Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

It was off to the back side of the Santa Rosa airport this morning for another go at the PCA. The course was interesting. The start had a flat on the floor 2nd gear left hand sweeper into a quick zig-zag, and then into what was knows as "the go-cart chicane". This was a rough tight right turn that falls away into a hard on-camber left hand to a flat transition to another hard rough right hander that dumps out into a FAST slalom. Upon exit of the chicane, I would immediately grab 3rd gear and fly through the slalom, scrub speed and setup for a sweeping right hand turn around. I was easily able to pull 3rd through this in almost a full drift. (Someone took an awesome shot of me as I nearly took him out due to my being very close to the inside apex cone (6 inches or so?). At this point my foot was firmly planted on the floor and I took off for the next turn down a very fast (not quite 4th gear but close) straight. Lift off throttle, and gently touch the brakes and into a slightly down hill right hander. I think I drifted this at least twice, once it was on its way to either going around or doing something but some how I cleaned it up one handed (I think I might have been waving to the corner workers with the other unintentionally. My hand slipped off the wheel.) This emptied out (still in 3rd) into the finishing box, that I ripped though still in 3rd. Tripped the lights with a clean run. Fastest time; 42.714. This means little to those who were there. The TTOD was set by a SCCA National AutoX championship attending fully sponsored Hoosier race slick wearing gutted non streetable Honda Civic that ran a very high 41 second run on his very last lap. A fully track built Porsche 930 on full slicks (again no where near street legal with tens of thousands of dollars thrown at it) just edged me out of 2nd with a 42.712 (I think). Again on his last run. Up to this point, the car had seen more time in the grass than on the course. The guy got lucky.

All in all I managed to shave 5 seconds off my first run, winning class, and finishing 3rd overall. My co-driver finished about 2 seconds behind me. He may have hurt the car with a missed shift, but I don't know yet. It can't be that bad as the car still drives ok, just seems a little slow (But it was loaded to the max on my way back from his house.) More to follow on this.

Will

And the results are:

REDWOOD REGION AUTOCROSS March 29 6 RUNS
PLACE Name Region Model Year Class Best time
1 Mike McCrory GGR Honda Civic 1995 41.866 TTOD-M
2 David Bunch RED 911S 1976 AX4 42.061
3 Will Campbell Datsun 2000 1969 42.714
4 Jim Winston RED Datsun 240Z 1971 42.719
5 Larry Sharp GGR 993 RSA 1993 AX11 42.764
6 Loren Burgess GGR EVO 2006 42.879
7 Tristan Bayless RED 911S 1975 43.155
8 Alan Jung GGR Cayman S 2006 AX11 43.209
9 Andy Brian RED 914 1975 43.580
10 Tosh Yumae DIA 993 1997 43.628
11 Trekkor Wills RED Datsun 2000 1969 43.752
12 Mac Cranford RED 987 2000 AX10 44.002
13 Don Cameron RED 911 1983 AX13 44.065
14 Gary Southern ESCA Datsun 240Z 1973 44.186
15 Henry Seitz ESCA M. Benz 1987 44.286
16 Jason Derderian GGR 987 2005 44.290
17 Joe Thomas RED Cayman 2006 44.485
18 Steve McCrory RED 911 1967 44.722
19 Bill Newton RED 912 1968 AX6 44.775
20 Bill Walters RED 987 2005 44.820
21 Mitchell Rossi RED 911 1970 44.838
22 Howard Thomas RED 987 2002 44.865
23 Sharon Neidel RED 911S 1976 AX4 44.866 TTOD-L
24 Dan Cooper GGR 993 1995 AX13 44.951
25 Justin Bower ESCA Datsun 240z 1970 45.010
26 Chris Hamilton GGR 914 1970 AX13 45.167
27 LaVergne Thomas RED 987 2002 45.399
28 Larry Burgess GGR EVO 2006 45.450
29 David Yarn GGR 987 2005 45.839
30 Andrew Guigles RED 914 1974 45.998
31 Ted French DIA 993 RSA 1993 AX11 46.167
32 D. J. Sullivan GGR VW GTI 2007 46.481
33 Ed Dugan RED 911SC 1980 46.667
34 Eric Siedentopf ESCA Mustang 2006 46.773
35 Tom Strobel RED 911 1985 46.832
36 Riadh Said ESCA BMW 635 2006 46.834
37 Ron Cox ESCA Mini Cooper 1967 47.023
38 Dan Waugh RED 911SC 1978 47.027
39 Becky Cranford RED 987 2000 AX10 47.077
40 Bill Thomas RED ???? ?? 47.111
41 Tony Long RED 911 1989 47.431
42 Steve DeJung RED 911 1985 47.655
43 James Heisey RED 928 1982 47.672
44 Elise Ebitz GGR Cayman 2007 AX10 47.733
45 Scott Peterson RED 911S 1975 47.841
46 Mathew Ebitz GGR Cayman 2007 AX10 48.132
47 Michael Cox ESCA Mini Cooper 1967 48.318
48 Vern Rogers RED 996 C2 2005 48.700
49 Jan Bolt ESCA Corvette Z06 2007 48.756
50 Julian Pearl RED 993 1996 48.990
51 Jeremy Miller RED 993 1995 49.084
52 Bob Schoenherr SVR 912E 1976 49.391
53 Jeff Long RED 911 1989 49.718
54 Kim Fiori RED 914-6 1970 50.576
55 Josh Schwartz RED 993 1995 51.008
56 John Schliemann ESCA Miata 1995 51.621
57 Alycia Strobel RED BMW M3 1995 52.021
58 Cliff Braun GGR 914 1970 52.327
59 Scott Jarczyk ESCA Lexus GS430 2002 54.238
60 Kathryn Phillips RED 996 2000 55.547
61 Todd Smith ?? ?? ?? 56.962

The 240Z that finished just behind me is seriously bad. I now call it the Darth Vador mobile.

I guess this was a good showing for a 40 year old daily driver

Will

Well done Will....

WOW, nice finish! That is amazing Will, really well done.

Did missing the shift hurt the motor?

Ron

I haven't found any signs that its hurt. As I said it was sluggish (or seemed that way) after unloading from the trailer and driving home. I later went to the store and got gas and it seemed fine. (Perhaps it was napping after a hard day at the races and wasn't happy about being woken up. I don't know.) I haven't found any fluids where they don't belong, and it sounds the same. I haven't had a chance to pull the plugs and look for eye brow marks on the pistons. It doesn't smoke at all, so I think (hope) its alright. I drove it to work yesterday and today and it seems to be fine.

Will

the best thing you can do is a compression check. If you knicked a valve and it is bent you will be down in compression.

I would start there...

Glad to hear that your Roadster is doing well.

Ron