Airborne

[WestTexasS2K]

This was the first time we did 1 Lap and we were a little green behind the ears. This was one of the worst legs we ever had and it started off poorly. First off we we were in Grand Junction Ia at Mid America Motorsports park. We did our first session and at the end of that session the AIM3 digital dash went out no gauges of any kind. We ran the second session and pulled back in to the parking lot and hooked up the trailer and packed up and the car wouldnt start the battery was dead. So we dug out the spare battery that I thankfully packed and installed it and everything is up and running again, still no dash or gauges. This leg of the event required us to go to No Problem Raceway southwest of New Orleans LA. This leg was 1084 miles and we had about 15 hrs to get there. Ok no problem. So we start running down the road we dont get 25 miles before 7evin gets hit by highway patrol for 85 mph. That was a 40 min delay really didn't need back on the road.

 

We are about 100 miles down the road I flip the fuel pump transfer switch to refill the car from the trailer. This is just a toggle switch off/on style. I spaced out forgetting that it was on and look at the fuel gauge the only gauge in the car working because it was an analog unit in the console. I noticed the tank isnt getting any fuller and after about 15 min we stopped to investigate. We see fuel pooring out the back of the car on the ground. We open the trunk and find the fuel tank has ruptured and had 6" long tear on the bottom of the tank on one of the welded seems. So we have 950 miles to go and about 13 hours to get there. So we take the tank out of the mount and stand it on the side and used ratchet straps to hold it in place and drive to the nearest town. Which has a population of 200 maybe. We find a hardware store that is closing in 20 min. We bought sandpaper. Epoxy putty and paint thinner and paper towels. We sand the aluminum and cleaned with paint thinner and used the epoxy putty to seal the gash. Waited 40 min for it to dry and then reinstalled the tank and refilled it with fuel. No leak.

 

We jump back in the car and need to run 90 mph for the next 900 miles to make it time. So we motor down the road for several hours and about 1 am I needed to get some sleep because I had to race the next day. So I climb in the trailer for a bit. We are going down the road in LA which is all concrete highway that had an expansion joint every 100 feet. I'm bouncing down the road like a golf ball for about and hour or so then all the sudden I fell this sharp jerk and I hear the car engine rev and then the trailer goes airborn for what seems like 5 sec. and landed with a big bounce. I hear Kevin down shift and back on the gas. Im thinking WTF just happened. He finally pulls over about 30 miles down the road. I had been beating that dang horn button for the last 20 min and he was still trucking. Once I get out of the trailer Im about ready to beat some ass. He informs me that he came up to a bridge and the road had buckeled at the bridge edge and there was about a 6" tall buldge in the road and road tracks were pushed down. He knew if he stayed on track it would have torn the bottom of the motor and took most of the chassis with it. His only option was to go off the driving line which was a nice 6" ramp to launch us up at 90mph. I stayed in the car for the rest of that leg. We made it time for our run group but I had to run the track cold I didn't even get a walk around. I had 5 min to look at a track map before my run. I paid him back the when we had to drive from No Problem to a track in Ga via FL. Thats another story.

Edited April 8, 2012 by WestTexasS2K

[Kitcat]

Sounds like the beginning of a great book to me. I saw you guys and your rig, trailer and all, at Putnam park, who knows when, on one of the 1-laps. I went to spectate and cheer local hot shoe Danny Popp onward. I saw your open car, the day was freezing cold, cloudy, windy, looking like rain, and I thot; "Those guys are crazy!" Turns out I was right:).

[WestTexasS2K]

That was the same week. We followed up that miserable day with a subzero trip to Road America where it was sleeting and raining and we had coats we bought at a Goodwill store after Putnam Park. We couldn't find a pair of insulated gloves in Chicago. Yes no warm gloves to be found in Chicago. We arrived at the hotel near hypothermic at 4 am we had no dry clothes or shoes. To top that off the room was at about 38 degrees. The only warm thing in there was the shower. We had to leave the room at 7:30 to make it to the track and the pleasure of running in the rain all day. I don't know why we did it again the next year. Blessed with poor memory I guess

[slngsht]

you guys are crazy - in a good way. definitely a lot of memorable posts in your adventures.