Crewed at 12-Hour Enduro and Summit Point

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 12:43 PM

Spent this Friday/Saturday crewing for one of my buddy's ITS RX-7 and his teammate's SSM Miata at the "12-Hours at the Point" endurance race at the Summit Point Raceway (SCCA).

Not going to bore you with details, but long story short the RX-7 only made it about 1/2 hour into the race because of serious overheating issues. This is after we had already replaced the transmission and clutch between Friday's night practice and the night qualifying session. We ended up missing qualifying and started 45th, but had moved up to the upper 20s by the time the car called it quits. I had to leave about 10 hour into the race, but the Miata was still running strong at the top of its class. I was the ventman for the RX7 and fireman for the Miata during the frequent pit stops.

Anyhow, good times...alot of work! I'm tired as hell.

Here are some pics of some highlights, which is much more interesting than me talking more:

Ok, so I had to take ONE of the Maxima

The team

Up into the truck for work...

Don't you wish you had a lift in YOUR truck?

This 944 was the fastest car out there for the race. He made it about 6 hours before something went wrong

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 12:44 PM

Night lighting

The "garage" area

Nomex suits suck...

All the cars in grid for starting

Note in this pic how there are no dents or scrapes on this car. A few hours later, all four corners are banged up

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 12:44 PM

Some shots from various parts of the track

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 12:45 PM

This is what happens when a wild turkey runs out in the track and you hit it doing 100mph. The mangled turkey was actually INSIDE the car and the driver did another 2 laps before he could pit (his teammate was in his pit spot)

What did he do? Run the next 8 hours of the race with no windshield (back window also removed so it wouldn't blow out from the wind)

Sometimes, you can take a corner too fast...

he didn't rejoin the race, needless to say

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 12:45 PM

doing some fuel transfer

trying to look important

The race's leaders by a long way...Mitch Piper's 2 BMWs. These are the guys who put on my SFCs. Crazy that the 911 caught back up with them. I had a feeling the 911 was a bit faster, but was 2 laps down at one point.

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 12:46 PM

wonder if Jared is driving

This porsche was just MEAN...love teh side exaust.

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 12:47 PM

loadign up the trailer

me with our driver, Chris Mitchum

lol

working on the Miata

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 01:19 PM

some night shot attempts (damn mini digital camera)

LeVeL · 06-03-2007, 01:28 PM

Nice! I love working crew, you get closer to the action. Good pics!

*Tatanko* · 06-03-2007, 01:41 PM

Nice pictures. I spent a day at that track last summer with a friend who lives maybe 10 minutes away watching the Corvette and Porsche clubs who had rented out the track for the day go at it. Lots of fun just to watch. I'm sure driving it or even helping crew would be loads of fun.

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 01:42 PM

The guy who hit the turkey. No glass now

A few more dents on the Benz now. you can't see it but the front bumper is held on by zip ties and straps now...

*liqidvenom* · 06-03-2007, 04:04 PM

very nice pics...what were the rules you had to meet for the car to be able to race?

*Squirrel82* · 06-03-2007, 06:20 PM

Nice pics.I was on the drift side yesterday.

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by liqidvenom

very nice pics...what were the rules you had to meet for the car to be able to race?

http://www.12hoursatthepoint.net/

here's the page for the event. Car classing is based on SCCA road racing classes mixing pro cars, non-pro track-built cars, and a handfull of street-legal cars (in this case, some of the Miatas and a couple VW Golfs).

I'm not all that knowledgeable about the build/modding specs for the various classes (they are VERY different from autocross classes), but if you are interested in the classes, you can check them out on SCCA's website in the "club racing" section.

Chris is a former pro driver and car-builder, but now that he's married and has a baby he's doing more behind-the-scenes stuff for race companies and only runs a few of his own races each year.

his other cars include:
- factory 5 Cobra
- a road-racing stock car (think NASCAR but on a road course)
- two gen-1 RX-7's that are much more heavily prepared than the Gen-2 he used for the enduro
- and a handfull of other race-type cars

**irish44j** · 06-03-2007, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squirrel82

Nice pics.I was on the drift side yesterday.

yeah, all the guys running the enduro were laughing about all the teenagers going to the drift event on Shennandoah Circuit, and how they'd never seen so many Civics and Eclipses with big tails coming through the gate (they meant the spectators, not the competitors, lol)

*00MaxSE* · 06-03-2007, 07:30 PM

^^Moar pics of that chick please.

*97SEdriver* · 06-04-2007, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irish44j

A few more dents on the Benz now. you can't see it but the front bumper is held on by zip ties and straps now...

Meh...that's cuz old people over 30 can't drive worth a shiet.....

well alone over 50..........

*speed racer* · 06-04-2007, 06:30 PM

Very impressive. Any thoughts on what can be done to prevent overheating?

**irish44j** · 06-04-2007, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speed racer

Very impressive. Any thoughts on what can be done to prevent overheating?

The problem with the RX-7 was (we suspected) that the big oil cooler was blocking air from the big radiator. The problem with ITS class is that there are VERY strict rules about where you can mount things (like the oil cooler) and there isn't much flexibility. I think Chris plans to go to a different style radiator and oil cooler setup (within the rules, of course) for the next race.

**Greeny** · 06-04-2007, 07:00 PM

Looks like fun....

The porsche exhaust got me hawt..

**Cutler** · 06-04-2007, 07:27 PM

Were you spraying NOS on the track, I hear it helps down the straights and helps set up the turns.......especially turn 1 at full throttle.....

*Squirrel82* · 06-04-2007, 08:29 PM

Whos the fat dude with the red shirt?

**irish44j** · 06-04-2007, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squirrel82

Whos the fat dude with the red shirt?

err....the whole team was wearing red shirts. You'll have to be a bit more specific. I wouldn't say any of them were "fat" though....

**irish44j** · 06-04-2007, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cutler

Were you spraying NOS on the track, I hear it helps down the straights and helps set up the turns.......especially turn 1 at full throttle.....

don't hate just because turkeys don't like Miatas