Third Wave Advertising MGB

Earlier this month we were able to finally wrap the car in its new livery. Introducing the Third Wave Advertising MGB.

Third Wave and Think Racing are set to compete together in four races in this year's upcoming SCCA SARRC championship.

Yes, we are going club racing in this vintage bodied MGB. Once we obtain the SCCA license, we are going vintage racing. The hybrid approach will allow us to rotate in and out of different series.

Picking up the new motor this Friday!!

I have Good Friday off, so I am traveling to Greenville, SC to Acme Speedshop to pick up my new (and first) race motor. Immediately after my October driver's school, I yanked the old modified street engine and took to Hap Waldrop.

For a few months we worked out my plan. This motor has:

Acme fully ported race head

JE flat top custom Acme pistons, with nitirted low tension top rings with gas ports

Stock rods with ARP rod bolts balanced

Crank is std/std and balanced

David Headley race oil pan

Rollmaster vernier timing set

Comptune CT-295 race cam ( same cam grind Eric Kruger won the runoffs with)

APT CF-04 lifters

ARP hardware thru out

12.2 to 1 compression ratio

Fully blueprinted

David Headly aluminum backplate

Fidanza Aluminum flywheel

Competition heavy duty pressure plate and clutch disc

Durabond cam bearings

As was planned from the beginning, this is a starter motor - probably more motor than some starter motors - but one that can be improved upon as I get more seat time.

Dad is in town at the end of the month and we are going to get this thing mated to the transmission, installed and the oiling system plumbed.

Latest update:

Since my last post we have been busy. I had the new roll cage put in the car and painted it. When my dad was in town, we re-wired the car minimizing the amount of wire and circuitry. It also cleaned up the engine compartment and dash area.

This has been a pretty hectic time with work and travel, so I have had to compact a lot of work into many small points of time on those days that I have time. The car is just about back together. Third Wave Advertising and I are finalizing the graphics package and Hap Waldrop is building my motor and carbs.

I'll post some pictures soon of the progress. I still need to bleed the brakes and connect the brake bias knob. Also I need to align the front wheels, bundle the wiring under the dash, put a bulkhead fitting in for the accusump, drain the fuel tank (replacing the fuel with a higher octane - from 100 to 110), put in the fuel test port, soften the tires and several other smaller things. Once the motor is complete, Dad will drive down and help me with the installation.

There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. On April 19 & 20, I'll attend my second driver's school at Daytona International Speedway and upon successful completion, I'll be off to the races. But it will be a circus getting to that point all the way up to the actual school itself. I will be in Chicago Friday, April 18 and will have to fly directly to Daytona. So, my dad is going to fly to Greensboro and tow my car to Daytona meeting me there. Hap is also coming along, so I am flying him from Greenville to Daytona. It will be great to have him there to help set up the car and support dad while he takes care of me. These driver's schools are intense. When not on the track, I'm in the classroom. I am totally reliant on my crew to have the car ready and on the grid for each of my sessions. And dad does a great job of also helping me into the car and get my gear on prior to each session.

This is an exciting time. I will be glad to have this build past me. It is very consuming and draining all at the same time. However, finishing these schools, competing in two races and getting my competition license will be an incredible payoff.

What is going on?

When I started this project I never envisioned a number of things that would become a reality:

1) This can be consuming. Obviously, a project like requires a lot of time in the garage just to get things done, but beyond the garage you have to research the rules, sanctioning bodies, safety equipment, vendors, parts, etc. etc. I am tired and am starting to look forward to a maintenance mode that does not require as much time and focus.

2) I have learned a ton. I have driven MGs for years, but never went too deep beyond changing the oil and maybe a few other low hanging fruit type maintenance. Now, I am pulling motors, installing transmissions, rebuilding suspensions, doing electrical work and figuring out innovative ways to make things work that were not necessarily built for my car.

3) I have made a ton of new friends. The racing and MG community are made up of some great people. There are those like myself who love the marquee and others who share that love, but also offer valuable and top-notch services. None of the above could have been accomplished without having had these people in my life.

4) There is a renewed closeness with my family. One of my hopes through going racing was the experience that it would bring to my family. Sharing this experience with them has brought us all closer, because it has been an outlet, or platform, for us all to spend time together.

