Fenders at the Runoffs

[teamwisconsin]

An open letter to my Apexspeed open wheel friends:

Next week, I will be taking part in the Runoffs. Something I have done a few times before, with little to no success. This time however, I will be doing it from behind the wheel of a fendered car for the first time in my life. I'm getting older, a little slower, a little fatter and a little balder and I have two kids now. So it was time for me to try a fendered car. (at least the fenders are composite). I was able to win the first day of the June Sprints, but sat out the second day to avoid the risk of damaging the car (Prod races are a little more "full contact" than I'm used to)

Sports Car doesn't think we have a chance but I feel confident that we will at the very least cheese off more than a couple of Mazda's. Its one of the oldest cars on the grid as well, my 1965 Lotus Super 7.

If you're in the upper west paddock, stop by and say hello. And please cheer this expat FF guy on as we try to take the fight to the drooling horde of Miatas in F Production.

[Brian Graham]

Good luck Ethan, maybe I am remembering wrong but didn't you take home a podium in FF a few years back?? Would love to be there but the travel restrictions are a bit of a holdback right now. Have a safe and successful trip.

Brian.

[Bardahl77]

At least the fenders are minimal!

[Charles Warner]

Good luck, Ethan. I'm sure I'll see you in a formula car soon.

[cliff]

side money says you will see the checkered first!
good luck!

[Marty Nygard]

Saw a guy a number of years ago with a Seven with cut-back front fenders like pictured. They must have been kevlar and strategically mounted because once on track, they bent basically straight up; more like fins. That made it more like a half fendered car. Think of this as more like your transition from open wheels.
M

[Dee]

If you drive that 7 half as well as you drove my old RT41 You will be on the top step
All the Best my friend

[Daryl DeArman]

Get after it Ethan. Cheese off the whole flock.

[E1pix]

Our travels had us stumbling into Thunderhill for a vintage race in May, 2016, where we briefly met Ethan.

Doubt he recalls this but one really nice guy, and we wish him all the best. Go get ‘em!!!

[ChristopherBernard]

Hope you take it all!!!
Love Lotus 7s and not all that fond of the horde of Miatas. Bunch of mass produced bumper cars....
Hey, space frame, Kent engine and little tires...almost an FF.
Best of luck!

[ChristopherBernard]

Does anyone know the whereabouts of the jewel of a Seven that Pat Prince built for Tom Robertson?
Think it was around 1994. Center lock Technos, carbon fenders and stunning workmanship everywhere!

[Joefisherff]

Good Luck Ethan bring home the gold!

[E1pix]

Does anyone know the whereabouts of the jewel of a Seven that Pat Prince built for Tom Robertson?
Think it was around 1994. Center lock Technos, carbon fenders and stunning workmanship everywhere!

That car goes back to at least the ‘80s.

I used to pull a wagon around the Runoffs to provide hand-painted lettering and pinstriping. In about 1984, I lettered his daughter’s fingernails with a digit per nail, collectively saying “Team Lotus 7.”

It was a one-time job, wouldn’t have worked with eleven fingers, and didn’t lead to a “Love your nails” future.

[rick payne_75]

Best of luck Ethan

[t walgamuth]

That is a great looking Lotus! Clean and purposful.....dare I say the best looking 7 I have seen? More pics please!

[E1pix]

Hope all is well with Ethan’s run, I searched all the session results yesterday and didn’t see him on any of the three sheets.

Live Timing Link includes video from S/F and Turn 5:
https://www.scca.com/events/1995744-...essions/latest

[Garey Guzman]

Hope all is well with Ethan’s run, I searched all the session results yesterday and didn’t see him on any of the three sheets.

Live Timing Link includes video from S/F and Turn 5:
https://www.scca.com/events/1995744-...essions/latest

Ethan was just getting to the track today.

[E1pix]

Oh Good, Thanks, Garey.

[tstrong]

Ethan, I hate that luck word. Go rip it up. If in the unlikely event you find any free time in the evenings progress updates would be awesome. And we all know a Lotus 7 is about as close to a formula car as you can get and still have fenders. Todd

[stonebridge20]

Gettin it done !

[tstrong]

Gettin it done !

Looks like he rolled off the trailer hot. Wouldn’t expect anything else from Ethan. Todd

[E1pix]

And we all know a Lotus 7 is about as close to a formula car as you can get...

