Dedicated Lemons/Chumpcar Thread
11-06-13, 03:10 PM
#202
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Chumpcar in the Southeast
Saw a lot mid-west and west handles here. Anybody around in the southeast? Particularly Atlanta?
Currently resurecting a first gen SCCA IT7 car in hopes of running the 14 hour event at Road Atlanta in Feb!
Pretty worried about meeting the 'stock' specs but after reading some of these post I have been gaining some confidence.
Hope to see some more rotaries out there, maybe with the new price structuring we can topple the BMWs.
Currently resurecting a first gen SCCA IT7 car in hopes of running the 14 hour event at Road Atlanta in Feb!
Pretty worried about meeting the 'stock' specs but after reading some of these post I have been gaining some confidence.
Hope to see some more rotaries out there, maybe with the new price structuring we can topple the BMWs.
11-06-13, 03:39 PM
#203
Ecole32, welcome to the Lemons/Chumpcar RX7 racing world.
FWIW, Here is my suggestion for a $500 car under Chumpcar 2014 rules:
Base value of 12a Mazda RX7 = $200
Non-OE replacement shock absorber or strut (NOT adjustable): $25/corner = $100
Non-OE coil springs (including ‘coil-over’ kit): $20/corner x 4 = $80
Pair of homemade adjustable camber/caster plates: $5 F
Non-OE sway-bar: $50 F = $50
Exhaust Header: $50 per engine
FWIW, Here is my suggestion for a $500 car under Chumpcar 2014 rules:
Base value of 12a Mazda RX7 = $200
Non-OE replacement shock absorber or strut (NOT adjustable): $25/corner = $100
Non-OE coil springs (including ‘coil-over’ kit): $20/corner x 4 = $80
Pair of homemade adjustable camber/caster plates: $5 F
Non-OE sway-bar: $50 F = $50
Exhaust Header: $50 per engine
11-07-13, 10:16 AM
#206
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SouthEast Chump
mschiap-
That's actually pretty close what we are aiming at, and actually what parts we have. We may be considering a couple of other items (non-OE bushings only $25!)
I emailed Michael Chisek (the Eastern Region Director) and he said registration does not open until Dec 1st for the 2014 season, so hopefully first timers can get in then!
Technical question:
How are people doing with with the 2X rule for brakes? What can you get that's significantly better than the $62 autozone front caliper (Brake Caliper - Front | 1981 Mazda RX7 1.1L 4BL Rotary | AutoZone.com) for $124? (and that's including the core charge as part of the price, not sure about that assumption). Same for pads ($15 from autozone, haven't priced any nicer pads yet, but I imagine $30 doesn't go very far)
That's actually pretty close what we are aiming at, and actually what parts we have. We may be considering a couple of other items (non-OE bushings only $25!)
I emailed Michael Chisek (the Eastern Region Director) and he said registration does not open until Dec 1st for the 2014 season, so hopefully first timers can get in then!
Technical question:
How are people doing with with the 2X rule for brakes? What can you get that's significantly better than the $62 autozone front caliper (Brake Caliper - Front | 1981 Mazda RX7 1.1L 4BL Rotary | AutoZone.com) for $124? (and that's including the core charge as part of the price, not sure about that assumption). Same for pads ($15 from autozone, haven't priced any nicer pads yet, but I imagine $30 doesn't go very far)
11-07-13, 10:41 AM
#207
mschiap's advise is correct. It's a good balance between performance and penalty. You may need to replace some of your IT stuff with stockish components to keep the penalty $$ down. Some races are popular and fill up early, I'd get your entry in.
I just sat down and did the 2014 rules math on the RX7 and the Jag. Looks to me like the Rx7 - $570 and Jag $420. Jag is lots faster than RX7 but consumes earth resources in frightening amounts. RX7 much easier to drive.
I see the FD valued at $750 plus your other stuff makes for lots of lap penalties.