5) It would be a strange trip that is full of zigs and zags. To go Vintage racing has always been the main objective and that has not changed. It takes a lot of resources to build a competitive car and realistically I knew it could not be done overnight. And then when you combine licensing requirements, etc. it can be daunting if you understand it all in the beginning. I did not, which is good, because I probably never would have started :) However, as the objective remains the same, the road map to get there is always changing. This year is a prime example. I have decided to go SCCA club racing in order to get my license and experience prior to hitting the vintage circuit in '09. This eliminates a lot of complexity as it relates to licensing and will also ensure that I am a better driver.

The car is getting its cage installed as I type this and I have started ordering parts to install the oiling system for when I get the motor back. There is still a formidable amount of work to do, and I have until the middle of April to get it all together.

Then it is off to the Great Lakes Division and Nelson Ledges Road Course in Ohio for my second driver's school. After completing the school requirements, we have four SCCA Southeast Division races scheduled. VIR in May, Lowes Motor Speedway in June, Road Atlanta in July and VIR's production car festival in October.

Going SCCA racing has required a more robust roll cage and a couple of additional safety modifications, but not a large deviation from the car's current design. It will remain in vintage form, so it will be less competitive in SCCA, but ready for '09.

We'll keep you posted as progress continues.

Back from Paint

My daughter and I picked the car up from the painter yesterday. Painted the exterior black. There is some painting still to do as we work past the green elements that still exist. I may keep some of the green, because its accents will look great once the graphics package arrives.

Here are a few pictures. This weekend, we get most of the exterior badging, grille and other bits and pieces back on the car. Next weekend, she goes to get the full SCCA legal roll cage. Then we wait for the new motor.

Progress Continues

A good friend of mine said that I did not do a good job of updating my blog. I was surprised to know that someone was reading my blog.

I am continuing to track ahead as mentioned below. The motor is out and in Greenville, SC. The dual brake master cylinders are in with the balance bar attached and the brake lines re-plumbed and the dropped swivel axle assemblies are installed.

Sam Neave at LNA Enterprises (http://home.earthlink.net/~samneavelna/) is going to augment my roll bar to SCCA National Specifications. The added door bars and front hoop will give me added confidence. For years people raced with either no bar, or only a main hoop like I had, but there were times when I hung it out there and thought, if I lose it, am I safe and secure in this car. This new bar will resolve those concerns.

Ron Davis is building my aluminum racing radiator as I type this, because my original radiator which I said was being re-cored was rotten throughout.

This Monday (December 31, 2007) the car heads to the painter for a fresh coat of black, before receiving its sponsor and number decals.

In another post, I will officially announce my sponsor for ‘08, but I will tease you a bit now by giving you their Web address – http://www.thirdwavedigital.com/.

Santa mom and dad gave me a new sebring front valence for the car and I finished its installation today. Here are some pics that show it off, as well as what my car looks like prior to the paint shop. Just a couple of months ago it was successfully navigating the race track – now it is just a rolling tub – what have I done? J

No rest for the weary.

It is funny. If you ask any racer they will never say, "my car is done." So for the longest time I have been saying that I am building a race car. Well actually, it has been built, it passed tech inspection and oh yeah, it also successfully completed a driver's school.

However, those of us who build and drive these cars also know that there is so much more that can be done.

So, in preparation for next March's driver school, I am fast at work on my 2008 MGB. Current projects include: Pulled motor for a complete rebuild by Hap Waldrop. This work will include all of the internal goodies that will make this car much faster and more competitive, as well as a completely rebuilt and modified set of HS6 carbs. I will also add an aluminum flywheel and backplate care of Dave Headley that won't give me more horsepower, but will give me that horsepower sooner.

In addition, MG Limited is setting up my braking system to include rear bias, so I can adjust the pressures on the track. Dave Headley is going to shorten my spindles so I can get another inch lower to the ground in the front (to match the rear). My radiator has been re-cored so that the engine will run cooler, an accusump is going in to protect the internal components of the new engine and I am considering adding to my existing roll bar to increase its safety.

No small task at hand. However, I am enjoying every bit of cleaning, dismantling and planning that is going into this build.

Stay tuned for more updates. March will be here before we know it.

Mission Accomplished

First of two SCCA competition driving schools successfully completed

It was a great weekend. Intense, but not truly appreciated until I saw the checkered at the end of my five lap race to conclude the school. At that point, the getting down to business attitude rested and I reveled in the accomplishment of a lifelong dream. It was a liberating and emotional moment that I will never forget.

