260Z Races Again!

Ron Earp · 03-13-07, 05:27 PM

Well, despite a lot of thrashing to get the Z back on track we managed to do it! I missed practice and qualifying at Rockingham, but I did make the race. Starting from the end of the grid I managed to move up about six spots. Still last in class, but my best laptime of the race would have put me mid-pack and I was consistent. If I could have started mid-pack I think I could have held on to that.

The Traqmate data system is AWESOME! Reviewing the data on Sunday night I found several places I could be faster and I have no doubt I'd pick up a good bit of time racing again there. IMHO when you go racing, or start to go racing, you should get a helmet, suit, gloves, shoes, and a Traqmate. I won't race without it anymore, just to valuable. Lots of time in the driver and this is the way to find it, or one efficient way to find it.

Anyhow, nice to get out and get my race on. I got my edge back, and am going to run this car all year in SCCA ITS for points. Still got work to do with this car, but it is tuning and driver, not re-construction like the Jensen!!!

Ron

Bill D · 03-13-07, 05:28 PM

Congrats!!!

Ross Nicol · 03-13-07, 06:43 PM

These cars are a much better thing to race than the Jensen Ron.Here's me in my 240z circa 2000. Good lead up to a GT40 reliable as hell too.
Regards Ross

Ron Earp · 03-13-07, 08:13 PM

Cool shot! As I recall I think your racing class was a little like our Production class, which isn't as it sounds - Production allows for lots of mods and allows you to have brake upgrades etc. Fun stuff, good cars!

The Jensen is getting parked, this is my race car, and building the Lola into a race car is my major focus. I think it'll race extremely well and be a lot of fun to develop. You've had a great time with the GT40 and I'm aiming to do the same!

I hadn't had any wheel to wheel track time since November and thought maybe I'd lost my edge. It came back though, and I have to have more. I could have had 4.25 hours of wheel to wheel track time for about $375 this weekend, but ended up settling for far less as I had mechanical issues with just getting the car back out and all.

Ron

Malcolm · 03-14-07, 05:43 AM

First telemetry...... and then maybe radios??????

Reading about what other guys are doing is so making me want to get on track, its frustrating. Way to go, Ron

Ron Earp · 03-14-07, 09:20 AM

Now Malcolm, let's not get too far ahead now! Besides, who would I talk to? I'm the driver, crew chief, development engineer, mechanic, and shop sweeper - I don't have anyone back in the pits to call on the radio!

I'll tell you what, that Z car is a blast to drive. It has good power, reasonable brakes, and is a real CAR. I like driving the Miatas for the ease and reliability factor, but the Z requires a lot of attention to make it perform well. It just feels like a proper race car in many aspects, and that inline six at about 7000 with an open pipe bouncing off the wall sounds great!

Get that Prosport out on track, do some wheel to wheel racing - there has got to be a class for that car, it'd be a hoot!

Ron

Malcolm · 03-14-07, 03:26 PM

Hi Ron,

The classes that the prosport could run in would make it a low performer when you are up against the radical SR8's, B6 Stealth, Juno's and now the awesome Ligier JS49. However 8th May is a target date for Silverstone GP track day so as said before, get over here and we can play!

As for radio's, you could make a live link up to the forum so we could all hear your dulcet tones as you dodge flames, flaying prop shafts, crazy bloody English drivers and Sex with Crocodile shooters! The hits on this site would go through the roof!

Jeff Young · 03-14-07, 03:28 PM

Have to throw in a British car plug here as well. With a lot of help from Ron, we made a ton of improvements to the TR8 and I took 2nd place in that race, about 1 second off the pace of the leader.

The 8 and the 260Z make decent race cars. Solid cars, hardy engines, no real quirks (although some weaknesses). Not as race friendly as newer EFI cars perhaps, but they don't mind having someone drive the piss out of them. The Jensen, while cool, not so sure on that. And I have MANY hours in that car and wanted it to race as badly as anyone but Ron.

The Z for 07 it is. The 8 we hope has a shot for a good finish in the points.

Ron Earp · 03-14-07, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malcolm

Hi Ron,

radical SR8's, B6 Stealth, Juno's and now the awesome Ligier JS49.

You sure you are in a race or some sort of alternative history World War II air combat story? Those don't sound like cars!

Jeff's TR8 did very well on the weekend and has had a great many of improvements to it. Lots of folks took note of that car and were impressed and it's visibily improved performance. It is pretty cool when the work you do in the off season ads up to a tangible gain in performance, really nice. Having a 2nd place finish helps out with morale as well. I know I was about ready to see that driver and car pull off a podium spot, most excellent!!!

Jeff didn't race as much as he could have this weekend in order to save his brakes for the big Sunday points race. We had three practice sessions of 15 mins, 3 qualifiying sessions, a 1.5 hour race, a 45 min race, and a 30 min race - a lot of time in one weekend. I didn't make it all due to issues and just confidence in the car, but I'm ready now. Bring it on!