I just sat down and did the 2014 rules math on the RX7 and the Jag. Looks to me like the Rx7 - $570 and Jag $420. Jag is lots faster than RX7 but consumes earth resources in frightening amounts. RX7 much easier to drive.
I see the FD valued at $750 plus your other stuff makes for lots of lap penalties.
11-07-13, 10:44 AM
#208
FWIW, we run the stock calipers F&R on our 2nd gen with the Hawk Blue pads and have zero braking issues.
<edit> I just looked and see that pads are now included in the 2x rule. For eff's sake John, what an ***. Pads? My tolerance for him grows less and less every day.
<edit> I just looked and see that pads are now included in the 2x rule. For eff's sake John, what an ***. Pads? My tolerance for him grows less and less every day.
Last edited by cheseroo; 11-07-13 at 10:47 AM.
11-07-13, 12:22 PM
#209
^ agreed; asinine rule. After 4 years of running race-worthy pads, everyone has to switch to..... basically, inadequate brakes? Yeah, sounds like fun. 
For 2nd gens, the 4-piston front caliper goes for just a couple bucks more than the single-piston. And the caliper for vented rears is likewise less than 2x the price of the caliper for solids.
For 1st gens, you could upgrade to the GSL brake package (rear discs and larger front rotors), but this also requires doing the lug bolt --> lug nut conversion and the bolt pattern is dfferent. No idea if a proper IT car would have all that already, maybe it does.
As for brake pads, Hawk HPS goes for about 2x the price of 'high-end' stockish auto parts pads. On the other hand, Hawk-branded ceramics (which would be rubbish for racing), go for the same price as the HPS; and Hawk's higher friction compounds sell for less than 2x the price of Hawk ceramics. So, if your parts store is Tirerack, the 2x rule goes a long way. Alternatively, many race pad backing plates come with a generic paint job and are mostly indistinguishable from stock. So there you go. Not that I would ever do or promote such a thing.
For 2nd gens, the 4-piston front caliper goes for just a couple bucks more than the single-piston. And the caliper for vented rears is likewise less than 2x the price of the caliper for solids.
For 1st gens, you could upgrade to the GSL brake package (rear discs and larger front rotors), but this also requires doing the lug bolt --> lug nut conversion and the bolt pattern is dfferent. No idea if a proper IT car would have all that already, maybe it does.
As for brake pads, Hawk HPS goes for about 2x the price of 'high-end' stockish auto parts pads. On the other hand, Hawk-branded ceramics (which would be rubbish for racing), go for the same price as the HPS; and Hawk's higher friction compounds sell for less than 2x the price of Hawk ceramics. So, if your parts store is Tirerack, the 2x rule goes a long way. Alternatively, many race pad backing plates come with a generic paint job and are mostly indistinguishable from stock. So there you go. Not that I would ever do or promote such a thing.
11-23-13, 08:45 PM
#212
Senior Member
I have worked and raced many CCWS races here in the NW and I have never seen a car that just showed up turned away at the gate friday night. Is all about the Benjamins with John. There will be a late fee of course.
06-01-14, 08:09 PM
#215
Can Post Only in New Member Section
Join Date: May 2014
Location: socal
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
24 hrs of lemons
my famiy bought two old ex-scca 1st gens to race in the june 21 and 22 at button willow. They were spec rx7's so they had bolt in cages that we had to convert to weld in. Been busy stripping out weight as the spec class required everything be left in the car. Motors, trannys, etc are all stock. Exhaust is straight pipe and loud. Any advise appreciated..
06-02-14, 04:48 PM
#216
First off, welcome to the madness. Second, read this a few times http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/image...eMons-Tech.pdf
Whatever cage you end up with, I very highly suggest you email pictures to head of tech John Pagel pagel@24hoursoflemons.com I watched two teams' cage fail tech last weekend and they were sent off to fix them. 1 never returned (presumably out their entry fee) and the other one showed back up halfway through Saturday's racing. I feel bad for these people but if you follow John's guidance, you will pass.