As I had mentioned earlier, I chose the WDC region and Summit Point specifically, because it is my home track and region. Dad ran in a Sprite and we both were volunteers for many years. I love the course, know many of the workers and felt at home in a newly intense environment.

It was raining hard all throughout the Southeast and Summit Point was no exception last week. I remember waking up in the Camper at 4 a.m. Saturday morning to the sound of rain and thought oh man is this going to be miserable. But by 6 a.m. it was all clear and the sun was out for the rest of the weekend.

I was in Group 3 of 3 total classes - large bore closed wheels. Production, IT and GT cars. I had classed myself in GP because my car best suited that class, but did not really matter, because I am going vintage racing. There were 13 total cars and I was probably 11th fastest in front of a GTL Pinto and an EP '63 Morgan driven by a Michael Mulrooney. My car in more capable hands may have had something more to offer an MR2 and RX-7 who were about 5 seconds a lap faster.

Summit Point is a great track [http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/]. A long straight, increasing radius turns and several turns that can test your willingness to go fast. It was repaved about four weeks ago, so when dry it has a lot of grip, but all of the reference points were paved over and a lot of dirt was used to fill in around the edges. Which when combined with torrential rains and students created a dirty track.

My first outing out tested my desire to continue. It was not fun. Very wet, I had tons of oversteer, understeer and a good spin in the Carousel left me questioning whether I really wanted to do this. However, as the day dried and my sessions increased (about 10 total over two days) I began to have a blast.

The car ran great considering the odds were against it. It was completely new. However, it all held together well.

The five lap race which ended the week had me grided on pole. The instructors stacked us slow to fast for their enjoyment. So I followed the Ferrari 360 Modena around for the green flag and lost three positions immediately after it dropped. The second start I lost two more and by the third start I quickly found my usual position. However, I was not too far from the pack when the checkered dropped.

Each session, my dad made sure I was gridded first which ensured that for the first couple of laps I had an opportunity to work with traffic, go door-to-door and experiment with different lines.

At the end of the week, I received high marks from the instructors, had only one involuntary off track (got pushed off the road at turn ten by an RX-7), experienced a number of pucker moments and left with the respect that all racers have of how hard it is to be consistent, aware, strategic and safe, but still wanting to win.

I look forward to next year and a faster car. For this same description and more pictures you can see them at:

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?41,663623

REGISTERED!!

Well approximately one year and four months later (since this endeavor began), I am officially registered for my first SCCA driver’s school.

Think Racing is heading to the home track of Summit Point Raceway (http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/) for the Washington DC Region’s annual driver’s school.

Registration has been confirmed, car is teched, the packing list is complete.

Now, all I need to do is install my recently rebuilt head and carburetors from Acme Speedshop, tune and load up.

It should be a good time for all of us.

Passed Tech!

I took the car up to Northern Virginia two weeks ago for its first tech inspection. This can be a nervous time, because the car is a brand new race car and though you read the rules there is always a chance that you missed something or misunderstood what was said.

Now I have done a lot of reading, studying, research trips, ask the expert etc. so I felt confident, but it is different once the official is actually poking around the car, pulling on things, pushing on other things and then referencing the rule book.

Especially since this inspector was SCCA licensed. SCCA has strict rules and has to because it has an agressive and highly competitive club racing program. But its rule book is not the vintage rule book. I am attending in October a SCCA school and they allow Vintage racers, but only because technically it is not "racing," but a school. Therefore the safety requirements are lifted enough to allow my car to participate.

So the car passed tech inspection. What does that mean. For me and the car, it means that it has been issued a log book and has been registered with the DC Region (my old "home" region). It also means that I can arrive and drive at the driver's school without the added worry and hassle of completing tech at the track outside of having my helmet inspected. It also means that my car has received an annual inspection meaning that it will not need to be looked at again until August of 2008. So, I can attend the March school too with the same benefits as the October.

Needless to say it was a successful trip. The first race car I ever built passed tech and is an official race car.

The Biscuit just got a new tow partner. This past weekend, my family and I drove up to pick up the latest edition to the Think Racing family - "The Cramper."

