Reno Fernley Race

We left Salt lake about 5:30 am. The drive was a breeze.

I never get used to the comedy, creativity and chaos found in the paddock. Being new to 24HL, my team was overwhelmed.

We got through tech and BS inspections without a hitch, set up our pit, and once the track was closed to cars we walked the course.

Joe's team had a great start. The starting flag dropped with them in second place. The moved up to #1 and held it for 25 laps. After that they started to see some of the weird ignition problems they had seen at previous races.




Like Thunder Hill last winter, our pit neighbors were Eyesore and Free Range. I was with my own team Volatile RAM and Joe was there with the Snowspeeder. Also Paul's car and team Knights Of The Round Track were there. Unfortunately Paul's car fried some bearing test day and didn't get to race.

Mark Jr started the race for us. He reminded me of me at my first race with his enthusiasm, and spinning out of control off the track. [sniff] I'm so proud.

Mark Z drove our second leg and our over-heating problem from V-RAM's first race last year returned and plagued us the remainder of the race. It took us out of competition, but with the pressure off we could just relax and have fun.



We all managed to take few black flags. The Judges were very generous to us though and usually just sent us to switch drivers and

Eyesore finished first place overall. I attribute their success to a brilliantly innovative car, fantastic driving skill, an organized pit routine, and me letting them sit in my chair. With all their track effort they are also have a great time. This race it was Elvis costumes and a pink Caddy theme for the Franken-Miata.

Toward the end of day two I was t-boned by the Let It Ride CRX in the apex of the first uphill turn. I saw them in the penalty box after that but didn't see them on the track again. I wonder what happened to them.

Mark Jr and I decided to stay in Reno for a night before heading back. On the way there I spotted a bunch of kids jumping jumping in the river off the freeway and had to pull over. Next Fernley race I'll definitely be going for a dip again. We hung out with a few of the Eyesores, decided Salt Lake strip-bars aren't all that bad, and slept in before the drive home. Success.

Oh My!

Bonneville or Area 51?

I went to Bonneville Salt Flats with Paul and the whole Knights Of The Round Track team. A surreal place. Once you move away from the staging area there you are surrounded by white in every direction and distant mountains floating above a perpetual mirage.

Me and Paul drag-raced. Their car pulled ahead off the line but I could keep up. When we hit 90 MPH Paul veered off to head back, but I pushed ahead to see where V-RAM maxed out. It took some time to make 100. At about 102, things got strange. The car felt floaty. The horizon started to misbehave. I had the wheel pointed straight ahead, but the distant peak I was aiming for was sneaking of to the right so casually that I almost didn't notice. I had entered a wet region and was hydroplaning. No braking. No steering. Car spinning. 102 MPH last time I checked. Larry shitting. I didn't try to correct and just hoped I didn't hit a dry patch and flip. Salt sprayed my face whenever the car was sideways. The trunk opened and slammed shut as rotation passed backwards. The car finally stopped and I took a moment to get my bearings. The landmark peak was behind me now. I drove and the staging area slowly emerged ahead of me.

I had made a few calls to find out what the conditions were and got 'they may dry out by Saturday'. They seemed dry enough, but I must have sprayed 70 pounds of salt off the car tonight. Next year we'll give Bonneville Speedway a few more weeks to dry.

Powder Coat

April is making the car whacky and cool.

Dusty desert roads are mayby not so good for the car. At least all the spilled and leaked fluid stains are hidden now.

Aston Martin V-12 Vantage

Aston Martin unveiled the production version of its most potent and focused car at Geneva. This new car combines the V-8 Vantage's compact 2-seat dimensions with the power of the company's 5.9-liter V-12—to the tune of 510 bhp and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. Aston is predicting a 190 mph top speed, along with 0–62 mph (100 km/h) dispatched in a scant 4.2 seconds.
Although the V-12 engine weighs 220 lb. more than the standard car's V-8, carbon-ceramic brakes, lighter forged aluminium wheels, lightweight inner rear quarter panels and optional lightweight seats have resulted in the overall curb weight that's only 110 lb. heavier than its V-8 sibling's. And the weight distribution is near perfect, at 51/49 front/rear.

"More" has to be taken with a pinch of salt, as Aston only expects to build 300–500 examples a year at its Gaydon factory. Deliveries will begin this fall.

In A meanwhile,Aston Martin will return to the Nurburgring for the fourth year in a row to compete in the 24-hour endurance race. This year the new V12 Vantage will be joining the yellow V8 Vantage - nicknamed 'Rose' - on the grid.

The ADAC Nurburgring 24-hour race attracts a variety of entrants from factory backed teams (including Aston Martin, VW and Audi) to private entries in anything from Porsche 911 GT3s and BMW M3 GTS to more modest machinery. The strangest entry in last year's race was probably the Opel Astra Caravan, which finished ahead of a Lamborghini Gallardo!

This year Aston Martin will enter a V12 Vantage, driven by Chief Executive Dr Ulrich Bez along with members of Aston's engineering team. The car is described as being 'near standard specification', which means about 510bhp from a 6.0-litre V12. Changes include reduced weight, which necessitates re-tuned suspension and Pirelli has provided slick tyres for the race.

(2 Weeks Until Reno) Success!

(Here's a link to more photos from today.)


First, my little '98 Tacoma handily pulls the trailer and car.


Second, somewhere between the Energy "Solutions" nuclear waste facility and the Air Force bombing range, we found a great location to test uninsured, unlicensed, un-street-legal, unattractive cars. It was so out-there that four totally nude people didn't expect Mark Jr to drive by in his jeep, honking and waving. When he returned from scouting and told us about it, I knew we had achieved sufficient boonieness.


Third, the car ran like a champ. It looks like we've resolved our overheating issues. Mark Sr took it above 100. Mark Jr made sure it could handle a spin-out into sage brush, and also made sure it had enough mud on it. The only issue that bugs me now is that sometime when I removed the dash and climate controls I disconnected the fuel gauge. Hmmm.


It was an effective test, but next weekend, (last one before the race) I want to talk Paul into a bit of wheel to wheel at the real-deal Bonneville Speedway.

Course Configuration

I'm very excited. 

Yes. Very. 

Very very EXCITED. 

The course layout for the Reno race has been published. 

For the sake of comparison, here is the course and configurations of races to scale.  

First is Altamont. (RIP, counter-clockwise) 

Cute, isn't it? It actaully was the craziest 24HL course I'm aware of. They crammed about 100 cars into that little kidney, same amount as the bigger courses, and told the course workers that unless cars were exploding, not to flag anyone. I will miss the chaos of Altamont, but then again, I won't.

Next is Thunderhill as raced December 08. (Counter-clockwise) As you can see the course is much bigger. Not nearly the bumper-car rally that Altamont was. Very fun. Very fast.

I sort-off had to unlearn everything I picked up at the Altamont school of driving. Lots of black flags. Lots of yellow flags. The course allowed a few capable cars to hit 100 mph. The course was beautiful and a blast.

Three short weeks from now we should be racing the following twisty layout at Reno-Fernley. (Counter-clockwise) 

This may just look like a femmie blue line on a brown map, but let me assure you it is a actually about 14 hours of shit-eating, white-knuckle grins. WAHOOO! Look at all those turns, and much more distance that Thunder Hill. I can't wait!

You can check these locations out on Google Maps, and the full size images I made are here.