A week ago Saturday AM, session one, NASA @ Buttonwillow, lap 4, found me spinning out of the bus stop at about a hunnert. I was a little mystified as I had gone through there at the same speed twice already & usually slicks get hotter & stickier during a session, not cooler and slipperyer.
NASA requires the driver of any car that goes off-track to proceed to the black flag guy so they can give the car a looking over prior to releasing that car to return to the track. Just as I was heading away to the pits (as the session was just about over anyway) a puff of blue appeared and the engine sputtered to a halt.
When I lifted the car up to have a look I was greeted by the sight of a nice little puddle of oil under the car. Closer inspection revealed why; see the attached image. That bolt backed out and the loss of oil caused both the spin and the death of the engine. Proper preparation prevents piss poor performance, as they say.
So if you have a Raceline wet sump, check that bolt, if you've got one. I never thought to (hell, I didn't even remember it being there) and I paid. Thankfully nobody else had any issues on-track, partly because when I went back around to the pits I was well off of the racing line, by habit.
My little junkyard doggie was running so well, too. I'll miss it, at least until I get the new motor in.
That project is already underway.
Hey Doug, is the hoist busy next weekend?
ps: in advance... no, it is *not* the drain plug bolt
NASA requires the driver of any car that goes off-track to proceed to the black flag guy so they can give the car a looking over prior to releasing that car to return to the track. Just as I was heading away to the pits (as the session was just about over anyway) a puff of blue appeared and the engine sputtered to a halt.
When I lifted the car up to have a look I was greeted by the sight of a nice little puddle of oil under the car. Closer inspection revealed why; see the attached image. That bolt backed out and the loss of oil caused both the spin and the death of the engine. Proper preparation prevents piss poor performance, as they say.
So if you have a Raceline wet sump, check that bolt, if you've got one. I never thought to (hell, I didn't even remember it being there) and I paid. Thankfully nobody else had any issues on-track, partly because when I went back around to the pits I was well off of the racing line, by habit.
My little junkyard doggie was running so well, too. I'll miss it, at least until I get the new motor in.
That project is already underway.
Hey Doug, is the hoist busy next weekend?
ps: in advance... no, it is *not* the drain plug bolt
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