and we run in line around
the corner and up the next straight around the 180deg right hander and
the orange Pantera pulls off, ( I would later learn that the driver of
the orange Pantera, actually Larry Stocks car, was  Rupert Bragg-Smith
the track owner/ race driver)  I slowly gain on the GTS's in front and
one lap later am right behind them, GTS 2 is slow into the right turn
and GTS1 goes past on the inside and I sit on GTS2  as we run around the
track, ( if he goes slow into that turn again I will be ready to sieze
the opportunity to pass)  around the course he pulls me down the
straights, but I regain in the turns and we're now approaching where the
other car got by.... hard on the gas out of the sweeper (I'm gaining on
him)  set up on the right for late braking and a possible shut out  and
yes, he's braking already... wait a moment... NOW...Brake ...
@%$#@^&!!!   NO BRAKES,  he has'nt seen me.. we're going to hit.. I aim
off the track to the right.. hope he see's me and brakes before we
collide.. SHOOT theres an inner curb there I'm going to hit it.... the
left front barely misses ..the right front hits it and violently jerks
the car to the right ..I have air .. I am sideways (I hope this isnt
going to roll)  I hit the track with a screech of rubber, the front
bites, the back slides ... I'm not rolling... I look thru the pasenger
window at the front of the GTS hard on the brakes, at what seems like
just inches from my door .. thank goodness he didn't hit me.
    I bet he messed himself, I know I did!    the cloud of dust  slowly
dissipates and I am facing the corner worker who is waving the Yellow
frantically as cars pass both in front and behind of me. Then I
remember, the helmet cam... everyone will be able to experience this.
    My car starts and I drive gingerly back to the pits, I'm out of this
race. have to  find out whats wrong.

    I went to apologis to the fellow that I nearly creamed, who
responded with a handshake and  "I wondered what you were up to, short
cuts like that do'nt work"

    It turned out that my brakes were fine, but I did not have vacuum
assist at that moment, and therefor I got a rock hard pedal with no
braking force, until I reacted by standing on them, too late, which just
locked them up anyway!
     you can see what a close call that was.  On the drive back to the
pits my brakes worked fine, and after investigating further with no
evident problems, we surmised that I need a bigger vacuum reservoir.
    I continued to do run groups and give rides for the rest of the day
and was the last car out on the track. My car got over 100 track miles
and gave me. and some passengers more smiles per gallon than I ever
expected.

    I'm sure some more people will give all the details on the event
that I was oblivious to, except that it was extremely well run, and I am
gratefull to everyone of the sponsers, and Volunteers that made it all
possible!

Friday track is over now, so I'm off to the bar!

cheers
John P