Who showed and what happened?
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Who showed and what happened?
Who showed: Great turnout.
What happened: Blecch.
Lots of cars, but so many of them in the gravel, in the wall, and tangled with other cars.
I didn't hear if anyone was hurt. Is everyone OK?
I guess nobody is ready to talk about the weekend yet....in the mean time, results are up at:http://www.scca-chicago.com/roadracing/2005/kettle/
-Dave
Definitely a weekend to remember, but for all the wrong reasons. Sunday's race ended too early for me (as did Saturday) but am o.k. with some leg cuts, bruised shoulder, headache and a damaged wallet. If anyone can tell me what happened I'd appreciate it, but all I know is when I got on the brakes going into turn one all alone (Vlassis and Lenhart had pulled out a couple of seconds) the car suddenly veered left straight into the wall. With all the broken stuff I've looket at so far I can't figure why but think something in the rear suspension broke-maybe even an axle (I'm missing any sign of the right one). I am also looking for all kinds of DB-1 parts for a frame up (slight left front rocker pick up damage there). Sorry about Graff, Beeler and all the rest of the bent car owners. Good luck to all at Mid Ohio and hope to see you next year. Tony F.
I'm still getting information bit by bit, and I'm trying to word it so that nobody gets angry at me...
Saturday's qualifying was a mess, plain and simple. We went out on a track that had oil all over it (and no warning, thanks). Everyone was apparently able to stay on track when it was slippery as cat snot, but as soon as the track was scrubbed off, cars were off in every corner. I didn't recognize the red car (a Swift?) who had spun to driver's right at 9 and sat there for two laps before any of the workers even knew it! I think every other corner was yellow for at least one lap, while a few were shut down for several laps.
The race started with one car having a mechanical failure in the Kink. Graff had no good way to avoid the car in the middle of the track... so he stuffed his car in the wall. I think he's up and walking around. There was at least one other car in the wall at 11. I know of at least one metal-to-metal incident, and there was fiberglass littering corner 14.
All I know of Sunday's qualifying is that I lost my clutch (disc) during the first lap trying to follow Wes Allen. I heard about several cars tangling and hitting walls during Sunday's race, but I don't really know enough of the details. I think Lindtrand's rental Tiga got hit by a FFirst, Beeler's car came in on the flatbed, Duncan got towed in, and a Swift... or the remains of one... came in on the hook. All in all, I think I was better off sitting in the bleachers than in the car that afternoon.
Tony, glad to hear you (and everyone else) are ok. -Dave
Well....................
Of the five cars we took to the track, only one remains intact. We had a crash in FC and two in FF. The FC was minimal - front and rear wings. The fords; however, are a different story. We used a track Dynalift to get Andy's car onto a trailer. We've got lots of winter work. The drivers are okay, probably a little sore and bruised.
We run alot of events every year and I'm not really sure what happened this weekend. This was our worst event in recent memory.
Also heard through the grapevine (so I don't know if it is true) that Andy Graff won something at the drawing on Saturday, but because he was still in MEDICAL and not present they drew another name. I really, really hope that isn't true. If it is, that in my opinion, REALLY SUCKS. Somone please advise.
We won't be taking any Formula Fords to Mid-Ohio.
Cindy
Another report...
The weekend in a nut shell: Great weather. Good field of FF and CFF cars. Being mixed with the Vees, Formula Firsts, and 500s was troublesome but I don’t think there is much that could be done about it from a race grouping standpoint. The blue flagging was generally good and most people were paying attention. Enough said.
As previously noted, there was more carnage than normal. The incidents I know a little about were mechanical, admittedly self inflicted, just plain bad luck, and one “surroundings awareness challenged” driver incident. There were a couple more I know nothing about.
Saturday’s FF race was a battle to the very end with John Luxon, Ron Valine (welcome to the EWC!) and I racing close after the first few frantic laps that included too many people to try and name. Ron left the last couple laps to John and I and John won by a tenth! Ian Lenhart rounded out the top three.
Sunday’s race appeared to mine to toss away after taking the pole by more than a second. Considering Saturday’s race I knew better than to think it was going to be easy. I got a good start and opened a couple second lead on the pursuing field. Mark Kolell kept me pushing hard as he matched me lap for lap for much of the race. Unfortunately it was difficult to get in a rhythm with an early 2 car incident at the kink and then later a BIG one car shunt leading into the fast turn one. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt but the reality of what can happen left little to the imagination.