What exactly is "The Cramper." Named by my four-year old daughter, The Cramper, is a 1986 Winnebago Minnie Winnie. Don't be fooled by its faded exterior. This baby only has 56,000 miles and is pristine on the inside. Sleeps 4 comfortably, has a four burner stove, microwave, fridge, full bath and a bunch of storage just to name a few, this camper is the perfect match for our getaways to the race track and beyond.

Hopefully during the next week, I will get a chance to fire all of the appliances up as we begin to clean her up and make her ours.

Bye Bye Pricilla

I wanted to memorialize my '71 GT that I took today to the scrap yard. I am feeling a bit sentimental about it, despite the fact that she was beyond restoration and I feel that I made the right decision. What better place to honor her than among friends.

She was my first MG and I drove her everyday for more than eight years. It was the summer of '92 and I had just graduated high school and I purchased her from a couple who never drove her. My best friend pointed the car out for sale. I had to sell my perfectly reliable and sporty Mazda 323 SE so that I could buy this car and did so without a second thought.

I was working part-time that summer at a small consulting agency (my dad got me the job and worked there too). Dad has a '71 GT too and we would parade to work and back together. Some days I would go my own way through the curvy roads that still existed at the time and you could not wipe the grin off of my face. It was mischievious looking.

During my college years, she did countless 1,500+ mile trips to Auburn, AL and back (my parents living in Northern Virginia) and never left me stranded. We slept many nights together at the rest stops among the rows of semi trucks. Through the years, there were many upgrades and modifications all to enhance her performance. I autocrossed her, swooned women with her, made all kinds of sketchy adventures in her, reported to my first real job in her and even courted my wife - she like the outside air and gas mixed cologne smell that I carried with me.

In about 2000, Dad was undergoing a restoration of his GT and I had recently purchased a new car and could not afford to insure two cars. So I gave the GT to him to drive while his was in the garage getting its extreme makeover. Unfortuantely it was winter when my parents picked her up and the drive back was 500 miles filled with salt and snow slowly churning. That was the beginning of the end.

For the last year it has sat in my garage slowly being stripped of its useful parts and otherwise just taking up space. During that year, I have also been building my '67 B race car which is fulfilling a life long dream. Something had to go. The car was taking up too much space, beyond restoration and even if I wanted to try, it would not happen anytime soon. I can only focus on one thing at a time. Besides I could buy a great GT for half the price that would go into restoring the car.

So I loaded her up on the trailer and took her to the scrap yard. So, here is her tribute. Pricilla, you were a great car. A prized possession. You always deserved every second look that I gave you, every compliment you ever received. You never failed me, you were always there for me and I enjoyed every moment we spent on the road. I don't regret a single knuckle busted, shirt ruined because of grease, or the upsets girlfriends who complained about how hot it was. I enjoyed every race we camped at, every turn we hugged and pylon we ran over We experienced true freedom together and many care-free days. During our hey day, life was less complicated. I will always remember the thousands of miles spent up and down the highway, windows down, exhaust note blaring. Every time I think of you, I will bear the mischievious grin that you introduced me to those many years ago. You were a good car and much more. You helped define me. Rest in peace.

Now, everyone, a toast. "To Pricilla and the other fallen Bs just like her."

Things are cranking along. Though the updates continue to be slow, progress continues to move forward.

The transmission is in. It was quite the weekend sometime back in June (I think). My wife traveled to see family in New Mexico and my folks came down to help me with the kids. Actually what that means is that mom took care of the kids and dad and I played in the garage.

Let’s start first with this year’s Gold Cup at VIR. Dad and I met up there for research. There were about 18 racing MGBs which meant plenty of research fodder. I took some 200 photos – most of them were things like tow hooks, exhaust pipes, roll bars etc – not many of them glamour shots. I had a number of questions that I needed to answer and this was my one trip to get as many answered as possible. Plus I met a number of these drivers and made several contacts.

The following weekend, we put the gearbox in the car. This was a great exercise and learning opportunity. Not only did we pull things out, clean and paint them, as well as refresh bushings and gaskets, etc., I learned a ton. It was a great experience.

My first driver’s school is this October. The list of things needed to be done in preparation for that school and tech is quickly dwindling. Custom made tow hook – check, firewall plates – check, catch tanks, check …

I scheduled two important trips leading up to this event. One occurred this past weekend at ACME Speedshop. I took the car to Greenville for Hap Waldrop to go over it and tune it. In addition he had his local car club show up and we turned it into a tech and tune session. In addition to pulling my carbs apart, setting the timing and installing my new distributor and electronic ignition, he helped me – through a leak test - determine an issue I was having with my motor. Turns out I am losing a lot of horsepower through my valves – time for a valve job. That entire day was priceless, in that I could ask countless questions, as well as just hang out with the guys and talk about racing. It was a good time. I can’t tell you enough what a good guy Hap is and the work he does is top notch. His Web site is http://www.acmespeedshop.com/.

