dinanm3atl Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 The John Allen Special team is a few BMW E30 nerds that decided to go racing. We started on the car in November of 2011 and this was our first event. Showing up at the event I cannot remember how many people came up and said they were following our build on Facebook, Bimmerforums or some other internet location. People that I have only had 'debates' with on the forum were jovial and happy to have a fun conversation. This started while we were parked in line waiting to get into VIR. People are offering advice and simple conversation for the noobs. We all had huge smiles on our faces as we rolled into VIR. Our first taste of Chump racing is a positive one and we have not even made it into the race track yet!As many know our results were downright terrible and not anything that we were hoping for. We came with a strategy to preserve the car and just get everyone to drive. Then kick up the pace and turn consistent laps. We have an ETA(m20b27) and no chance to turn fast laps but knew we could go off the much heralded ETA reliability. Unfortunately that reliability was not so hot on our ETA. The car has been in my posession for a year and before that 2 years of a friend. We never did any maintenance. It just keeps asking for more abuse. We clean it up and put in the wrench time and it pops the main belt off and leads to losing the water pump which overheats the car and melts... yes melts the engine.Now coming from Atlanta that sucks. We got about 1hr 30min of race time. I started the race and have to say that was the best time ever. It was simply awesome. Although we were slow and I was short shifting to save the car to hand it over to the other drivers it was the most fun I have had on a race track. I have done a lot of HPDE and track days in much faster BMWs but this topped them all! And I was only in the car for an hour! I did my best to just turn our laps and let the guys and gals racing do their thing so hopefully I was not in anyone's way. With that said I cannot wait to drive again. I handed the car over and we were off again.Our 2nd driver simply did not notice the rising temps and it eventually let go. At the time we did not know this and the car was towed in. We all rushed from the pits and ripped the car apart. This is where my instant love for ChumpCar started. In the span of about 2 hours we figured out the damage was terminal but the support from everyone in the paddock was amazing. First we get someone to loan us a belt to test. Then we get some gaskets from another team. As we continue to work more and more teams and people come by to wish us luck getting back out. Many more offer up help. More than we could ever hope for given the situation. The car was dead but our love for ChumpCar could not be stronger. We had planned and carried a lot of heads. Going over with the co-captain I think the only spare we did not actually end up having to fix this issue was a bottom end. Rarely see a failure there and not so soon. A lot of new parts were installed and did not think to carry a new main belt but another team quickly came to our aid. Unfortunately we could not get the car back out there In the end we loaded the car up about 330-4pm and rolled out back to Atlanta. It was a somber by ride home but the mood quickly went from dissappoinment to a discussion on how awesome the event and atmoshphere was. ChumpCar is awesome and the people are great. There is not much to say outside of that! We will be back at the Atlanta events this year. Plan to add more! Just want to say thank you to all the people that were so friendly! It was an awesome weekend and we cannot wait to get back! Obviously not getting everyone into the car was super dissappointed but photographing endurance racing is what I do for a living. I was really upset that we were not out there and I could not shoot into the night. I will have a photo up with some shots from Oak Tree and the race start from Turn 3(lent my camera to co-captain). Wish there were more but not this time Here is a short recap of our weekend. Thanks again... huge smile on my face!Links to the end result...http://farm9.staticf...ae5eed980_b.jpghttp://farm8.staticf...d4c16b4ef_b.jpg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogren-Engineering Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Welcome to Chumpcar! Looks like you had the typical first race. Gauges dont get it done. See the thread on Chumpy dash. Use an alt light, and low water pressure light. The gauges get looked at when the light come on. Esp with new racers. Better luck next time. I have a complete 87 or88, Eta engine/ car etc. for +650, if you need goods. MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest posnova Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I can see you might have a slight compression problem with that piston and block, and you ought to get a refund from whoever put that head on the flow bench . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinanm3atl Posted August 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Thanks Mike. This failure simply speeds up the progress on the car. We were only running the ETA because it was what was in it. We already have 2 good M20B25 motors. One is running an a car and the other is on an engine stand. The plan all along was to go to the "I Motor" and we will simply do that now. The goal and hope was to get everyone 4 hours in the car on the ETA and simply finish the race and then swap. So we'll just swap.Light definitely is better. Unfortunately in this case the driver simply did not notice the gauge at all. The gauge did show the car temps rising and he just did not notice it. Unfortunate and a bad end to the weekend. We are going to fix it up and make things better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogren-Engineering Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 The gauges only have value if the driver has a "known good value". Some cars sit on 210 all day . Some are toast at the same value. The light will show something amiss./ wrong right off, and get the car in the pits. Lights get it done better for more than one driver,IMHO. Lights show up in the vids. Old guys use idiot lights. Cuz as we get old, we all know that we are all idiots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chip Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 It was great meeting you guys- can't wait to see you down around Atlanta for some more racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinanm3atl Posted August 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 It was great meeting you guys- can't wait to see you down around Atlanta for some more racing.Thanks Chip! Awesome meeting you too!The gauges only have value if the driver has a "known good value". Some cars sit on 210 all day . Some are toast at the same value. The light will show something amiss./ wrong right off, and get the car in the pits. Lights get it done better for more than one driver,IMHO. Lights show up in the vids.Old guys use idiot lights. Cuz as we get old, we all know that we are all idiots.Agreed. We are working on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members riche30 Posted August 13, 2012 Members Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I want to just reinforce what Halston has said above. Yes, we finished dead last of the cars that took the green flag. We drove a hell of a long way to complete 13 laps. Spent a ton of money to come home with not much to show but a t-shirt. And all I wanted to know last night was just how quickly we could be back out there to do it again.A big thanks to a couple of teams that really went out of their way to make us feel welcomed. Ronald's Racers, Iron Lemon, Lucky Monkey and car 999 (sorry, don't know the team name) were all very helpful to us throughout the weekend. We can't wait to see you guys in Atlanta! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChumpStang Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 These are the stories that make ChumpCar. Glad to hear you guys loved it even in the face of serious adversity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savspeed3 Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 This sounds like my first time we went racing. Granted, I have been involved in racing since I was a kid, but not as a driver.Glad to hear the positive attitude.We had a similar reslut and feel your pain as we drove from Atlanta as well.Also - love the paint job - go Lotus!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogtired Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Ya just never know who will end up right next to you when you pull into the paddock. Good to meet you guys. Best of luck on your future drives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members riche30 Posted August 13, 2012 Members Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I've already PM'd Mike this morning. We're working on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinanm3atl Posted August 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Dinan - you do realize that you're eligible for the Catastrophic Failure Discount, don't you? Read the rules -- Section 6.4 -- and then e-mail Mike Chisek (michaelc@chumpcar.com).Yup! Already in process John! Thanks again for a great event! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3G Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Old guys use idiot lights. Cuz as we get old, we all know that we are all idiots.so true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members riche30 Posted August 22, 2012 Members Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 Got our discount! Thanks again Mike and John and everyone else. One last question:Is it October yet? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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