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The road to Optima Challenge 2021

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  • #16
    SBG, I've done some brief searching on the Optima Challenge and haven't learned enough. I saw one thing that said rally/road course/autocross. What genre will you be competing in?
    Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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    • #17
      Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post

      1100 miles one way. That would be a long drive in the Corvette....
      yeah. It would be a breeze...
      My fabulous web page

      "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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      • #18
        Originally posted by Captain View Post
        Good Luck,
        God's Speed,
        and Perseverance !!!

        Race Tech Inspection Experience.......
        Be Polite, AND OFFER NOTHING UNLESS ASKED! Don't Confess to Sins that they might not have seen, and if did, and forgot later looking for other things.........
        And if something isn't right, Be Polite, ask for a variance, or what can be corrected by race time.....or of course, the Ol' "I heard your daughter needs Dental Braces, here's a little bit to put a Smile on her Face" slipping him a Benjamin or two........
        That'll get you tossed out on your head at Bonneville. Don't bribe the inspectors just work with them.. Their goal is not to keep you from running but to get you home in one piece at the end of the meet.

        Dan

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        • #19
          Your plan is spot on, you will do ok, as your car is a good package for that series. Be prepared to see some stupid fast cars, the reason they are fast is due to years of development, so it will take time to get the car in the top third of the field from a new build.
          Murphy's law, take the car on a trailer so your car won't break,
          The single best thing you can do, which you have planned is time in the car! I'm sure you will do some adjustments on the suspension, and your brain to get the car's behavior figured out.

          Also, find a place to practice the speed-stop challenge. It's WAAAY more difficult than it looks!
          Take some spare parts so you're not sidelined for an easy fix, like a coil, vavle cover gaskets, wheel bearings, etc.

          The satisfaction of completing the event is worth the effort, and the door stickers peel right off and make great garage decorations that you will love to look at for years.
          If I were closer I'd lend a hand, please keep us posted.
          Click image for larger version  Name:	IMG_1432x.JPG Views:	0 Size:	575.6 KB ID:	1288789
          Last edited by mike343sharpstick; February 25, 2021, 11:35 AM.

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          • #20
            Bet the Javelin was a hit! At least in LSR we love to see something "different".

            Dan

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            • #21
              Dan.........
              I didn't mean for anyone to take the last part seriously......, sorry to hurt any inspectors feelings, just meant it as Race Day Fun.
              But everything before was meant to be good advice....

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              • #22
                Originally posted by squirrel View Post

                yeah. It would be a breeze...
                the older I get the greater the distance that exists between 'can' and 'should'
                Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                • #23
                  School me on 3.2a race suits.... guess I need to get firesuited up (even in novice class)....
                  some data points: I'm rarely cold (think - guy in shorts while it's snowing), I'm not a onesie wearer (however, if there is an advantage to them - I'm all ears)....

                  that said, preliminary review says suits start at about $300 and go up from there.... what makes the price difference? (not whether it's worth it, far more basic).
                  Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by mike343sharpstick View Post
                    Your plan is spot on, you will do ok, as your car is a good package for that series. Be prepared to see some stupid fast cars, the reason they are fast is due to years of development, so it will take time to get the car in the top third of the field from a new build.
                    Murphy's law, take the car on a trailer so your car won't break,
                    The single best thing you can do, which you have planned is time in the car! I'm sure you will do some adjustments on the suspension, and your brain to get the car's behavior figured out.

                    Also, find a place to practice the speed-stop challenge. It's WAAAY more difficult than it looks!
                    Take some spare parts so you're not sidelined for an easy fix, like a coil, vavle cover gaskets, wheel bearings, etc.

                    The satisfaction of completing the event is worth the effort, and the door stickers peel right off and make great garage decorations that you will love to look at for years.
                    If I were closer I'd lend a hand, please keep us posted.
                    Click image for larger version Name:	IMG_1432x.JPG Views:	0 Size:	575.6 KB ID:	1288789
                    as I said before... as long as I am not an utter fool (meaning, have practiced, and stay out of the way of the fast ones)... it's all good. I have low expectations as far as finishing anywhere but last (though above the DNFs).... that said, I finish last, have a blast, make new friends that's a full win to me.... winning is cool, but having fun is more important to me (which is what I mean about not slowing the fast ones down).

                    Thankfully there are few adjustments to make.... alignment is about it

                    Braking has always been an issue for me - but in part because I haven't run the same car twice.... having a car (hopefully) will help in this area.