The other trip is at the end of August where I will take the car and have it teched by a DC region scrutineer. This trip will be important because I will have the car looked over well in advance of the driver’s school, as well as have the car issued a log book and the rollbar stamped.

In other progress, my medical exam is complete and my novice permit is being processed.

All in all, good progress is being made. More to come soon.

Let’s see this vision become a reality

It has been quite frustrating at times as I have tried to plot a reasonable course to accomplish my overall vision of becoming a vintage MGB race car driver.

Originally, I was going to build a car and then I found a car that was closer than a ground up build. Then I figured I would enjoy the car utilizing PDX and time trials as a means to get on track experience all the while continuing to build the car up to spec for SVRA/HSR style vintage competition.

So over the winter I put a tremendous amount of time and energy in building the car to meet SCCA’s Vintage time trial rules. This included buying all of the necessary safety gear that I would have to don for both TT and on track wheel-to-wheel racing.

So, I got it done, registered for my first event – the Rush to the Rock Time Trial – at Rockingham Speedway and prayed for good weather. Well it did not rain, but the event was cancelled because of a lack of interest.

Here is where I came across an important crossroads. I was talking with my dad and it became apparent to me when he asked me what my long-term goal was that I should quit fooling around and just focus on the big prize.

So I took my remaining money and dumped it into purchasing a fuel cell, as well as the necessary plumbing. In addition I have sought out several SCCA driver’s school and have been given permission to drive my Vintage spec car in their schools providing it meets the minimum standard provided in the both the 1972 SCCA GCR and the SVRA rule book.

In addition, dad helped me with the purchase of a straight cut, close ratio gearbox sourced by Hap Waldrop at Acme Speedshop (www.acmespeedshop.com). While at the PDX at CMP last year, my current stock transmission kept popping out of gear at high revs. I had planned to just rebuild one of my several spares, but dad came to my rescue and helped me get the real deal. It contains a new Jack Knight set and will go in the car soon.

In addition, dad and I have a research trip planned for this June. We are going to the Gold Cup again at VIR to research the racing MGB’s on hand. I need to look at and take pictures of several design, safety and performance components of these cars for use in my own build. Besides this being the second year in a row that we have gone to this event, it will also represent the one year anniversary since I made the commitment to go racing.

I think I have made good progress considering everything else going on in my life.

So in addition to the new fuel cell and gearbox, I have also installed a fire suppression system, quick disconnect steering wheel, aluminum racing seat, rebuilt the entire rear suspension including the install of a Fabtek rear adjustable sway bar (www.fast-mg.com) and a hybrid rear end built by Hap Waldrop and featured on the MG experience forum (http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?41,507209). I have also included a number of nice features such as new raydot rearview mirrors, a center mount sportscar mirror, racing windscreen, master cut off switch, push button start, 7/8” front sway bar with solid mounts and a number of other items.

As of today, I will keep working hard to finish the car, find someone to tech it and then register for the DC Region’s driver’s school at Summit Point Raceway in October.

I wrote several updates to this blog and then my laptop died and I had no access to capture them for posting. As a result, my blog is severely outdated.

I have worked the entire winter prepping the car for this year’s time trial season, including applying for my time trials novice permit.

My first PDX/Time Trial event of the year is the North Carolina’s Rush to the Rock at Rockingham Speedway April 21 – 22.

I will follow up with all of the modifications that I made this winter with some detail shortly. In the meantime, here is one of my log book photos.

Crewing in the Charge of the Headlight Brigade 13-hour endurance race

There is no better way to get experience than to participate. This was good advice that I received once encouraging me to crew for a team if I truly wanted to learn about racing.

Inmy 32 years of motorsports expereince, the only crewing I had done was for my dad, but that was back in the early 80s.

I had a chance to participate thanks to Stephen Figura, my instructor from the September PDX event at Carolina Motorsports Park.

Matthew Littleton, SCCA driver and car owner recaps the event below.