Now I need to figure out how to drive the Z and join him there!!

R

Big-Foot · 03-14-07, 04:12 PM

It's always good to see those Z-Cars on the track.. A good friend raced one for a lot of years in ITS and finally EP. I think the years as an IT car took their toll. When the tub started seeing the Gforces from the slicks in EP, the cracks started developing... Still all in all marvelous cars in my opinion...

Ron Earp · 03-14-07, 08:27 PM

Here is the TR8 at speed at the Rock. It picked up some top end with the addition of a hard top this year. Up until now Jeff had run it open, and while that is definitely cool, it isn't as fast due to aero. Reports from him indicate this is a huge improvement for sure.

The TR8 is a cool car in the classes because only one other team in the US runs one, and most people think they are uncompetitive. That might be a changin' with a second place finish and we hope more of those to come in the future.

Cool car and it is driven well. Definitely gets the most looks and drop bys from other racers than any other IT car out there!

Malcolm · 03-15-07, 07:45 AM

Check out

Ligier JS49 at http://www.automobiles-ligier.com/si.../js49_home.swf
Junos at Juno Racing
Radical SR8’s at Radical SR8
Stealth B6 at Stealth Cars

The Stealth B6 and the prosport are related but are quite different in final form.

Ross Nicol · 03-20-07, 08:48 PM

Things you shouldn't do to your Z Ron. I rolled the green car after the brakes failed in a corner at Phillip Island.The white car at Phillip Island as well rammed by a 944 Porsche.
Ross

Pete. · 03-21-07, 01:56 AM

Well at least you now have an abundance of spare parts.

Ron Earp · 03-21-07, 07:12 AM

Damn! Those look pretty bad, did you fix the white one? The green one looks sort of, uh, not straight anymore!

The 260Z has had an SCCA logbook since 1991. It has been rolled once, hit real hard up front once, and year before last hit REALLY hard on the left rear that bent it - looked like the white one. She's straight now, but has been through hell. It'll be making an apperance at Summit Point this weekend, and next weekend at Carolina Motorsports Park. I've decided to race this car, let the Jensen sit until my garage is gone, and just get on with what I like, getting on track and racing. It is a good, honest race car with a great cage, strong motor, and a lot of previous development from the other owner. I'll make the most of it.

What sort of rules do you race under, that is, allowed modifications?

Our are pretty much suspension and mods are wide open, motor not so much, only .040 over, 0.5 compression bump, and free exhaust. Stock cams etc, but even so the best 240s make about 208-210 crank hp, which is damn good for the rules but shows the sort of attention to detail needed to do it, which is a lot.

Ron

Ross Nicol · 03-22-07, 12:46 AM

I raced this Z from 98 to 2003 when the GT40 was finished.It was green until the roll over and I changed it to white.After the smash I re-shelled it with an early 240z body.Was quite a competitive car.We had a lot of freedoms - rear disc brakes,L28 motor, stripped interior, lim slip, adjustable front camber, 8" rims,polycarb windows etc.I did retain the twin SU carbs and there were 3 cars racing with the same spec.We raced against a lot of 944s in those days, had their measure in grunt but they beat us in the corners.I had to sell it to fund a small part of the 40 build,No surprises there.
Ross

Craig · 05-17-07, 10:43 PM

Glad to see you guys are Datsun racers, I feel right at home now!!!
Im a newbie, my name is Craig and want to build a GT40 spaceframe racecar...no ADR RTA or airconditioning for me. Just raw horsepower and lightweight is my objective. I used to race Formula Ford as well....
Anyway I currently race a modified 1200 coupe with as follows:-

SR20 power the engine has got winged/finned baffled sump, adj cam gears, rockers stoppers, dave flood exhaust , and EFI Hardware 48mm Quad throttle bodies, bosch injectors, oil cooler and full race radiator and new autronic SMC driving fuel and ign.
weighs 850 dry so power to weight is good.
The gearbox is Nissan R32 GTS-Turbo and Diff is an L300 with 1 degree neg camber cut and welded into housing. To accomodate this is a mini spool centre using Porsche 930 turbo CVs and axles are shortened Ford 9 inch. It comes with 2 centres 4.6 and 5.3.
15x6.5 Italian Sparco Rallye with (A032r)
The brakes are Wilwood superlite 4 spots, Wilwood discs with custom hubs and rears are standard L300 discs and calipers.
Springs are John Taylor special rear leafs and fronts are 180lb king springs, shocks are Spax on-car adjustable in rear and revalved customs in front.

Anyway I reckon this should keep me amused until I start and finish my buildup on a GT40.
As you guys are racers, any chassis you recommend for racing and what gearbox would would recommend? Hewland, Quaife or would the G50 and or Audi box be ok? I will keep engine pretty close to reliable spec at this stage.