Congrats to all of the podium finishers and to a very good group of CENDIV drivers that did a good job of defending our home turf in the front and upper third of the field. Personally I was really fired up to compete in this race in the ole '95 without a restrictor plate. Spent a lot of time getting the car ready including 7+ hours working on the paint to get the car looking presentable. It was only 2 laps into the Friday AM practice before I realized something was wrong, the car just didn't have much straight line speed in spite of being a dyno king a couple months ago. Tried to find something causing drag before Q1, making a front toe adjustment and servicing the rear brakes but it wasn't any better. After qualifying discovered that the harmonic balancer/pulley was quite loose and wobbly and found the key in the nose of the crankshaft to be in pieces and the crank key slot itself chewed up a bit which ended the weekend.
Stayed overnight and watched race 1 from turn 5. Entertaining for sure and Chris H and Jim D looked nearly flawless at the front. Got a surprise visit Saturday from Mike Tesch who built my '95 and was so important in the success of that car for several years. That was worth the trip. It's a shame the car wasn't ready to go Saturday.
After qualifying discovered that the harmonic balancer/pulley was quite loose and wobbly and found the key in the nose of the crankshaft to be in pieces and the crank key slot itself chewed up a bit which ended the weekend.
Wow, that sucks! Do you have any photos?
Domm Leuci --because someone commented that we should all post our names, and not be anonymous. I agree.
In my case the crank pulley key is the part that failed. No issue with the bolts that fasten the balancer/pulley to the crank adapter. The key slot in the metal adapter between the pulley and the nose of the crank is beat up. Crank itself may or may not be saved.
We (My Dad and I) had a great weekend up at Road America again, we really do love the place.
This year was the first time my Dad and I were working together as drafting partners, which just added to the eminence that is the June Sprints, although we only got to work together for practice and qualifying, it was still very cool to be able to run with him! (During the races we just never got a chance to run together/against each other - STILL haven't been able to race wheel to wheel for a position against Dad!)
On Thursday's test day, Dad's car was hooked up out of the box, but mine was having some significant handling issues. The steering wheel would be moving the "sraight" position after almost every corner, and every time I turned the car in, I wouldn't know how much I would need to turn the wheel to get the thing to turn down to the apex, which made for a very difficult and frustrating session. I found that a cam bolt was loose, so I tightened it back down and reset the corners adjustments. For the second session out it was more of the same problem, frustrating again, but then took the bolt out and found that the threads had been stripped. Replaced it that night, then reset the corner adjustments, and re-scaled the car.
Friday morning my car was back to normal and felt fantastic, I could trust the car through the corner and it felt fast. Dad and I ended up with a 1-2 in practice, not that it means much, but it was great to see the pace in the cars.
For Friday's qualifying session my car was having troubles staying below 210 degrees and therefore I could not make a lap work in the draft without getting the car really hot. Changed some things in our cooling systems with some tips from Fowler and they ended up helping significantly for the rest of the weekend. Result of the session was Dad P10, me P11.
Saturday morning qualifying was the short 15 minute one, and on our flyer I missed the 3-4 shift right before 13 which scrubbed our best lap, and we couldn't get another to work, and ended up P11 and P12 after combined quals.
Saturday's race was exciting at the beginning for me, but then became dull in the latter half. Was working with Gagliardo for the first couple laps and we were right with the 6 car group that was battling for 4th, until something felt wrong on Gags' car and he pulled of after running T14 wide, which left me all by my lonesome and I lost the draft of the group, and ran alone for awhile until Bender came and went through me. Ended with a P9 finish, and Dad was P8.
Video from Saturday's Race:
Sunday's race was much more fun, I got a good start and ran right with the front group for a good amount of laps, until I just got one corner off and lost the draft. Danny and Ross working together caught me quick, but did not leave me when they got passed, and I ended up sticking with them till the end, and we all finished right with the lead group. I had a really great time in the car and was ecstatic that I was able to hang with the front pack, finishing only 2,5 seconds behind the winner with 8 other cars in there too was just great! P9 finish again, Dad P10.
Sunday's Video:
Outside of the car the weekend was a blast as well, we were paddocked with Senter Smith, Andy Devoto, and Evan Pecore, and the atmosphere of our paddock was like a big happy family. Senter and Andy are such nice folk and I enjoy every second of their company, and wish they could come out to play with us in Spec Miata a little more! As always going into the town of Elkhart Lake at night is always great, and we actually went and swam in the lake three nights in a row!
