The week before the race I installed a few upgrades/repairs after RMIHR. I put a new Carter electric fuel pump in-line, new plug wires, a reconditioned 2-row radiator and a new auto transmission cooler to go with it, auto-transmission kick-down linkage, headers, mufflers, 1" carb spacer, along with a new dropped fan shroud.
Thursday night I was up until 2am flushing the racer's cooling system. I had put insurance and mufflers on it, then flushed the system of rust and crud deposits. Friday, after work, I drained the racer's oil, Tigger's oil, topped off various fluids, and started packing the racer.
Saturday I awoke at 8am and hoped to leave by 9:30.. well, at 9:30 I was stepping out of the shower, and I left town about 10:15 after another 45 minutes of "oh yeah, I should bring *THAT*, too!"
An hour later, I had covered the 60 miles to Cascade, Montana and had started down the dirt/gravel roads to the race sight. It had rained the previous few days, and the road was muddy.. the racer was fishtailing behind me in the goo. I pulled over to let Kathy Gordon by, and ended up locking in the front hubs just to make sure I got going in a straight line again! Apparently the night before was a mess.. everyone was unloading their racers to get their motorhomes and tow-rigs in!
We pulled alongside the Gordon's motorhome and unhitched the racer. We very quickly emptied it's contents, filled it full of oil, and removed the "all-season-radial" street/towing 235/75R15 tires and installed the ~31" bias-ply "SuperThing" race tires.
I then fired it up and drove to the registration booth to get "Teched" and pay my fees. Unfortunately, I failed Tech! I had a good sized *FUEL LEAK*!
Race back to camp, and pull out my 9/16" deep-well socket and I dropped the skidplate.. onto my arm leaving a nasty looking gouge. With the plate out of the way, I still couldn't tell where the leak was. I then removed the nuts from both "J-bolts" and dropped the tank itself.
I noticed fuel leaking from the sending/pick-up tube area. Don Gordon discovered he couldn't twist it slightly and slow up or stop the leak. Thinking we had it fixed, we lifted the tank back into the place and fought the J-bolts.. but it was leaking even more now!
Don then noticed the stock plastic fuel line had *another* rubber line "splice" between the break I knew of (and had put my electric pump at) and the gas tank.. and it wasn't clamped. One hose clamp later, I was leak free and heading back to the registration booth to get Tech'd once again.. and I was good to race!
Whew!
They called me up for my first race. I was definitely nervous.. this was only my third time staging in front of a "tree".. once again, I'd missed hot-laps.
I was racing Tyler Gordon's 1979 "Bronc-up".. it was a 1979 Bronco.. but Tyler dropped a '76 F150 cab on it.
The lights went before I knew what was happening. I jammed on the throttle and shoved the transmission into 1st gear and launched.. with a 1.181 second reaction time (compared to Tyler's .671). I made a pathetic attempt at getting down the 100 yard strip. Tyler beat me pretty badly. I crossed the 100 yard mark after 9.159 seconds @ 13.97mph. Tyler did 7.644 seconds. My engine wasn't "picking up" like I thought it should, and the transmission shifts were WOEFULLY delayed. Kathy Gordon thought I had a 4spd in the Scout and needed to get an automatic!
I lost my second drag race under similar circumstances. I then paid another $5 to "bump up" from Sportsman's Class D to Class C and race again. I lost, of course! ;-) My reaction time did improve.. the ET slip I have handy says I had a .834 reaction time but only hit 13.64mph @ 8.575 seconds.. still lost... to a JEEP.
Don Gordon did MUCH better than I did, and took first place in Sportsman Class C. Don runs a '63 Scout 80 with a SB Chevy and a TH400.
With the drag racing over, we went back to camp to cook corn n' steaks for dinner. I looked my racer over for any damage, and installed the passenger seat. After dinner we fired the racer up and Michelle went for a drive around the field - her first time driving the racer. She did very well despite the motor not running quite right.
I advanced the timing from 10deg BTDC to 15 degrees advance. I then richened the idle mixture a little.