I turned my fastest lap with one to go and Mark must have slowed as I won by about 5 seconds. Mark was followed by John Vlasiss in third.
I will leave the CFF recap to someone more familiar with what went on.
Jim Nash
Cindy:
As usual, I was running the EWC prize drawing and did not make the connection between Andy Graff's absence and his accident. No excuses. It was a thoughtless oversight on my part. I'll come up with something for Andy.
Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)390-1818 sbeeler@ford.com
ADDENDUM
To make amends, I've asked Ian Lenhart to give Andy the EWC t-shirt that I drew. Sorry again, Andy.
First off, there were a lot of us at the prize drawing and none of us made the connection! My apologies to Andy and Lindsrand Motor Sports and I hope to see you all again next year.
From My Seat,
Saturdays qualifying session started out somewhat slick, but I thought it improved tremendously by the sessions end which positioned Dave Harmison in P1, Myself in P2 and Steve Beeler in P3. At the start Steve had passed me by turn one and Dave had checked out with the faster FF’s. Steve and I had great battles for position along with Mark Blythe until I finally got a clue to draft with Steve to go and hunt down Dave Harmison. After two or three laps of follow the leader we caught him and the real fun began. I really could not count the number of times the lead changed in one lap alone much less the final three laps of the race…and then throw in some traffic to make it real interesting. Steve won the race by just over a half a second followed by me, and then Dave brought up third no more that 100 yards back.
Saturday was by far one of the best competitions I have been in!
As far as the incident in the Kink on Saturday, I saw the group of FF’s going into the Kink two wide, Tony was toward the back of that pack when he just started to rotate to the right. The closing speed of our group to the spin was phenomenal. Before I knew it, I was looking at the Exhaust pipe of Tony’s DB as he continued to slide down track. I made it through only to see Andy tag the outside wall in my mirrors. Very unnerving.
I was also competitively concerned about the safety crews that tended to all of the incidents in the Kink. What I mean by Competitively concerned is that, I saw the yellow and white flags waving and I knew what had just happened, yet at least four of us that I was racing with went through there, full chat, for many laps while the crews worked the wrecks. I really thought that a full course yellow was coming. Kudos to the RA safety crews. They worked hard for group 5.
Sunday was a different story.
Qualifying left the top four CFF’s within .8 seconds of each other. Steve B. on Pole, Dave H. P2 Brian D. P3 and add Wes Allen P4. As usual on the start I fell back a position but stayed with the group. There is really nothing like going into turn 1 in the middle of a field of 26 cars. I couldn’t tell which was louder, the sound of engines revving or the pinging of rocks and rubber banging on my helmet and visor. I like the front much better. As the field stretched out, the four of us had another great battle for position along with traffic and many yellowed corners. One of the big puckers of that race was coming into turn one after Tony’s crash. Ron Tebo was about to be lapped by about 8 cars going into turn 1 until we all saw the standing yellow at the flag station at about the #4 mark. Gary Paine said that he has never seen an accordion effect quite like that one. We were all looking for unused asphalt to nearly stop in. Since I was involved in Steve’s wreck in 13a, it is hard for me to detail it, except to say that we both tried to occupy the same part of the track. I also hope for Steve’s quick recovery and repairs. I stopped in the entrance to the carousel where my shift linkage failed. Thank you to those behind me that saw my hand as I slowed and avoided me. How many CFF's finished?
From the Highs and Lows of racing...this was truely a bi-polar weekend
Congratulations to Wes Allen on his victory!!
I hope to see everyone that can make it in Ohio
Allen Wheatcroft's view (FF #9 Red) of a couple of Sunday's incidents:
"A bad coming together in the kink: a dark blue Ford clipped at the apex by a white Formula First car, the two cars silent, then, on the grass near the wall, and lying still, like beached crustaceans. Broken carapaces twisted impossibly, bits of antennae and spidery legs, severed appendages, a snarl of tentacles and dangling wheels like oversized claws, clods of dirt and matted grass, chunks of guts and fiberglass tail work..."
"I sorted my way through traffic and debris, waving yellow flags and tow trucks—just keeping the pack in view. In turn one, an ambulance. Tony Foster helped from the Fubar car, his weekend a sucking, black abyss..."
For my own, we just discovered it was not a stripped clutch disc, but a broken input shaft.
I didn't know we had such great writers. The shellfish analogy is a bit strange, but fitting. Rob Howden should print it in FC.
