Howard Jones
Supporter
Re: Superlite Eagle @ 25 Hour of Thunderhill 2010
I don't think that anyone who knew how far behind on time this project started is surprised. Building a 25 hour car this sophisticated and completing a 25 hour race let alone running at the front isn't really a reasonable expectation given the lack of time to do so.
When we arrived at about a hour before the start the team was working very hard to complete the car. They were able to join the race 20 mins late and I personally put a clock on their first flying lap. Cold tires (air temp in the min 50s), cold track, totally untested setup, drive on 2nd complete lap EVER in this car, 95 other cars on the track, and they ran a 1.58. The fast lap in the dry before it rained at about 4 hours into the race was about 1.45.
They had to return to the paddock and get the timing and scoring transmitter working after about a 1/2 dozen laps and then it went back out and ran some very low 50's one after another. This car is very fast and at times I though it as going faster than everyone except the leading Porsche (full on challenge cup).
Then we got called in for a DB (loud) fix it stop. It was not loud really. I think it was the off power engine popping out the exhaust right in front of the sound meter that did it.
When it started to rain they were out on slicks and we had a very slow speed off without hitting anything. I don't know if it stalled or was stuck off in some grass/mud area but the tow truck hooked the tow line to the light bar and pulled the front clip off. This damaged all the electrical plugs, broke the hood pins and generally made a mess of the electrical systems on the front of the car. This took quite a while to fix and by the time they got back out they were about a 100 laps down.
Dark, rain, and this is when I was really impressed. The car was running 2.12s in the rain and the leader was running 2.14s 15s. I saw the SLC just fly buy BOTH the 1st and 3rd place cars in the same corner at one point. Huge advantage in grip over the FGT and the GTM, at least that's what it looked like to me. It also looked to me to be a VERY effective rear wing, irregardless of the style points
Then the car had a electrical issue involving a main power connection that was buried behind and under the big passenger side fuel cell up under the dash in the footwell. They were trying to figure out how to fix it without pulling the tank (several hour process) when we left at about 8pm.
Another thing. EVERYBODY BREAKS during this race, at one point I counted 24 cars in the paddock being worked on. This was at the 3 hour point. Note: very little work is allowed on the hot pit lane. Basically driver changes and fuel or one tire only. The guys who were trying to run this car worked very hard and I never once heard anyone shout at anyone else or get mad. Really a hard working group of gusys trying to do the impossible right in front of god and everybody.
REALY GOOD TRY GUYS!!!
I don't think that anyone who knew how far behind on time this project started is surprised. Building a 25 hour car this sophisticated and completing a 25 hour race let alone running at the front isn't really a reasonable expectation given the lack of time to do so.
When we arrived at about a hour before the start the team was working very hard to complete the car. They were able to join the race 20 mins late and I personally put a clock on their first flying lap. Cold tires (air temp in the min 50s), cold track, totally untested setup, drive on 2nd complete lap EVER in this car, 95 other cars on the track, and they ran a 1.58. The fast lap in the dry before it rained at about 4 hours into the race was about 1.45.
They had to return to the paddock and get the timing and scoring transmitter working after about a 1/2 dozen laps and then it went back out and ran some very low 50's one after another. This car is very fast and at times I though it as going faster than everyone except the leading Porsche (full on challenge cup).
Then we got called in for a DB (loud) fix it stop. It was not loud really. I think it was the off power engine popping out the exhaust right in front of the sound meter that did it.
When it started to rain they were out on slicks and we had a very slow speed off without hitting anything. I don't know if it stalled or was stuck off in some grass/mud area but the tow truck hooked the tow line to the light bar and pulled the front clip off. This damaged all the electrical plugs, broke the hood pins and generally made a mess of the electrical systems on the front of the car. This took quite a while to fix and by the time they got back out they were about a 100 laps down.
Dark, rain, and this is when I was really impressed. The car was running 2.12s in the rain and the leader was running 2.14s 15s. I saw the SLC just fly buy BOTH the 1st and 3rd place cars in the same corner at one point. Huge advantage in grip over the FGT and the GTM, at least that's what it looked like to me. It also looked to me to be a VERY effective rear wing, irregardless of the style points
Then the car had a electrical issue involving a main power connection that was buried behind and under the big passenger side fuel cell up under the dash in the footwell. They were trying to figure out how to fix it without pulling the tank (several hour process) when we left at about 8pm.
Another thing. EVERYBODY BREAKS during this race, at one point I counted 24 cars in the paddock being worked on. This was at the 3 hour point. Note: very little work is allowed on the hot pit lane. Basically driver changes and fuel or one tire only. The guys who were trying to run this car worked very hard and I never once heard anyone shout at anyone else or get mad. Really a hard working group of gusys trying to do the impossible right in front of god and everybody.
REALY GOOD TRY GUYS!!!
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It didn't take long for it to start passing the whole field, including the overall front runners on multiple occasions. 
