RE: List traffic is down this weekend MH99 observations.

["Mark Nelson" <tahoe@msn.com>]

Dang!  I missed running into you too!!  So many listers; so little time =(.

>
>    I _had_ to stay and watch each of the cars outside the Audi tent get
> started and warmed up. Actually, I think they skipped one S1, but they
> started "Bobby's" car. Suweeet! Loud, but good. Every car they started
> had to have the hood lifted or bonnet removed. They checked coolant
> temps while they were running them.

I wish they would have brought Blomqvist out to drive the other S1 (since he
was in the US a couple of weeks ago!) to drive the S1, or Mikkola, since he
now lives in Florida.  It would have been nice to have both cars running.
Wish they would have brought out an A2.

The Pikes Peak car sounded very nice though.  It was incredible to watch
today as it climbed the hill out of turn 5; it literally would just leave
the Trans Am car going up a hill =).

>    Next car to warm up was the '88 trans am #44. Ear candy. This ain't
> yer momma's 5000/200. Actually, it might have been. I have an '88
> 5kcstq, who knows, it might have been right on the production line with
> the race car. The race car was a unibody car. I could clearly see where
> the front of the car had been chopped off ahead of the strut towers.
> They actually retained the strut front suspension. Unbelievable! They
> raced this tin can against purpose built tube frame cars and won.

I wouldn't exactly say tin-can; fairly simple and straightforward technology
(for today's standards), but there were some nice pieces to say the least,
such as the carbon fibre oil reservoir in the trunk; a nice touch ;-).  The
car did seem to be puffing some black smoke, which would account for the
compression check and new set of plugs they put in it yesterday (Saturday).
Neat to watch as they put the car on blocks and ran it with the brakes
applied to build boost pressure and try to generate a misfire.  Gotta love
that wastegate chirp =).

>    The IMSA 90q #4 on the other hand was a whole different animal. This
> was Hurley's actual car, and he was to take it on the demonstration
> laps. Very high tech compared to the type 44. Stunning technology under
> the hood. Coffee can sized plumbing everywhere. Truck sized intercooler.
> Truck sized exhaust too for that matter. Doesn't look anything like a
> "normal" 20v motor. Again, the auditory stimulation when they fired it
> up was beyond compare.

The valvetrain and cyl head design were completely different than any
production 20v; it looks like they're actually running oil through the
middle of the cams.  Also no MAF sensor of any kind.

>     The R8r's were at the end. They started only one of them.

Prolly cuz the other R8R is the actual 3rd place Le Mans car which they
probably want to keep exactly in the condition in finished the race.

> It was
> enough. Let's just say that it's not a good idea to stand a foot from
> the exhaust without ear protection. It was practically blowing my
> trowsers off.

So you were the one I saw standing directly behind the exhaust. ;-)

> Problem is that you want to hear it since it sounds so
> good, but it's so loud you know you should be covering your ears.

Not I; but then I wasn't standing directly behind the exhaust either;)  I
was looking at the digital readout in the cockpit =).

>    At the end of the row in an uncoverd area were a c type and a d
> type silver arrow along with an ancient NSU race car. The NSU was
> started up with a handheld external starter. Frighteningly loud. I was
> standing in front of it with the flimsiest of fences in between. I had
> visions of some ancient transmission linkage failing, causing a new
> round of UI. They reved it higher and higher. I thought sure it would
> blow up, then they shut it off, business as usual.

Ahh yes; gotta love rotaries.  Sounded like an RX-7 or an RX-3.

>    They made like they would start the 16 cylinder, but it was taking
> seeminqly forever. They had a bad ignition switch. They ended up
> wheeling the car back to the shop. I decided to leave the pit area and
> get a good spot to watch the demonstration laps from.
>   Watching and hearing the cars standing still was great, but seeing
> them on the track was even better. I hope they do it again Sunday.

Today was by far the best, when they actually got the freakn' pace car off
and let the cars run at speed.  Suuweeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!
;-)

Cya!
-mark nelson