Rick Kulach's T3 370Z.

 

Another Runoffs for my #7 Z. Not spending the $600 for extra practice. I'll be on track Tuesday for qualifying, race on Friday at 10:15 am CST.

 

Excellent, David!!! Those shots of the Kulach’s psychedelic paint scheme made me dizzy!! Haha!!

Good luck Tuesday!!!! Pole! Pole!! Pole!!! 😄

 

Tuesday's qualifying turned out poorly for my #7 Z. On the out lap, the rear brakes began locking as I started a turn. I managed to get back to the pits and trying to rest and ABS codes. Went back out, only to be stopped at pit out by an SCCA official. My car was flagged to be checked for (unrelated) inspection and brought to the garages. What did they check you may ask? Weight, cameras mounted. fuel inspection ports and seam welding (not allowed).

Pole went to a Eco Boost Mustang from Phoenix Autosport with former National Champ Marshall Mast at the wheel. Me? No laps, no times- I went to the very back of the grid. Second qualifying is tomorrow and we think we have the Z fixed and ready to go. Fingers crossed!

 

Fingers crossed!!!

 

Fingers uncrossed- the work we put into the Z before the Runoffs has been our undoing. Went to second qualifying and the car stalled just as I got to my spot at the end of the line. But start up and the throttle suddenly goes dormant. This was the same problem we had a our last race at HPR, and a new ECM and throttle pedal sensor assembly was installed by a Nissan master tech. Dyno runs confirmed cracking throttle response with no flat spots or hesitation. Now the problem was back, and worse that ever! I was able to ease the car back to my pit space.

We've spent the day checking voltages (throttle-on and throttle off) at the pedal and comparing them to specific pin-outs on the ECM. Voltages matchup to CONSULT 3 acceptable ranges, but the ECM refuses to send the corresponding signal to the HR's matching throttle bodies. We tried to reset the ECM to relearn the throttle sensor, to no avail. Worse yet ,erasing the P2128 and P2138 codes (for a perceived pedal sensor failure) sometimes allows the engine to accelerate properly. But this began to degrade, with each time the codes setting the car back to a nice idle (only).

Bottom line, idling cars cannot be good race cars, so I remain last in qualifying. With only a final qualifying session to make some decent laps, it's tomorrow or bust. The problem is, we have no good ideas or theories on what to change next, This might be another my350Z "my car broke, fix it for me via the internet" thread, but for the fact that we've dug deep to get here. Digging deep at the SCCA Runoffs is a tradition, but this electronic pit work is a different dimension to overcome! One bit of positive news is there are three Z cars in the top ten. But there's also more bad news to report as one Nismo Z crashed between T6 and 7 and is out.

 

In my part of the world race cars invariably dump the old OE electronics and go aftermarket, Haltech, Link, Motec, whatever. Properly installed you get 99% reliability, bugger fixing cars in the pits, that is no way to enjoy a race series. Yeah this does not help right now but it may be food for thought generally Anyway, hope things improve before you head home.

 

I hope you get it worked out.

 

Good thought, but in SCCA Touring classes (essentially "stock"), ECM can't be replaced. Tuned, yes, but the stock "box" must be used.


After we talked day before last, I really wished there was something I could do remotely. But no hands on, as I always lament. So frustrating to make Nationals, have to thrash in weeks ahead (standard affair) but then tow all the way out and have it go flat pre-qualifying. BIG FAT UGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!

Not sure if it was a dream I had or just some weird random thought (those who know me are saying the latter ) but had the thought of delivering to you a new ECM with a magic fix-it in the box (likely illegal ) that solved the problem and put you #2 behind Mast. Yeah, dream, now that I think of it. Its past Thursday quali as I write this. News?

 

Despite years of experience, trying every trick and diagnostic in the book, the 2020 Runoffs will go down as a big, fat DNS (did not start) in my race record. Working from dusk to dawn (and with a heady mix of desperation and gumption), we tried logging throttle sensor parameters and found sensor 2 was sending too much signal to the ECM. This was what happened originally at the last race of the season, and a new accelerator pedal assembly and ECM appeared to be the solution. But that was an illusion, and now both components may be corrupted and unusable.

Tried to check with local parts stores and found they couldn't get the parts in time for the race. Next, I checked with Nissan dealers within a 1/5-mile range about getting the car in, but none had any availability on such short notice. The good news is there are three Z33s and one Z34 in the top ten at the Runoffs with some great drivers to give the marque another National Championship tomorrow. Good luck to all the Nissan drivers at the Runoffs!

 

What used to happen in my part of the world is that aftermarket ECU's were fitted inside the stock ECU case simply because old ECU's were problematical and over all it was cheaper in the long run. Cheating? Yes, but those sorts of rules are silly when they make reliability a stand out and expensive issue.

 

Interesting thoughts- and Mic is correct: SCCA Touring rules allow tuning of the OEM ECMs. but no aftermarket units. When I was sent to tech after first qualifying, tech staff first verified (using OBD2 readers) that the ECMs in each T3 car were indeed stock. They also checked to ensure fuel compliance ports were accessible and safe (I'd already had my fuel tested to ensure I wasn't tampering with the Sunoco GT100). I had to bring back almost 20 gallons of this fuel that I didn't use during qualifying and the race. It'll get stored and used next race season.

BTW Mic- I had that same dream about the magic fic0it in the ECM, and it would have been perfectly legal! Then I woke up to face the fact that racing can be enchanting one moment and break your heart the next...

 

Runoffs updates: while a Z did not win at the T3 Runoffs, one finished third , and three others finished in the top ten at Road America. Congrats to all!

Separate note to 260DET- sorry, no Road America video available. Despite having a camera on the Z, most of the footage is of driving around the paddock.

 

Not trying to rub it in but this is what you missed out on, quite a few Zeds in there.

 

https://www.scca.com/videos/2039601

Here's a link to the SCCA produced video of the T3 race for your viewing pleasure.

Made me chuckle when they introduced me in DFL at the start of the race. My race Z was already in the trailer and headed back to Colorado when the T3 race started! But the broadcast team had no way of knowing that. Also, look for the shunt not long after the start between a Mustang and a Z at Canada Corner. The Mustang driver was a pro racer and made a bad move; trying much too late to establish inside position going into that turn. His front tire hits the Zs rear and LAUNCHES the Mustang at 120MPH through the gravel trap. Word was the Mustang was shredded by the tire wall, but the driver walked away...

Plenty of suffering to go around with this particular Runoffs.

 

Watched that T3 race, pretty tidy drive by the #4 in contrast to the BMW #44. No 350Z's race in my country so I have to get my viewing fix elsewhere, there is just something settled about a good handling track 350Z that I enjoy.