From my point. Got lined-up for qualifying grid early and went out in fourth place behind Jim Nash and Mark Kolell. I stuck my big CFF nose under Mark's Hewland and just followed. Very, very close. That got me the CFF pole by 1.5 seconds. The down side is that coming into turn five while lapping traffic, I locked up and slid across the inside of the racing line and hit Mark on the left. All my fault. I broke some right rear suspension but thanks to Brian Duncan who loned me a pair of shocks and Bruce Lindstrund who loaned me spring perches, my crew and I got it together. Thanks to everyone. Especially Mark who accepted my apology like a true sportsman.
In 19 years of racing, I've never been called to the stewards to explain and write-up an accident like that. The stewards must have been bored. Goes to show what driver's know that the officials don't, they thought Mark turned into me. Wrong.
They also took ATTENDANCE at the mandatory driver's meeting. Bad me. I missed it. After last year's drivers chewing, I'll admit, I missed it with a vengance.
I played the same draft game in the race and lead the first nine or ten laps before Steve and Brian caught me. I didn't have the motor to get it back but had great racing.
Sunday I tried the same drafting thing and qual'd second. I lead the first three laps and then the drafting battled began. At one point Brian and I went into the kink side by side. You don't do that with people unless you trust them, literally with your life. We all had great racing swapping the lead multiple times each lap. I didn't see Steve and Brian's violation of the laws of physics, i.e. two bodies can not occupy the same piece of space at the the same time, so I don't have anything on that, except that I found myself in second place. The traffic. God, the traffic. And I hadn't even gotten to Chicago yet! At least there aren't toll booths on RA.
I was hoping to put on a last lap dash at Wes but my engine started missing bad on lap 10, so I just hung on for a second place.
What I saw of Tony's accident was enough dirt and grass on the track to open a landscaping business and Tony sitting in a DB frame with an engine on the back. No bodywork, Nothing, Just Tony, the frame and the engine. Very scarey. Good to hear your ok.
Hope to see people at MO if you can get it back together.
Dave
John, Tell Allen (FF #9 Red) to stop with the metaphoric prose and keep his right foot down. That car can turn 25's!! LOL
It's been 30 years since I first jumped into a Formula Ford (now I stagger in) and I thought I'd seen just about all, but what do I know? After a day allowing my head to clear and reading some more posts I have an addendum to previous info. First, about Saturday: I owe Andy Graff and everyone else in the field a sincere apology. Like most everyone, we were waiting until the last minute to make a tire selection due to weather. Halfway through the FA/FC it was obvious it was slicks so we headed back to mount up my good Hoosiers on American Racing wheels recently purchased used from Neil Porter. Time to head to the grid and as we pushed the car onto the asphalt we noticed slight interference with inner tire sidewall and rear upright which had already cut into the rubber. A very quick change back to Panasports was in order and Chinese firedrill ensued with quick jack and me in the car strapping in and holding the brakes. As a result the wrong wheel spacer for the centerlocks went on the right rear wheel through no fault of the crew. I knew what went where but I was in the car and not turning wrenches - but still my fault. Centerlocks were properly torqued to 150# but due to the wrong spacer the torque was mostly to the shoulder of the stub axle and not the wheel. After a pace lap of tire scrubbing and 4 insane turns to start the race, by turn 5 I felt a slight wiggle under braking but soldiered on through the red mist. Entering the carrousel things felt decidedly strange and at the exit I put my arm up, got off the power and hoped to make it through the kink and pull off drivers' right. No luck -as I turned in the car lurched right and I went through the apex bumps sideways and rotated another 90 degrees sliding backwards as the screaming horde of 20 plus Fords headed toward the apex. I saw Andy Graff coming straight at me and hunkered down hoping I literally could keep my head. He veered left at the last instant and caught the concrete just past where I finally slid to a stop backwards on the outside of the track without hitting anything. Andy was justifiably upset as I carefully turned around to get out of harms' way before the second split start group arrived on the scene.
Later investigation of Andy's Van Diemen showed damage much more extensive than the obvious missing left front corner. Despite the left rear tire being only slightly scuffed and still holding air, the entire rear of the car had shifted to the right about an inch breaking the bell housing and the cylinder head at the forward brace! As Cindy notes above, there is a lot of work for the Lindstrand crew in coming months. To Andy, my sincere thanks to you for sparing me what could have been a fatal encounter with the nose of your car only at the expense of a frame-up plus parts.
As for Sunday, I share Brian's concern over the reaction to the early kink crash, again at the expense of a Lindstrand machine. If it involved a white FFirst that put on a series of S turns in Thunder Valley ahead of me in qualifying, then that driver certainly got what he deserved. Despite a rather casually waved yellow, there wasn't much slowing down before the blind turn just after the incident and by the second time around everyone was definitely full tilt boogie despite wreckers on both sides of the track further narrowing the line. Medals for bravery for the workers; medals for stupidity for no full course yellow! Still not ideas on what caused my Wild Mouse carnival event although the missing axle has turned up and no obvious failures to cause such a rapid change of direction. Seeing the concrete closing real fast I ducked and braced and the next thing I was upright nosed into the wall with engine still idling. If the car rolled I don't remember and the only sign of inverted impact was the exhaust collecter bent down.
Scariest incident of the two: Saturday. Even as I spun I was convinced I was in serious trouble. Lessons learned: 1) Even thoug someone says a set of used wheels was used on a DB-1 without spacers or interference, check them thoroughly in the shop or before heading to the track. 2)Try and avoid last minute panic changes to your car even if it means missing the pace lap. 3) If you fail at lesson one and are caught up in the middle of a first lap of weaving maniacs (excuse me, intense racers), if you feel something is wrong with the car, something probably is and you should pull over and check it out. 4) Even though Frisby says they will stick around until noon on Sunday, get up there and tell him you need some tires changed. 5) The ambulance and medical crews do a top notch job and my intact Simpson helmet is off to all of them. The older I get, the more I know what I don't know.
Tony, after hearing the call on the corner net and seeing your car on the hook, I'm thankful to hear that you're okay.Quote:
Originally Posted by fubar
To answer your question above... After the initial call, Control asked the corner captain to explain again what happened. His reply in part, "We could not count how many times he rolled."
Sorry to hear about you and the Swift..The important thing is that you are OK..Sorry I missed the race last week..Tony I have a good source for parts if you are interesteed..trhoades@129.pellapdsn.com
Here are the EWC driver and team championship points through Rounds #5 and #6 August 13-14 at Road America. Scroll up in this thread for a link to the qualifying and race results courtesy of Dave Hopple. I'll post the contingency award and prize drawing winners in a day or so.
FF Driver Championship
46 Jim Nash, Van Diemen RF98, W
31 John Luxon, Piper DF-2, FF, W
29 Mark Kolell, Van Diemen RF85, W
27 Jon Adams, Van Diemen RF98K, E
23 Dave Hopple, Piper DF-2, W
19 Gary Godula, Reynard 88F, E
19 Mark Blythe, Van Diemen RF98, W
19 Ian Lenhart, Van Diemen RF87, W
14 Tony Foster, Swift DB-1, W
13 Marc Blanc, Swift DB-6, W
11 Gary Payne, Reynard 88F, W
10 Dave Woodmancy, Euroswift SC93F, E
9 Alex Murray, Swift DB-1, W
8 Bill Bergeron, Van Diemen RF90, W
7 Dan Faust, Van Diemen RF93, E
7 John Vlasis, Piper DF-2, W
5 Allen Wheatcroft, Van Diemen RF98, W
5 John Wagner, Van Diemen RF98, E
4 Paul Reineck, Van Diemen RF86, W
0 Tim Wise, Swift DB-6, W
0 Tad Lenhart, Tiga FFA-80, W
0 Bruce Faucett, Van Diemen RF84, E
0 Todd Rhoades, Swift DB-1, W
0 Bill Barnard, Van Diemen RF98, W
0 Loren Tiemen, Reynard 83F, W
0 Tom Stillwell, Swift DB-1, W
0 Steve Olson, Euroswift SE-1, W
0 Walter Stark, Tiga FFA-80, W
0 Ron Valine, Reynard 88F, W
0 Andy Graff, Van Diemen RF97, W
0 Tim Kautz, Piper DF-2, W
CFF Driver Championship
49 Steve Beeler, Lola T-540, E
48 Brian Duncan, Tiga FFA-78, E
34 Bill Ehrlinger, Van Diemen RF80, W
27 Dave Harmison, Royale RP-21, E
22 Hans Iwand, Eagle, W
18 Wes Allen, Merlyn Mk25, E
16 Tom Tipsword, Van Diemen RF81, E
15 Michael Baden, Zink Z-10C, E
13 Ron Tebo, Van Diemen RF78, E
12 Alan Murray, Crossle 45F, W
9 Paul Quiniff, Lola T-540, W
9 Erik Shepard, Hawke DL12, E
7 Michael Neylon, Zink Z-10, E
7 Pete Wood, Crossle 32F, E
5 John Haydon Jr, Tiga FFA-80, W
0 Steve Madden, Tiga FFA-78, W
Team Championship for the Lamont Cup
270 East
327 West
Steve Beeler. de facto EWC commissioner
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com <mailto:sbeeler@wowway.com>
office: (313)390-1818 sbeeler@ford.com <mailto:sbeeler@ford.com>
The late Dale Sr. once said...Sometimes you win,sometimes you loose and sometimes you wreck. The emotions of racing are many. That's why winning feels so good!
