starts out packed up and go to the track, which is pretty empty per the normal for this rental. unload the car, and get the pit set up. Derek is there with his son, and Joey is there. we get everything going, and get the car up on 4 jackstands to test out (low rpm tests) the shift cut to make certain it is working. i was unsure after Saturday if it was or not.
get Kevin on the laptop, via Teamviewer, as he is nice and comfy at his home in PA at this time. we run some logs, test some stuff, and its time to make a few shift tests. shift cut is active >3500, hold 4k rpm and shift it, no lifting of throttle, and shift again at 4k rpm. i bang this out 3-4 times while he is logging and watching for the trigger signalling it to cut. pull 8-10 degrees for .250 sec i think its what we settled on.
ok, done deal. it works. and as Joey is looking at stuff, he notices the driver rear outer CV snapped. not at the splines, but at the weld. where i had to grind it down a little to fit into my hub. FML!!! i am about to toss it in. Derek talks me into going back home and grabbing the last spare outer i got from Janis (who is wholly responsible for making today happen from >2 years ago with his decision to send me his axles). we go to my house, and pull the outer from the pass side rear axle. we grab MIG welder, end grinder, side grinder, swap in some flux core wire, metabo cutoff grinder, cv boot strap tools, and the tools for the axle nut. then he shows me how the ABS ring comes off, not needing ground off like i spent time doing yesterday haha. hurry back to the track, where Joey has everything he can ready to go.
we pull the axle nut, and pull out the broken outer. pull the other half off of the half shaft, and secure the axle up out of the way while i go to TOWN on the inside of the spindle/hub assembly with the die grinder. i am not going to clearance the CV this time, and risk weakening it like the last one. two trial fits and it is finally good to go. bolt that thing together and on the ground it goes. this one, the threads are boogered up, so i tightened it as far as i dared, and was prepard to weld the nut to the shaft and deal with it at a later date if need be, if we felt it didnt torque up enough. but it did. i was even prepared at this point to pull the other rear axle, leave the outer stubs in, and run FWD if i had to. worst case scenario stuff.
meanwhile, my main guy, Chub-racer, was ready to go!!!
take it over, and Joey stages me to make a pass.
i forgot to turn on the AWIC pump this pass, but all in all it was a good run. launch was off a little and it sounds like it double tapped the shift cut on 1-2, but after that it was clean. 9.68 @ 158, new MPH record!!!! nothing great on the 60 foot, i am trying to learn this triple disc clutch i pieced together. and it is GRIPPING just fine i will have to say. the shift rod from tower to unit did get bent anyways even though i made a hard stop for it.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8wX4P2fbMA[/youtube]
so, we go over the car, no hurry or rush to the lanes for the next round. none of that BS. Shannon shows up right after we run, so another hand to help is good. we ice it up, fuel it up, check stuff. lewt it sit, talk with the tuner about this and that, then take it up for another pass. again, 1-2 shift issues, and bending that rod. makes a good pass after the 1-2 shift, runs 9.88 @ 156. still up on the mph from last year, down on ET, and horrible short track.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpvTMxV6f8c[/youtube]
now i need to address that stupid shift rod bending. Derek suggests something like a plint, and i just happen to have a few feet of 3/8" steel round rod in the truck. grab tools, cut it into 4 pieces, and zip tie and hose clamp the crap out of that rod. now it will NOT bend. do the logging stuff, wait for changes, and then go up for another pass.
this one the launch was a little better, the 1-2 not quite as bad, and end up running 9.41 @ 160.82. only 0.17 sec faster than Chris @ USP did, now to be the Quickest AND Fastest Audi in N America again
picked up 6 mph at the 1/8 mile at a loss of .5 sec, but making 37 mph on the big end. and going 3.11 sec from 1/8th to 1/4 is pretty good as well. if i could have 60'd like last year i would have run 9.1x.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v81pgVp8rp8[/youtube]
after that, we made small changes to the shifter hard stop, and that was not allowing me to get into third. two failed runs, motor making a ticking noise in cyl 1 that sounds like a lifter shim spit, and we called it a day. burnout on 4th pass snapped my wrist pretty hard, it hurts good right now. and the #5 pass burnout, did a stoppy somehow, and the back wheels came about 8" or so off the ground! the airda dipped into the pavement and scraped some rubber, slightly denting it.
and get home, put everything away (almost), and had some beers, a nice Rib-Eye on the 'que, with some grilled shrimp. messed with video editing, and actually liking the software i am using now. getting more used to it, i may try adding some music to it later. i just knew i was forgetting something last night, and i found it this morning when i went to leave for work. i forgot the race car laptop. on the truck tool box. over night. it got lots of dew on it
