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> 25hrs of Thunderhill 07, Nov29-Dec2
Blainefab
post Nov 17 2007, 12:07 AM
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Anybody else here going to be at the 25hr? I'll be working tech Thurs and Fri, and will stick around at least for the start Sat.

Stop by and say hi - tech will be set up under the permanent canopy. I will have my usual collection of hardware with me.

If anyone needs any Blainefab parts/equipment etc, I can deliver. Call now 831 427-3296
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CMC #37
post Nov 17 2007, 12:49 AM
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I will be there to donate some tires and wheels to the CMC/FFR team. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
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CMC #37
post Dec 2 2007, 06:35 PM
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My pix:

http://www.geckoranch.com/cars/25hr2007.html

Saw Mr. Blaine aka Santa Claus there! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
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DanKeen
post Dec 3 2007, 07:29 AM
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sonofa.... I forgot it was this weekend (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
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Unbalanced Engin...
post Dec 3 2007, 08:52 PM
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Nick Steel, Brady Flaherty, Chris ??? and I were up there running a CMC Mustang in E1. Had an absolute BLAST in my first 25 hour. Did a tripple at night in the on again/off again rain. An absolute MUST driving experience for those that haven't done one.

Finished 26th overall and 11th in class. We had no issues with the car and were only behind the wall for 20 min for a scheduled brake pad change. We would have done much better in class, but there were 5 factory MX-5's and 2 S2000R's that were completely out of reach as far as times go.

There was also a Daytona Prototype there that was DAMN fast. They qualified at 1:40 and ran 1:41 at night in the rain. During my tripple stint, I had my team mate ahout 6 car lengths behind me going into 10 when I checked my mirrors, next thing I know I have the prototype next to me when I went to turn into 11. Scared the piss outta me (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

There was also a TON of jackassery from other drivers. It was like they were all in a 20 min sprint race or something..... I'm sure Nick will post a link to the pics we took with his Camera at some point.

Jason S.

This post has been edited by Unbalanced Engineering: Dec 4 2007, 07:03 PM
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CMC #37
post Dec 3 2007, 08:59 PM
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Congrats Jason and the team! It is a bit freaky when there is a big speed diff like that between cars, then throw your jackasses into the mix, and never a dull moment! You guys did awesome!

I'm hoping I can participate in Karen Salvaggio's all chick team in the 25hr next year. Now that her Cobra has a better cage I am happy to drive it. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This would be the Daytona prototype here:

http://www.geckoranch.com/cars/images/racelapone_1.jpg

That was lap one, check out the distance between him and the second place car already!

This post has been edited by CMC #37: Dec 3 2007, 09:04 PM
Reason for edit: added comment and pic
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trackbird
post Dec 3 2007, 09:03 PM
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How's Karen doing? Didn't she have the hard shunt at Mid-O this year?
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CMC #37
post Dec 3 2007, 09:06 PM
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QUOTE (trackbird @ Dec 3 2007, 04:03 PM) *
How's Karen doing? Didn't she have the hard shunt at Mid-O this year?



Karen's doing awesome! She was at the next race in our region after her wreck, driving! She was pretty sore - what a trooper! She says her ribs still bug her a bit. Her team took 8th in class, whoohoo!

Here's a pic of Karen and I before the race:

http://www.geckoranch.com/cars/images/KarenS&JulieB.jpg
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trackbird
post Dec 3 2007, 09:07 PM
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So, the car was fixed? That's excellent news. As hard as that hit was, I was fearing it was a write off.
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CMC #37
post Dec 3 2007, 09:11 PM
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QUOTE (trackbird @ Dec 3 2007, 04:07 PM) *
So, the car was fixed? That's excellent news. As hard as that hit was, I was fearing it was a write off.


The car was fixed for the next race! That is the car in my links above also. They only had a minor problem or two with it, the fuel pump decided to migrate in the fuel cell foam and had trouble, that was about it! I gotta say Karen is one of the most dedicated racers I have ever seen.
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trackbird
post Dec 3 2007, 11:12 PM
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That's fantastic news! Wow, I'm impressed, that is hard core. That seemed like an ugly impact.
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CMC #37
post Dec 4 2007, 01:05 AM
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QUOTE (trackbird @ Dec 3 2007, 06:12 PM) *
That's fantastic news! Wow, I'm impressed, that is hard core. That seemed like an ugly impact.


I call Karen the "125mph girl" as that is what her onboard data said she was going at the time of impact! That was one of the worst impacts I had ever seen for sure!
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rmackintosh
post Dec 4 2007, 01:08 AM
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QUOTE (CMC #37 @ Dec 3 2007, 08:05 PM) *
QUOTE (trackbird @ Dec 3 2007, 06:12 PM) *
That's fantastic news! Wow, I'm impressed, that is hard core. That seemed like an ugly impact.