WDC Region SRX7s Again Dominate in Enduro

The SM2 Motorsports SpecRX7 fendedoff all competitors and overcame several mechanical difficulties tofinish first in class in the "Charge of the Headlight Brigade" 13-hourendurance race held at Virginia International Raceway on November 4th 2006.

This continues the car's unbroken record of endurance racefirst-in-class finishes and further reinforces the level ofcompetition resident within the Washington DC region SRX7 community. The car qualified 56th out of 80 and finished in 63rd place overall. The night before the race, car owner Matt Littleton took to the trackfirst for the 30 minute night practice session.

Confirming that thecar was in top race form, the car was driven by Marshall Lytle and Steve Figura for the night qualifying session. Setting a blistering pace, they outqualified cars such as the T2 Nissan 350Z (co-driven by none other than Rob Hines). The crack SM2 pit crew sprung into action following the qualifying session, ensuring the car had new brake pads all around, a fresh fuel filter, and was topped off with fuel. Race day dawned clear and cold? really cold. After removing the custom SM2 Motorsports engine block heater (two halogen floodlights) from under the hood, the car was fired up and brought to the grid by SM2 crew member and fellow WDC region SRX7 driver Chris Hubbart. Matt Littleton started the race and spent the first stint easily keeping pace with the two IT7 cars in the field. Marshall Lytle took over approximately 1.5 hours into the race and maintained race pace while also ensuring that the grass in several turns was kept to the appropriate length (which, for the uninitiated, is the ride height ofa SRX7 at full tilt on non-paved surfaces).

After managing to avoid the swarm of SMs, SSMs, and SRFs for over 1.5 hours, Marshall handed the car off to Steve Figura who ensured that the grass previously mown by Marshall had not grown back since it was previously cut. To further ensure that the spectators had an unobstructed view of the action on track, he engaged in a variant of slash and burn tactics known as "spin and burn." Deciding that the smoke from his tires as he exited the track backward in T4 was not enough excitement for the spectators and race officials, he continued his excursion until he reached the tire wall, executed a graceful SRX7 downshift (accompanied by the standard flame thrower effect from the exhaust) and promptly set the grass on fire under the car as he returned to the action ontrack. The firefighting action off the track dominated the race control net, requiring four backup firefighters to extinguish the blaze and ensured that we left our mark at VIR. The SM2 team will be having an internal vote to decide if "Smoky" is now an appropriate nickname for Steve.

The fourth stint of the race again saw Littleton in the car. Prior to jumping in, he was heard to ask, "what the heck is all that grassdoing hanging off the car?" Receiving the standard "I don't know"shoulder shrug from his co-drivers, he assumed that someone else must have brought it on track and leapt into the car following another flawlessly executed pitstop by the SM2 crew.

Several laps into thestint, the smoke filling the cabin of the car (conveniently appearingat the high speed T10 on track) indicated something was amiss. As the smoke momentarily cleared, he had enough time to think? "perhaps that was some of the dry grass catching fire and then burning out."Immediately following this thought, the belt that was being dragged across the now seized water pump finally failed with a loud bang and nearly every warning light on the dash illuminated and the water temp immediately began climbing. Radioing back to Chris Hubbart that he was coming in with an unknown problem, the pit crew was ready to leap over the wall (after Chris issued the emergency round up call) and diagnose the problem.

The car was immediately taken behind the wall to the paddock where Kyle Russert, with the same precision of a trauma surgeon in the ER, took charge of the repair efforts. Putting his RPPerformance experience to good use, he directed the cannibalization ofthe water pump, alternator, and air pump as a complete assembly from the spare engine (also built by RP Performance) as he dove into the now crippled engine and began ripping off coolant hoses. He was heard to utter words to the effect of, "Golly, that really 'is' rather warm"when the boiling coolant shot over his hands and arms. Paying no heed to the pain, he continued directing the repair efforts directly assisted by Travis and John V. The three drivers served as tool-fetchers and had the good sense to get the heck out of the way. Kyle is now under consideration for the nickname "Bolt Killer" as his superhuman strength was just too much for several of the bolts associated with one of the front pulleys. As the repairs were beingfinalized, Joel, Chris, John and Steve led the refueling, tire and brake pad change on the car as Littleton re-strapped in to return to the track. DTR Pam Linger was standing by at the tech shed to ensure the car got the proper paperwork for race re-entry.

