Hey Guys,

Since we had to move our Spring Mountain Track Event from April to June, I thought some of you (Art and others) would like a group driving event in April - so here it is.

We have already rented a garage for this event and the weather in April should be very mild.

As with all Speed Ventures Events, run groups are available for all driving levels.

If there is sufficient interest, we could hire Bob Blizzard and perhaps a few of his driving instructors.  Let me know at your earliest convenience.

See you at the track,

Dan 

For more info and to register go to:  www.SpeedVentures.com


HOTEL INFO:

Best Western Heritage Inn click to check availability (http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=05560&disablenav=false)

253 Trask Street, Bakersfield, California 93314-9756
Phone: 661/764-6268 | Fax: 661/764-5181

We reserved: 1 King Bed, Microwave and Refrigerator, Coffee Maker, Continental Breakfast, AAA Rate $76.50/night

Click for Map from Hotel to Track (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=253+Trask+St,+Bakersfield,+CA+93314&daddr=24551+Lerdo+Highway+Buttonwillow,+California+93206&geocode=FZVyGwIdkiHj-CmfjR6V5k3qgDHOQzFdPITyaw%3BFfmDHQId8s_f-ClTUWOYcwfrgDHZT_AIa7qlDg&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=35.42672,-119.43947&sspn=0.258497,0.528374&ie=UTF8&z=12)

Guys, 

More info - Bob Blizzard (Viper Days chief driving instructor - retired) will be available for in car driving instruction this weekend and can bring out a few more instructors if there is demand.

Please let me know if you'd like to attend.  You can call Bob directly for more info at:  1-858-748-0304.

See you at the track.

Dan <2

Dan, that's a long drive to Buttonwillow from the hotel in Lancaster  >w

Yeah, but we'll be in Vipers!

Maybe we could all stay with you?  Heard you have a big house.

I'm guessing Cathy thought this was Willow Springs when she posted the hotel .....

Will you be driving with us this weekend at your "home track"?

Working to get under 2:00 on 13 CW - may happen that weekend!

Dan

Yep, I'm planning on going. 2:00 flat? No problem Dan, I'll be your rabbit. Piece of cake.  If the weather is good, we should have you sub 2:00!
-Jonathan

I am coming for sure but will be in my little slow 997 Porsche Turbo (630 hp)!  >o  Still waiting on making the move to get the ACR.....I will have it in the next 2 months for sure.

With the absence of Viper Days, I am trying to find good opportunities to get some track time.  This sounds pretty good, and I'm planning on making the trip over to Buttonwillow to get another weekend fix !  opefully there will be plenty of the SoCal guys there to make it feel less like a S2000 event !

Regards,
Jim Schlemm

Hey Jim,

Emailed the 52 Sidewinders a couple of days ago.....still looking for responses.

Since you're coming all the way from AZ, maybe that will get a few more guys fired up about this driving event.

Buttonwillow is a very good track to drive, lot's of different features, speeds aren't too high, run off is good and the weather should be pretty good.  Speed Ventures has run groups from beginner to race and instruction is available, so there is opportunity for all.

We'll be in garage #4 aka the Porterfield garage.  Look for my red trailer.

See you at the track,

Dan

I'm trying to get out as much as possible this year, and I now have a trailer; so, the distance is not a big issue, and no more worries about driving home afterwards.

If I lived closer to the fun tracks like the SoCal guys do, I probably would have gotten into tracking my car more often much earlier.  Of course, not having family obligations helps a lot also! 


Jim

All registered for this Sat.  Also bringing down a buddy in his race GTS as well.  Both cars have passenger seats so we are able to give rides if needed. Dan, you still looking to get sub 2:00 correct? 
-Jonathan

Hey Jonathan,

Yes, looking to go sub 2:00 13 CW.

Got to 2:01 last time out but have not been there in a while, so with a little luck and some good weather (and a rabbit to chase), this old dog might just make it.  Will run "old" tires the first session or two, then switch to some new Hoosiers R6s.  Running Sunday too. 

Ross Murray will be there along with Kurt Sollberger (ex comp coupe, now ACR guy) and likely a couple other Viper guys.

We'll be in the usual spot, garage #4 I think (Porterfield's?).

Glad you can make it.

