TX Vintage Fall Festival
The WX was excellent at Texas World Speedway last weekend for the third
running of the Vintage Fall Festival. I don't know exactly how many cars
were present, but each year it's increased significantly. TWS has covered
paddock areas, which this year overflowed to surrounding pavement, even
encroaching on the false grid area. The combined Group 1 & 2 race Saturday
had 44 cars. TWS is a 1.8 mile road course, and SCCA rules (which we
generally follow) permit 25 cars per course mile. 1.8 times 25 = 45, so we
were one car under the limit.
It wasn't my best showing. I had rebuilt my engine, and started it up for
the first time late (10:45PM) Wednesday evening. I ran it for about a minute
and then ducked into the house before the neighbors could load their
shotguns. Thursday I played a bit with the carbs and timing, mainly setting
the timing slightly retarded and the carbs a bit rich to be on the safe side.
I didn't have time to really fine tune anything. I also began collecting my
tools and miscellaneous stuff from all over my shop. Friday I took off from
work at noon, loaded and departed.
Saturday morning practice I took it easy for a few laps, gradually working
the engine a little harder until I heard a "pank" sound, and then started
smelling hot coolant. I made it to the pits and discovered I'd popped a
casting plug! A quick trip into town got me a tempory replacement rubber
expansion plug, which I installed in time for the first race. About four
laps into the race, I smelled coolant again, and once again observed the temp
guage rising. I pulled over after turn one and watched the rest of the race
with the corner workers at turn 2, before returning to the paddock area "on
the hook." I had popped a different casting plug. Another trip into town,
and I was ready for the combined Group 1 & 2 race early in the afternoon.
I thought I had plenty of fuel (guage doesn't work) since I hadn't made it
around the track much in the morning, but about halfway through the race I
began sputtering every time I came off of turn 8, which follows a sweeping
right hand carousel. Apparently the fuel was moving to the left away from
the pickup. I finished, but near dead last.
Sunday morning practice went okay. I had plenty of gas and didn't pop
anything. Some friends came out from Austin to see the races, arriving just
in time to allow me to point out some good viewing spots before heading for
the false grid. I only made about five or six laps on the first race before
the fan belt twisted off, leaving me overheated and needing a tow back to the
paddock again. I had also split a seam in the radiator tank, so we all had a
leisurely lunch and watched some racing before loading up to head home.
The good news is that the engine is still quite intact, and the rings seem
to have seated okay. I still need to make carb and timing adjustments, it's
not pulling on top end at all. On Saturday I was only hitting a little over
4,500 RPM in fourth. Sunday I advanced the timing a little and also richened
the carbs slightly to be safe, which gained another 500 RPM. However, I
should be able to blow the motor up in fourth! I took off the air cleaners,
but that only earned another 100 RPM or so. Obviously I need to work on the
timing some more, after I get the radiator repaired (and buy a new radiator
cap -- the cap is supposed to give way before the tank!!!).
Despite all this, it was still a heck of a lot of fun. One friend, after
watching the race in which I popped the radiator, asked how fast I was going
at the end of the straight. "It's not pulling very strong", I explained,
"I'm not quite making it to 100 MPH." "WOW", he replied, "it looks like you
guys are just cruising, very relaxed." "Yeah" I said "it kind of feels that
way at the end of the straight, after about 10 or 15 seconds of driving in a
straight line and just holding the pedal to the floor, but when turn one
comes up, and you make that sweeping left hander at 100 MPH, the centrifugal
force tries to throw you out of the car! It quickly brings you back to
reality."
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