OG Shark's Race Build

[OG Shark]

Some more testing out at Harris Hill Raceway yesterday. Working through setup - still trying to get the car dialed in after the move back to JRZ and a bit of added weight. Still have some work to do but did manage a personal best. Also got to chase b4hand around the track again, always a lot of fun having another M3 out there.

[OG Shark]

Getting real close to a stopping point on removal - couple of more areas to address in the rear & a lot of clean up. Time to start building the cage & floor. Nothing more will come off the front until we are ready to build out the reinforcement. Anything unnecessary on the front will be removed as we go. Now the real fun can begin

[roastbeef]

I wish I lived down the street or something. I'd love to just help take the car apart or just watch.

[OG Shark]

Getting the car back together after being gone the last few weeks roaming around Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, and Alaska with my family. Absolutely amazing country - first time I have been in those parts and definitely going back soon.

We pulled the rod bearings on the motor that has been run since day one with this car. BE bearings w/ARP bolts - they looked great. Went ahead and replaced them still with more BE bearings since that is the preventative schedule we are keeping to with these engines. Will definitely continue with BE as our go to bearings.

We are getting the car ready to race at the end of the month at COTA. NASA Texas region event, just looking for a little competitive track time. After that likely going to be slow for a bit until the fall - have a lot to do with the new race build and a ton of work to do on the shop still. Hoping to have the new car ready for the Trans Am race at COTA in November - but likely going to be hard pressed to meet that timeline. Lots of parts slowly dragging in... really putting a hurt on the schedule. Also changed the direction a bit with that car - details given as the parts start to funnel in

The new build isn't the only one getting all the attention though - the current car has gotten some love over the last few days. Got the headers coated so I can quit burning up my feet so much. Also got in another Drexler diff courtesy of driftflo built to the same specs as our other one. Changed up the FD in this one a bit though - interested to see the results. The new unit is ultimately going to makes it's way into the new car though - as I like that FD to work with the transmission we will be running in that car *cough* sequential *cough*. A couple of more adds for the current car to come over the next couple of weeks as well.

[roastbeef]

Can you expand on the differences of the differentials and the results you are expecting? I'm also trying to figure out what FD stands for. Lol

[tsk94]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

Can you expand on the differences of the differentials and the results you are expecting? I'm also trying to figure out what FD stands for. Lol

Final drive - I assume.

Shouldn't be any differences diff performance wise as it sounds like the only change is the different final drive ratio.

[dparm]

Glad to hear you will be at COTA with us later this month! Come stop by and say hi!

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

Can you expand on the differences of the differentials and the results you are expecting? I'm also trying to figure out what FD stands for. Lol

Originally Posted by tsk94

Final drive - I assume.

Shouldn't be any differences diff performance wise as it sounds like the only change is the different final drive ratio.

What Trevor said - the diff is the same spec as the one we have been running in this car - very happy with it. Just going with a different final drive since this diff will ultimately end up in the new car. I based all the gearing for the sequential using this rear end ratio and can then easily adjust swapping out the drop gear. Just trying it on this car for now for shits & giggles

Originally Posted by dparm

Glad to hear you will be at COTA with us later this month! Come stop by and say hi!

Yeah looking forward to getting back out there again - not so much the heat though. I'm on the fence about running in 2 or 3 - the car is much closer to 3 but no one is in ST3 (not that ST2 has many entries either though). Will get smoked in TT2, have no idea what to expect in ST2 though. But would likely get smoked in TT3 for that matter too

[nicksm3]

I'll be the odd one here and ask about your "roaming" in Wyoming, Montana etc. was it an RV trip? I've been planning to do something similar myself soon. Been itching to get to those heavenly states. Please expand on this...thank you!

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by nicksm3

I'll be the odd one here and ask about your "roaming" in Wyoming, Montana etc. was it an RV trip? I've been planning to do something similar myself soon. Been itching to get to those heavenly states. Please expand on this...thank you!

It was an incredible trip - absolutely worth doing. Yes we pulled a camper - to me the best way to do something like that when with the family so you can have all your stuff with you - hiking gear, fishing, etc. Just have to book the rv sites real early in the year - like right when they open up booking.

