Datsun Racing at California Speedway

[RC240z]

Guys the #33 Datsun roadster will be racing out at Fontana on March 10th and 11th.

Come out and see the Datsuns dominate!

[RC240z]

Linda PM'd me for more details and I have forwarded the following:

Hi Linda,

There are "run groups" with classifcations of cars that run at about the same speeds so that you don't have a Indy car on the track with a VW Bug.

When we get to the track, we will get a schedule and that will list our run times. We typically run 2 to 3 times a day depending on the track, overall number of run groups and racing organization. Saturday consists of a morning warm up run on the track, followed by an afternoon qualifying run for postion on the race grid for our trophy race. Sometimes we will get two runs prior to our qualifying effort.

Sunday usually consists of a morning warm up, followed by our trophy race in the afternoon. Often times there is a "special race" mixed in on sunday with specific classes of cars running together. In Las Vegas we had a Datsun vs. Porsche shootout... The Porsches got beat, It was a blast!!

At some tracks (depending on the racing organization) we offer lunch time drive arounds, which, for a small fee allows anyone to drive their car the track to see what it is like (at a reasonable and safe speed). So I would recomend planning to be there around 10:00 in the morning, so you can see most of the run groups and plan to stay until about 2:00 in the afternoon. That way you will be able to see most of the action and possibly take advantage of the lunch time drive around.

At Fontana I will be racing with VARA. http://www.vararacing.com/Overall1.html

At California speedway, it is nice to have a bicycle, this will allow you to get around and see all of the different pit areas around the track with relative ease. It is an easy walk too if you prefer to stroll. This format is great because you will be able to see all the great cars close up and talk to the drivers and crews. There will be some very exotic machines along with very simple race cars.

We will be racing on the large road course, which means we will be running on about 2/3's of the oval and then through the infield section. This is a great track to watch us race as there are several good locations to see all of the action.

As it stands right now there will be at least 7 to 10 Datsuns racing at Fontana. Quite a few of them are very fast cars and will be front runners in their race groups. It should be a great time.

I hope a few of you can make it. come by and say Hi! My trailer has RC NETWORKS Racing in big letters on the side and the back.

Ron

PS I almost forgot, there is usually a $10 entry fee to watch and walk through the pits.

[Linda]

Sounds like fun and a rare opportunity to see the Datsuns race.
This might be a good "Club" event.

Linda

[RC240z]

Linda, and other members!

I made some calls and have a tentative schedule for our racing weekend at California Speedway:

I am in Group 4, Almost all the other Datsuns will be in Group 1.

Group 4 will run:

Sat. 9:15AM and 2:30PM, Lunch tours at 12:00 Noon
Sun. 9:15AM and 2:00PM, Lunch tours at 11:30AM
Our trophy race will be at 2PM Sunday

Group 1 will be all the 510's roadsters alfas etc.

Remember Sunday will be the first day of Daylight Saviings.

Group 1 will run:

8:00AM and 1:00AM Saturday
8:00AM and 12:30PM Sunday
This group will include all the Z cars.

[RC240z]

Fun weekend at California speedway with the largest number of Datsuns I have seen on the track since I started racing. There were well over a dozen Datsuns, mostly 510's a few Z's and one roadster.

We arrived Friday afternoon and pitted across from the first group of garages. We unloaded, got the car though technical inspection and prepared for the following day.

Saturday morning we pulled the roadster out of the trailer and found to our surprise that #33 was only running on 3 cylinders. We swapped out the spark plugs, and that had no effect. An examination of the distributor cap found a cracked and burned cap. We then headed off to the local Napa Auto Parts for a replacement and forfeited our morning warm up run on the track.

Saturday afternoon’s run was much better, with the new distributor cap in place and the roadster running at its best I started at the very back of the fifty-two car field for our qualifying round. As the green flag waived I took off passing cars left and right and laying down my fastest lap time at Fontana with a 2.17.7 over Three seconds faster than my previous best. I qualified 28th behind Sue Hasseler and her C sedan 510. Sue turned a fastest lap of 2.17.4.

Most of the rest of the afternoon Sue and I passed jabs back and forth. Something about getting beat by a girl or something. So the stage was set for another epic Datsun battle at California Speedway.

Saturday afternoon we went to meet Al Unser, we joined a group of 75 for an hour of questions and answers of the three time Indy 500 winner. Al and his wife were back this year to promote their scholarship fund and museum.