Even though the Butt is in the middle of nowhere, the LeMons people are tired of loud rotaries and loud cars in general for 2014. Muffle those things. Exhaust behind the manifold is budget exempt so you can do whatever you want. Another hot button for 2014 is driver door bars separation. Also, seal up all the holes from the firewall to the driver's compartment. Aluminum tape is fine for the small holes. Bigger holes need some flashing or something riveted to cover.
Again, read the rules 24 Hours of LeMons - Prices & Rules Your Friday night can be better spent drinking beer than thrashing to pass tech. I can't express how many times I see it where a new team that thinks they know better arrives and fails tech.
Next thing. You won't win. Don't even try on your first outing. Seems like the only RX7 wins came years ago or at tracks with short fields. There are too many very good and experienced teams here on the west coast. RX7's can and do get good finishes though. The teams that do well run very long stints (i.e. up yo 4 hours) and long stints mean few people actually drive. You want to run 1 hr stints until everyone has driven and then stretch them out. This is a team sport and you need people/teammates to do it. If people get bored/discouraged, they won't come back. You'll end up with 2 race cars and no one to drive them.
The heat. Last year the air temp was 113 at the June Buttonwillow race. Wrap yourself in a sleeping bag and hang out in the sauna for a couple hours to get an idea of what that feels like to drive a race car in that. Hydration is huge. Start drinking too much water the week before the race. Force yourself to do it. If you are not peeing during the day on race weekend, you aren't drinking enough. The county almost shut down a Chump race there 2 years ago after 3 heat related evacs.
Related to heat is cooling the car. Don't mess around. Buy all new cooling hoses for the car. Bigger rad is not a bad plan either. Ensure air has a clear path to the radiator and has no choice but to go through the radiator. All those election signs you see stuck in the ground right now? They make fantastic radiator ducting material. I've grenaded two motors at Buttonwillow due to burst water hoses or water loss in general. If you overheat your car, the first tool you need to grab is the engine hoist. I've fashioned up a water pressure warning system using an oil pressure idiot light switch from a 60's Chevy. I haven't run the car with it yet so I can't comment on it's effectiveness but I'm tired of averaging one smoked engine a year the last three.
While this may sound all doom and gloom, it's all manageable. Contact John to make sure you have everything right to pass tech first time through. He knows RX7's inside and out. To manage the heat, google DIY Cool Suit. Home Depot has everything you need. You can make your own shirts or go through Ultrachiller to buy the shirts or the whole shebang Ultra Chiller If you don't use those and it's over 100 degrees, I would suggest limiting your stints to no more than an hour.
LeMons is a zero contact series. They will black flag you if you make contact (whether hitter or hittee), spins, 2 offs or 4 offs. Keep your nose clean. Instruct your drivers not to argue with the judges. All arguing does is ensure that you will sit in the penalty box longer. If you just say you screwed up (even you are innocent) and learned, they will send you on your way quickly for the 1st and 2nd ones. After that, they make you do something silly or embarassing to get you to stop. Just keep you nose clean and learn. You'll be fine,
Generally with new teams and cars they haven't seen, they fear the unknown. They don't know if you are Dr Wankel's great-grandchildren and your car contains extreme amounts of cheatonium and your team is made up of retired F1 drivers. They will likely put you in class A with a few penalty laps. Again, arguing gets you nowhere. They just don't know you. Once they see you suck as badly as the rest of us, the penalty laps won't be applied in following races. Tbe judges will give you a hard time about your cars. Don't let it bother you, they are just messing with the new kids.
If you have any questions, I will be 2 garages past LeMons HQ. I have a red RX7 with a sombrero on top and margarita blender on the back deck.
Whatever cage you end up with, I very highly suggest you email pictures to head of tech John Pagel pagel@24hoursoflemons.com I watched two teams' cage fail tech last weekend and they were sent off to fix them. 1 never returned (presumably out their entry fee) and the other one showed back up halfway through Saturday's racing. I feel bad for these people but if you follow John's guidance, you will pass.
