The road to Optima Challenge 2021

[Captain]

GOOD LUCK
DO A GOOD SHOW........!!!!!
(I always dread "Being the Show" in "Failure Pictures")

[SuperBuickGuy]

It's been nearly 2 days and wow. Lots happened. Buick has been sick for a few weeks, and the night before I'm to leave - we had to do what was necessary. I'll do something about Buick's memory when I get back, how this really affects things is the night before I'm leaving, I get no sleep. zero zilch nada.
He was also supposed to go with me... anyway, who said life is easy? (and then my wife's dog escaped and I find out when I'm in California - big shout out to my friends, they rallied big time)
I load in the morning and leave at 9 am.

mental note center the car, that isn't good enough (well it was, but it wasn't)

the drive itself is unadventurous except rather then making it in one day, I stopped in the town of Westley and stayed the night
and arrived to the dead smack middle of nowhere at 11 am today.

no, seriously... no where'

but the Corvettes are fully represented...

and I may be the only novice in GTV class

but now my car is FAR faster

[silver_bullet]

Our condolences on your loss of an excellent friend/furbaby... our hearts go out to you!We once lost two dogs within 26 days years ago and it took 4 years to recover from that He was a great one.... have fun and enjoy the memories my friend!

[SuperBuickGuy]

More pictures of who was there (I left at 3)

I love that color

this is someone from my neck of the woods... we tested the theory that stickers make you faster... I think it's true, I didn't have stickers on my car and it took me longer to get to Willow Springs (the pendant might mention I left from Seattle and he left from Portland but science, I say that that silly detail!)



dad and son team

the owners of this car are some of the nicest people I hate.... they leave their house in March to go racing then get home in October. Sweet car, though. Different class, otherwise I'm sure she'd thoroughly spank my C3

a couple C4s, a Porsche GT3, a Lambo something or another..... every one a cool car.

[65RHDEER]

Sad to hear about Buick, looks like you have a good distraction to your thoughts of him.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Did one lap session today. Car died on the way to the grid. Drove to fiTech and bought another computer. Installed it. runs again.... now my goal is to finish with a running car. I missed all 3 of the challenges today

[pdub]

I'm so sorry to hear about Buick, whatta bummer. And your race car is misbehaving too. Dang.

[Monster]

[Deaf Bob]

Hope this is the end of your problems...
have fun today!

[SuperBuickGuy]

yeah.
Today didn't go any better. I started the car, tuned the IAC (required), then the car overheated because the fans didn't come on. I did go to the engineering challenge so at least I got a number on the board... I'm at a loss what to do about this.... probably the easiest would be put a low-pressure pump in then run a carb.... I have all of it.... and plenty of time to consider options on the way back....

and yet. I've made a number of new friends - to me those are far more valuable then a trophy.... of course, a trophy would be nice too....

[Dan Barlow]

I' put a carb on the 85 vette when it was my son's car and it is fine for me for anywhere I'll ever take it . But you will probably be running as t alot of drastically different elevations, won't a carb be difficult to keep at an optimum tune ? P.S. sorry to hear about the loss of your #1 Buick . I've been trying to wear the wife down on getting a dog but so far it isn't happening. I get the 3.5 car garage minus on stall . And she gets the house minus one half the bed .

[SuperBuickGuy]

There will be more pooches, and more races.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Day 2, not better then the last
Okay, I left you on Day 1 with great news the car ran again.
Day 2 started with me warming up and adjusting the IAC. Drove it up to the pad where they do the autocross, walked it, good? no? no.
I did a bit of tuning and realized the fans weren't coming on. fine, hot wired them. The the alternator said 'nope'. There is an autozone in Rosamond - but by that time, I'm done.

FiTech may have changed how it turns on a fan.... because the computer won't turn it on, and I wonder if (because last time it was a ground to energize the relay) I lunched another computer. I did get judged in the Engineering, and even got a time for my orientation laps (which is a bonus, I suppose).

FiTech and I are going to have to talk. I like them, a lot, but this is getting old. Let's recount, on the FJ40, there was a new computer and new injectors. On this one, there was a failed computer (MY FAULT), but then the squirting, mis-machined throttle body, and I'm calling the failed computer their fault - with an asterisk that it may not be their fault (though on my column it was running fine until I got to Willow Springs).

anyway, enough discussion... pictures
this thing took a dump on me at the worst possible moment - on the way to Riverside - put my truck in limp mode... in LA traffic.... with no way to test or troubleshoot.

a familiar sight on my blogs

Friday night, I had towed it to its spot, but then it ran so I straightened up the parking.

I swear Optima Challenge is 90% Corvette.... makes sense, you can either win or have another car.

these while walking around before I found out my car wasn't going to make it

won his class

had almost as many troubles as I did - but at least got to run

met the owner in line to judging... neat guy


the noises this made were unholy

love this truck, it'll be a SEMA because it won its class this time - uses a Corvette cradle and Camaro diff

another neat truck

think he won his class

this car is badass... don't know why he was on the trailer for day 2....

[Monster]

Awesome race report and the cars look great !

[SuperBuickGuy]

Pdub reminded me that I needed to post pictures of the exciting drive back



the stats
1137 miles home
18h 56m total time
17.5 mpg