Tigerers,
I have to respond to Dave's message regarding the white-smoke generator.
The sixth and last year I Vintage Raced my Tiger, my brake booster was
getting pretty tired, and it collected fluid in the booster when it was at
rest. The last spring opening race I participated in at Seattle
International Raceways was very rainy in the morning (practice/qualifying)
and bone dry in the afternoon for the feature race.
I qualified in the top six of thirty some-odd cars, mainly because I have
an open differential and my Tiger loves wet racetracks. However, the sun
appeared and it dried for the afternoon big-bore (and similar lap-speed)
race.
Here we go: rumble-rumble, green flag, lots of noise on a very, very
sticky dry track. My Tiger was on 'R' compound tires. At the start, the
Ford V8 torque launched me well ahead of several cars that had earned their
grid positions thru their handling, like a beautiful Ginetta, a numbered Loti
(Lotusses?) and a Cooper and I found myself running near the front of the
grid.
Turn 1 is a full-throttle turn, really it is a continuation of the 1/2
mile straight. Turn 2 is called "big-Indy" and I set my Tiger into a drift,
then down the hill and heavy braking into the right-hand hairpin: turn 3a.
Accelerate hard on the very short straight, and brake hard into the LEFT
hairpin: turn 3b, and turn. POOF!
The 'G' forces my Tiger developed in that turn caused the brake fluid
sitting in the brake booster to be centrifuged and inhaled by my engine.
INSTANT CLOUD. What a way to confuse the following cars! IT WAS GREAT! I
glanced at my mirror while approaching turn 5, and saw a cluster of cars
slowly exiting turn 3b, at least 300 feet behind me!!! It took the fastest
cars many laps to catch up! HA HA !!
Before you try this stunt, I have one warning: Brake fluid has an octane
rating of around 40. Can you say KNOCK ?? (or Pinking for our British
listers).
Jim Leach Pacific Tiger Club Seattle
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