Even though the Butt is in the middle of nowhere, the LeMons people are tired of loud rotaries and loud cars in general for 2014. Muffle those things. Exhaust behind the manifold is budget exempt so you can do whatever you want. Another hot button for 2014 is driver door bars separation. Also, seal up all the holes from the firewall to the driver's compartment. Aluminum tape is fine for the small holes. Bigger holes need some flashing or something riveted to cover.
Again, read the rules 24 Hours of LeMons - Prices & Rules Your Friday night can be better spent drinking beer than thrashing to pass tech. I can't express how many times I see it where a new team that thinks they know better arrives and fails tech.
Next thing. You won't win. Don't even try on your first outing. Seems like the only RX7 wins came years ago or at tracks with short fields. There are too many very good and experienced teams here on the west coast. RX7's can and do get good finishes though. The teams that do well run very long stints (i.e. up yo 4 hours) and long stints mean few people actually drive. You want to run 1 hr stints until everyone has driven and then stretch them out. This is a team sport and you need people/teammates to do it. If people get bored/discouraged, they won't come back. You'll end up with 2 race cars and no one to drive them.
The heat. Last year the air temp was 113 at the June Buttonwillow race. Wrap yourself in a sleeping bag and hang out in the sauna for a couple hours to get an idea of what that feels like to drive a race car in that. Hydration is huge. Start drinking too much water the week before the race. Force yourself to do it. If you are not peeing during the day on race weekend, you aren't drinking enough. The county almost shut down a Chump race there 2 years ago after 3 heat related evacs.
Related to heat is cooling the car. Don't mess around. Buy all new cooling hoses for the car. Bigger rad is not a bad plan either. Ensure air has a clear path to the radiator and has no choice but to go through the radiator. All those election signs you see stuck in the ground right now? They make fantastic radiator ducting material. I've grenaded two motors at Buttonwillow due to burst water hoses or water loss in general. If you overheat your car, the first tool you need to grab is the engine hoist. I've fashioned up a water pressure warning system using an oil pressure idiot light switch from a 60's Chevy. I haven't run the car with it yet so I can't comment on it's effectiveness but I'm tired of averaging one smoked engine a year the last three.
While this may sound all doom and gloom, it's all manageable. Contact John to make sure you have everything right to pass tech first time through. He knows RX7's inside and out. To manage the heat, google DIY Cool Suit. Home Depot has everything you need. You can make your own shirts or go through Ultrachiller to buy the shirts or the whole shebang Ultra Chiller If you don't use those and it's over 100 degrees, I would suggest limiting your stints to no more than an hour.
LeMons is a zero contact series. They will black flag you if you make contact (whether hitter or hittee), spins, 2 offs or 4 offs. Keep your nose clean. Instruct your drivers not to argue with the judges. All arguing does is ensure that you will sit in the penalty box longer. If you just say you screwed up (even you are innocent) and learned, they will send you on your way quickly for the 1st and 2nd ones. After that, they make you do something silly or embarassing to get you to stop. Just keep you nose clean and learn. You'll be fine,
Generally with new teams and cars they haven't seen, they fear the unknown. They don't know if you are Dr Wankel's great-grandchildren and your car contains extreme amounts of cheatonium and your team is made up of retired F1 drivers. They will likely put you in class A with a few penalty laps. Again, arguing gets you nowhere. They just don't know you. Once they see you suck as badly as the rest of us, the penalty laps won't be applied in following races. Tbe judges will give you a hard time about your cars. Don't let it bother you, they are just messing with the new kids.
If you have any questions, I will be 2 garages past LeMons HQ. I have a red RX7 with a sombrero on top and margarita blender on the back deck.