First stop was Jackson, Wyoming. Cool town & the Grand Tetons are awesome - definitely worth a few days. From there to the west entrance of Yellowstone. Yellowstone to me - definitely worth doing if you haven't done it before - but was really surprised at how "touristy" it is. Not that it is a bad thing - makes it accessible for so many more people that way - but pictured something a bit more untouched in my head. The hot springs & geysers are really cool to see - once. Spent a few days there and then moved to the north entrance of Yellowstone. Enjoyed this portion more. Saw some wolves, grizzlies, eagles - good stuff.

We were supposed to go to Glacier after Yellowstone but the weather did not cooperate and it wasn't worth the drive up with very little of the park being open at that time. We had already planned on going to Billings from Glacier so that we could be close to an airport for the trip to Alaska - so extended our time there. If you have the choice to do so - don't... But we didn't have much of a choice. Went to Bozeman - pretty cool town, and found a few hikes around Billings but was definitely not the highlight of the trip.

Alaska was epic - definitely go there at some point if you can. From Montana we went to the Black Hills in South Dakota. Absolutely loved this area. Hit Mt Rushmore - its incredible in person just seeing the scope of what they did. The whole area is beautiful. Didn't get to Devils Tower (loved Close Encounters of the Third Kind - close to SD border in Wyo) or Deadwood like we wanted - so going to work South Dakota back into our next trip. And try for Glacier again.

Spring time and will see babies everywhere. Fall and will see antlers. Summer will be two legged critters all over the place. Especially true for Yellowstone.

Definitely be prepped for bear if you go & like to hike, etc. Also some pretty interesting folk in those areas... but for the most part really good people.

Starting to formulate the next trip - back to the Black Hills then to Glacier - from there some time in Idaho while heading to Washington. Would love to one day make the drive up to Alaska if Canada ever decides to open back up too.

Shoot me a PM if you want any specifics.

[nicksm3]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

It was an incredible trip - absolutely worth doing. Yes we pulled a camper - to me the best way to do something like that when with the family so you can have all your stuff with you - hiking gear, fishing, etc. Just have to book the rv sites real early in the year - like right when they open up booking.

First stop was Jackson, Wyoming. Cool town & the Grand Tetons are awesome - definitely worth a few days. From there to the west entrance of Yellowstone. Yellowstone to me - definitely worth doing if you haven't done it before - but was really surprised at how "touristy" it is. Not that it is a bad thing - makes it accessible for so many more people that way - but pictured something a bit more untouched in my head. The hot springs & geysers are really cool to see - once. Spent a few days there and then moved to the north entrance of Yellowstone. Enjoyed this portion more. Saw some wolves, grizzlies, eagles - good stuff.

We were supposed to go to Glacier after Yellowstone but the weather did not cooperate and it wasn't worth the drive up with very little of the park being open at that time. We had already planned on going to Billings from Glacier so that we could be close to an airport for the trip to Alaska - so extended our time there. If you have the choice to do so - don't... But we didn't have much of a choice. Went to Bozeman - pretty cool town, and found a few hikes around Billings but was definitely not the highlight of the trip.

Alaska was epic - definitely go there at some point if you can. From Montana we went to the Black Hills in South Dakota. Absolutely loved this area. Hit Mt Rushmore - its incredible in person just seeing the scope of what they did. The whole area is beautiful. Didn't get to Devils Tower (loved Close Encounters of the Third Kind - close to SD border in Wyo) or Deadwood like we wanted - so going to work South Dakota back into our next trip. And try for Glacier again.

Spring time and will see babies everywhere. Fall and will see antlers. Summer will be two legged critters all over the place. Especially true for Yellowstone.

Definitely be prepped for bear if you go & like to hike, etc. Also some pretty interesting folk in those areas... but for the most part really good people.

Starting to formulate the next trip - back to the Black Hills then to Glacier - from there some time in Idaho while heading to Washington. Would love to one day make the drive up to Alaska if Canada ever decides to open back up too.