Once again in race form, the car continued on but developed an unknown vibration that required several trips to the pits for new tires, re-torquing of the lug nuts, wheel bearing and driveline inspection.The problem was ultimately diagnosed as "it's a SRX7, shut up and drive? you'll get used to it." During this drama, driver Littleton failed to notice the voltage needle slowly moving left as the cannibalized alternator failed. Absent the info that the voltage had dropped, the wild gyrations of both the stock and aftermarket tachometers, coupled by the miss in the engine led the crew to diagnose the problem as a faulty igniter. Kyle again leapt into action and stripped the distributor from the spare engine and installed it into the car as Steve Figura strapped in. After the car failed to turn over due to the nearly dead battery, the car was push-started by the crew and taken back to the SM2 paddock where the alternator swap occurred faster than some of the crew members could walk from the hot pits to the paddock spot and redefined "Charge" ofthe Headlight Brigade for the SM2 team. DTR Pam leapt into the car and rode down to the tech shed to again process the paperwork required for track re-entry.

Steve then brought the car on track, waved to the corner workers that still smelled of smoke, and drove a consistent pace into the night. During this stint, the car also had a rattle and an undiagnosed "ringing" noise on several occasions. This was diagnosed at the next stop as Pam's cell phone that had fallen out of her pocket into the passenger footwell of the car while she rode tothe tech shed in the paddock. Removal of the phone and return to itsowner cured both problems.

Marshall Lytle then assumed driving duties for the longest stint of the race and managed to avoid the still furious SM, SSM and SRF battles occurring at the 12 hour mark in the race. After returning to the pits on fumes, the car required a shot of starter fluid to fire, likely due to the fact that the car's timing was set at "about there"during the hot swap of the distributor. The final portion of the race was driven by Matt Littleton. After taking the checkered flag, he brought the car to impound on pit road where the engine promptly and quite fittingly died at idle.

Rejoicing in their class win, the SM2 crew was heard to say? "So? can we eat now?"A true team event, the outstanding first in class finish and overallbeating of cars such as a BimmerWorld prepared BMW Z3 would not have been possible without the work of the crew. The drivers of SM2 would like to thank: Pam Linger for serving as DTR, Chris Hubbart for hismultiple duties including designated gas can man and supplier ofdistilled water/coolant, John Vacca for going over the wall as wheelman and engine maintenance, Joel Gallun for going over the wall inengine, wheel and other duties, John Counts for duties as team bartender, photographer, and fire bottle man, Fred McConnell for duties in the pits and repairs in the paddock, Travis Ashley for mechanical assistance in the multiple engine issues during the race, Jay Vacca and Cody Linger for outstanding paddock logistics and transportation support ensuring the team was always ready to execute its fuel stops, Kyle Russert for his duties as master mechanic and resuscitator of engines, Keith and Lori Ashley for their support infeeding the unruly mob for the duration of the event.

A special thanks also goes out to: Dave "Kitty" Ade for supplying the drivinglight assembly from his 2003 12-Hour at Summit Point class-winningSRX7 (also co-driven by Littleton and Figura), Bret DePedro for allowing the team to borrow his custom endurance race pit light setup, and Matt Geidl for lending a spare clutch that, thankfully, wasn'tneeded.A fantastic experience, SM2 Motorsports is already planning for its next endurance race challenge!

(Editoral Comment: In the interest of journalistic integrity? and since you read this far ? we were the "only" SRX7 in the race! Inspite of our mechanical difficulties, we did manage to beat one of theother two IT7s in the race. It is also important to note that threefirst-gen RX7s started the race and all three were still running atthe finish of the race.)SM2 Motorsports consists of 'S'teve Figura (former SRX7 driver,currently piloting a SM), 'M'att Littleton (SRX7), and 'M'arshallLytle (ITS/E/R BMW)

2006 TSCC Dixie Classic Autocross

One of my favorite autocrosses to participate in is the Triad Sports Car Club’s (http://www.auto-x.com/) Dixie Classic. The event takes place at the Fairground in Winston-Salem on a figure eight race track. The course is always a fun one and changes up the typical convention center parking lot with nothing but a sea of cones.

This past Saturday, October 28, I took the Biscuit (name is a long story, but will share at some point soon) out for the event. It was a beautiful October day highs in the lower 60s, few clouds in the sky with a consistent wind.