06-02-14, 11:55 PM
#217
Can Post Only in New Member Section
Join Date: May 2014
Location: socal
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanx Cheseroo, i am reading and re-reading the lemons rules. Our teams consist of ex scca drivers to my niece who learned to drive a stick last weekend. Were just going to have fun and seat time. Ill stop by your pit. We will be bringing a Salazda Super Shark and a Mad Taxi. Dave
07-01-14, 01:23 AM
#218
Can Post Only in New Member Section
Join Date: May 2014
Location: socal
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Button turrible
Cheseroo, good talking with you at the track. Breezed through tech, and only lost a fuel pump and a trans on sat. Tom at 7's had a trans and only down about 2 hrs. Good time was had by all, and my kids want to do it again. Just have to do something with that weak *** trans, it doesn't like 6 different drivers. Destroyed the brand new street tires (360 tread ware) probably going to move to a 15" wheel for more tire selection. Felt kinda foolish showing up with a $500 car, I'll know better next time. Also realized that posted rules mean nothing to them. I spent $250 on a racing beat muffler only to find out we were the only 92 dec car there.
We're going to try for thunder hill if it fits everyone's work schedule.
We're going to try for thunder hill if it fits everyone's work schedule.
07-01-14, 12:26 PM
#219
Glad you had fun. Looks like you discovered the penalty box too. You’ve completed boot camp. It gets easier now. Like Spank said, they want to weed out the a-holes so they only have fun people to deal with.
RX7 trans – yeah, they are glass. 2 choices (and not sure one of them works in a 1st Gen). Miata or RX7 TII. The turbo trans is much stronger but I have no idea if it will work on a 1st Gen. It requires a hybrid driveshaft, different flywheel and starter. I should have gone that route earlier as I have a side yard full of NA trans’ with dead 3rd gear synchros. I resisted it because I have 2 complete drivetrains which means I would have spent $1000 or so in parts swapping both over. FWIW, the rebuild kit is around $300. Instead I was buying used NA trans’ off craigslist for $100. I’d get about 1.5 races out of them. I switched to GM Synchromesh brand oil and it went up to 2.5 races. I finally went the Miata route. The miata trans is a newer design plus it doesn’t have a huge gap between 2nd and 3rd like the RX7 does. I figure that when you spin it to 8k and shift from 2nd to 3rd, the synchro can’t keep up due to the big RPM drop, particularly if you shift it fast. If you can get drivers to pause between 2nd and 3rd, they last a lot longer. Good luck with that. I got tired of swapping trans’ so I went the Miata route. Both miata and RX7 trans’ use a center sandwich plate that all the gears are hung off. You use the sandwich plate from the miata and put the RX7 bell/front half and tailshaft housing on it. The input shaft needs machining as described here. https://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/miatainputshaft.htm I spent $95 or so on the miata trans off CL. I handed the miata trans and a dead RX7 trans to Lucky 7 in Duarte and 300 some dollars later I was in business. I tried to do it myself but there’s a rollpin on the shifter shaft that I couldn’t get out so I couldn’t get the tailshaft off. It took the Lucky 7 guys a couple attempts to get the input shaft right but it works great now. Keep your old rX7 input shaft as a clutch tool. I have a friend in San Diego who wrecked his 1st Gen but before that had the guys at 7’s Only do the miata swap into his 1st gen trans. That trans and other goodies is probably for sale right now. Message me for his number.
Tires – We ran 480 TW M+S tires at a race at a true 24hr Reno a few years ago. Killed a set a day. But when it started sleeting/snowing at 5am, all of a sudden we became Michael Schumacher and passed everyone around. I guess those soft tires completely stop working once you get to 20 degrees temp. I’ve tried running 300TW tires on the Jag XJ12 but they only last a race. Since I’ve gone to the softer 190 TW tires, they last much better. Buttonwillow is pretty easy on tires. The RX7 will get 3 races out of a set there. If you killed a set at Buttonwillow, you will kill 2 sets/day at Fontana if you do that race. Place is tough on tires. I would buy some cheap toe plates off eBay (or borrow mine) and make sure your toe is set somewhere in the ballpark (I was at 0 toe at Buttonwillow). Bigger wheels/tires mean more money. I’d buy the 14” Falken Azenis RP-615k from Discount Tire or someplace like that. Just looked and $97 apiece is not that much more than street tires. That’s what I run on everything but the Jag (Dunlop Direzza ZII). It’s a good tire and it will definitely be less spinney-outey so the kids will feel better. I have 2 or 3 sets of 14” 1st Gen wheels I will sell you very cheap if you want them.
