Formula Ford - Page 27 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #**391** 05-13-2021, 11:12 AM

Results now posted. I ran in the first run group with the coldest temperatures. I finished third of 65 after four runs. If I had been in the second run group with the warmer air conditions I would have been right there on the fast time of the day.

There were only 10 Novices.

Woo Hoooo!

Mike D · #**392** 05-13-2021, 08:57 PM

vwnate1 · #**393** 05-16-2021, 11:11 AM

Too bad you can't bring it Way Out West and flog it through the mountain twisties ~ I'm having the whale of a good time out here right now and would be fun my my 300CD....

.

t walgamuth · #**394** 05-17-2021, 09:58 AM

It would be great fun but unacceptably dangerous to me in the FF. The only thing between you and certain death is flimsey fiberglass body and tubes the size of my ring finger.

I'd do it in your 240 though.

I ran yesterday at Grissom. It was a lovely day, mid seventies and sunny. I ran ok but don't have any clue about my times. The times were offered only on the internet and I cannot find my link.

Car was flawless.

Mike D · #**395** 05-17-2021, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Car was flawless.

Well, with the exception of the loose nut behind the steering wheel of course.

vwnate1 · #**396** 05-18-2021, 12:18 AM

Well yes, fiber glass isn't good in crashes (my old late buddy Snake Pit crashed his '68 'Vette a few times) but I ride Motocycles so your F.F. should be far safer....

I -do- drive my 20D in the twisty bits, often as fast as it'll go , not with SWMBO on board of course but others often enjoy it even though we're not really going fast IMO .

Driving slow vehicles fast is my passion .

I don't think I have the skill set to drive actual fast vehicles .

t walgamuth · #**397** 05-18-2021, 07:47 AM

Turns out I was 28th fastest of 101 on raw time. I looked at who beat me and did not find anybody who I should have expected to beat. One of the ones I beat was a national champ a few years ago in a faster car than he drives now. Feeling ok about my driving but I still need to work on shifting on course.

sloride · #**398** 05-18-2021, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Turns out I was 20th fastest of 85 on raw time. I looked at who beat me and did not find anybody who I should have expected to beat. One of the ones I beat was a national champ a few years ago in a faster car than he drives now. Feeling ok about my driving but I still need to work on shifting on course.

t walgamuth · #**399** 05-22-2021, 11:42 AM

Planning to run with grandson on Sunday tomorrow at South Bend.

Woo hoooo!

t walgamuth · #**400** 05-23-2021, 11:33 PM

It was a very nice day, though it smelled like rain all day it did not until on the way home. I turned out to be sixth best raw time with the first six all packed into a second and a quarter. The course put us on the skid pad for nearly a full lap. I was hitting it so hard on that section the vibrations of the car sliding on the asphalt was blurring my vision.

My first run was a disaster as I got my brake foot caught on the gas foot and I nearly ran off into the grass. I worked it harder and harder and felt good about the runs. We ran four runs in the morning and four after lunch. I noticed after about 6 runs the skid pad work had made my neck wobbly. It did not seem to slow me down though.

The finish line was a very tricky as as you crossed the line you were at an angle with the pavement creating a off camber turn. I recognized it was tricky and off camber and predicted it would catch some folks out and they would spin. One fellow who is not inexperienced spun off course and came 2' from the timing trailer. I got it pretty good but got a little too aggressive on my last lap and caught a cone pretty much right at the finish line.

Two of my runs were identical down to 1/1000th....42.217 and 42.218....bet I can't do that again!
The grandson is proving to be a very excellent helper. He is trustworthy to strap the car down and check air pressures. Having him to share the duties makes getting loaded to go and unloaded at the course makes it half as tiring for an old man. He also rode along on four runs with my friend who owns the new C8 corvette. The vette beat my best time by .2.

I was sixth fastest of 45 drivers.

t walgamuth · #**401** 06-13-2021, 09:01 PM

I ran today at South Bend again. It got up to a bit over 80 and sunny but there was a nice breeze and it was not very humid. I had 8 runs total but the four in the afternoon in the heat were no improvement over the morning runs. I was fifth fastest out of 57.

First and second guys were driving the the D mod Lotus 7 replica...running today with two large wings as an A mod. They beat me today but I beat them last time when they ran with D mod legal aero which is much less liberal than A mod.

Getting ready to shower off the salt.

Woo hooo!

t walgamuth · #**402** 06-21-2021, 10:35 PM

I ran again on Saturday. The course was not to my liking. It was difficult to find the line because of the way the cones were set up. I had four dnf of six runs. I was 28 fast of 113 drivers. If I could run the same course today I am certain I could break into the top 15.

But, a bad day racing beats a good day doing about anything else.

t walgamuth · #**403** 07-11-2021, 08:37 PM

I have been planning to run today for about a month. There were events on satuday and sunday. I looked mid week at the forecast and it kept getting worse as the days went by. Yesterday mid afternoon suddenly showed from 10 am til 4 pm 75
% chance of rain. I reluctantly decided not to run today because of the forecast.

So I stayed home. About 5 a buddy emailed and said they ran all day without rain but it looked like it was coming in when they were loading up.

Drat!

That is the first time I did not go to the event because of the forecast. I probably will go ahead and go to the events in the future, hoping for the chance to run.

t walgamuth · #**404** 07-18-2021, 12:07 AM

Tomorrow at zero dark thirty I'll head out to go to the old air field at Rantoul Il. It is about an hour and a half drive....nice, grippy concrete surface. The grandson will be coming along to act as my crew chief.

t walgamuth · #**405** 07-18-2021, 06:21 PM

Unfortunately the course concrete is in such bad repair in places there were at least two places the car bottomed heavily. After two horrible runs I decided to load up and go home.

The grandson and I took about an hour and a half lunch in a little bar which had a pool table. Although I have not played for probably at least 20 years I still had a great time with him.