our mechanical failure this last weekend at summit point was in the pits and
was the first i have seen of this. the morgan lost it's ring gear lodging
it into the bellhousing with the car running. after a thorough inspection
thorugh the starter's hole we agreed it was "trailer time". we left early
just beating foul weather on the way home. we went home , not in the best
of moods . but it was a fatal mechanical failure and we did get home with a
car that was mechanically wounded but intact. the thoughts have gone back
and forth about this having happened on the track at speed .
shoulda-coulda-woulda? personally i'm thankfull it hapened when it chose to
happen and no other damage seems present . that could have been a very
nasty failure at speed. needless to say the entire car is coming apart
this winter to emerge next season in new colors and definitly a new
flywheel!
as most of you know i am too young to have driven in "the bad old days".
but along with my father(a competitor) i was where most children were never
seen. i saw the cars being worked upon in the pits, the late night sessions
in the garages and the at times disasterous results of both driver error and
mechanical failure. evryone was trying to get more and more out of the
cars and creative interpertation of the rules lead to some interesting
debates in the form of protests. where are the interesting interpertations
today? most have expired as they were so close to their limits of the day
they did not last mechanically or physically into the next year or decade
for that much. what really seems to matter is to be safe, be as fast as you
feel comfortable with and enjoy what you are doing. if there is doubt,
possibly that is the beginning indicator of possibly being at the wrong
place?
chuck.
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Palmer <mgvrmark@hotmail.com>
To: <JWoesvra@aol.com>; <N197TR4@cs.com>; <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Cc: <sbracing@execpc.com>; <vinttr4@geneseo.net>; <Jim_Hill@chsra.wisc.edu>;
<KHoward313@aol.com>; <emanteno@attglobal.net>; <chusmann@execpc.com>;
<TR4RACER@cs.com>; <malexander@igsb.uiowa.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 3:15 AM
Subject: Re: Mechanical Failures
> Jack & list,
>
> We had two mechanical failures at the Turkey Bowl this weekend, very
> fortunate that neither resulted in much damage. TR Spitfire broke rear
axle
> & lost wheel -- stayed upright & skidded off course, no further damage.
> Driver told me he had no idea when last magged. Also had a Porsche 356
> crack a wheel, about 20 - 30 % of circumference I would guess, original
> Porsche steel wheel. Driver felt skirmy behavior, backed off & slowly
drove
> into pits. This is just FYI -- is Ely Fishkin listening?
>
> Regards,
> Mark Palmer
>
>
> >From: JWoesvra@aol.com
> >Reply-To: JWoesvra@aol.com
> >To: N197TR4@cs.com, vintage-race@autox.team.net (Vintage list)
> >CC: sbracing@execpc.com, vinttr4@geneseo.net, Jim_Hill@chsra.wisc.edu,
> >KHoward313@aol.com, emanteno@attglobal.net, chusmann@execpc.com,
> >TR4RACER@cs.com, malexander@igsb.uiowa.edu
> >Subject: Re: Mechanical Failures
> >Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 10:08:04 EST
> >
> >In a message dated 11/25/00 6:57:34 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> >N197TR4@cs.com
> >writes:
> >
> ><< Jack Woehrle...I like your attititude on originality vs failures in a
> >modern world.
> >
> > After Jack Drews' car made history at Road America (with his son at the
> >wheel) I am spending some money that I would not spend otherwise.
> >
> > Our car is substantially made up of TR4 stock parts, including the aged
> >TR-666 Isky cam (per legendary Mike Belfer).
> >
> > After all of the TR axle failures, I am changing the rear axles to
> >something
> >more substantial. It wont make the car go faster, but IT DOESNT MATTER to
> >me.
> >I am not so important, but I'd hate to see my sons on the track with the
> >current set up.
> >
> > Hope to see you in the spring.
> >
> > Joe Alexander
> >
> > >>
> >
> >
> >Thanks, Joe.
> >
> >I don't have unusual insight or profound abilities in metallurgy, but I
do
> >feel strongly that Vintage Racing in the United States is no longer a
place
> >to display museum pieces. Not that we shouldn't welcome them. The core of
> >our
> >sport is now made up of enthusiasts that are more racer than
> >preservationist.
> >You can argue forever the merits of this situation. The cold fact is that
> >it
> >is true.
> >
> >I believe we can mantain the character, appearance, and peculiararities
of
> >each make and model without significantly enhancing performance relative
to
> >the other makes. At the same time, I think we should explore every
> >opportunity to make them safer and more reliable, within a range of
common
> >sense any fair play. Stronger materials and better designs can open the
> >door
> >to this goal. Cooperation between responsible racing organizations to
allow
> >and encourage such things is a vital part of this concept. Only the
racers
> >themselves can successfully bring the message to the organizers. There
will
> >always be those who think this is heresy. Those folks have their own
events
> >and venues.
> >
> >This year we have seen enough mechanical failures in vital components to
> >make
> >us worry what we can expect down the road. Old parts that were often
> >questionable when new are reaching the absolute limit of their design
> >expectations. We have to allow intelligent solutions to these problems in
> >order to slow the destruction of fine race cars and possibly save a
> >driver's
> >life.
> >
> >Jack Woehrle
>
>
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