[Fot] New Cars, New Parts

Fri Mar 16 20:57:43 MDT 2018

Every Canadian track is seedy—and crazy fun. The infield at Mosport is particularly memorable with all the skanky RVs that must have gone there to die. There was a motor coach parked sideways on a steep hill with no attempt at leveling and the little kids did bonfires at night and ran around like Lord of the Flies. That plus the two downhill off camber blind apex turns, and that insane hairpin turn. My vintage group there was about 50 cars. I was very please to be out near the front—until we started lapping the slower cars that were having pitched battles in groups of five and never checked their mirror. Dear lord. I pulled into the pits after race one and just sat in the car, trying to sort out whether or not I was having fun. After a few beers in the paddock I decided that YES, I was. 

> On Mar 16, 2018, at 8:44 AM, Bill Dentinger <billdentin at aol.com> wrote:
> 
> Henry...
> 
> Back in the 1980s I raced at Shannonville up in Canada.  It is a sort of seedy Club Circuit, but with two interesting features.  ONE you can sit in the grandstands and virtually see the entire circuit.  TWO it has side by side straights, where traffic 'comes back at you'.  Believe me that will scare the hell out of you the first time out...if someone does not warn you about it.
> 
> Anyway they had a HUGE CRX group.  I could not believe how many cars were allowed to run in that group.  Shannonville is pretty narrow, and that race group was one LONG train for the whole race.  I do not think that there was any passing after Turn Three on Lap One.  But, not unlike Formula Vee, it is/was an economical way to go racing, and they all seemed to be having fun.
> 
> Bill Dentinger
> 
> PS a third plus for Shannonville, is the nearby town (Kingston).  Really quaint little town on the lake.  Shirley and I enjoyed staying there.  Nice.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Henry A. Morrison via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
> To: Bill <Bill at ponostyle.com>; Paul Ricco <paulricco at att.net>
> Cc: Friends of Triumph <fot at autox.team.net>
> Sent: Fri, Mar 16, 2018 10:15 am
> Subject: Re: [Fot] New Cars, New Parts
> 
> Solipsistic?  
> 
> I would keep vintage racing if I were racing with TR's and MG's etc.  I went to a race and finished between a X1/9 and a RX7 and said why am I working so hard to keep my Elva running?  Can I race a Dodge Neon or other POS?  
> 
> At the Last VSCDA event there was one Honda CRX in the field.  Were these ever raced?  Wait I know they were but NO ONE cared to watch.  The CRX ruined the aesthetic of the field.  Please forward my message to the owner and tell him to get a real car.  
> 
> I grew up in the 80's the cars sucked, they still suck.  1000 years shall pass and they shall still suck.  I know very few people who long for those cars and do not wish to associate with them.  Old bad wine, is still bad wine.
> 
> Remember a Snob is merely one who appreciates that which is, good.
> 
> I do appreciate all Triumphs.
> 
> Cheers, Henry Morrison
> Sent from Outlook <http://aka.ms/weboutlook>
> 
> 
> From: Bill <Bill at ponostyle.com <mailto:Bill at ponostyle.com>>
> Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2018 10:43 PM
> To: Paul Ricco
> Cc: Henry A. Morrison; Friends of Triumph
> Subject: Re: [Fot] New Cars, New Parts
>  
> I’m trying to figure out what Henry is disagreeing with, or what Paul is saying. If you’re leaving vintage racing, why would you care what the rules are or what cars the organizations permit? And if vintage racing is dying, then how is accepting 80’s cars selling out for the entry fee? If you started racing in 86, then the cars from 1950 (probably older than whatever you raced) were 36 years old. Cars from 1980 are 38 years old. Does vintage mean just those cars that were cool when you were a kid? That’s a bit too solipsistic for me. 
> 
> On Mar 15, 2018, at 2:50 PM, Paul Ricco via Fot <fot at autox.team.net <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>> wrote:
> 
> Henry,
> 
> Well put.  We have really enjoyed 30 years of vintage racing and club racing.   However, I am seriously considering retiring from Vintage Racing after this season and going back to club racing.  I loved the open spirit of CanAm in the day, but that is not what I got into vintage racing a vintage 60’s era sports car for. 
> 
> We may give our race TR4 a well deserved frame off restoration and it can be preserved as closely to the way it was raced during the late 60’s and 70’s as possible.  It can enjoy some restful retirement time with some of the others that we really care for.  We can focus our energy on prepping another race car for Midwest Council or SCCA Club Racing, and not have to deal with some of the dilemma’s that we are facing with car prep for vintage.  Most club racing organizations have made it very simple.  If the rule book does not say that you can make a specific modification, than you cannot make it.  It makes things a lot simpler.