... when it’s driven in reverse.

[Daryl DeArman]

... when it’s driven in reverse.

http://www.race-cars.com/carsold/mal...9/ff-mk9ss.htm

and

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2013/0...lverstone.html

start the video at 3:20 mark

[E1pix]

All raising serious questions, D:
1). Why are the mirrors pointing the wrong way?
2). How can *anyone* drive so decisively, in reverse and looking at following cars, and
3). Is it possible my confusion exceeds even my doctor’s diagnosis?

Scary, Man.

[E1pix]

Looks like he rolled off the trailer hot.

Back to Earth and its Runoffs, was today actually Ethan’s first session in this car at Road America?

If so, that is one of the most-amazing achievements in Runoffs history. Wow.

[pacratt]

Ethan,
Remember your Vee roots...momentum-momentum-momentum...and...brakes? what brakes?...
Drive it like a Vee & you'll scare half of them out of your way!
Vaya con dios, mi amigo.
Glenn Lange

[teamwisconsin]

Thanks guys, we started off well. Long way to go from here. We have some issues to attend to but hopefully if I can pull my head out of my butt we can find some more time. Hopefully.... I was bummed to miss the test days and practice day yesterday but we had a CSRG race at Sonoma and I had 4 customer cars running so duty called and I had to make money before lighting it on fire this week.

And nope, not my first session in the car at Elkhart. I was here in June for the Sprints. And I have a zillion laps here in Vees and Fords and a few over the past few years in a BT44.

Thanks for all the positive mojo guys, keep your fingers crossed for us...

[t walgamuth]

http://www.race-cars.com/carsold/mal...9/ff-mk9ss.htm

and

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2013/0...lverstone.html

start the video at 3:20 mark

That is some amazing film there! I was wondering how he could be so fast. Good driving I suppose first, but the car is obviously fast. Is it aerodynamically superior? Is it very light weight?

[Peter Olivola]

That is some amazing film there! I was wondering how he could be so fast. Good driving I suppose first, but the car is obviously fast. Is it aerodynamically superior? Is it very light weight?

"Aerodynamically superior" A Super 7? Hhahahahaha!

[DaveW]

delete

[Daryl DeArman]

"Aerodynamically superior" A Super 7? Hhahahahaha!

Definitely it's biggest advantage is being very light.

The original comment was a Super 7 was as close to a FF as you could get with fenders.

Then a comment was made only if driven in reverse.

I then linked to a video of a Mallock being driven with some intent.

The Mallock is the car they are asking about. The driver qualified poorly due to some engine issues. Those got sorted and the first couple laps are like shooting fish in a barrel.

[t walgamuth]

Ahah! Thanks Daryl. The thread did take a bit of a turn there. I am completely sold on having theengine behind me for handling. Perhaps better aero could make a front engine better...I don't see how but it looked very fast at least until it got up to the leaders.

[Peter Olivola]

Ahah! Thanks Daryl. The thread did take a bit of a turn there. I am completely sold on having theengine behind me for handling. Perhaps better aero could make a front engine better...I don't see how but it looked very fast at least until it got up to the leaders.

One swallow does not a summer make.

[E1pix]

The thread did take a bit of a turn there.

Damned Artists!

[stonebridge20]

Customer Caterham sitting in my shop as I type. Customer is just about ready to pull the trigger and sell it.

[mont7]

Mallock's are essentially front mid-engine cars. The distribution on my Mk 11b is 42% front/58% rear. Total weight, including driver and fuel, is 1135 lbs. The engine is also offset to the left, as I believe it is in the Mk 9.

[Daryl DeArman]

[ChristopherBernard]

Customer Caterham sitting in my shop as I type. Customer is just about ready to pull the trigger and sell it.

French blue and carbon. If I didn't already have two Sevens and two Mallocks I'd make the short drive to look!! Is it actually street legal as is? Older chassis and crossflow? 1700?

[pacratt]

One swallow does not a summer make.

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate!?

[stonebridge20]

French blue and carbon. If I didn't already have two Sevens and two Mallocks I'd make the short drive to look!! Is it actually street legal as is? Older chassis and crossflow? 1700?

Street legal 83 Caterham registered in CT as a 65 Lotus
1600 Kent at around 140Hp with maybe 1K miles on rebuild many years ago.
Needs nothing !