We pitched the tent n' used my new 0-deg sleeping bag for the first time.. usually I'm wearing a sweatshirt when I'm camping in the hills this time of year.. I had to downgrade to a T-shirt to keep from sweating so badly!
Woke up Sunday morning and pulled the passenger side muffler from the racer - it hadn't taken the "clamp" very well, and I didn't need it.. so it slid off for the obstacle race. I'll slide it back on when I need to cruise around the streets.
Then an idea struck me, and I pulled the air filter from the motor and pushed the accelerator down and looked down the throat.. well I'll be... I KNEW IT. I had recently put the kick-down linkage on, and hadn't had a chance to "dial it in" yet.. sure enough, I only had half throttle! No wonder it was a DOG. I ended up removing the kickdown linkage and zip-tying the linkage off. I suddenly had full throttle again, and a far livelier motor!
I drove over to the start of the obstacle course race (my favorite).
We ran the parade lap, then the racing began with the women running first, then the "Long wheel base" and then the V8s, followed by the "Competition Modified" class.
It was my turn to run.. I put on my helmet and neck brace, fired up the racer, sucked in my gut n' chest and locked myself into the driver's seat with my 5 point RCI racing harness. Sucked in a deep breath, and then drove up to the starting line. I got to watch Don Gordon finish his run from my vantage point at the starting line. Leonard Nelson signaled me it was time to go, the motor was revved, and I yanked the stock 727 shifter back into 1st gear, 4-low.
I felt a little wheel hop as I applied power through the 4.89 axles to the 31" tires, then I was off and the motor was screaming through the headers n' open pipe. I clicked forward to 2nd gear and felt the transmission shift. I reached the bottom of the draw and made the hard left onto the hillclimb portion of the trail and matted the throttle. I came up to the top and turned hard to the right, and romped on 2nd gear. Around a few corners and a number of bumps n' such, and I was finallly "out" of the back-corner (inaccessible to the video camera from it's vantage point). I came around the last "back" corner and down the hill, making a hard right. At this point in the MPEG you may notice a puff of smoke from the tires as well as from the front of the Scout!
I got a fine mist of something on my face - and it sure tasted sweet. After another turn or two I knew it wasn't just left-over mud-spray - it was Antifreeze! D'OH! At that point, my race turned from "let's see if I can win" to "I just want to cross the finish line before it overheats!" You might notice I got a bit slower after this point.. I was no longer racing, my mind was on the temperature gauge.
I made the last corner and came down towards the finish line. I knew I had blown the last gate and thought of backing up to correct - but decided I just wanted to get OFF the track and shut the motor down ASAP for a damage analysis!
Tom's first Obstacle run - 128Kbps version, 843KB
Tom's first Obstacle run - 384bps version, 2.5MB - higher res
I MPEG'd a few other races..
Brit's run - 128Kbps version, 827KB
Brit lives in Missoula and works with my brother at UPS.
Don's second obstacle run in his Scout 80 - 128Kbps version, 881KB
Don scored 1 minute 35 seconds and took second I believe.
Leonard Nelson in Plum Nice - one of the faster and more aggressive drivers and rigs! - 128Kbps version, 1MB
I did a damage analysis - a piece of my fan shroud was missing, and there was a nice hole in my upper radiator hose - either from the fan or from a shroud chunk. Don Gordon gave me a lift back to my other Scout. The radiator-hose-patch-kit I had purchased was too small, and I had a LOWER radiator hose with me.. so we went back to my grey '77 "Tigger" and "borrowed" the upper radiator hose. Before we installed it on the racer, we wrapped the hose with Duct Tape and an aluminum can, and then bailing wired the radiator hose well out of harm's way. We then gave the racer 2 more gallons of coolant.
With things patched up, I was ready to belt back up and take my second run.
This time, I was RACING. I ripped along the first stretch and up the hill climb. After making the turn at the top of the hillclimb I throttled hard, and shifted into 3rd gear for the first time in a race. I straightened out a few zig zags and made some time.. but lost a bit when I fumbled trying to find 2nd gear again. I came down into the muddy area and pulsed the throttle, trying to make the turn.. climbed out at full throttle and headed across the back stretch to the last turn. I hammered it hard and slid the last turn, making sure I went through the last set of gates.
