Boneman Checks Out V8 Stockcar @ Daytona

[Bosco]

Got to meet "The Boneman" this weekend at the V8 StockCar race with SCCA at Daytona. The purveyor of fine quips and quotes stopped by our paddock to check out the Mo's Gold Monte Carlo.

Just learned that he is a licensed road racer, maybe we will have to get him in one of these L-R racers.

Saturday's V8SC race had a lot of caution laps with a couple of hard crashes and Kris Dean's GT-1 Camaro catching on fire. Charles Wicht won overall in that bad fast ex Kevin Harvick Sonoma winning South West tour #92 Monte Carlo. Charles' broke Jeff Emery's V8 SC track record with a 1:53.5 clocking.
He is hitting about 195 mph in the tri-oval.

Sunday's race was mostly under green, save for about one lap under caution when Tom Graham's came to a halt just off the course out of the chicane on the back.

Dave Machavern, from Charlotte, Vermont won overall in a C6 Corvette,Trans
Am Series type built and prepped by former dirt racer turned road racing icon Tommy Riggins in his Jacksonville shop. Wicht came home second.

I finished sixth overall and I think second behind former Nascar 3 time Dash champion Larry Hoopaugh, but actually haven't seen the results yet as they had to drag me out of car and pour ice cold water on me for twenty minutes to get me to move. To say "it was hot out there" is the understatement of the year. My trick "joes" alloy steering with all the lightening holes drilled in it turned to about the temperature of your average frying pan with bacon sizziling in it. Only the bacon was my hands, the gloves did about nothing
to ease it. Trying to drive 185 plus mph thru the tri-oval "holding and releasing" is an experience I don't relish doing again. But after driving Daytona for about 16 years that is without a doubt the most fun I have ever had. Daytona's road course is not the most technical road course around but the sheer speed is just way cool and hell, "IT IS DAYTONA."

Sixty some cars started the big bore race on saturday, with most being stock cars. NASCAR'S and ARCA racer Scott Lagasse Jr brought out his ex ASA car for the first time, he had to start shot gun on the field on saturday, missing qualifying but moved through field quickly and had a decent finish. On Sunday they let him start about 22nd , last in the GTA class, and I think he had a top ten overall finish in his first road racing weekend.

Hoopaugh's, ex Bob Schacht ARCA car had serious motor, i got around him once in the chicane at the end of the back straight only to have him drive around me in the tri-oval like I thru out an anchor. (my car has a 650 plus HP 18 degree motor but it was not close to the Cup type SB2)

While more difficult for the average fan to see the whole course and follow, road racing in stock cars is one hell of a lot of fun to participate in.

[Edm]

I've always had a huge interest in road racing. I even got to help out on a Saleen S-7 team when they first started at the 12 hour Sebring race a few years ago. Kind of boring to watch but one day I will have the time and money to road race myself.

[Boneman]

It was a good day to check out road racing. I agree with Ed, oval racing is better for spectating, but this isn't bad to watch if you know someone who is out there. It is certainly fun and challenging as a driver, too.

I was there with my buddy Michael Seay (M-Seay 10 of KARNAC fame) who was racing his FASCAR mini stock on the high banks of Daytona; believe it or not. I lost my bet. I figured his body work would fly apart like a deck of cards in a hurricane, but he re-inforced things and it held together just fine. He ran in group 2, a race with 60+ cars. Michael's Pinto had more power than most of the competition, but they had the handling and braking edge....this time!

Todd McCreary was there too, so it is possible that he may have an opinion on the festivities. Just a hunch!

I'm an oval racer at heart, but I'd like to do this a few times a year too. I just bought a new mini that will make its SCCA debut one day soon.

I did notice a clear trend: the V8 stock car class is growing rapidly. There are late models, Cup cars and a wide variety entries. They were fast, and appeared to be the wildest, group at the track.

[Todd McCreary]

Dave Machavern, from Charlotte, Vermont won overall in a C6 Corvette,Trans

saw that. he was in an entirely different class than every other car on the track. that 92 was the only thing even close to him.

if he had started in the back, it would have been something to see. as it was he probably lapped close to half the field.




the V8 stock car class is growing rapidly. There are late models, Cup cars and a wide variety entries.

