After all the work since January I feel nervously exited to finally take the car to the track. I’m going to find some of the mistakes I’ve made along the way and I’m hoping they are of the small, easily correctable variety.
Through the week leading up to the races, I have a rising energy that sometimes feels like excitement and sometimes anxiety. A beautiful Tuesday and the car being ‘ready enough’, let me escape for a helpful bit of exercise, a hike up Tiger Mountain’s infamous “Cable Line”. When I get home I have enough daylight and energy to load the car onto the trailer.
The car always seems so happy peeking out the door like this, ready to go to the track (some anthropomorphizing and projecting there, perhaps).
By and by (and by) Thursday rolls around and at 2:30, in order to beat traffic on Issaquah-Hobart road, I head south to the track.
I’m surprised to be the first in line outside the paddock (no entry before 5:00 PM), drop the trailer and head over to our ‘Come Race With Me’ sponsor, Don Small and Sons, to get race fuel. When I return my buddy Martin has arrived. Soon after the Duncans roll in, then others, including the Newbys. Stephen is marshaling the Novice group this weekend, and not racing, but I’m glad he’s there early to help organize our paddock area.
Unload, prep my paddock space, visit a bit, and head home.
Friday morning arrives quickly, with a 6:00 AM alarm. Make coffee, a few last items in the car, off to the track. I’ve asked as many people as possible to look the car over to check for things I did wrong or missed. A few “you might consider” comments, but not a one “ohmigawd!”.
So at about 9:30 AM, I roll out of grid onto the track for a planned two laps at 3/4 speed below 6500 RPM.
Then back into the paddock onto jack stands for an thorough inspection. The only thing I find is that I’d forgotten to tighten down the bolts that hold the fuel pressure regulator to its bracket on the firewall. I take care of that and we go out for T&T sessions 2 and 3 without mechanical issue. The car is MUCH faster (I’ll find out how much faster later) and I find I need to feather the throttle more coming out of turns, especially on the still-damp track. I’d been advised that it will be like a learning a new car, and I am taking that to heart. I’m easing into it.
The trouble-free stretch comes to a halt after the fourth and last T&T session. I come back to the paddock with a stuck throttle, diff oil leaking from one axle (versions of this issue have been my arch-nemesis from the get-go), and low clutch fluid. Rod “The Oracle” Duncan advises me to safety-wire the throttle cable into its mount plate on the carbs, and we find and tighten a slightly not-tight-enough fitting on the clutch slave. The axle issue…the three bolts that hold the axle shaft end cap to the axle flange had come loose allowing gear oil to leak out. These three socket head cap bolts were loc-tited, but came loose anyway. Review of the situation by the paddock collective lead to the following:
- The O-ring that is supposed to provide a seal between the end cap and flange is too thick or its groove in the cap is too shallow; the end cap metal cannot seat against the flange as-is.
- The end-cap is aluminum and the flange is steel. Different rates of thermal expansion can lead to loosening.
- While the bolt that holds the end-cap to the axle is fine-thread, the three that hold the cap to the flange, are coarse thread…for no apparent reason.
The troublesome bolts.
Consensus is to remove the O-rings, use silicone gasket, and use a lot more loc-tite. I do all of that, tighten the bolts, and mark their position with a paint pen to allow easy checks after sessions. They did not come loose again over the weekend, but I’m going to remove the bolts and drill them for safety wire anyway.
Those issues attended to, I change the oil and filter, relax for a bit with friends, and head home a little after 9:00 PM.
Saturday morning and it’s time for some real racing. Pacific Raceways, due to houses that were built right next to the track after the track had been there for decades, has a strict “no race engines before 9:00 AM or after 5:00 PM” rule. This makes for short racing days, but also allows a bit of sleep-in. I fire the car right at 9:00 for our 9:20 AM qualifying session and the idle is still way high. A quick check reveals that one of the idle adjustment screw lock-nuts has come loose and its idle screw has vibrated down. Easy fix, lock both sides down tight, out to grid.
We roll out for the pace laps and as I come down the hill into turn 3a, I find that the brake pedal won’t move. It’s the pace lap, so I compression brake and nurse the car around the track and back into the paddock. My buddy Aiden arrives as I get out of the car and we quickly see that I jamb-nut on the brake linkage has come loose and backed out into the clutch linkage (this action is all in the video). Two wrenches, tighten up, back to grid and onto the track for a couple qualifying laps. The timing system wasn’t working, so Qualifying wasn’t, but it’s a nice recovery with help from a buddy.
Race 1 starts dry-ish (we never had a truly dry track all weekend) and I go out on my dry tires, Toyo R888R (we cannot run slicks in vintage racing). We end up with a full-course yellow on the first lap and on the restart I follow the very fast AJ and his red Mini on the inside of turn 2. At the exit the rear end wiggles, I over-correct, and the car ends up backwards in the gravel. Humbled, I wait for a safe opening and get back on track, driving more conservatively. The spin was driver error, primarily underestimating the effect of increasing rain during the yellow laps and probably underestimating the torque of the new engine as I unwound and added throttle at the turn exit.