Shoot me a PM if you want any specifics.

Wow wow wow!!!!
Absolutely amazing and Devils tower is on my bucket list because Close Encounters is my favorite movie...I'm an alien/UFO buff
Thank you I'll short you a message for sure.

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by nicksm3

Wow wow wow!!!!
Absolutely amazing and Devils tower is on my bucket list because Close Encounters is my favorite movie...I'm an alien/UFO buff
Thank you I'll short you a message for sure.

Well there you go - devils tower is a can't miss then! Not going to lie - first time I saw that movie when I was a kid it freaked me out when Barry finally got snatched. My brother & I looked just like him, about the same age - just turned to each other afterwards and went whaaaaaaattttttttt just happened? Close Encounters, Jaws, and the original Star Wars trilogy are still my favorite movies - damn I'm dating myself here.

[dparm]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

Yeah looking forward to getting back out there again - not so much the heat though. I'm on the fence about running in 2 or 3 - the car is much closer to 3 but no one is in ST3 (not that ST2 has many entries either though). Will get smoked in TT2, have no idea what to expect in ST2 though. But would likely get smoked in TT3 for that matter too

I'd tell you to stick with TT2 as that would help more people get tires, if nothing else. Lobster's Corvette isn't going to be ready for COTA so he won't be running ST2, just TT5 (?) in his NC Miata.

Lawson has been crushing it in TT3/ST3 lately. That car (and his driving) are truly next-level.

[Kelse92]

Originally Posted by dparm

Lobster's Corvette isn't going to be ready for COTA so he won't be running ST2, just TT5 (?) in his NC Miata.

Oh yay, I won't be the lone driver in TT5 now! lol

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by dparm

I'd tell you to stick with TT2 as that would help more people get tires, if nothing else.

Lawson has been crushing it in TT3/ST3 lately. That car (and his driving) are truly next-level.

Eh will see after I get back to the dyno and on the scales - will let that dictate which direction we go. Definitely not going to shy away from a class because someone is doing good in it though. Would like to see some more ST2 and ST3 drivers register though - wheel to wheel is our main focus. TT will be fun I'm sure too but with more of a testing focus during it for us. I think ST/TT2 will likely be where we end up.

[dparm]

Originally Posted by Kelse92

Oh yay, I won't be the lone driver in TT5 now! lol

He has also indicated he'll run whichever class needs people to hit the tire minimums...so it might end up in 2 or 3 for the weekend, lol.

[OG Shark]

Went out to COTA yesterday for a one day track event including a couple of night sessions! Had a blast - absolutely loved driving in the dark. Definitely takes a bit of getting used to with your reference points being harder to pick up (or not being able to see them at all) - but you get used to it & get up to speed fairly quickly.

We also tested our offroad inspired light setup for some potential night racing coming up... Headlights alone were sufficient but doesn't hurt to have more light. No complaints from the other drivers about hurting their vision. And the major bonus is I can just take them off after the track, slap them on the truck, and they will fit right in on it Can definitely tell which one is me when I arrive on the scene...

[Kelse92]

Missed seeing you at COTA again this weekend!
Although, I guess you really didn't miss too too much. All 60+ racecars in the same group from Spec Miatas to a TA2 Mustang and everything in-between, it was hot and there was a decent amount of broken cars and incidents... So maybe for the better you skipped. But was hoping to see ya, next time!

[Ximian]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

It was an incredible trip - absolutely worth doing. Yes we pulled a camper - to me the best way to do something like that when with the family so you can have all your stuff with you - hiking gear, fishing, etc. Just have to book the rv sites real early in the year - like right when they open up booking.

First stop was Jackson, Wyoming. Cool town & the Grand Tetons are awesome - definitely worth a few days. From there to the west entrance of Yellowstone. Yellowstone to me - definitely worth doing if you haven't done it before - but was really surprised at how "touristy" it is. Not that it is a bad thing - makes it accessible for so many more people that way - but pictured something a bit more untouched in my head. The hot springs & geysers are really cool to see - once. Spent a few days there and then moved to the north entrance of Yellowstone. Enjoyed this portion more. Saw some wolves, grizzlies, eagles - good stuff.