Ron has expressed an interest in some road racing ... maybe we should dig out one of those old LM's and drop in the Buick 455. there can't be many restrictions on those classes.

a v6 Probe looks like it would kill the ITA/B/C ( although i don't think it fits those rules ) stuff and should be competitive in the ITS/7 classes.




so it is possible that he may have an opinion on the festivities.



like what? due to my own screw up, i didn't make it there with Boneman. but i did spend a good portion of the day wandering around the infield. place is too damn big, i never found anybody.

i did notice after a while that it may, technically, not be permissible for non-SCCA members to enter the pits they aren't doing a damn thing to enforce or even notify anyone of that. once you've got your registration you've pretty much got free run of the entire DIS facility as long as you aren't trying to do something stupid like go onto the racing surface or into a track office.




Kind of boring to watch

++

doesn't seem to take long to sort out into follow the leader stuff. and there's no place to watch from that will allow you to see even half the track.

best place i found was those "Pit Row Patios" between pit exit and road course 1. speaking of which, what's the reason for the shallow entry off the tri-oval? it looked to me like the best line would be tri-oval apex, shade out to the wall and try to straighten that first little bend as you brake into the hairpin. there were a lot of guys almost off the bottom of the track running in there, even when they were entering by themselves. i didn't see anybody trying to enter from off the wall.

[Edm]

Any idea how fast Michael and the other minis made it up too?

[ovalracer44]

Rex bought another mini? How did he manage to convince his bride that this was a good Idea? Didja buy the 92 car Rex?

[Boneman]

Michael was shifting into 5'th at 125 mph. We didn't get a tach reading we could trust after that, so I am not sure how much faster his Pinto got.

[Edm]

Its a good thing he can drive faster then he talks.....

[Bosco]

Todd, I think the V6 Probe/Mazda Mx6 (same car) fits into the I.T.S. class there are a few around the country that run pretty well. However, in that class the more dominant cars are the 86-92 RX7, Datsun 240 Z's, BMW 325.
In addition to my stock cars I have a 1995 Nissan 240sx that runs in that class. It has a bunch of top 5's, a best of second at sebring, but never a winner. It has been parked for 1 1/2 years, it is hard to get out of a stock car and into the nissan despite it being a excellent handling, pretty darn fast car.

The V8 StockCar Series continues excellent growth even in this bad economy.
There are some very good buys on some excellent cars out there right now.

Anyone wanting to get involved in this can get more info at : www.v8stockcar.com

look at the heading: getting started.


Check out photo's of the event at www.rickstultz.net

[Todd McCreary]

I think the V6 Probe/Mazda Mx6 (same car) fits into the I.T.S. class there are a few around the country that run pretty well. However, in that class the more dominant cars

i think if you made sure the valve train was in good shape and took off the rev limiter the Probe/MX-6 would be vicious. turn it up to 9 grand or so.

you'd have to really make an effort to get the weight down too though. do you have any idea what the RX-7s and 240s are scaling at?

i saw that the Camaro's and Mustang's were scaling between 3300 and 3700lbs. that would make our old 71 Buick Electra ( 3950lbs with me as driver ) competitive if we put a 5 speed trans in it.

[Bosco]

I think the 240 Z is about 2450 with driver, the RX7 about 2550-2600.

I say, go for the electra, at least nobody will shove you off course through the kink in the Daytona infield. However, it may give a whole new meaning to the term "push" when you get to the hairpin.

[Todd McCreary]

I think the 240 Z is about 2450 with driver

should be able to get the Probe under that.




it may give a whole new meaning to the term "push" when you get to the hairpin.

that would be the tough part.

wider track and longer wheelbase let Electra's handle better than most people suspect but at a certain point it becomes weight vs contact patch. no way around that.

[Bosco]

Each car in the I.T. classes have their own spec's to balance the power to weight. The Z car's weight would be the min for it only, the RX7 is different, as would be the probe.

You should be able to download the rules for the class at www.scca.org

To get your SCCA license you need to attend two weekend SCCA driver schools. Some with racing experience who do well can get signed off in one.

The cost of the school's is fairly low, about 150 dollars. But you would have to supply your own racer. OR rent one, Spec Miata's go for around 1500 or so for the weekend. You do get plenty of track time.

Most SCCA regions have at least one school per year, Central Florida always has two, Florida region has one or two, Buccaneer region has a double school in Feb, where you can fulfill the requirements in one weekend.

[al_tere_go_05]

Kind of boring to watch

Really? even worse than minicups or fastrucks

[Bosco]

It was pretty exciting from my seat at 180+ with Larry Hoopaugh's ARCA car along side in the tri oval.