Last weekend I finally brought my T3-spec Z out of a long and arduous sojourn to multiple repair shops to race. Testing on July fourth established that repairs to the cabin harness and wiring loom were successful after multiple sessions. Saturday was the first of the Freedom Sprints SCCA Majors at High Plans Raceway and the 2.5-mile circuit would host about 125 cars from 12 states in road racing and time trials. The small-bore group had production and GT cars as well as six T3 entries from BMW, Pontiac, Honda, Porsche and my Nissan. But during practice and qualifying, I noticed my clutch was not releasing cleanly and I sometimes had to resort to double clutching to get a clean downshift. Qualified third, but even bleeding the concentric slave (HR-swapped Z) with fresh RBF600 didn't seem to help much.

With no spare parts and little time to drop the tranny, I knew there was the possibility of clutch failure during the race. I decided to keep the Z in third gear. I qualified third in class (7th out of 27 overall) probably based on my knowledge of HPR. What I realized on the pace lap was I couldn't get the clutch to release at all, and that I'd have to try adapting to using third gear only for this race. Usually, I shift almost a dozen times a lap around HPR, and I wasn't even sure if it was possible to lap the track without stalling out on several of the tighter hairpin turns. As the green fell, I stayed on the inside for the first few turns, but as soon as we hit the back straight it became clear that I had to lift about halfway down to keep from overrevving and possibly blowing the motor!

After that, I focused on modifying my brake points and maximizing corner entry speeds. The older race tires I had heated up quickly in the 90-degree heat and had descent, but not exceptional traction. My usual set up is to keep a neutral car with a touch of oversteer, but with only third gear, I began exploring how much understeer I would manage with no extra pop coming off the corner. Also tried modifying my usual racing line to approach from a wider angle and taking a later apex to keep speeds up. Last thing I wanted to do was hold up the field or ruin anybody's race, but as the laps wore on, I found the gap to the cars chasing me was pretty constant, as they would catch me on the straights, but I would reestablish the lead as we entered the faster turns u and down the hills of HPR.

At the checkered flag, I was amazed to be about eight seconds back of the second place T3 car, and finished seventh overall out of 27 finishers. Had to be pushed on and off the scales in tech, as the clutch failed completely in impound. Still, never before have I been so proud of a measly third place finish! THIS is why I still love SCCA road racing.

 

damn thats super impressive! nice job. How did you get the car rolling out of the pit?

 

With such limited lapping during practice and qualuifying, the clutch still worked in the pits and to start the pace lap. It was freshly bled with new RBF600, so I hoped it would work, but even scrubbing tires revealed it still wasn't releasing cleanly. Coming into the start, I managed to get it into third and decided to leave it there. The nut behind the wheel would have to make adjustments.

 

Photo courtesy of Rupert Berrington Photography

 

Forgot to update this thread with the results from the Last Chance SCCA Majors in August. The Z ran well, but was no match for the Runoffs winning BMW Z4 M Coupe. He qualified on pole, and won both races. Meanwhile, I managed a third on Saturday and second for the Sunday Majors race. The Z Speed CMAK kit worked well in moving the slave cylinder from an internal to an external location. Sure was a pleasure to shift cleanly in both races. Unfortunately, my Z racecar was repaired too late in the season to qualify for the SCCA Runoffs at Road America.

Strange to see so few Nissans being campaigned in SCCA racing any longer. I'll try to run a few more races before the end of the season in the Rocky Mountain Divisional Championships and am considering a shot at the American Road Racing Championships (ARRC) at Road Atlanta in October.

 

Qualified at Road Atlanta for two races today. The first was the SE road racing race for the end of the season. Road Atlanta has changed quite a bit since I first raced at the SCCA Runoffs there in 1989. But one thing it has never lacked is pure SPEED and the Z loves that. You hit fifth gear on the winding back straight and hold it until 140 MPH stares you in the face. It's just great and together with the rolling hills of north Georgia makes for an amazing lap. Today I qualified 22nd and got faster each lap before finishing 12th. The American Road Race of Champions (ARRC) is tomorrow and then I start the 1,500-mile tow home to Colorado.

 

I envy you! I very much want to get into SCCA stuff, but I just don't have the time or budget to dedicate to a track car and race events at this point in my life. For now I will have to content myself by following exploits from you and others!

Good Luck to you tomorrow!
-Icer

 

Thanks, Ice! Your time will come and keep in mind it's a melding and building of skills. From autocrossing (college) to time trials (early career) to road racing and building racecraft (late career), those skills and experience only build with the help of others. I just turned 70 and am still learning, but I knew what my retirement would look like. You will too.

 

dkmura turned 70 on my anniversary. And every year when we're celebrating, I'm like, "Ulp, David's even older now!" Hahahahahahahaaaaaa......

Perspective for icer to consider...

PL Newman didn't start racing until he was almost half a century old.

And didn't stop until he was 82.

Age, psh.

 

Sunday update- some might say my ARRC race was anticlimatic, but it sure was full of surprises. At the start, my Z was behind the third place (in the T3 class) Mustang GT of the defending champ. Between us was a F Prod car that held me off down the straights and was quicker through the rapid uphill T1-3 and twisty T4-7 sections. He was quicker until he turned in at the exit of T3 and began spinning down the esses. I had to whoa up and see which way his spin would take him. Never get caught up in another driver's accident is my philosophy. Still, the Mustang (and the two Toyota GR86s ahead of him) were pulling away as I fought to pull back some time.

Next, a B-Spec Mini spun into the kitty litter at the exit of T7 and led to a three-lap full-course yellow caution. As we got the green, I managed to pick off eight cars and get back towards the fight, but that all came to an end as my VQ began sputtering as I pulled my best exit off the uphill T1. I started the race with 3/4 tank of 100 octane VP unleaded, but Road Atlanta (mostly third through fifth gear corners at redline) uses more fuel than I remember. The high Gs generated in T1, plus the lowering fuel load meant my fuel pickup was starved. Crap! I quickly moved off-line before the snarling pack went storming past again.

As my fuel load settled, I restarted and I began the chase again. I managed to catch and pass a STU Miata and FP Honda before the checkered flag fell, but still finished fourth once again. Now that I've had some time to think about it, this was the most competitive ARRC I've ever ran and the two Tech Sport Toyotas certainly dominated T3. They ran the optional (and paid) practice session and that would've definitely helped me get up to speed faster, But this is what SCCA racing (even at the regional level) has become. Qualifying and racing are only the end products, and only those with the tires and budgets to run up front will prosper. Long tow home and my next challenge will be to get the Titan and trailer through the storms, wind and rain/hail of the great plains. Colorado or bust!