Was great to see everyone at the track again and also meet some new faces as well including Mr. Buras and Mr. Ross. Kyle Webb as always was a great entertainer, and also was helpful with some setup tips. The Advanced, OPM, Haldeman, and ESR gangs were all helpful as always, with their plethora of knowledge and available parts. And Danny Steyn took some time out his day to talk to me as well and give some helpful driving/strategy pointers, which I greatly appreciated!
Highlights of the weekend:
-WINNING the 2017 June Sprints Spec Miata Practice session!!!! (I couldn't be happier about this )
-When I went over to the East Street tent, I was talking to Jim, and Mr. Buras comes over and asks Jim, "Is this the PFC guy?" (I was wearing a PFC brakes hat) and Jim replies "no that's Tom Brown's kid!". I got a good laugh about this!
-Both of my cars were fast and competitive during the weekend, and came back without a single scratch, dent, or even a tire mark!
-Four top 10 finishes for both of us in a very competitive field!
Congrats to all of the podium finishers, and thanks to all that have helped get us to where we are today, we had a blast this year at the June Sprints, and can't wait to be back at Road America for the CAT Majors at the end of July. I hope some more people come out than normal, its always a very fun event and a bit more relaxed than the sprints which makes it even more enjoyable!!
We (My Dad and I) had a great weekend up at Road America again, we really do love the place.
This year was the first time my Dad and I were working together as drafting partners, which just added to the eminence that is the June Sprints, although we only got to work together for practice and qualifying, it was still very cool to be able to run with him! (During the races we just never got a chance to run together/against each other - STILL haven't been able to race wheel to wheel for a position against Dad!)
On Thursday's test day, Dad's car was hooked up out of the box, but mine was having some significant handling issues. The steering wheel would be moving the "sraight" position after almost every corner, and every time I turned the car in, I wouldn't know how much I would need to turn the wheel to get the thing to turn down to the apex, which made for a very difficult and frustrating session. I found that a cam bolt was loose, so I tightened it back down and reset the corners adjustments. For the second session out it was more of the same problem, frustrating again, but then took the bolt out and found that the threads had been stripped. Replaced it that night, then reset the corner adjustments, and re-scaled the car.
Friday morning my car was back to normal and felt fantastic, I could trust the car through the corner and it felt fast. Dad and I ended up with a 1-2 in practice, not that it means much, but it was great to see the pace in the cars.
For Friday's qualifying session my car was having troubles staying below 210 degrees and therefore I could not make a lap work in the draft without getting the car really hot. Changed some things in our cooling systems with some tips from Fowler and they ended up helping significantly for the rest of the weekend. Result of the session was Dad P10, me P11.
Saturday morning qualifying was the short 15 minute one, and on our flyer I missed the 3-4 shift right before 13 which scrubbed our best lap, and we couldn't get another to work, and ended up P11 and P12 after combined quals.
Saturday's race was exciting at the beginning for me, but then became dull in the latter half. Was working with Gagliardo for the first couple laps and we were right with the 6 car group that was battling for 4th, until something felt wrong on Gags' car and he pulled of after running T14 wide, which left me all by my lonesome and I lost the draft of the group, and ran alone for awhile until Bender came and went through me. Ended with a P9 finish, and Dad was P8.
Video from Saturday's Race:
Sunday's race was much more fun, I got a good start and ran right with the front group for a good amount of laps, until I just got one corner off and lost the draft. Danny and Ross working together caught me quick, but did not leave me when they got passed, and I ended up sticking with them till the end, and we all finished right with the lead group. I had a really great time in the car and was ecstatic that I was able to hang with the front pack, finishing only 2,5 seconds behind the winner with 8 other cars in there too was just great! P9 finish again, Dad P10.
Sunday's Video:
Outside of the car the weekend was a blast as well, we were paddocked with Senter Smith, Andy Devoto, and Evan Pecore, and the atmosphere of our paddock was like a big happy family. Senter and Andy are such nice folk and I enjoy every second of their company, and wish they could come out to play with us in Spec Miata a little more! As always going into the town of Elkhart Lake at night is always great, and we actually went and swam in the lake three nights in a row!
Was great to see everyone at the track again and also meet some new faces as well including Mr. Buras and Mr. Ross. Kyle Webb as always was a great entertainer, and also was helpful with some setup tips. The Advanced, OPM, Haldeman, and ESR gangs were all helpful as always, with their plethora of knowledge and available parts. And Danny Steyn took some time out his day to talk to me as well and give some helpful driving/strategy pointers, which I greatly appreciated!
