Race Report: 2013 Capitol Offense - The 24 Hours of LeMons

Not. We failed tech.

On our home track.

On the most-fun-per-mile track on the east coast.

On a gorgeous weekend.

What did it? A perfect storm of:

• Old Fuel Cell (RCI, not FAI rated) and 
• Rear fuel cell protecting roll cage that tied into the front roll cage (a no-no for 2013 that we somehow missed in the rule updates, and the safety tech judge at Monticello either missed or let slide and didn't mention) AND also 
• Diagonals of rear roll cage tied from the main upper hoop to behind the rear axle (another no-no, for 2012 that we somehow missed in the rule updates, and the safety tech judge at the last 4 races either missed or let slide and didn't mention). 

We couldn't just cut out the offending sections because they were holding in the fuel cell. Another team graciously offered to stay up all night to help fix it, but as they had 2 of their own cars needing work we didn't feel comfortable leaning on them so heavily. Death before Dishonor! Still, this hurt, being our favorite track and our home track.


MGB GT Race Car : Friday Practice Session in style!

We did have some mechanical issues Friday at test day; burnt a half quart of oil driving to the track (rings? uh oh), and the accelerator cable was very hard and making grinding noises. We also could not get above 4500 RPM (redline is at 5500 RPM), which renders the weak car even weaker, to the point of idling around the track - no fun for anyone. We checked the pedal linkage (since it came off last year at Summit), adjusted the carb linkage, greased the heck out of it, and did not find the solution by the time Safety Tech came around, at which point it was moot (though it did play a role in making us decide to not stay up all night gerry rigging an unsafe roll cage fix to get past tech).


Inconsequential Drama Recap:

Lesson 1: Do not go to Pep Boys for your tires, and if you do, (1) do it well ahead of time, (2) make sure the tires you order are not discontinued, (3) make sure the team mate ordering them knows "200 treadwear" is the top priority, (4) make sure the placement of the wheel weights do not chew away your tie rod bellows, and (5) don't go to Pep Boys. We did finally get them. See: photographic proof:


All 4, we counted

Wheel weights on inner rim interfering with tie rod bellows, move and Gorilla Tape elsewhere!

Lesson 2: Be Excessive. It's best to clean out Perty Ada The Short Bus to Adventure Tow Vehicle and Pit Party House with a Roomba and a 140 MPH leaf blower:

Friggin stink bugs from hell, begone!

Lesson 3: Bring chalk. Other than that, there may be no fix for this one. LeMons said no entry Thursday night, but we had an old friend that lived nearby walk over to the main gate and he said teams were setting up and Summit Point Gate said "go on in!". So, I threw everything I could into Perty Ada The Short Bus to Adventure and drove up to Summit; the front gate said "go on in" but when I got to the bridge at Shenandoah they had just tied it off, the LeMons judges saying Summit messed up and let some teams in. But she felt bad for me (I enacted Lesson #2 and was excessively polite) and she suggested that I could, once they left, hand carry all my spare tires and big crap a mile down to the pits and  mark off 3 pit spots (I was also saving spots for our Sister teams Team Judge Phil and Ruby McQueen (aka ex the DRTy e30s). So I did, damn the Hiatal Hernia (that has knocked me out of 2 other races), luckily I had grabbed some of my kids Sidewalk Chalk and a tape measure (Judge said 20 foot spots, any more and penalties would be levied) used it to mark off spaces. I ran out of chalk, but at least had enough to mark them some:

Midnight at Summit Point 24 Hours of LeMons Pit Land Grab and Cluster Fark

The punch line being that by the time we left Thursday late at night, the Summit Point Security guard told me it was stupid to hand carry that stuff, and that he had to drive through the gate tape anyway do his rounds 3 times and hour. >:(  But, as I had given my word to the LeMons judge, I left the school bus at the gate and moved it in the morning. Whatever, it's all good.

Lesson 4: Do not be last in line for Tech Inspection. After 8 hours in the sun listening to spoiled race car people whine, the judges may be a bit grumpy. Get 'em while they're fresh & happy.



Race Report: 2012 Capitol Offense - The 24 Hours of LeMons

Race Report: 2012 Capitol Offense - The 24 Hours of LeMons at Summit Point Motorsports Park's Shenandoah Circuit in West Virginia

The Mighty Shenandoah - an MGB Friendly track if there ever was one... 22 turns, no waiting!

Never Mind the Bullocks Here's Gormless Racing MGB!

We had over-revved the engine at the last race and grenaded the engine, and so for this race we had installed not only a tachometer but a Rev Limiter as well, set to 5000 RPM - the suggested point at which cylinder 3 bearing starves for oil, melts down and goes all shambolic.

It worked great as far as we knew - engine didn't blow in any event. We sailed though Tech Inspection.

50 Years, 50 Horsepower, whatever

In the first 40 minutes of the race the accelerator cable popped out of the trunnion and left Driver Carl idling around the remaining 80% of the track, until pulling into the paddock. Remarkably no other teams noticed the speed difference. The FAIL was poetic justice, as Carl was the culprit that had gerry rigged the connection in the first place.

