How to Prepare for a Track Day - Oregon Style
T-7
Start obsessively checking the weather forecast.
T-6
Check weather forecast.
Spend 4 hours in garage listening to classic rock and tightening bolts.
T-5
Check weather forecast. Say loudly that long range weather forecasts are meaningless.
Tell wife not to plan anything for the week because you have a track day on Friday
T-4
Check weather forecast. Swear. Tell wife to apply for transfer to Colorado.
T-3
Check weather forecast from three providers. Disregard two unfavorable forecasts.
Mention casually to wife you’ll need to take lunch on Track Day. Just PB&J and carrots.
T-2
Do not check weather forecast. Declare that meteorology isn’t a real science.
Spend evening in garage listening to modern rock and rotating tires.
Mention to wife that you’ll need some fruit for your lunch. And something to drink.
T-1
Check weather forecast. Submit yourself to the will of weather gods and ask them humbly to favor you.
Lay out hydration strategy and purchase 36 gallons of beverages.
Mention to wife that you’ll need something salty with lunch, “like Pringles.”
Eat a light, balanced supper of protein, starch and ice cream.
Track Day
Get up ten minutes before alarm goes off.
Feign surprise when your wife gets up to make you lunch. Pretend you meant to do it all along.
Feign surprise when only 10% of hydration strategy fits in trunk.
Give wife wedding ring. Tell her “it’s safer to drive without a ring.” Do not mention hot track groupies.
Pack car. Fidget. Pace. Pretend to talk to your wife. Watch clock.
Leave half an hour before you meant to.
Enjoy.
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Humor, Motorsports, Oregon, WeatherRelated posts:
August 29, 2008 1 Comment
In Which I Become a Car Nut
Today for a few hours the three sweetest words in the English language were “End Speed Zone.”
I drove the Elise on the open road for the first time today. After an hour I was hot, sweaty, acutely aware that the car had not been designed for someone with Rubenesque hips, and had to pee. I didn’t want to stop; I was having too much fun.
Tags:
Lotus Elise, MotorsportsRelated posts:
June 28, 2008 Comments Off
It’s Alive!
After a couple of days being sick, I finally got back out in the garage to work on the Elan. While Nadya went to the Portland Farmers Market, I played in the garage.
After a leisurely 6 hours, the Elan started on the first turn of the key. No leaks and only a little smoke from header as my finger prints burned off.
Now to fix that darn window lift
Tags:
Lotus Elan, Motorsports, Nadya, PortlandRelated posts:
April 13, 2008 Comments Off
Putting the Engine in Boss
I received the engine back from Loynings Engine Service earlier in the week and had a few friends from the Lotus Club come over the help drop in it place. All in all it took about an hour with another day or so work to get the various bit s reconnected.
The verdict on the engine was good. The only mistake I made on the first build was forgetting to put the plugs in the end of the camshafts. This caused the top of the engine to have too much oil resulting in the leaks and the flooding of the valve guides.
On the plus side, the engine should be strong at 137.5 hp on the Dyno
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Dyno Chart
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Friends, Lotus Elan, MotorsportsRelated posts:
April 5, 2008 Comments Off