The second race, and last session of Saturday, I go out with my Hoosier rain tires on and have a good old time. I really haven’t had a lot of experience passing other cars on the track, spending the last two years almost always as the only car in my group running a 948cc engine. But when it rains and I have the rain tires on, I have fun. With the new engine it’s even better. I seem to be developing a couple places on the track where I find it easier to pass cars: Coming out of turn six up hill past seven and into eight, and around two down the hill to 3a.
Brian switches to rains.
Yours truly in grid, Rich behind.
At the end of Saturday I opt to leave the rains on the car…the weather is looking grim for Sunday. We eat and visit and head home shortly after 7:00 PM. Without hours of work on the car this evening I’m feeling much less knackered that the night before.
Sunday I wake up early, before the 6:00 AM alarm. Start the coffee, leave Brin’s on the headboard, and head for the track.
It’s definitely still wet and leaving the rains on the night before means I don’t have to change to them this morning. Standard checks, in the car, and out for Race 3. This one gets an early checkered flag under caution after a incident at turn 10, which appears innocent but seems to be the location of a number of serious crashes. The driver involved is okay.
Martin in grid.
Rich in my mirror.
I’m leaning toward the rains for Race 4 until Martin infamously advises me that an expert says there is a “dry line”. So I switch to the Toyos and, well, there was sort-of-kind-of-if-you-squint a dry line when we start, but by the end of the race rain anew has erased it. When I see wily 40-year racing veteran Walt and his Formula Vee off at the exit to turn 2 (right where I went off in Race 1), I slow down more and take the opportunity to experiment with different lines in the corners.
The rain turns into more of a monsoon as the last session, Race 5, approaches. Hoosiers back on for sure. Around the paddock there is a good bit of “Are you going out?” being asked. In the end Martin, in his red Elva and brand-new rain tires, and I head out into the heavy precipitation. Heck, I paid about $75 for this session, there is always something to learn and fun to be had. It really is kinda crazy out there, as “Lake Blendline” threatens to cover the entire width of the track and at one point hail pelts my visor. Notably, everyone that went out drove safely, and all cars and drivers return to the paddock in one piece, if a bit soggy.
It was a great weekend with a few moderate issues that were easily fixed or mitigated. Given the amount of change and work in the car and my novice-mechanic ability, it was a complete, fun, safe success.
Here are some folks and companies that helped me get ready:
- John Alexander. Patient and wise mentor, troubleshooter, encourager, 2000 miles-away crew chief.
- Brin Hamilton (my wife). So much encouragement and freedom. Watched me spend countless hours in the garage since January. Propped me up when I needed it, celebrated my small wins with me even when she had no idea what I was talking about. Didn’t move out when I accidentally filled the house with paint fumes. The best life partner I could dream of.
- Owen Duncan. Simply the most kind, helpful, skilled pitcher-inner in the paddock. Never hesitates to pick up a wrench and dive in. Wicked sense of humor.
- Rod “The Oracle” Duncan. Wizened by the decades, sharer of knowledge, crafty driver, and very funny fellow.
- Stephen Newby. Encourager, provider of parts (annular clutch throw-out in particular), Chief Grand Pooh-bah of our second-family Spridget paddock.
- Brian Volkert, “The Gentleman Racer”. Checking in on me over the last few months, encouraging me, telling me I’d get it all done in time when I least believed it.
- Brad, Martin, Rich, Greg, and the rest of our slightly extended Spridget paddock for ongoing encouragement and giving me more revs (inside joke).
- Ty Madden. “Retired” machinist who *really* helped me out of several pinches fast.
- Sam Bujnarowski. Brings youthful enthusiasm, tireless help, and hope for the future of vintage racing. Get that comp license and let’s finish the other car!
- MCCS. For building a great race engine for me.
- Speedwell Engineering. Front sway bar, triple master, rear shock end links.
- Tom Colby (of Speedwell). Technical advice when I most needed it, encouragement, fast shipping.
- MED Engineering. Air cleaners, flywheel, clutch disc, pressure plate.
- Winner’s Circle. Competition front swivel axles, king pins, “Clancy’s” A-arms.
- NOS Imports/Worldwide. Rebuilt Armstrong lever shocks, front and rear.
- British Parts Northwest. Tie rod ends, lots of little bits. Fast shipping, good prices, friendly service.
Next up: Pacific Northwest Historic Races, June 28-30.
Video links:
Friday Test and Tune 1
Friday Test and Tune 2
Friday Test and Tune 3
Friday Test and Tune 4
Saturday Qualifying
Saturday Race 1
Race 1 spin slow-motion
Saturday Race 2
Saturday Race 2 Highlights
Sunday Race 3
Sunday Race 4
Sunday Race 5