I am not a huge fan of autocrosses, because I constantly get lost on course and I spend more time worrying about finishing than actually having fun. Road courses are preferable, because the speeds are much higher and you are able to really stretch the cars legs. However, when you have a strong club like the local one here, good turn out and a great track, you can’t help but get your car out and enjoy it with other sporting enthusiasts.

Things went well. We were given six runs and each session lasted about an hour. I completed all six laps without an incident, except for a +1 second for hitting a cone on my last run. The first four runs, I improved my time by a number of seconds, but never came within the four seconds of the class winner. The combination of newer cars and more seasoned drivers makes it difficult to be competitive.

The MG is a blast to drive given its good grip, minimal body roll and high torque. When compared to the high horsepower cars, the B does not require that you lift off the throttle as much and really challenges you to put it out there.

This was the final event of the season for me. The car is now going into the garage to undergo extensive preparation for next year’s season.

So now that I know where I am heading in the short term – PDX style, I located an event close to home. There are many options through both the SCCA and NASA.

And here at home, there are two representative SCCA regions within North Carolina - The North Carolina Region (NCR) which serves the eastern part of the state and the Central Carolina Region (CCR) which covers the western part – that you can participate in.

It was late August and I located a September PDE event put on by the CCR at Carolina Motorsports Park (www.carolinamotorsportspark.com)

It is next week – Friday, September 15 – Sunday, September 17). Tech Friday night, classroom instruction followed by two 20 minute session on Saturday with the same schedule on Sunday.

My dad is flying down from Virginia to crew for me. Meanwhile, I have been scurrying about in preparation ensuring that my car was ready and able to pass tech.

I only work on my car during the weekends and normally for only half the day at best then. I value my time with family and do not want my hobby to interrupt my time with them. Given the public nature of this community, I don’t discuss them much, but my time with them is more important than anything else that I do.

However, my wife is a giving person and takes on the burden of caring for the kids while I bury myself in grease and parts J

Projects of late have included replacing the brake rotors (I went from standard to the cross drilled version which dissipate heat and water better) and pads to cure the shimmy that came from a warped right front rotor. I also have bled the braking system, reconnected the windshield wipers (a tech requirement), have changed the fluids and prepped my newly acquired trailer.

Progress continues and now, in the remaining days, I will knock a few smaller items, prepare items for packing and clean the car. I read somewhere that a clean race car is a happy one. If anything, it fits with my desire to be as professional and buttoned up as possible.

"When you're racing - it's life. Anything that comes before or after is just waiting" ~ Steve McQueen in LeMans, 1971

So, I did an autocross and though not that successful it was fun and a good chance to “open” up the car and see how smooth it was in both handling and at high revs.

As McQueen says everything else in between has been waiting, and in my case preparing. I have been mapping out and planning my next steps. While researching other performance driving opportunities I stumbled across a new program that the SCCA has introduced. It is called the Performance Driving Experience (PDE).

The SCCA web site (www.scca.org) explains it this way.

“PDX events are about you, the driver. Plenty of seat time, plenty of individual instruction and a ton of driving exercises make up a PDX; all of which is designed to educate you and make you more confident behind the wheel, both on the track and on the street.Participants receive a solid blend of driving instruction, ranging from the classroom to in-car training to “follow me” drills. A wide range of topics are discussed and shown at a PDX, including: following a “racing line”, passing zones, speed limits and other general driving techniques. Of course, each driver receives feedback from his or her instructor at the end of each lesson. PDX events are non-competition based, but three other levels of the Time Trials program provide competition, but it’s important that the skills taught at a PDX are learned beforehand so you as a driver can enjoy the latter levels of the program the way they were intended.

When you feel you’re ready for something a bit challenging, Club Trials is where you want to be.Club Trials continue the instruction you received in the PDX, but adds advanced driving techniques, competition rules and introduces the elements of a timed event. Your street car is still perfectly acceptable, but you might start to see a few race-prepared vehicles too!With Club Trials, you now get to feel what it’s like to be on the track and go against the clock no matter what you’re running that weekend. There are two more levels to the Time Trials program, designed for even more racing action! Time Trials, Track Trials and Hill Climbs.”

The bottom line for me is that I think I have found my bread and butter for the next couple of years. For a number of reasons there is still a lot for me to do to get on track with other cars and this will be a great opportunity for me to utilize the car that I have and gain some valuable on trace experience.