Adrift at the Kink
05-04-2010, 02:01 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Adrift at the Kink
There I was and it could not have been better on the second day of the NASA SE CMP event. I had a great running Corvette strapped onto me, day old Hoosier R6 tires, 3 day old Hawk brakes and a clear track once I got past one car. The warm up lap was just about perfect and the green flag drop was spot on to carry great speed into turn one. Since I was gridded behind Drivinhard I figured I would have a fantastic rabbit to chase. On the grid I noticed he had NT01 tires on the car instead of his normal A6s. Going hot through turns 2-7 was a new experience since Mark was slipping around and actually holding me up. If you have run with Mark you realize this takes some getting used to, mentally, since a slower Mark is still not an easy car to get around. The competitive juices were flowing and I had a great plan formulated to pass him from the kink into T11 or between T11 and T12 depending on how much better my brakes/tires were. I had a clean exit out of T8 and hit my marks perfectly, coming into the kink I breathed on the throttle briefly and turned in. I immediately hammered the throttle and felt the car bite and accelerate like I engaged two stages of afterburner. As I hit the exit point I was in full throttle, the target was in sight and all I had to do was turn the wheel a little to make a pass that maintained momentum for us both.
That is when the steering wheel came off in my hands. My first thought was, damn this was fast lap, my second thought was I can reattach it an only go two wheels off and still pass him at T14. My third thought was interrupted by entry into the sand trap at 110 mph +. Mark said it looked like an IED went off behind him. I think I would have been able to pass him at T12 if I had not bogged in the sand. I do know the corner worker watching me from T12 had on a blue hat, a white shirt and has blue eyes. Luckily, for me, the wheels did not **** on entry to the sand and I came to a stop with the wheel reattached, the motor still running and the front tires almost out of the sand across from the T12 flag stand. My guardian angel is kept very, very busy.
Naturally the car owner, my son Josh and all my "erstwhile" friends were watching as this occurred. Due to the huge cloud of dust the car owner was not sure it was his car and after a few laps he commented it could not be his car since his was red. Naturally, Josh assured him it was me and asked what was he thinking to let me drive his car? As always with removable wheels a series of yank tests was performed in the paddock and grid with it staying locked on the column. After my incident Mike was getting ready for the race and the wheel came off on him heading to the grid after checking it repeatedly in the paddock. Not sure what is going on there but the car is at my shop for repairs to the leaking fuel system, annoying kill switch issues (better switch is in the mail), and seized caliper rails (sand may be involved). I will be checking for any knurling or weak springs in the wheel. It has been a race car for a long time and there is no telling how many times the wheel has been on and off.
Overall, it was a fantastic weekend with lots of great friends and competition. Saturday started early with a 0345 wake up call and 0415 departure to get to the track in time for tech and drivers meeting. Due to an awards luncheon at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega for Josh's full ride Georgia Military Scholarship (the Ferrari is definitely getting closer for dear old Dad) we did not get to the track on Friday night. Replacing a broken stud and cracked rotor before 1000 also did not help the time budget or my sense of humor. Even so the TT sessions went off without a hitch. Two more rookie races are in the book for Mike and he was schooled in race strategy by the crafty old Falcon on Sunday.
Roebling 21-23 May will be interrupted by Josh's graduation on Saturday but we will be there Friday and Sunday.
That is when the steering wheel came off in my hands. My first thought was, damn this was fast lap, my second thought was I can reattach it an only go two wheels off and still pass him at T14. My third thought was interrupted by entry into the sand trap at 110 mph +. Mark said it looked like an IED went off behind him. I think I would have been able to pass him at T12 if I had not bogged in the sand. I do know the corner worker watching me from T12 had on a blue hat, a white shirt and has blue eyes. Luckily, for me, the wheels did not **** on entry to the sand and I came to a stop with the wheel reattached, the motor still running and the front tires almost out of the sand across from the T12 flag stand. My guardian angel is kept very, very busy.
Naturally the car owner, my son Josh and all my "erstwhile" friends were watching as this occurred. Due to the huge cloud of dust the car owner was not sure it was his car and after a few laps he commented it could not be his car since his was red. Naturally, Josh assured him it was me and asked what was he thinking to let me drive his car? As always with removable wheels a series of yank tests was performed in the paddock and grid with it staying locked on the column. After my incident Mike was getting ready for the race and the wheel came off on him heading to the grid after checking it repeatedly in the paddock. Not sure what is going on there but the car is at my shop for repairs to the leaking fuel system, annoying kill switch issues (better switch is in the mail), and seized caliper rails (sand may be involved). I will be checking for any knurling or weak springs in the wheel. It has been a race car for a long time and there is no telling how many times the wheel has been on and off.
Overall, it was a fantastic weekend with lots of great friends and competition. Saturday started early with a 0345 wake up call and 0415 departure to get to the track in time for tech and drivers meeting. Due to an awards luncheon at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega for Josh's full ride Georgia Military Scholarship (the Ferrari is definitely getting closer for dear old Dad) we did not get to the track on Friday night. Replacing a broken stud and cracked rotor before 1000 also did not help the time budget or my sense of humor. Even so the TT sessions went off without a hitch. Two more rookie races are in the book for Mike and he was schooled in race strategy by the crafty old Falcon on Sunday.
Roebling 21-23 May will be interrupted by Josh's graduation on Saturday but we will be there Friday and Sunday.
05-04-2010, 03:53 PM
#2
Pro
Pro Mechanic
Wow after test yanks. Mine came off @ MAM at less speed. Its a field with almost nothing to hit & it was still spooky. I did not test yank so probably wasn't in the groove.
05-04-2010, 06:11 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
05-05-2010, 04:42 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
I would like to point out we had a good representation of Vettes at the event with Hazman winning TTS on Sunday on his first TT weekend
...
TTS, ST2 and TTA all need more Vettes (and brand X to beat on)
...TTS, ST2 and TTA all need more Vettes (and brand X to beat on)
05-09-2010, 07:12 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Figured out the steering wheel problem. What I thought was yellow paint in the steering column was actually teflon tape and it accumulated in the groove preventing the wheel from seating completely.