Sunday morning was uneventful, we fired up the roadster for our morning warm up and got out on the track and ran the car well, working on shift points and brake points.

Some of our Datsun colleagues did not fair as well. Steve Link’s very fast B Sedan 510 suffered not one, but two broken transmissions and a motor failure ending his run Sunday morning.

Sunday afternoon we lined up on the track with the largest field for a flag race, forty cars. Of those cars there were six Datsun’s, five Dimes and the #33 roadster. We got our warm up lap in and lined up for our rolling start. Right away the power advantage of the roadster was apparent as I passed Sue Hasseler right at the start and pulled away down into the first turn where the better handling of the 510 came into play. Sue was right behind me looking for me to make a mistake along with another 510 (John Labine’s white 510) right behind Sue looking for any opportunity to get around #33. We battled closely for 4 laps with my roadster pulling away on the banking only to get caught up on the infield with the better handling of the 510. On lap 4 Sue found the opening she wanted and got around me only for me to catch her on the banking and pass her again. At the end of the straight we got a full course red and then black flag due to another 510 behind us spinning and hitting the wall on the infield head on, and ending our race on the 5th lap. We hope that the 510 driver is okay, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

I finished 27th, just ahead of Sue in 28th and John in 29th place overall. We had a great time and Sue has vowed to get me back.

Things to work on. We had some success with the brakes but are still battling issues with the brakes on the car. I got a lot of fade late in the qualifying and flag race that we will be working to correct along with some more work on the balance bar set up in the car.

Next race event will be Laguna Seca in April, hope to see a few of you there.

Ron

[SLOroadster]

When are you going to be up at Laguna Seca? I need a day off, I'll come down and watch. I won't be in the roadster however (still haven't had a chance to fix the rear wheel bearings.)

Will

[Linda]

Sounds like you had fun Ron. Nice write-up on all the action. Would be neat to see a little "video" of the action on your website. Also I would suggest a link for your entire calendar of racing, if you know it, so that more Roadster fans could perhaps plan to attend.

Linda

[avidtest]

Very cool Ron. I love reading your blow-by-blow write-ups. Almost feels like I was there.

I would've liked to come out, but I had my 1st auto-x in the p-car Sunday (got 3rd in my class). Based on our previous conversations, I was gung-ho to start racing right away. Not so now. Based on my one spin-out and numerous spin-outs from others, there will be many more auto-x's in my future before I consider racing door to door w/ others.

Anyway, thanks again for sharing the action.


Shannon

[RC240z]

Hi guys thanks!!

I don't have an exact schedule Linda. I intend to go back to Fontana in June with HSR west. I will post the dates on the board shortly. Or you can look at www.hsr-westracing.com look under the calendar section.

I will be out with HMSA at Laguna April 3rd for a track day. I would like to run the Coronado festival of speed in my Roadster this Fall and will be trying to get invited to that event through HMSA.

[Alvin]

Great recap Ron. I've been running 2:04s with the roadster at Seca and I hope I can break the 2min barrier in the Z next week with NASA. Will try to come out on the 3rd!

[RC240z]

Alvin it would be great to see you. I Hope you can make it. There will be two roadsters out there. Mine and Tim Arnett's.

I will shoot for your baseline of 2.04, that is a very respectable time for a Roadster in street trim. I think my car can do a 1.55 or so, with race tires and lower gearing. I am hopeful I can get down close to that number. We will see.

[RC240z]

Hi guys just got back from Fontana with running my roadster with VARA. Look at my link below for my race report and I have put up a new video on youtube with two laps at California speedway. This video is the morning warm up with one pace lap and one at speed.

http://datsunracing.us/RC-World/Route66 ... Recap.html

video:

[Linda]

Thanks for the ride along Ron! Guess you don't really need a passenger seat when you can do a video..LOL
What was your top speed on the speed lap?

Linda

[RC240z]

Hi Linda,

I dont have a speedo in the car, so someone will have to noodle out what top speed would be at 7400RPM in 5th gear with a 4.37 gearset and 205, 50,15's.

I come up with 140MPH +/- 5MPH.

[Alvin]

Sensational Ron! I got goosebumps watching. It sounds like 3,4,and 5 are extremely close ratios?

What rpm/gear do you run the slalom/autocross portions?