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Re: [Fot] Bushings, Bazookas and smoke bombs.

To: Jason Ostrowski <jason@multivintage.com>
Subject: Re: [Fot] Bushings, Bazookas and smoke bombs.
From: Chuck Gee via Fot <fot@autox.team.net>
Date: Tue, 23 May 2023 19:16:30 -0400
Cc: Fot <fot@autox.team.net>
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: fot@autox.team.net
References: <1F5E3E70-341F-4EF9-9CBB-3F5FDD5317F7@multivintage.com>
Very nice Jason!  Looking forward to catching up in July!

Chuck

> On May 22, 2023, at 7:39 PM, Jason Ostrowski via Fot <fot@autox.team.net> 
> wrote:
> 
> With this years quest to win the Kastner Cup. I couldnâ??t pass up the 
> opportunity for an early in the season chance at some extra laps at Road 
> America. So I entered the Spring Vintage weekend with SVRA.
> I bit the bullet and paid the non-refundable $895 Knowing that my car was not 
> quite ready for the track. 
> I thrashed on the beast with a few sleepless nights and managed to get 
> â??pretty closeâ?? to being fully prepared.
> In the off season we had put together a new cooling system and radiator, new 
> fuel regulator and some fuel lines. On the final night, It came down to the 
> wire as we happened to order a wrong adapter fitting for the fuel pressure 
> gauge. I had the fitting express shipped to the track but without it, never 
> got a chance to start the car prior to arrival at the glorious  kettle 
> moraine. 
> Anyway, the part arrived as hoped and everything that we had worked on looked 
> good and seemed to be flowing nicely. 
> It is typical that the first couple of starts for the season that I get a 
> little weep of fuel drip coming from the bottom of my tried and true 
> Stromberg 1.50â??s. 
> We had a little leak again this time but it finally stopped.  I had already 
> missed the first session and still had to do the final safety check of the 
> rear suspension.
> Thatâ??s when I suddenly remembered that last season I had done a quick 
> trackside fix to one of the rear wishbone bushings. It was tired and I had 
> put a washer in place of a misshaped bushing. Well it had worked for that one 
> last session. But it was not safe. 
> How could I have forgotten something so critical. 
> I felt shame. 
> What would Kas have thought of this horrible miss in preparation?
> With no spares on hand it seemed I was doomed.
> Rescue came from 2 of Triumphâ??s best friends. 
> - Richard And Dan Gehweiler Ageed to have me bring my wishbones to their shop 
> for an 11th hour custom bushing making session. 
> Richard started with a coffee can size chunk of Delron; chocked it in the 
> lathe and let the plastic bits start flying. We measured everything to ultra 
> precise micrometer readings  and about an hour later we had 4 of the best 
> exact fit Steel sleeve bushings I have ever had. Thatâ??s a total A+ to the 
> Stonefield Vintage boys!
> Thank you!
> I went back to the track and put everything back together. It was 10:30 pm 
> and I had missed the entire 1st day.
> Saturday morning I got the car through a tough and quite involved tech 
> session and made a few laps in the qualifying session.
> Basically just a shake down, bedding brakes, sniffing for leaks and feeling 
> quite run down. 
> Back in the paddock the fuel started leaking again.
> We monkeyed with it a bit but didnâ??t really have the right parts to fix it 
> correctly.   I fashioned some silicone tubing So that if it leaked on track 
> it would drop below the frame and not on the headers.
> Nothing to be proud of, but what I did.
> I took the green flag For feature race 1 and kicked some Austin Healey and 
> MGB ass.
> Set my best time ever, 17th overall and 3rd in D production.
> Sunday I had some great racing and moved up another couple spots to 11th 
> overall and 2nd in D prod. Took home a nice little silver medallion.
> Unknown to me at the time I got an email This morning from Eric â??Jakeâ?? 
> from FOT.
> Telling me that he was watching from the inside of Canada corner and 
> apparently there were flames shooting out from under my right wheelwell as 
> the tube I made up acted like a bazooka type flame thrower. I guess every 
> time I entered the braking zone the car started on fire.
> Whoops!
> I killed it in the race though.
> The racing Gods punished me for living on the edge of burning it all down.
> My van broke down on the way home and it looked like I had set off a smoke 
> bomb on interstate 57.
> Guess where... right on the exit ramp leading to the Gehweilerâ??s shop. 
> Dan and Richard had to rescue me yet again. This time hauling my trailer back 
> to their house and helping me and a cop limp my van to a safe place off the 
> highway.
> I got a ride back to Chicago from Brian Garcia ...carless, vanless. 
> As I was Getting ready to head back home they asked me what I needed to grab 
> out of my stuff...
> I said â??Only My Silver Medalâ??
> 
> Jason Ostrowski 
> Friendly Ghost Racing 
> 1969 Triumph GT6+ racecars.
> Sent from my iPhone
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