There were so many things happening in each session I'm getting get them confused as to when. But the most notable in no particular order,
I was right behind Tony's and Andy's encounter in the kink.I didn't think someone could make their arm ten foot long with arm restrants on! All I saw was this arm waving furriously as their car pirouetted through the kink!!! Andy was too close and his only options were Tony's Swift or the wall.Andy made the noble decision and hit the wall just as I went by. It was a hard hit,I'm glad he is OK.I'm aslo glad Tony both apologized and thanked him for his decision,it could have been much worse.
On Sunday we had a five car train with Beeler in the lead followed by Brian Duncan,a FF driver ,myself and Dave Harmison. Brian got a good run coming out of Canada corner and was able to get under Steve at the turn-in of thirteen. They touched wheels and the rest is history. I don't think it was anybodies fault, just two aggressive drivers going for the same apex. I'm sorry it took them out, they are great competitors.
Then soon after,maybe the next lap. I was drafting the FF down the front stretch, as we approached the end I saw this huge dust cloud. I didn't know and still don't know what the heck happened. There were at least six cars maybe more scattered all over the track. There was a FV stopped before the braking area. A Ford sliding sideways down the track,with Duncan the FF and me dodging the mess with I think several others thrown in the mix.The dirt was a result of Tony and his Swift tumbling off track. I never saw his car at the time and can't be sure of what happened, however there were too many cars stopped or barely moving for this to be a one car incident. Very strange!?! Tony are you sure you weren't punted off track by a car from the rear??? Just a thought.
My only thought from the weekend is I've got to get the in car camera working!!!
Glad everybodies OK.
Wes
Saturday's race
First lap at turn 5, Ron Valine (not shown) is already on his way to turn six...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0578.jpg
a second later as the first pack makes it's way through 5 (shown is less than half the field!)...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0579.jpg
Ian Lenhart driving very hard to catch up to John Luxon and Jim Nash... entering turn 6...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0604.jpg
Steve Beeler and Brian Duncan in the draft up to turn 6...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0613.jpg
Bill Ehrlinger, Hans Iwand, Michael Neylon, Allen Wheatcroft, and Steve Madden racing hard the whole race...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0630.jpg
Sunday's Qualifying
The sun is out as they drive into turn 13. It's Gary Payne, Jim Nash, and Dave Harmison...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0646.jpg
Ian and John Vlasis drafting through 13...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0691.jpg
Tim Kautz and Mark Kolell team up through turn 12...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0714.jpg
Sunday's Race
The false grid with Formula Fords as far as you can see. Jim Nash on the pole...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0735.jpg
The pack looks good as the head up the front straight to get the green...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0736.jpg
Club ford battle into turn 5 just behind Dan Faust in the RF93...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0751.jpg
Steve Beeler looks for his missing wheel...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/IMG_0763.jpg
Nice photos, I really like the one of Ian going into turn six, it reminds me that in 15 years of trying, I've never done that corner right.. or should I say, go through there fast as I think I can.:)
Not to be preachy and not go so far to state the obvious, (which I am, I know :) ) but reading the RA race reports here, reading emails and a few phone calls from friends. (*friendly reminder) The EWC intent is to get more cars out there racing and at least 4-5 cars that ran this past weekend probably won't be racing for awhile, due to incidents this past weekend. I think we all got reminded how we need to take care out on the racetrack. Thanks Dave
Tony, you do not have to apologize to me for anything, seriously. I'd make the same decision again without hesistation, as would anyone. You are still here, I'm still here, and that is all that matters.
We're all glad you made it through the Suday event. For those that didn't see his car, it looked like it someone bombed it.