We were supposed to go to Glacier after Yellowstone but the weather did not cooperate and it wasn't worth the drive up with very little of the park being open at that time. We had already planned on going to Billings from Glacier so that we could be close to an airport for the trip to Alaska - so extended our time there. If you have the choice to do so - don't... But we didn't have much of a choice. Went to Bozeman - pretty cool town, and found a few hikes around Billings but was definitely not the highlight of the trip.

Alaska was epic - definitely go there at some point if you can. From Montana we went to the Black Hills in South Dakota. Absolutely loved this area. Hit Mt Rushmore - its incredible in person just seeing the scope of what they did. The whole area is beautiful. Didn't get to Devils Tower (loved Close Encounters of the Third Kind - close to SD border in Wyo) or Deadwood like we wanted - so going to work South Dakota back into our next trip. And try for Glacier again.

Spring time and will see babies everywhere. Fall and will see antlers. Summer will be two legged critters all over the place. Especially true for Yellowstone.

Definitely be prepped for bear if you go & like to hike, etc. Also some pretty interesting folk in those areas... but for the most part really good people.

Starting to formulate the next trip - back to the Black Hills then to Glacier - from there some time in Idaho while heading to Washington. Would love to one day make the drive up to Alaska if Canada ever decides to open back up too.

Shoot me a PM if you want any specifics.

You can also try the "dispersed camping" sites which are free and not usually busy but have no connections to anything. Can't tow anything but the smallest trailers to these sites due to the narrow muddy roads and sometimes tight turns, but they're really out in nature far away from people.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...eprd915000.pdf

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by Kelse92

Missed seeing you at COTA again this weekend!
Although, I guess you really didn't miss too too much. All 60+ racecars in the same group from Spec Miatas to a TA2 Mustang and everything in-between, it was hot and there was a decent amount of broken cars and incidents... So maybe for the better you skipped. But was hoping to see ya, next time!

Yeah pretty disappointed - unfortunately covid had a different plan for me this weekend I guess . Was really looking forward to getting back into some competition and seeing everyone out there!

Heard it was kind of a hot mess at times like you are saying. That's a lot of cars with a very big speed delta to be running at the same time...

Hope ya'll had a fun weekend and made it through unscathed!

Originally Posted by Ximian

You can also try the "dispersed camping" sites which are free and not usually busy but have no connections to anything. Can't tow anything but the smallest trailers to these sites due to the narrow muddy roads and sometimes tight turns, but they're really out in nature far away from people.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...eprd915000.pdf

That's more my speed! Actually have a smaller camper that I'm still prepping to be able to spend extended time off grid in and can tow with my raptor. Not overland level but definitely something that can go where the big 5th wheel can't.

[Kelse92]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

Yeah pretty disappointed - unfortunately covid had a different plan for me this weekend I guess . Was really looking forward to getting back into some competition and seeing everyone out there!

Heard it was kind of a hot mess at times like you are saying. That's a lot of cars with a very big speed delta to be running at the same time...

Hope ya'll had a fun weekend and made it through unscathed!

Bummer on the covid thing! But yeah you really didn't miss too much.
I think 3 out of 12 spec miatas lost transmissions, 3 more had damage from incidents, and one lost a motor. Heard some similar stories from the other racing classes including two drivers nearly getting into a fight in impound after Race 2 on Sunday...
If people would just sign up early so they can separate high/low Hp racecars at a track like that it probably would have been much less issue but oh well. AMCM insisted on doing standing starts which also made the starts challenging to setup 3 waves of cars lol

We got lucky and had nothing really with our cars thankfully, but I did have a close call in TT Sunday morning nearly rear ending a TTU car who parked it in T11 after blowing the braking zone and locking up their brakes...

[b4hand]

The last big race on Sunday looked like an HPDE event. Some people driving with low power, slowing down on purpose to let someone pass to "race", hardly any ST1-ST4 cars. Pretty lame tbh

I saw one of the standing starts and it looks like they didn't even try. 3 out of 6 of them stalled. What's the point?