> 
> Paul   
> 
> On Mar 15, 2018, at 5:32 PM, Henry A. Morrison via Fot <fot at autox.team.net <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>> wrote:
> 
> I just can't disagree with this statement more.  
>      1. Vintage racing is dying.  There are way fewer cars and races than there were in 1986 when I started.
>      2. The newer cars and drivers scarcely know what a road course is.  Car culture was different after '72 and especially now, just look at the current Fast and furious movies that sell the current car culture.
>      3.  how many old TR gearboxes from my personal collection would you like to have delivered to your place tomorrow? Or buy some of the ones on ebay for $150, that seems to be the going rate.
>      4. Clubs that accept cars from the 80's are selling out for the entry fee, and in doing so driving me away in the process.
> 
> Have a great racing season, 
> 
> Henry Morrison, Albuquerque, NM
> 
> Sent from Outlook <http://aka.ms/weboutlook>
> 
> 
> 
> It is good to see that other clubs are allowing newer cars into their races.  VARA has been doing this for several years so that we could survive, keep the club solvent and the cost of racing reasonable.  The future of vintage racing is an expansion to cars from the 80’s and 90’s, they are long past their prime in other venues, cheap and they bring in new drivers.  They are in fact ‘vintage’, like our cars were in the 80’ and 90’s.  More important, these are the guys and gals that lusted for a certain hot car of the that era and now have older kids and the bucks to go racing.  Without these folks our sport will pass along with us.
>  
> The same is true of parts.  Much of our equipment is worn out and not maintainable without great cost and effort any longer.  Gear boxes are an example.  I am down to my last good transmission case for my dog box.  When that goes, or the gear set is toast, I am making the switch to a modern box (same ratios) that I can maintain.  Like many of us I have missed races because of transmission failures.  Tony runs a Ford 8” because he doesn’t want to get hurt, and it is bullet proof for racing, even has a weight penalty.   A gear box switch is inevitable if we want to keep our cars on track at an expenditure of time and money that makes sense.
>  
> There are tons of other parts that make engines last longer (and yes they make more power).  An old TR motor is nothing but half a Chevy Small Block; those guys spent hundreds of millions developing motor parts that we can take advantage of.  Same is true of blueprinting techniques, there are much better ways to build engines than ‘back in the day’ and if you read a book and learn how to do it the bloody lump lasts twice as long.  Last time I had my motor out I could have put the coated bearings with 25 races on them back in.  At 36 races I had <5% leak down on the rings and valves.  Started out building the old school way, with old school parts, those days are over as I don’t have the time to spend five days in the shop for every day at the track.
>  
> Oil.  There is no such thing as cheap racing oil.  Modern oil is the best it has ever been and makes the motor last.  I had technical help from Lake Speed who is the ‘man’ for Joe Gibbs Driven race oil.  The stuff is $18 a quart but will last 500+ miles in the car (4-6 race weekends).  Just change the filter after every race and add on quart, total cost $30.00.  I can run all the way down to 27 wt. (mixing) but just run the 30 wt. racing oil even at +100 degrees in the desert and the oil pressure is always spot on.  Tight clearances, light oil and great bearing life, well worth the cost.
>  
> My point in all of this is that “vintage” racing is changing, both the cars and the people.  We are going to have to accept and adapt or slowly see our sport fade.  They willalways be a special place for those cars with a 50 year race history, prepared exactly like it raced in 1965.   For the rest of the grid, and those of us that don’t have cars with history, there are going to be cars with certain changes that get us to the track.  Besides some of us are just SoCal Hot Rodders at heart with a touch of ‘good ole boy’ NACAR ingenuity.  Now I need to get back to work on that 85% scale TR-4 body in aluminum, or possible carbon fiber………..Everyone have a great 2018 season racing!
>  
> Ken
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