Anyone for sailing?
Andy, I don't swim, but I'm thinking I might be safer on a boat...
What the heck am I saying. Water is for fish! Asphalt is for men! Er, and women.
Thanks for the photos. Some great shots. My take on the weekend echos pretty much what has been said. Im very glad that Tony, Andy, Steve, Ron and others were not injured in the various incidents.
I do want to say that I found the FV and F500 competitors very courteous when being overtaken. I personally didnt experience a single issue with either class.
I have an in-car DVD for Sat and Sun. Id be glad to post a few segments if one of you techies will walk me through the process.
Gary
Here are all the details on who won what at Rounds #5 and #6 of the 2005 FF/CFF East vs West Challenge August 13-14 at Road America. Contingency award eligibility requirements are outlined in the EWC "welcome" letter.
Round #5 (Saturday)
Formula Ford
Slow Qualifier ($100 shop labor credit from Racing Flow Development): Tim Wise
First ($200 product certificate from Hoosier Racing Tire + 1 tire from Avon Racing Tires + $100 shop labor credit from Schulz Automotive Machine): John Luxon
Second ($100 product certificate from Hoosier Racing Tire): Jim Nash
Fourth ($50 shop labor credit from Continental Motorsport Services): Mark Kolell
Fifth (WIX racing oil filter from CARQUEST Auto Parts): Mark Blythe
Passing Bonus ($20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies): Dan Faust
Flag-to-Flag ($20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies): John Luxon
Fast Lap ($50 manufactured products or shop credit from Two Dogg, Inc): Jim Nash
Club Formula Ford
Slow Qualifier ($100 shop labor credit from Schulz Automotive Machine): Steve Madden
First ($200 product certificate from Hoosier Racing Tire + $100 shop labor credit from Schulz Automotive Machine): Steve Beeler
Second ($100 product certificate from Hoosier Racing Tire): Brian Duncan
Fourth ($50 shop labor credit from Continental Motorsport Services): Wes Allen
Fifth (WIX racing oil filter from CARQUEST Auto Parts): John Haydon, Jr
Passing Bonus ($20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies): Steve Beeler
Flag-to-Flag ($20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies): n/a
Fast Lap ($50 manufactured products or shop credit from Two Dogg, Inc): Steve Beeler
Saturday Evening Prize Drawing
$50 merchandise from Shelter Systems: Wes Allen
$60 Frisby bucks from Frisby Performance Tire: Tom Stillwell and Bill Ehrlinger
1-year subscription to FormulaCar Magazine: Ian Lenhart
$25 merchandise from DRE / RaceCarSupply.com: Dan Faust
Aurora rod ends from DRE / RaceCarSupply.com: Mark Blythe and John Luxon
K&N air filter from DRE / RaceCarSupply.com: Allen Wheatcroft
Dinner @ Harvey's of Elkhart Lake: Dave Harmison
Weekend getaway package from Cheyboygan Area Chamber of Commerce: Tim Wise
"Jake's Book" from Monarch Graphics: Steve Olson
Formula Ford jack system from Advanced Engineering Services, Inc: Brian Duncan
Case of synthetic oil from Adams Racing: John Haydon, Jr
$100 shop labor credit from Murray Motorsports: Michael Neyon and Bill Bergeron
$20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies: Tony Foster
EWC t-shirts from Lenhart DeSign Werks: John Vlasis and Andy Graff
Ford paddock banners from Lenhart DeSign Werks: Hans Iwand
Round #4 (Sunday)
Formula Ford
Slow Qualifier ($100 shop labor credit from Racing Flow Development): Tom Stillwell
First ($200 product certificate from Hoosier Racing Tire + 1 tire from Avon Racing Tires +
$100 shop labor credit from Schulz Automotive Machine): Jim Nash
Second ($100 product certificate from Hoosier Racing Tire): Mark Kolell
Fourth ($50 shop labor credit from Continental Motorsport Services): Ian Lenhart
Fifth (WIX racing oil filter from CARQUEST Auto Parts): John Vlasis
Passing Bonus ($20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies): Mark Blythe
Flag-to-Flag ($20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies): Jim Nash
Fast Lap ($50 manufactured products or shop credit from Two Dogg, Inc): Jim Nash
Club Formula Ford
Slow Qualifier ($100 shop labor credit from Schulz Automotive Machine): Steve Madden
First ($200 product certificate from Hoosier Racing Tire + $100 shop labor credit from Schulz Automotive Machine): Wes Allen
Second ($100 product certificate from Hoosier Racing Tire): Dave Harmison
Fourth ($50 shop labor credit from Continental Motorsport Services): Pete Wood
Fifth (WIX racing oil filter from CARQUEST Auto Parts): Michael Neylon
Passing Bonus ($20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies): Wes Allen
Flag-to-Flag ($20 merchandise from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies): n/a
Fast Lap ($50 manufactured products or shop credit from Two Dogg, Inc): Brian Duncan
We'll have all this and more at EWC Rounds #7 and #8 September 9-10 at Mid-Ohio. Many thanks as always to all of the EWC sponsors for their generous support of Formula Ford 1600.
Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)390-1818 sbeeler@ford.com
I must respectfully decline the "slow qualifier" award for Sunday as my electrical problem did not allow me to make a full lap, so i took the short cut at turn 5. DARN, I'm awfully disappointed as I have had a pretty firm grip on it this season....and who in the hell is this madden guy taking Saturday's slow qualifier by 0.745 of a second. We really race hard back there.
Nice photos but that's actually me behind Wheatcroft in photo 630, a purple Crossle not a dark blue Tiga. And the 6th-9th place group had quite a battle all race! Usually had a FF or two around as well.
Pete Wood CFF #42
Ron: Duly noted and corrected. Thanks for bringing the error to my attention. Steve
After many hours of pulling bent and broken parts off my DB-1 chassis, have arrived at a pretty firm idea of what happened. Due to some worn front tires I was pushing an understeering car a bit too hard as Vlassis and Lenhart started to pull away. Thus I found myself running out into the exit bumps several places like turn 5, Canada and turn 14. Just before disaster struck I took a very rough ride through the bumps exiting 14, something I don't like to do in a DB-1. Apparently it was enough to break the safety wire on the hex head barrel nut on the left rear lower forward A arm rod end. The wire was still attached to the nut but broken. It was also apparently enough to loosen the jam nut on the rod end and under power up the front straight the jam nut backed off at least 4 turns due to normal Swift vibration. However the rod end stayed in position with power-on torque to wheel. When I lifted off power to slow for turn one, the left rear tire suddenly towed out over 10 degrees kicking the rear of the car in said direction. Had I been a little quicker than a week to figuring what happened (say in a split second), I would have cranked full right on the wheel and hopefully spun straight ahead into the gravel. But when I countered the rear stepping out by steering into the slide I put three tires toward the wall and the rest is history along with three corners and other damage. Thanks to all for the kind words, calls and E-mails and I hope to see you in '06. When I asked the track doc if he thought I would have any problem shooting par golf when my legs healed, he said he saw no reason why I couldn't. Guess he was wrong as it took over 50 strokes for nine holes on Saturday. Kind of similar to my game before the crash.....
You may want to pay careful attention to the forward inner bolt on the lower rear a-arms. I had several of these break on my DB1 (two of them at RA), but since I had them safety wired they never fell out causing a collapse of the arm. The car becomes pretty squirrelly when they break so once you have experienced this you will know it immediately. I recall that Dennis O'Neal also had one break on him causing his car to roll several times at MN.
The problem is that the bolt slips through the bottom "ear" and then threads into the casting above giving a double shear mount. The forces however are exerted at the base of the threads where the bolt goes into the casting and they break under high loads.
Our fix on this was to go in just above the threads and mill out a slot just large enough to get access to the end of the bolt. You are essentially creating a second ear on the top. We drilled out the threads and pressed a steel sleeve into the old threaded hole. You can then use a longer bolt and put the load onto the shank rather than the root of the threads. Use a jet nut to captivate the bolt on the top of the "new ear". If you are cautious in machining you will not get into the tank. If you go too deep you can cut into the oil tank and then have to repair that. I have seen several cars retrofitted like this and it looked to have solved the problem.
John: Thanks for the tip. When the incident first occurred, I thought it might have been one of the"blind" bolts into the bell housing although the car reaction was wrong. I have them loc-tighted and safety wired and check them regularly since I was at Brainerd when Dennis rolled his Swift. The right bolt had broken in the crash after the wishbone ripped the whole ear off the bellhousing after impact, but I am almost positive it was a result rather than the cause. When repairing my bellhousing, I will implement your fix when doing the machine work. Thanks. TF