<VV> Fwd: Rantoul autocross

[Levair at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/29/05 8:31:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, Levair writes:

>From thread to CP group:
 
 
 Drove 3 hours to Rantoul for the Saturday portion of a two day event.
 I hadn't autocrossed my CP Corvair Stinger for two years and was anxious to 
get it out again. 
    Steve Tamandli was there with his EM Fiero.
 Brandy and Ryan Sandberg were there driving someone's Nissan 350 Z both 
winning their classes.
   It a a great facility, kinda windy and cool but just the right size, 
concrete and a flowing course. 
   I made the mistake of inviting my son Michael to go with me. I've been 
barely beating him this summer in my orange  1960 vintage racer. 
   He certainly got revenge today. He clobbered me and and beat every car 
except the winged modified and the EM of Tamandli's .
     Brandy Sandberg accepted a fun run in the the slowest CP car that she 
has probably ever sat in--mine. 
     She made three runs before we could pry her out. 
   I'm very proud of her. She attacked the course in a very strange car like 
the champion that she is. 
 In 3 runs her time was right between Michael and I. What a pro.
 Great job Brandy---and a nice lady also.
 
 Warren >>

It was a great day,  -- visited with lots of Corvair friends---and if you 
have to be beaten it's better if it's your son. 
   Michael seems to have a better gift of driving around problems than I. He 
drives somewhere above it; where I have to fix it. I have the problem of the 
builder/tuner syndrome. Of course I don't have this problem so much if I'm the 
borrower and not the lender.
   Besides Brandy being a National Champion and just a very sweet person, I 
want ed her to drive my car to uncover any particlar problems that I have 
ignored due to familiarlity; especially handling. 
   I thought the handling was just right, but what do I know? It's still a 
Pig compared to my mid engine car. 
   I had installed a Q Jet carb and had no chance to tune it. The extreme 
remote carb location (very long runners-no heat) and the cold weather contributed 
to some unwanted hesitation at lower revs. I think that it ran better for 
Brandy because she let it idle for long times and got a little bit of heat into 
the system.
   I don't recall ever running the previous Holley carb in cold weather, but 
the big shot of the  50 cc pump would have helped over come the problems. 
   I'll have to increase the pump shot of the Q Jet and it's idle and low 
speed passages. 
   I have plently to muse over this winter.
  I calculate the weight to be about 1870 # with the passenger seat and extra 
harnesses.
Any one have any ideas how to get another 100 # off so I can ballast up?.
   With this weight, correctly ballasted, and only another 100 HP it could be 
competitive in CP. 

Have to quit this stuff soon; $100 for tow vehicle fuel is killing me. 

Warren