NIGHTMOTORSPORT RACING’S NEWSLETTER! MARCH 6, 2012
Nightmotorsport Racing update
We join NASA at Fontana, uncork Tony Brown’s ride, and begin
the framework for our team future.
Well the weekend did not seem to start the best, after a 2 hour drive to
get to the track and get there early. I am sitting in Jack in the Box
eating fast food for breakfast at 6:45am, reviewing my notes and
objectives for the weekend. I get a text from Tony, “Hey Allan, we are
still at the shop and Steve is still working on my car, you may want to
meet us here”.
Not good news, my infamous yellow pad is full of notes on things to do
and try, the track opens in 15 minutes and the hot rod is well, parked.
I’m sure the readers of this update really get the importance of getting
a jump on the day during track testing or race weekend.
At the shop one look at the guys and I know they have been through
hell. One of Tony’s eyes is not opening as far as the other and Steve has
been assembling the car for 48hrs......straight. There is still some top
end assembly of the fresh engine, and interior wiring still to go. The car
is also sporting a new larger wheel set from Konig with different offsets,
a all new type of tire (more on that in a future issue) and tons of other
new components and structural changes. Most of which can present
variables, which by design I am trying to contain and control.
As the day and clock progress, so does the car and in the early afternoon its initial test fire is done and a 20
minute idle heat cycle of the motor goes smoothly. In fact the whole motor is noticeably low vibration,something Subaru “boxster” style engines are not known for. I learn that in prep lots of weak points were
noted in the motor and many internals were addressed by necessity. Those internals were largely upgraded
and that Im sure had lots to do with this new smoother engine.
I am also introduced to our newest member of the team, Richard Allen whom is a contact of Tony’s. He
literally walks in says hi and starts wiring the internal gauges on a car he has never seen. He energy and
addicting smile and enthusiasm is exactly what the guys needed. It also came at the perfect time. BTW he
at 39 rides a skateboard to get around the track, he still has some kid in him.
Two more heat cycles are put on the engine at slightly high RPM and the cooling system is bled, today is
done but Tony has a different car than was originally thought. As I drive back to Ventura county that night
I really felt that this perhaps was the best thing the team could have had. Not that a track day lost is a
good thing, but that having the car properly tested in the shop and a chance for all of us to spend time was
much more valuable.
Sunday is different, its predicted to be pretty warm and 1st thing Tony takes the car to NASA tech while
the rest of us build our space for the day. Ice chests, three pop up covers, chairs, video equipment, girl
friends, track buddys and BBQs fill the space. Now things are starting to feel normal.
For the 1st morning run session Tony has instructions to keep the car to a max of 4,000 rpm for the 1st
run session and does so. Its been several months since he has turned the wheel so he is just focusing on
remembering the track marks and line short shifting and watching the gauges....a lot. On the final lap a
loud pop, and the car dies. Steve and I exchange a look and we ask Tony to see if he has electrical power,
he does, so now we wait for the car to be towed in.
Within moments of the car coming to a stop in our pit area, Suzie who is Steve sister is under the nose and
see’s a disconnected tube and thats our problem. It is corrected before his second run session, just barely.
The second session goes well and RPM limits are raise a little for the next session. In the pit we discuss
some of the cars behavior and I make our 1st chassis adjustment. This may not seem significant, but it is
because its the 1st time Tony has described something and I have adjusted for it.
It works, Tony recognizes the change and although I could have make more moves under the car we hold
as he is within several seconds of his personal best, without aero, on newly acquired tires none of us had
any exposure to. Confidence is high and Steve is raising the RPM call to Tony, and he is ready to “lay one
down” and see if he can touch his old record. Two nice progressive warm up laps and its hammer time.
Fresh engine, better set up, new tires that are looking good, the untouched transmission...not so good.
Say goodby to 3rd gear. So there you have it, the ultimate tease. We have already scheduled another test
date, at a proper road course, which will hopefully for the 1st time see both cars on the track at the same
time. There are more tools with a multi car team Should be fun!
Allan Crocket