See you at the track,

Dan

Hey guys, my CPA just told me that I made good progress on taxes last week, and I can probably go (as long as I'm good this week)!  However, I just went to sign up and they are out of BLUE run-group spots.  I'm on their electronic waiting list.

I noticed that Speed Ventures' web site states that "instruction is required" and it says that there may be more information given when registering.  I could not complete registration since my run group is full.  Anyone know how they work this?

Thanks!
Ken

Dave at Speed Ventures just called and I'm in for Saturday!  Now just waiting for a spot to open on Sunday.  I sure hope it doesn't rain.

Im on the waiting list also for the blue group or purple group.
I hope Dave or Aaron calls me....

ok guys,
Im in. Just got the call from Dave. Im in the purple group.

Kobi    >j

Well, I've developed a coolant recovery tank leak.  If anyone out there has ever serviced one of these, or at least has removed the front fascia of a GEN2, and you are willing to give a little instruction, I'm at 805/685-2030 and I'll be up all night.  I've got the fascia 80% off and I'm stuck.  Service manual doesn't match up and I'm running out of ideas.

Also, if you want to go, but didn't get a spot, let me know and you can probably take mine.

Thanx!
Ken

I got the fascia off and found the problem.  I must have gone over a speed bump a little too fast (check out the pictures).  The hole in the coolant recovery bottle is bigger than it looks in the picture.  Unfortunately, I already gave up my spot at Buttonwillow (assuming I would not be able to get the fascia removed timely).  I'm going to see if I can locate a Permatex plastic bottle patch kit in town early in the morning and, if successful, call Speed Ventures and see if I can get back in.

It seems like this must be a typical problem with the GEN2 Vipers, or at least the 1996 GTS.  Has anyone seen or heard of this?  If so, anyone know what the solution is?  I'm going to patch and get a shorter fascia mounting screw, but I wonder if a new bottle was made for newer model year Vipers that might have the corner reduced so that it can't get punctured by the fascia mounting screw.  Perhaps they just changed over to shorter screws.

Ken

Picture #2 attached.

Hey Ken,

Sorry to hear this.

Looks like a "plastic patch", (Permatex perhaps?) and a shorter screw will take care of this issue.

Hope you can make it.

Dan

Yep, Dan, you nailed it (no pun intended).  That's just what I did.  The trick was in getting that darned fascia off.  It took hours.  Of course now I can do it in minutes (<30!).

I used a Permatex 09100 Plastic Tank Repair kit.  I later found out that they also make a radiator repair kit that the tech claims has higher temp resistance and is more stable (09104).  From the instructions, the ingredients are identical, so maybe its just marketing to take up more shelf space (although, I suppose proportions could be different).  It is supposed to cure in 8 minutes and be ready to go in 30, but it was still tacky after 2 hours.... hmmm....

In any event, I got the car all back together again just in time to still make the trip, but I'd given up my space and Dave at Speed Ventures wasn't able to get me another spot.  I suppose I should have had a little more confidence in my ability to do yet another late-night Viper fix-it adventure.

I attached a picture showing the patch.  If you look very carefully, you can also see that I cut off the top 1/2" of the offending screw.

[UPDATE 4/23/2010: Hank at Permatex told me that this patch "will hold for some period of time and then spall off; coefficient of thermal expansion of epoxies and plastic differ and different rates of expansion will cause it to pop off; it may work on another type of plastic but by and large will not work long term on polyethylene and polypropylene".  He advised that I send him the receipt for a full refund.  I bought a new tank based on this information and will be replacing the old one that is patched.  (The new one has "HDPE" stamped on it, so it is polyethylene; I assume the old is too).  As a side note, Bolt on the Viper Club of America site used the same patch kit I did and it has held up for three years.]

The weather in Santa Barbara was incredible today (63 degrees and sunny); it felt wonderful.  I hope it holds for you in Buttonwillow all weekend!

Ken

Good Job Ken!

Gotta wonder why that screw was there in the first place....   <B

That's a bummer Ken, but at least now you're an expert at removing the fascia.

Dan,

How did you do?  Did Jonathan prove to be a good rabbit?

Art and All,

Saturday was very nice, weather wise.  I ran a bunch of 2:00's then finally ran a 1:59 thanks to Jonathan and Kurt Sollbeger (I had two rabbits to chase!) and I had Ross Murray ride with me one session.  Ross can really help a guy improve his driving skills.  Ross coaches professionally, so I was lucky to have him for a session.  He's been working with Kurt for a few years now and it really shows.

