First, let me tell you about how well I was able to keep
the TLS (Team Laughing Stock - - ) tradition at the Pikes Peak
National Tour a couple weeks ago.
After struggling all season to get the car together due to late
delivery (by 7 months) of my new engine/tranny, and by 6 weeks
for my front suspension and rear suspension components, I felt I
was finally ready to shake. rattle and roll at the PPIR National tour!!
So I towed the car all the way to Colorado, and found a leak (bad)
in the clutch line Saturday morning. Oh well, it'll get fixed tonight
(Saturday night- says I subconsiously), and I can bump the clutch and
quickly go into and out of neutral for the first day of the event.
It worked for one lap , then the motor would not start. Period. End
of statement.
So I pushed the car back into the paddock area, and got to work.
Aha - - fuel pump. Ran out into town, get a new fuel pump and plumbing
for the clutch line, and come back for the maintenance -- to be ready for
Sunday's runs. Anyway, that's how my thought process went. I replaced
the leaking clutch line, pulled the fuel tank ( gas all over the place in
spite of all our efforts to get all the fuel out cleanly).
New tarmac + gas = TAR!! What a mess I had. All over me. All over the
car. All over the paddock area.
The car would then start and idle, but nothing else. It refused to run.
Try a couple more things, aw , to hell with it - - return to base. I left
before the first car was out on Sunday. Another 13 hours later, I am
sitting at home.
To add to this story, George Emery had flown down from Portland, OR
to co-drive with me. He, too, only got one lap, then wrenched with me
through the banquet and up until the course was closed/locked. Fortunately
we were able to get him a ride in a CSP Mazda RX-7 (he actually ran it in
AP on Sunday - - he won class in any case).
Anyway, after 2 + weeks of changing computers, re- replacing the fuel pump
(they had sold me the wrong pump 13psi as opposed to 60psi), and playing
with the wiring, I am ready to go, again.
Trouble is - - the Nationals are going to be the next event within driving
distance. I have driven this car one lap in one event. It has idled and run
for a total of 4 hours - No seat time, no dialing in time, no break in
time.
I choose to stay at home during Nationals the week after next. There
ARE side benefits to staying home - - I won't get my truck stolen, or
broken into and tools/equipment stolen. I won't sit and listen to the SEB
and PAC lie to the membership about upcoming "P" catagory changes in
their town hall meeting, etc.
I was going to run in "E Mod" this year, in protest to some of the rules
effective 01/01/ 99 in AP (if the SEB and PAC want the Fiero to be an
underdog - - it will be a BIG underdog), and sleep in a tent at Solo City
to protest the shitty accomodations that are so common in Topeka - -
but I guess that will have to be next year!!
Soooo - Good Luck to those Team.Net members attending the Nationals.
Have fun, do well, and bring back some decent stories. Oh, and a few
trophies would be nice, too!!!
G
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