Track day North Report

[mk1mark at gmail.com (Mark F.)]

On 8/20/06, C Boyko <roccit_53@scirocco.cs.uoguelph.ca> wrote:
> Anyway, you missed it if you weren't here, we had a blast!!!! Thanks to all
> who came, it was great to see all of you!
> I can do it again in October, so LMK if there's interest eh?


Oh ya there's interest!  I can't wait for the next one.  To everyone
who didn't make it this weekend, you missed out on a GREAT time!  I'm
still smiling!  Anyone else feeling a bit odd today?  Non-stop
adrenaline rushes all day long must have affected my brain chemistry -
either that or I'm going through track withdrawal...  :)

I'm happy to report that the two week marathon session to revive Mark
Peele's tired 82 ("Knife") into a fun daily/occasional track car
finished JUST in time for Track Day North.  It's longest drive was to
Cathy's (about 45 minutes away) before logging around 150km of almost
non-stop abusive pounding on the track.  And believe me, I know how to
abuse the fuck out of a car!  :D

Early on, around two very tight corners on the track the car would
spew a bunch of smoke out the tailpipe, and sounded like heavy lifter
knock.  I thought at first that the smoke was caused by oil spewing
out the valve cover port and entering the airbox, and the noise I
heard was starving lifters, but that made no sense since I mounted a
solid lifter JH head on the ABA block, and the air filter was clean.
I checked the oil, and it was probably about a 1/2 litre too full, and
according to Drew's analysis the oil was sloshing to one side of the
pan and getting sucked into a cylinder - the worst part being the
sound I was hearing was actually hydro lock caused by the
non-compressible oil in the combustion chamber!   He was right!
Attempting to drain the extra oil while it was still 140 deg. C
(ouch!) wasn't the brightest idea, but that did indeed solve the
problem.  I was back in business...

The car was a blast to drive in the wet.  My homemade shine-style rear
anti-swaybar (more on that in another post) was obviously doing it's
job - the tail would step out nicely when lifting the throttle while
cornering.  A little too nicely a couple times!   When things dried
out the car stuck like glue - with a great neutral attitude that could
be provoked into oversteer with a bit of trailbraking or sudden
throttle lift-off.  Despite some serious body roll from the rather
tall/non track oriented suspension on the 82 I was able to throw the
car around very aggressively - all the while with a giant shit eating
grin on my face (where the hell did that expression come from anyways?
:D)...  Another slightly less aggressive sway bar I whipped up on
Friday on Sean's 85 also made for a very fun car to drive on the
track.  We were both tucking our inside rear wheels on every tight
corner...

Sciroccos certainly 'repra-zented'!  We were beating up on most of the
cars on the track, which must have pissed off many of the drivers out
there.  Considering I spent under $1000 total on the 82, it made me
feel pretty damn good that some fairly (comparatively) high dollar
(and quick!) cars were forced to let me by...  We also got a bunch of
"nice car" and thumbs up from spectators...

A *BIG* thanks goes out to Cathy for organizing/hosting the Scirocco
contingent, everyone who showed up, and Anson (who hooked me up with
some cheap used race rubber last year).  I had an absolute BLAST, and
can't wait to do it again.  To whoever is on the fence about trying
your hand at tracking your car - just fucking do it!

Later,

Mark.
75
82
82 Caddy
93 Chevy/Kia 1/2 ton