Jonathan had car trouble so I managed to get by him fairly easily in the last session (which has never been the case before) but Kurt ran 1:55's in a stock ACR on Hoosiers, which is comp coupe territory.  He can really drive and has an ACRX on order.

I'll post a video of that session when I get a chance (with Cathy's help of course).

We had 4 Vipers come out from AZ and about a dozen total over the weekend.

Sunday the wind started to blow like crazy, so we all packed up after lunch and hit the road.

Hope to see you at Dukes next Sunday.

Dan  <2

Happy to hear you got under 2 min! 

Wow!  Apache is moving, it's going to be a fun watching him and Deadhead go at it in their ACR-Xs.

Congratulations Dan !!!
Good Job !!!! You are obviously getting comfortable with the ACR now and it can only get better from here.

I was happy to get home, open the garage door and see mine still up on the lift after hearing about the big earthquake that rolled through.

Thanks Lance,

FYI, a few of us were thinking about your "elevated" car.  Glad it stayed put.

See you at Dukes.

<2

Yeah, Chris was the first one to text me and instill the worry and fear in me while I was a million miles away from home.  He is such a thoughtful guy.

I definitely had some fun out there this weekend; but, I've never seen so many s2000's , Evo's , and WRX's in one place before!  I felt a little out of place amongst them. Especially when I had to point one (or more) by.  It's good that there were some fast Viper drivers out there in the advanced groups to carry the flag !    I definitely do not have the track time or skills that Dan and others here have; but, I bet that my fun factor is still right up there at a similar level !

I look forward to driving with you guys at Spring Mountain in June. 

Jim Schlemm
AZ

Hey Jim,  As long as you had fun and drove the car home it's all good.

Quote from: NK BREKR on April 12, 2010, 07:22:52 PM
Hey Jim,  As long as you had fun and drove the car home it's all good.

Hey Art,

Pretty good advice for a "youngster" as that's what it's all about.....

<2

Hey Dan,
Congrats on breaking 2:00! That's awesome!

Hey Ben,

Wish I could drive Willow with you guys on Thursday - just can't break away right now.

Running under 2:00 at BW is a wild ride in a Viper with a stock seat, very bouncy.  I learned a bunch having Ross ride with me and following Kurt and Jonathan.  In order to run faster times at BW, you have to drive over a bunch of the berms and if you don't pre-load the suspension (on the opposite side of the berm), it can get bumpy!

I'll try to post the video soon as I got that session in HD!

Cathy and a bunch of others watched the last session on Saturday where I ran 1:59 and Kurt ran 1:55.  Jonathan ran a bunch of 2:02's with his wounded engine.  Even with all of the Vettes in attendance this weekend, few Vettes ran with our group as Vipers ruled the race group.  It was pretty cool.

Glad you bought an ACR and not a Vette.....

Dan

Can't wait to see the video !!!!

Hey Guys,

Here's a link to the video taken during session 5 on Saturday at Buttonwillow.  If you watch closely, you can see me bouncing up and down quite a bit.  Kurt and Jonathan both have race seats and they make a huge difference.  The outsides of both of my knees are still bruised three days after this event.

Jonathan starts out ahead of me while Kurt (grey & black ACR) starts our just a bit behind.  There was quite a bit of slower traffic at first and all of us were held up at times.  About 6 minutes into the video, I see Kurt coming, lift, move over a bit and let him pass me at Magic Mountain.  I then start to chase him (to watch his line) and Jonathan.  Kurt just drives away from both of us but I do eventually catch and pass Jonathan.  The last lap is the 1:59 and after I see that lap time in the display dash between turns 2 (off ramp) and 3 (cotton corners), I slow down and do a semi-cool down lap, then head into the pits.

Interesting thing about watching a video like this is that I can see where I can pick up another 3 or more seconds just by driving better.

<2

Link missing Dan???

It's up and working now .....

<2

AWESOME !!!  Love the HD version.
So much fun "riding" along with you and remembering all the turns.  Definitely a bumpy ride in spots.

Dan,

That was a great ride - thanks for sharing.

ScottP

Awesome video and run Dan!  Jonathan was burning up the track too!  I can't wait until I get to go back to BW, can I go on a ride along to refresh my memory, hehe  =15

   NICE!