                    I agree about the breakage - If I hauled my '40 to the trail, it wouldn't be down right now.... if I ever do drag week or rocky mountain race week, whatever I drive will be driven there and back... in this case, what hearing I have left would be ended (which is, actually, a bit of a concern because there are db limits at some of the tracks).

                    That said, my first chance to drive this on a track is on the 7th of March - I probably will drive there (and back - presuming I get the wiper issue fixed....)

                    I think stickers on street cars is a bit over the top, but stickers on a race car that is driven on the street.... that's cool.

                    I imagine if this goes far enough that I could be in your area at some point.... problem is the comment that the inspector made "you should be good for this year" I won't build another car to stay in the series.... that said, I may flip to the Wilwood Corvette challenge in 2022.


                    fun fact about wheel bearings.... they're all the same part number (front/back/right/left)...
                    Last edited by SuperBuickGuy; February 25, 2021, 01:33 PM.
                    Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                    • #25
                      I guess you only need one spare wheel bearing, then!

                      pros for driving it to the event: more seat time, more shakedown time, motivation to make the car reliable

                      I've driven to/from Drag Week about half the time, and always made it home. There might be more of a chance to damage the car on a road course, though.

                      The side pipes would be a bitch, though. That's a lot of miles of loud.
                      My fabulous web page

                      "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by mike343sharpstick View Post
                        Your plan is spot on, you will do ok, as your car is a good package for that series. Be prepared to see some stupid fast cars, the reason they are fast is due to years of development, so it will take time to get the car in the top third of the field from a new build.
                        Murphy's law, take the car on a trailer so your car won't break,
                        The single best thing you can do, which you have planned is time in the car! I'm sure you will do some adjustments on the suspension, and your brain to get the car's behavior figured out.

                        Also, find a place to practice the speed-stop challenge. It's WAAAY more difficult than it looks!
                        Take some spare parts so you're not sidelined for an easy fix, like a coil, vavle cover gaskets, wheel bearings, etc.

                        The satisfaction of completing the event is worth the effort, and the door stickers peel right off and make great garage decorations that you will love to look at for years.
                        If I were closer I'd lend a hand, please keep us posted.
                        Click image for larger version Name:	IMG_1432x.JPG Views:	0 Size:	575.6 KB ID:	1288789
                        It was OK, it was in KY and temps were like 105, so it was more work than play for me just to keep hydrated, had a couple small issues to deal with like constant brake bleading and figuring out tire pressure, so not much time to hang out and chat.
                        Things that should have been worked out ahead of time...

                        That's where I learned that the stock front suspension, even my modified version, SUCKS. Had it worked better I may have gotten a bit more respect.... Shortly after that event I fixed it.
                        Last edited by mike343sharpstick; February 25, 2021, 01:56 PM.

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                        • #27
                          And... Listen to "The Optima Search For The Ultimate Street Car Series Podcasts" on Itunes, good event and industry information, discussions about rules and why certain rules exist, etc.

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by mike343sharpstick View Post

                            It was OK, it was in KY and temps were like 105, so it was more work than play for me just to keep hydrated, had a couple small issues to deal with like constant brake bleading and figuring out tire pressure, so not much time to hang out and chat.
                            Things that should have been worked out ahead of time...

                            That's where I learned that the stock front suspension, even my modified version, SUCKS. Had it worked better I may have gotten a bit more respect.... Shortly after that event I fixed it.
                            I truly hope that it's minor stuff left. This is the best handling C3 I've ever owned or driven - and the best description I have for it is it feels and handles like a BMW 3 series or a Miata (and even more Miata-ish)... the car feels very light and very balanced.... I've driven a few C5/C6/C7 and it feels lighter than that.... which, in some cases it is, but it's a totally different beast.... I just hope the 427 does break my heart. Using the 'old tech' motor is one of those keys that I'm really in love with on this car - and I know there could be a sneer that I spent LS money to go slower.... which I hope not, but... we will see.
                            Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                            • #29
                              lots of LS motor cars going faster than my 427 powered Chevy II on drag week...which is fine with me...

                              My fabulous web page

                              "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by squirrel View Post
                                lots of LS motor cars going faster than my 427 powered Chevy II on drag week...which is fine with me...
                                I don't care about position, I care about reliability.
                                Doing it all wrong since 1966

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