Thunderhill is going to be a very popular race because it’s now a 5 mile track. I’ve got both the RX7 and Rover entered. I have my doubts about whether the RX7 will get in. Ordinarily it’s tough to get in at Sears Point and Thunderhill due to the popularity. My RX7 has never been accepted to the March Sears Point race in 5 or so years of trying. 150 or so get accepted and there is easily another 150 more that don’t get in. That’s kinda why I also have the British cars because Britcars always get in. It’s too crowded on track as it is. They can pick and choose who gets in. “Sportier” cars like BMW’s/RX7’s/etc are the ones that commonly get put on the waitlist. I’m just warning you that it might be tough to get in. The race outside Denver is a week before and it’s been historically undersubscribed. You could probably show up on race morning and they’d let you in. The Ridge in Washington is coming up and it will be easy to get a late admission. I just did the Miller Motorsports race in Utah and the drive is almost the same as Thunderhill so keep that in mind for next year. I’ve got a bunch of teammates that want to do Thunderhill and I’m worried that I’m going to have to decide who is and who isn’t going. How do you make sure you get in? Not sure. Voodoo? Send a case of scotch? A good funny writeup on your team entry can’t hurt. Last year a guy sent LeMons HQ a fake horse head with a note that said “Real nice race yous have dere. Be a shame to have sumthin happen to it”. They got in. Good luck with your entry. Thunderhill has neighbors so they will black flag for sound. Sears Point too. Fontana is picky too which is a bit of a head scratcher since uncorked NASCAR or Indycars are doing the driving experience on the Oval at the same time Chump runs the infield. Laguna Seca will just put you on the trailer. I’ve run straight pipes on the Jag at Buttonwillow (c’mon, it’s a V12) with no one saying anything. If someone complains about your sound, they black flag. If no one complains, they let it go. I run a RB catback setup on the RX7 and don’t feel like we’re that loud.
RX7 trans – yeah, they are glass. 2 choices (and not sure one of them works in a 1st Gen). Miata or RX7 TII. The turbo trans is much stronger but I have no idea if it will work on a 1st Gen. It requires a hybrid driveshaft, different flywheel and starter. I should have gone that route earlier as I have a side yard full of NA trans’ with dead 3rd gear synchros. I resisted it because I have 2 complete drivetrains which means I would have spent $1000 or so in parts swapping both over. FWIW, the rebuild kit is around $300. Instead I was buying used NA trans’ off craigslist for $100. I’d get about 1.5 races out of them. I switched to GM Synchromesh brand oil and it went up to 2.5 races. I finally went the Miata route. The miata trans is a newer design plus it doesn’t have a huge gap between 2nd and 3rd like the RX7 does. I figure that when you spin it to 8k and shift from 2nd to 3rd, the synchro can’t keep up due to the big RPM drop, particularly if you shift it fast. If you can get drivers to pause between 2nd and 3rd, they last a lot longer. Good luck with that. I got tired of swapping trans’ so I went the Miata route. Both miata and RX7 trans’ use a center sandwich plate that all the gears are hung off. You use the sandwich plate from the miata and put the RX7 bell/front half and tailshaft housing on it. The input shaft needs machining as described here. https://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/miatainputshaft.htm I spent $95 or so on the miata trans off CL. I handed the miata trans and a dead RX7 trans to Lucky 7 in Duarte and 300 some dollars later I was in business. I tried to do it myself but there’s a rollpin on the shifter shaft that I couldn’t get out so I couldn’t get the tailshaft off. It took the Lucky 7 guys a couple attempts to get the input shaft right but it works great now. Keep your old rX7 input shaft as a clutch tool. I have a friend in San Diego who wrecked his 1st Gen but before that had the guys at 7’s Only do the miata swap into his 1st gen trans. That trans and other goodies is probably for sale right now. Message me for his number.
