Kitcat

OK, I just signed up w/TrackDaze. Kinda a PITA, some sites are user-friendly, others, like this one not so much. And much hassle w/paypal. Oh well, I am registered at least. BTW, # 7 and 77 are taken as is # 1(For wh/I humbly settled). Why is # imp? Because if it is rejected and you add a new one, there are certain boxes that must be re-checked. Round and around we go.... I signed up for the Intermediate group. I will rent one of the track side "suites" and stay right there. For folks who havent been there, the 'suites' are very basic, not close to H Inn quality, but have the advantage of being there (hard to oversleep). Typically gas and race gas is available onsite as well. There is tons of pull-thru trailer parking space and typically we get a coupla garages to park our se7ens in over nite. Tom, will the track clubhouse be open for dinners?

Congrats! And an adventure it is. How are you getting it to NJ/When?

Yes, I did read those results and was struck by Miata's success. Are you tempted to switch to a Miata then? (Mite at least be fun to do a back to back comparo at a track day and see wh/car is really faster).

YellowSS: Has a decision been made to run with TrackDaze? If so I will sign up now.

What Croc & YellowSS said-plus the "long cockpit" Caterham was an option starting in the mid '80's and became standard in the mid '90's. Wheelbase is the same. All Birkins thru today are "short cockpits". While footroom, headroom, shoulder room, etc., are the same as in a long cockpit, in the short cockpit w/seat all the way back, you sit abt 2 1/2" closer to the wheel (less arm room). While that mite not seem like much it is noticible, even for a shrimp like me. I solved it by ditching the Birkin's torture-chamber designed stock seats and going with ultra-thin Caterham seats-that restored abt 2 1/2" of missing arm room. Birkin is just now importing its own version of the larger SV,(SUV?), have not heard any reports of any getting here yet. I don't think you'd fit in a stock Birkin. And, alll Birkin and Caterham S3 owners wear skinny driving shoes, or just socks, even me and my 8 &1/2" shoe size.

Great results, thx for keeping the se7en spirit alive at the track! What makes the Miata so competitive? At a typical track day I am a handful of seconds faster, per lap, but in this SCCA race, they got 3 of the 4 top spots.

Maybe post up another pic of the original Birkin design (wherein, the spare tire bolt was perfectly positioned to pierce the gas tank upon contact:)). Another thread has just gone active again on adding a flashing brake light bar on the roll over hoop. Do you have something like that? Any theories on why those bozos have been rear ending you? You ought to send your design to Birkin/Caterham-it makes a ton of sense. I hate heim joints: clack, clack, clack,....

Sorry, he deliberatly (I hope) mispells his name in his e-mail address, which I didnt notice. Try: doernbergr@aol.com (leave the e out of berger so it's bergr).

ER: Both Track Daze and SCDA have a Novice section, complete w/classroom instruction and in-car instruction. It allows new drivers the opportunity to learn the track at their own pace and not be thrown in w/a bunch of Kamakasi-style drivers brandishing broomsticks at slowpokes (like Croc does:)). As noted above, Lighting is a simple track to learrn (not to master but to at least figure out what direction the next turn points). Since your instructor will ride with you, you need saftey belts and (usually) arm retraints for him/her as well as for you. I did this many times in my Caterham and also let the instructor drive. An additional bonus is experienced se7en participants are usually willing to take passengers and you will learn from that as well. We all started like you, with zero track experience and taking baby steps with an instructor. Key is to check your ego at the gate (I just cant let that Yugo pass me), take your time, and slowly get comfortable with what is, initially, a very foreign atmosphere. Hope you can make it, I guarantee you will leave a better driver, and will have fun to boot.

Per advert at back of this month's SporstCar magaizine (SCCA's official publication). Described as 2011 SCCA GLD Championshiop (Great lakes Division?) winning car. Also described as having a "new Chima (Craig?) built Arch Motors chassis with SVT drivetrain and Penke suspension". Call 216-276-2652 and ask for Bob Doernberger, or e-mail him at doernberger@aol.com. No price mentioned. Unpainted alum w/black nose and sporting race car #7, of course. No affiliation ,etc.

BMW did a similar used car ad with a different sexy lady and the exact same tagline:"You know you are not the first, but do you really care?"

Tonight 300 million Americans will be subject to yet anther government mandate! This time he's confiscating one entire hour from each of us. Apparently it's some kind of liberal, do-good theory to supply more daylight. Hey, if we wanted more daylight we could move, we dont need the govenrmet doing our thinking for us. Of course he claims the govenrment will give the hour back "later". Just like him to kick the can down the road and put the burden on our grandchildren. Where are Ted Cruz and Rand Paul when we really need them? Souldn't they be filibustering or something? Sarah, are you out there??? (apologies to today's NYTimes).

Name calling aside, I think one of the points of the original poster was the tax burden is unevenly distributed. Some with mega-wealth pay a much smaller tax % than working- stiffs like me (my combined state, local, fed, FICA, Medicare marginal rate is 45% of gross). Others, much richer than I, pay 4.5%. Whether the gummit really needs so much $ is a separate issue.

I noticed that the Texas Motor Works site has some detailed photos of the Superchager installed on their "Isotope" green Birkin ($54K, for a v lovely car).

What, me worry? Actually, the question was posed by a potential buyer.

Is anyone running with a scattershied to protect them against exploding bellhousings, flywheels, clutches, etc? There has been off and on discussion here abt adding driveshaft loops/hoops, but I haver never seen anything on the use of scattershields. Is this something anyone is concerned about? I would assume the need increases in proportion to RPM's and power? Any particular concern with a 200 hp Duratec redlined at 7K?

Looks perfect!

Wow, a 65 pound single wheel tire combo on a seven, are you sure? So you saved a total of 180 lbs by switching? I had a 265x19x45 on the back of my M3 that weighed less. My 15'' Birkin wheel w/15x205x50 Toyo was about 32 lbs. Both the wheel and tire were heavy and, like you, I dropped down to low 20's w/liteweight 15'' 949 wheel with light weight Avons 15x195x45.

Sure would be interesting to see what that car with its new power and paddle shifter would do in the 1/4 mile (120 mph?)

The Honda engine is too tall to fit under the Caterham bonnet anyhow.

I have had 2 Dedion Caterhams and also an IRS Birkin. So far I have never been able to notice a difference in handling. Maybe I have not been on bumpy roads? I have not driven a solid axle version of any se7en but I had a solid axle AH Sprite and it did not like bumps, esp in curves.

Thx Croc: I had a blast last year so cleary 5 groups was not excesssive. And Tom has accurately listed me as attending as a drver, above.

Ditto dx by bball, on my X-Flow Caterham as well. The engine mounts wear out very fast, then the motor moves around and then bad things happen. I replaced the mounts 2x during my 4 years/15K miles of ownership. Each time it fixed the mystery engine problem (wh/only occurred on high G track day curves). BTW, I may have some left in my basement, PM me if in need.

Croc: Remind me, was it 5 run groups @ SCDA there last year, or 4 ? Five is slicing and dicing the available track time pretty thinly. It mite yield four 20' on-track sessions. And, all it takes is one ''incident" and your alloted 20' on-track segment, that you waited nearly 2 hours for, is vaporized.

And new, fully completed, Duratec Bikins are posted here, and on E-Bay, for $48K.