Friday was another good day of testing. We made 11 passes down our short course close to town in the Gorge, with all three drivers and cars in attendance.
All three drivers with their respective rides:
We were able to break a few more things today, but in general, things went very well. We still have some speed to dig out of the Mk I and think we have a lead to accomplish this. From there it will need some additional body panel and aero work and then get painted for its final livery and graphics applied.
Jenny belted into the Mk I:
The Mk II was a different beast altogether. It ran 47 mph all day long. Didn't matter who was driving it, didn't matter where they drove. All its top speeds were in the 47.something range. We did add some weight for the final two passes and bumped it up to 49 mph, so there's something worth looking into there. All in all, it was an excellent day for it and Bill was quite happy!
Bill approves, the Mk II:
Bill rolling through a 47 mph pass:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO … ZQbWg1elZn
The Mk V had another interesting day. After a 50.7 mph first pass, it broke its brake cable at the start of the braking zone for the second, prompting me to slide ditch to ditch and drift around a corner to scrub off speed and then ease it off the road to high center on the chassis pan in the grass. I was told it appeared very dramatic from the outside but for some reason it was quite calm and collected during the maneuvers. After sitting out a few passes, the Mk I donated its brake cable (needs to be replaced anyway) which enabled the Mk V to make a few more passes. The speed was still there, knocking out runs consistently in the low 50's, with a top speed of 52.3 on a course where we hadn't topped 50 before.
The Mk V out in the open:
We experimented with weights and a few other settings, and while we still have work to do, we are reasonably prepared for the actual derby. We still have some midnight oil to burn, but we do enjoy the ride!
Thanks again to Bill, Jenny, and Jeff (and Johnny and Jessica) for a great day in the hills!
The Scuderia Kouba fleet: