Sno*Drift ProRally Report

[Richard Beels <beels@technologist.com>]

At 09:46 AM 2/24/1999 ,  QSHIPQ@aol.com was inspired to say:
> A quick fix and we got a 72.3 on the second reading.
<g>

> to lots of other folks however.  Rick Beals (finally got to meet him - great
> guy) had some serious trouble keeping trans fluid in the car (and off his
> clutch), and was heard to be consuming a lot of cocacola and flour during the
> rally.
1. It's BEELS.  ;-)

2. We figured the rally was cancelled with the 50-60 degree weather we were
getting the week before so come 7 days out, the car was still in pieces.  I
got ahold of Mike Bodnar and we started rushing final preps.  ;-)  We had
the engine electronics, brakes and fuel all completely re-done over the
weekend; had the trans rebuilt while putting in the Quaiffe.  That was the
start of misery.  The reverse-pushrod seal was missing/dorked.  First time
EVER we didn't do something our self or thoroughly check it out prior to
using (got it back Tuesday night) and we get burned.  Such is life. ;-(  We
noticed a gear oil smell during the ODO check Friday night.  $%^$^#* and
other assorted profanities.  Since it was 10 degrees, we were not going to
drop the trans and mess with a kludge fix - especially since they closed
tech early and we'd be in the snow - and no one had a spare seal.  So,
Brian came up with a novel solution:  get an elbow fitting, screw it into
the fill plug hole, hose and funnel to the top and re-fill after every
stage.  We must have started the car 150 times during the day, to keep the
oil from seeping when the car was running.  Worked great - kind of.  Gear
oil flows really, really slow - even when the gallon is sitting right under
the foot heater.  Oh well, it was top off and press on.

Funny coke & flour story: During the dinner break, we coke & floured the
clutch BEFORE dinner and it was yes, still 10 degrees out.  For the first
two stages after dinner, we had no clutch.  It was frozen.  So, we abused
our starter even more by bump starting a dozen or so times, including the
stage starts on those first two post-dinner stages.  The look on the
marshall's faces were priceless when we'd pull to the start line and kill
the engine.  ;-)  Once the clutch warmed up, it started slipping so we
radioed service to prepare a slurry for the last service and an extra one
to put in the trunk to use before the last running on the 15 mile stage.
They forgot to put the funnel in the trunk (and I forgot to check) so we
had major slippage 1/2way through and during the final stage.

All during the day, we were just saying: finish, we just want to finish.
During dinner, when I saw the scores, I started goading Brian into driving
faster (like an self-respecting co-driver will do<g>).  We were doing great
until 1/4 mile from the end when Evan Moen stuffed it right after a blind,
slight-left yump.  Over the yump at about 60mph and seeing headlights was,
umm, interesting.  Kissed the banks, both sides, lost the light bar, killed
the engine (which killed the VTR upon restart), squeezed by and finished
the stage.  Sweep returned our debris to us and while the metal was mangled
beyond repair, the reflectors were all OK.

All in all, very happy to even finish, needless as well as we did.  2nd in
P class (got stomped), 13th overall.

See you at STPR.... 


Cheers,
	Richard - Team No Trees
	88 Golf GTi #55 - Production
	SCCA ProRally - Real Roads, Real Cars, Real Fast!