"I have NO IDEA why that trunnion would fail. Weird. Why do you ask?"

Dave and Scot hacked in an emergency repair and it lasted the rest of the race. About an hour total was lost.

"Ah HA! Here's the problem - Hamster wheel came off it's axle."

SEEMS LEGIT

We had also noted a half quart of oil "missing". No one would admit to taking it, but our sister BMW team was in the paddock beside us, and something about Germans stealing English oil rings true - they would not confess however.

2 hours and 15 minutes into the race, Scot driving... the entire pedal assembly holding the brake pedal and the clutch pedal fell off! oops. Scot was nonplussed however - explaining that one bolt was still sort of hanging on, and if he tilted the assembly correctly he could EITHER shift OR brake, but not at the same time - which was fine by him, as he swore to never use the brakes anyway. We noted another barrel of missing oil, so we tightened up the oil cooler lines at the engine and adjusted the connection angle.

"Look MA! I made it all the way to Turn 17!"

The rest of day one was only fun fun fun for us, cranking out the laps - slow yes - but laps none-the-less. Added 1/2 quart oil here and there, while wrapping various oil lines (there seemed to be a 'mist' around the distributor side).

Our poor sister team was pulled into a mashup, and smashed up their front end, enough to moved the drive train an estimated 3 inches forward!! They spent the rest of the evening replacing engine mounts, radiator, and trying to get old Ali running again for the next day. Quite a crowd gathered to help out, late into the night.

:-(

The only 'event' we had Sunday was Dave was attacked through the Esses and the gang of cars sheared off the passenger side mirror!

Saturday Night's Race to the Emergency Room: note inebriated skateboarder hanging onto the moving Boat-Mobile... which would later hit a newish expensive car when doing donuts in the parking lot...

Barely any water loss, so maybe head gasket ok. Oil consumption may be valves, rings, leaky oil pan, or leaky oil cooler hose... or all four. Probably all four.

It wasn't raining, and so "Queenie" was mounted to the windshield wiper post and continued to disapprove of our driving the entire race:

No matter what you asked the old girl, it just wasn't good enough

The home-made Cool Shirt cooler & pump worked spectacularly; highly recommended.

All in all: we finished 64th out of 117 starters... pretty damn good for taking our time swapping drivers, having the pedal assembly succeed from the kingdom, and having only 50 horse power.

Bogging Down Exiting Corners - Weber DGV Accel Pump?

During our last few races (ok, all of our races), I've noticed the ol' chap tends to hesitate when exiting corners. Up till now I've assumed that's just the carb being slightly dirty or temporarily starved when stomping on the gas (right after holding your breath through the tight corners).

It's been nagging me for a year now; something's wrong, but not sure how to troubleshoot it without having someone hang on the hood while we drive around the track?

Then I stumble across this little gem of a description from the Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies catalog:

Accelerator Pump Diaphragm Assembly, Weber 32/36 DGV

 
If your car bogs down exiting corners, your accelerator pump may not be pumping! When the throttle is opened all the way from idle, the accelerator pump should deliver a shot of fuel directly into the carburetor throat. If this shot is not visible (with the engine off), the diaphragm may be ruptured.






You know what today is? DAY I GOT COOKIE!!!

Problem may still be elsewhere, but boy does that description fit! With all the crap and junk and dirt and bits and crud and grime and filth and rubbish and mud and garbage we pulled out of the tank and carb and filters at 24 Hours of LeMons Summit Point Capitol Offense 2010, it is very possible this contraption is hobbled.

Thanks Pegasus for the schoolin'. Order placed.

[UPDATE 2012-04-08] Either we don't have a Weber DGV, or Pegasus sent us the wrong part... either way, it don't fit no way no how. We need the part shown in photo above; the part we received was not 'square' and the brass pin in the middle was mush skinnier and was not spring loaded.

Bob found and took out the old part, and it looks like there could be a little leakage around the circular shape of the rubber is.

We put the original piece back in until we get our hands on the unobtanium accel pump...

Race Report: 24 Hours of LeMons Capitol Offense 2011 at Summit Point WV

We survived the 24 Hours of LeMons Capitol Offense 2011 at Summit Point WV. Just barely. We placed 79th out of 102. Spent about 5 hours off track, repeatedly rebuilding the fuel system and cleaning out the gunk (once we figured out were told what it was). More on that later. By the way, did you know a Union Jack may be flown upside down, indicating you are in distress?!?! We didn't, but it saved our asses!!!

Drivers Ray, Dave, Max, Carl; pitcrew Larry, Cassie, and few judges and several tens of random strangers that used to own MGBs.

This post is a place holder for now... more later...
 
 

The theme for Capitol Offense 2011: "Goldbrick Racing" - 24 karets of slacking at your service. Son Ian selected the color.Purple bumpers by daughter Kira.