August, 2003

Congratulations to Mickey Cohen for his win at Buttonwillow.  The 2.5 drivers faced very high temperatures that caused any number of mechanical problems for the drivers as well as the cars.  The 105 plus temps put points leader Steve Link’s 510 in the garage for a motor and transmission change as well as a new radiator!  Steve got it all back together for Sundays finale and put on a great drive to move back up to the front runners.  But at the checkered flag it Cohen for his first win of the series.

Mickey’s win will tighten up the points race considerably setting the stage for a shootout with Steve Link and Richard Beard. 

Following closely on Buttonwillow with be the season finale of HSR-West at Willow Springs the first weekend of October.  The 2.5 is not competing at this race however we have heard that many VSRG members plan to be there in the small-bore production group.  Hmmmmm…maybe we could talk Ed Swart into a fun B & C Sedan Class group?  If interested drop me a line and I will work on it.

We have been hearing rumors regarding the interpretation that some drivers are applying to the rules.  The VSRG rules are pretty simple which does not mean they are “loose” nor or they designed so that a driver can “design” their own interpretation.  This is especially true of the motor rules where the bore and stroke are defined based upon stock.  The rules allow for a maximum bore size over stock of .080.  Additionally the stroke of the motor must remain stock as indicated in the SCCA Recognition Form for the car. While the rules allow the crankshaft to be replaced with one of similar material there is no provision for changing the stroke.

Just because the rules do not specifically state “no stroker motors” does not mean that stroker motors are ok.  

We suggest that you always read the rules with rule 3A in mind as well as 6.A.1 which states: “It is not permitted to make any changes, alterations or modifications to the standard automobile, its coachwork and chassis or any component as produced by the manufacturer, unless such modifications are required under above or specifically authorized by these rules.

Our rules follow pretty much all auto racing rules, if it does not say it’s legal, it’s not.

Last month I discussed the sound requirements at Laguna Seca and drew some examples of what would and would not work there.  A couple of people took our comments as an endorsement of a particular manufacturer and that the products of our former sponsor were somehow inferior.  This was not my intention.  In my opinion Magnaflow products represent high quality merchandise that can hold it’s own with their competition and I and many other racers continue to use the Magnaflow products exclusively.

The point I was trying to make was simply that a straight through style race muffler was not going to provide sufficient noise reduction to meet the stringent 92 db limit that is imposed by Laguna Seca for our event and that a setup that more closely resembles a high performance stock exhaust system would ensure a weekend with no black flags for

sound.

 

This is a great track that is well worth the effort to attend however we really do not want anyone to experience the frustration that many of us felt last year.

Our e-mailbag brought this from member Ron Jeffers;

 “Why not stop by one of the best place to race in the Mid West.  Mid-Ohio raceway in Lexington, Ohio.  Plenty of room for everyone and great place to race.  It's a beautiful race track with alot of elevation changes and off camber corners for great competitive racing. Also great spectator racing.  There is a large number of people that attend this track on a regular basis.  Pulling people in from Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati and Dayton.  They  also have the great Valvoline Run-Offs in September.  So how about it, come visit us here in the great state of Ohio.  And let some of us get in on the fun.” 

 

We have had a lot of interest expressed in VSRG race groups in other part of the county and we have been working on way that might overcome many of the challenges in putting together a successful group of Sedans.  If you are interested in starting a Sedan group in your area let us know and we will see what assistance we can offer.