Highlights of the weekend:
-WINNING the 2017 June Sprints Spec Miata Practice session!!!! (I couldn't be happier about this )
-When I went over to the East Street tent, I was talking to Jim, and Mr. Buras comes over and asks Jim, "Is this the PFC guy?" (I was wearing a PFC brakes hat) and Jim replies "no that's Tom Brown's kid!". I got a good laugh about this!
-Both of my cars were fast and competitive during the weekend, and came back without a single scratch, dent, or even a tire mark!
-Four top 10 finishes for both of us in a very competitive field!
Congrats to all of the podium finishers, and thanks to all that have helped get us to where we are today, we had a blast this year at the June Sprints, and can't wait to be back at Road America for the CAT Majors at the end of July. I hope some more people come out than normal, its always a very fun event and a bit more relaxed than the sprints which makes it even more enjoyable!!
Great write up, great drive and very nice to meet you this weekend.
Incredible discipline after Danny backed up to me and even though you were frustrated you drove extremely well and stayed in the fight. You may never get to go wheel to wheel with dad unless he gets back up on the wheel. You are right there with the fast guys, tell dad to step up his game.
Tyler, You're having a great year and I have to assume you're also doing the bulk of the work on both cars as well. Plus you're doing the team write-ups. Dad has a pretty good deal.
True North, Bench Racer, Jim Drago and 1 other like this
Great write up, great drive and very nice to meet you this weekend.
Incredible discipline after Danny backed up to me and even though you were frustrated you drove extremely well and stayed in the fight. You may never get to go wheel to wheel with dad unless he gets back up on the wheel. You are right there with the fast guys, tell dad to step up his game.
Thank you! Yeah Dad had an off day on Sunday for some reason, but I am more than confident we will both on our game for the CAT Majors!!
Tyler, You're having a great year and I have to assume you're also doing the bulk of the work on both cars as well. Plus you're doing the team write-ups. Dad has a pretty good deal.
Thank you Tom, and yes, I actually do all of the wrenching! Dad is not allowed to touch any tools or work on the cars He takes care of the logistics for the weekends and I handle all the prep on the cars. It works great for the two of us and I love wrenching on the cars too! I would say Dad has a pretty good deal too, but he also works hard away from the track to give me the opportunity to race, so I do all of the wrenching so he doesn't need to worry about that on top of what he does!
Thank you Tom, and yes, I actually do all of the wrenching! Dad is not allowed to touch any tools or work on the cars He takes care of the logistics for the weekends and I handle all the prep on the cars. It works great for the two of us and I love wrenching on the cars too! I would say Dad has a pretty good deal too, but he also works hard away from the track to give me the opportunity to race, so I do all of the wrenching so he doesn't need to worry about that on top of what he does!
Tyler,
I hope you have a shit ton of friends who value this attitude...keeps the hope alive all is not lost in our future generations!
We (My Dad and I) had a great weekend up at Road America again, we really do love the place.
This year was the first time my Dad and I were working together as drafting partners, which just added to the eminence that is the June Sprints, although we only got to work together for practice and qualifying, it was still very cool to be able to run with him! (During the races we just never got a chance to run together/against each other - STILL haven't been able to race wheel to wheel for a position against Dad!)
On Thursday's test day, Dad's car was hooked up out of the box, but mine was having some significant handling issues. The steering wheel would be moving the "sraight" position after almost every corner, and every time I turned the car in, I wouldn't know how much I would need to turn the wheel to get the thing to turn down to the apex, which made for a very difficult and frustrating session. I found that a cam bolt was loose, so I tightened it back down and reset the corners adjustments. For the second session out it was more of the same problem, frustrating again, but then took the bolt out and found that the threads had been stripped. Replaced it that night, then reset the corner adjustments, and re-scaled the car.
Friday morning my car was back to normal and felt fantastic, I could trust the car through the corner and it felt fast. Dad and I ended up with a 1-2 in practice, not that it means much, but it was great to see the pace in the cars.
For Friday's qualifying session my car was having troubles staying below 210 degrees and therefore I could not make a lap work in the draft without getting the car really hot. Changed some things in our cooling systems with some tips from Fowler and they ended up helping significantly for the rest of the weekend. Result of the session was Dad P10, me P11.
Saturday morning qualifying was the short 15 minute one, and on our flyer I missed the 3-4 shift right before 13 which scrubbed our best lap, and we couldn't get another to work, and ended up P11 and P12 after combined quals.