Tires – We ran 480 TW M+S tires at a race at a true 24hr Reno a few years ago. Killed a set a day. But when it started sleeting/snowing at 5am, all of a sudden we became Michael Schumacher and passed everyone around. I guess those soft tires completely stop working once you get to 20 degrees temp. I’ve tried running 300TW tires on the Jag XJ12 but they only last a race. Since I’ve gone to the softer 190 TW tires, they last much better. Buttonwillow is pretty easy on tires. The RX7 will get 3 races out of a set there. If you killed a set at Buttonwillow, you will kill 2 sets/day at Fontana if you do that race. Place is tough on tires. I would buy some cheap toe plates off eBay (or borrow mine) and make sure your toe is set somewhere in the ballpark (I was at 0 toe at Buttonwillow). Bigger wheels/tires mean more money. I’d buy the 14” Falken Azenis RP-615k from Discount Tire or someplace like that. Just looked and $97 apiece is not that much more than street tires. That’s what I run on everything but the Jag (Dunlop Direzza ZII). It’s a good tire and it will definitely be less spinney-outey so the kids will feel better. I have 2 or 3 sets of 14” 1st Gen wheels I will sell you very cheap if you want them.
Thunderhill is going to be a very popular race because it’s now a 5 mile track. I’ve got both the RX7 and Rover entered. I have my doubts about whether the RX7 will get in. Ordinarily it’s tough to get in at Sears Point and Thunderhill due to the popularity. My RX7 has never been accepted to the March Sears Point race in 5 or so years of trying. 150 or so get accepted and there is easily another 150 more that don’t get in. That’s kinda why I also have the British cars because Britcars always get in. It’s too crowded on track as it is. They can pick and choose who gets in. “Sportier” cars like BMW’s/RX7’s/etc are the ones that commonly get put on the waitlist. I’m just warning you that it might be tough to get in. The race outside Denver is a week before and it’s been historically undersubscribed. You could probably show up on race morning and they’d let you in. The Ridge in Washington is coming up and it will be easy to get a late admission. I just did the Miller Motorsports race in Utah and the drive is almost the same as Thunderhill so keep that in mind for next year. I’ve got a bunch of teammates that want to do Thunderhill and I’m worried that I’m going to have to decide who is and who isn’t going. How do you make sure you get in? Not sure. Voodoo? Send a case of scotch? A good funny writeup on your team entry can’t hurt. Last year a guy sent LeMons HQ a fake horse head with a note that said “Real nice race yous have dere. Be a shame to have sumthin happen to it”. They got in. Good luck with your entry. Thunderhill has neighbors so they will black flag for sound. Sears Point too. Fontana is picky too which is a bit of a head scratcher since uncorked NASCAR or Indycars are doing the driving experience on the Oval at the same time Chump runs the infield. Laguna Seca will just put you on the trailer. I’ve run straight pipes on the Jag at Buttonwillow (c’mon, it’s a V12) with no one saying anything. If someone complains about your sound, they black flag. If no one complains, they let it go. I run a RB catback setup on the RX7 and don’t feel like we’re that loud.
08-12-14, 10:20 AM
#222
BTW, the guys who run the very nice red/white 1st gen with big wing/front splitter that says Laramie in LeMons are trying to sell their car. They haven't had any luck so they will be running Thunderhill and then parting the car out. They've got lots of goodies like miata swapped trans' and stuff to sell. PM me for their email address or look for the ad on the LeMons site.