My efforts were good enough for 1 minute, 45 seconds. About even with the majority of the field. And I didn't break anything.
Tom's second Obstacle run - 128Kbps version, 1.3MB
Tom's second Obstacle run - 384Kbps version, 4MB
Second Obstacle Run - stop motion video, 139KB
With the obstacle out of the way, we moved on to preparations for the "Baja" Race. Approximately 6 vehicles lined up in the field, side by side. We were waved to "GO" and the mad dash was on. I hung back. I was running this race to finish it, not to win. The Baja is typically 15 minutes to a half hour of continous racing, side by side.
It didn't take very long before I lost sight of the truck in front of me thanks to the dust, and I slowed up. The next thing I knew, I was at the back of a traffic pile-up at the first obstacle, a "dike" that was dug for the mud pit for Monday. A red Jeep had broken right after the jump and was off to the side of the main course. A few rigs were playing in the smaller mud-pit on the right side - they opted to jump the berm and splash into the mud than wait up at the "dry" side. I drove over and followed the rest of the group up the hill climb, taking my time and trying to see through the dust.
I kept up with everyone for most of the first lap, tho' I slowed a BUNCH at the canal that runs through the course and then stood on it through the back straight. I came around the starting line corner and passed Tom Ackerson in the white Chevy Luv. I think this was about the same time Tyler Gordon tried to pass Tom and Tom slid a bit in the corner, and the two trucks "met"..
I came flying up to the dyke again, and Leonard waved me to slow down - which I was doing anyhow - and pointed to the wounded Jeep. I slowed up and crested the dyke, then made the hill climb.
Unfortunately, that was about the end of the race for me - one lap. I came around the same downhill corner that I cut the radiator hose open on earlier, and lost my power steering. Well, I lost the power steering just before the turn, and then after the turn the ignition died and blew another fuse. I coasted to a stop to the side of the track and tried to restart it, but it wasn't very interested.
I popped my belts and thought I'd put the power steering belt back on - when I noticed coolant spitting from a fresh hole in the radiator. I also noticed there was a piece of my fan shroud missing.
I sat back in the driver's seat and watched the rest of the race. After coming in 2nd, Tyler Gordon proceeded directly to where my wounded Scout was parked. We flipped the front clip open and noticed the belt was cut, and the alternator belt had "walked" a pulley forward on the water pump and crank!
We hooked a chain up and Tyler towed me back to camp. He noticed some sparking along the way. Upon closer inspection, my alternator's sense-wire had melted and grounded against the headers. Ooops.
We watched the rest of the races, fixed Don Gordon's Scout (he lost a trans cooler line a little) and motored back to camp. I removed the upper radiator hose and replaced it into Tigger for the drive home. I changed tires, and packed up the racer. We ate some burgers, then Tyler n' I drove for home, while Don took a shower before he and Kathy drove the motorhome and towed the Scout.
Thus far, I haven't done a "full" damage analysis.. but I'm going to pull the radiator ASAP and take it in for repairs, then see what I can figure out on a better way of getting a shroud on things.. the solution might be to dump the stock fixed fan and move to a large electric fan with integral shroud.. it would eliminate the torque-induced motor rocking and shifting the fan around. I'm probably in need of new motor mounts as well. I also need to get the kickdown linkage wired up properly.
It was a fun weekend, and I didn't break anything too serious or expensive or difficult to repair. I didn't get to run the mud pit on Monday, but that's OK. My racer will live to race again.
Yee-haw!
Many thanks to Michelle for putting up with me playin' with my race truck late nights, for comin' along on the trip, and for manning the video camera to get some outside-the-truck shots that are very important to me - it lets me see how the truck works from the outside.. not exactly what's at the front of my mind in a race! Thanks to Kathy Gordon for breakfast n' dinner, and to Don n' Tyler for their help between races.
I'll be back next year.. and I intend to have a trophy to hang on my racer.