Saturday's race was exciting at the beginning for me, but then became dull in the latter half. Was working with Gagliardo for the first couple laps and we were right with the 6 car group that was battling for 4th, until something felt wrong on Gags' car and he pulled of after running T14 wide, which left me all by my lonesome and I lost the draft of the group, and ran alone for awhile until Bender came and went through me. Ended with a P9 finish, and Dad was P8.
Video from Saturday's Race:
Sunday's race was much more fun, I got a good start and ran right with the front group for a good amount of laps, until I just got one corner off and lost the draft. Danny and Ross working together caught me quick, but did not leave me when they got passed, and I ended up sticking with them till the end, and we all finished right with the lead group. I had a really great time in the car and was ecstatic that I was able to hang with the front pack, finishing only 2,5 seconds behind the winner with 8 other cars in there too was just great! P9 finish again, Dad P10.
Sunday's Video:
Outside of the car the weekend was a blast as well, we were paddocked with Senter Smith, Andy Devoto, and Evan Pecore, and the atmosphere of our paddock was like a big happy family. Senter and Andy are such nice folk and I enjoy every second of their company, and wish they could come out to play with us in Spec Miata a little more! As always going into the town of Elkhart Lake at night is always great, and we actually went and swam in the lake three nights in a row!
Was great to see everyone at the track again and also meet some new faces as well including Mr. Buras and Mr. Ross. Kyle Webb as always was a great entertainer, and also was helpful with some setup tips. The Advanced, OPM, Haldeman, and ESR gangs were all helpful as always, with their plethora of knowledge and available parts. And Danny Steyn took some time out his day to talk to me as well and give some helpful driving/strategy pointers, which I greatly appreciated!
Highlights of the weekend:
-WINNING the 2017 June Sprints Spec Miata Practice session!!!! (I couldn't be happier about this )
-When I went over to the East Street tent, I was talking to Jim, and Mr. Buras comes over and asks Jim, "Is this the PFC guy?" (I was wearing a PFC brakes hat) and Jim replies "no that's Tom Brown's kid!". I got a good laugh about this!
-Both of my cars were fast and competitive during the weekend, and came back without a single scratch, dent, or even a tire mark!
-Four top 10 finishes for both of us in a very competitive field!
Congrats to all of the podium finishers, and thanks to all that have helped get us to where we are today, we had a blast this year at the June Sprints, and can't wait to be back at Road America for the CAT Majors at the end of July. I hope some more people come out than normal, its always a very fun event and a bit more relaxed than the sprints which makes it even more enjoyable!!
Tyler - this approach creates so much confidence in the future of our class. You are a real wheelman, and with more time in the seat, racing in this ultra competitive class, you are soon going to be standing on the top step of the podium. Your genuine interest and curiosity to see what you could have done differently after Sunday's race will stand you in good stead for the future. One of the best sayings ever is that "There are Winners and there are Learners" and I can tell you I have learned way more from my losses than I have ever learned from my victories. Immediately do the post-mortem and look for the small mistakes, as well as the weaknesses of the drivers you are racing against.
Great to see you and your dad racing together, must be a really wonderful thing for a father and son to share. Look forward to racing with you and your dad again in the future.
Tyler,another thing, enjoy the racing with your dad as long as you can. I intended for me and my dad to get some laps against each other at some time but we may have started a little late in life to accomplish that. We still have hope we can get him into Chump or WRL race someday.
Great drive Tyler! I think the best way to become a better racer is to dive right into the deep end, and most of the Super Tour events are very deep. You are very fortunate to have a great guy, and fast guy for a dad. Even more important than the finishes will be the amazing times and memories of being at the track with your dad. Enjoy!
Thank you! Yeah Dad had an off day on Sunday for some reason, but I am more than confident we will both on our game for the CAT Majors!!
Thank you Tom, and yes, I actually do all of the wrenching! Dad is not allowed to touch any tools or work on the cars He takes care of the logistics for the weekends and I handle all the prep on the cars. It works great for the two of us and I love wrenching on the cars too! I would say Dad has a pretty good deal too, but he also works hard away from the track to give me the opportunity to race, so I do all of the wrenching so he doesn't need to worry about that on top of what he does!
Tyler, don't forget your allignment and dyno shop.
Danny Steyn and tylerbrown like this
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He takes care of the logistics for the weekends and I handle all the prep on the cars. It works great for the two of us and I love wrenching on the cars too! I would say Dad has a pretty good deal too, but he also works hard away from the track to give me the opportunity to race, so I do all of the wrenching so he doesn't need to worry about that on top of what he does!