I call Karen the "125mph girl" as that is what her onboard data said she was going at the time of impact! That was one of the worst impacts I had ever seen for sure!


YIKES! That is a little more than what I estimate my impact to be at. Hope she is alright!

What happened to the car? What kind of car?

What happened?
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CMC #37
post Dec 4 2007, 01:24 AM
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QUOTE (rmackintosh @ Dec 3 2007, 08:08 PM) *
QUOTE (CMC #37 @ Dec 3 2007, 08:05 PM) *
QUOTE (trackbird @ Dec 3 2007, 06:12 PM) *
That's fantastic news! Wow, I'm impressed, that is hard core. That seemed like an ugly impact.


I call Karen the "125mph girl" as that is what her onboard data said she was going at the time of impact! That was one of the worst impacts I had ever seen for sure!


YIKES! That is a little more than what I estimate my impact to be at. Hope she is alright!

What happened to the car? What kind of car?

What happened?


Karen Salvaggio, one of our FFR Cobra regulars out west, was competing at the Nationals at Mid Ohio and in practice her steering wheel came off right after the kink on the big straight there. She jammed on the brakes and came to a stop in the cement wall just after the flag stand out there (wierd, yes, there is another one besides the starter stand). There were Cobra parts flying everywhere, and Karen got life-flighted to the nearest hospital. She had a broken collarbone (reinjury), a chip off her spine in the neck area, and two broken ribs. The ribs were broken on the INSIDE, which is really something you don't hear of much. She went home a day or so after that and recouped. It was amazing to see her at the next region race about one month later! I still have not watched that video...
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rmackintosh
post Dec 4 2007, 01:38 AM
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Guess I should be happy I hit a moving car that I could "punch" out of the way instead of a non-moving cement wall..... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)
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Blainefab
post Dec 4 2007, 08:41 AM
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Quite the deal, my first one - I teched cars from Noon Thurs till 10AM Sat. We had 3 main guys in tech plus a handful of SAE students for helpers: 74 cars, 400ish helmets, 40 or so pit stalls - each had a tech form to fill out. Cars ranged from the usual Spec Miatas to a Crawford Daytona Prototype (Oall winner, btw). Lotsa GrandAM, WC, etc sanctions. If the car met the requirements of its logbook sanction we waived deviations from NASA specs. Still sent a lot of cars off to have stuff welded/tightened/bolted/etc. BF had a truckload of stuff and sold a good bit of it. Got to meet, however briefly, the who's who of US club racing. I have to admit feeling starstruck at times.

There were some tense moments after I found a serious tech issue with one of the higher profile cars, a bit of discussion before they realized I wasn't gonna budge and we figured out how to fix it. They had video cameras all over the place so I'll probably make the newsreel.

I strolled out to the hot pit Fri night just after dark - the sight of 40 EZups lining the pit wall crammed with gear, bristling with light booms, fueling rigs, etc under the floodlights was otherworldly. Saturday morning the cars were gridded on the front straight an hr before the start - the lineup streched from Start/Finish all the way back to T15. ALL the teams were out there, all the crews/drivers/friends/staff/etc - probably 1000 people getting pumped up for the start.

7yrs ago when I heard that Jerry wanted to do a 25hr race, in Dec, I thought he was crazy... but he got this one right.
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CMC #37
post Dec 4 2007, 07:00 PM
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QUOTE
7yrs ago when I heard that Jerry wanted to do a 25hr race, in Dec, I thought he was crazy... but he got this one right.


That's right! Still the local tv stations haven't figured out what a cool international event is going on up there..... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)
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NickS
post Dec 4 2007, 10:46 PM
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QUOTE (Blainefab @ Dec 4 2007, 03:41 AM) *
I strolled out to the hot pit Fri night just after dark - the sight of 40 EZups lining the pit wall crammed with gear, bristling with light booms, fueling rigs, etc under the floodlights was otherworldly. Saturday morning the cars were gridded on the front straight an hr before the start - the lineup streched from Start/Finish all the way back to T15. ALL the teams were out there, all the crews/drivers/friends/staff/etc - probably 1000 people getting pumped up for the start.



To give you guys an idea what Alan is talking about here, I I took this picture at the front of the grid about just before the national anthem was played (I just held the camera above my head and squeezed the shutter):


(IMG:http://gallery.noid.org/albums/2007-25hour/DPP_0546.jpg)


The sight of 70+ cars on the grid with everyone milling around, anxious yet nervous, waiting for the start was quite a sight to see.
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JKnight
post Dec 5 2007, 06:19 AM
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Got a gallery of shots somewhere Nick? How did your stints go?

Jason
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Blainefab
post Dec 5 2007, 06:49 AM
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Fri nite, 16hrs before the start, hot pits. The calm before the storm:

(IMG:http://www.skyhighway.com/~bfpix4/IMG_1811.JPG)

(IMG:http://www.skyhighway.com/~bfpix4/IMG_1813.JPG)
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