Race Prepping

[99COBRA2881]

AI has been through this with new cars. Some concessions will be made to let them in while other cars will get allowances to keep them competitive if it's deemed necessary.

Chris and Paul along with Brian have set the bar pretty high as to what makes an AIX car. I fully get what you're saying about capping hp in AIX and you're not the first to suggest it. The discussion always comes down to build to AI hp to weight or run AIX.

There's nothing wrong with a 500 rwhp AIX car. You've got a nearly new race car and a proven capable platform. Get out there and tear up the track and have fun.

 

[BlackBolt9]

And I get how those classes are designed. But you have to admit, if someone sets the bar impossibly high with a 1200hp car it sort of evaporates the field, or everyone has to move up to that.

That is exactly the point of AIX. Spend what you want and see who can build the fastest car. Who doesn't want to see just how fast you can make your car?

AI and any capped class is simply, how well can you build to the rules/cheat without getting caught... Oh and then still be able to drive.

Because at that point, its just mashing the gas pedal and drag racing on straights (just my opinion).

I disagree with your opinion. CG and BF wouldn't have been going door to door through a few corners at RA if it didn't involve being able to drive along with having a shit ton of car available.

People have been saying to me for years after I said I wanted to go into AIX to "don't do it", "there's only 2 cars in it", "etc etc". Well, how is anyone supposed to join this class then? Is it essentially dead because no mere mortal has a shot at the title? That's BS. I generally do things especially when people say I can't or not to do it. lol. I might lose and that's ok for now, I can add power to the car if I decide to stay and play the power game.

Screw those people. If you have the time/money/talent to make a run in AIX, do it!! I'd love to see more competition but I personally cannot afford to build one of those cars. And even if I could, I'm still not a talented enough driver, I'd need to spend way more on seat time than I have so far, which adds to the cost of being fast as much as how much money you put in the car, but you already know that.

I hope those people aren't trying to discourage you so much as give you an idea what it costs to run in that class. Keep in mind these monster cars weren't built in a year. CG's car has been through many iterations over the last several years. Hell, I think it's on it's 3rd or 4th engine in the last two years....

But like I said above, at least at the regional level, I can (and will) outperform AIX cars with my bone-stock N/A boss 302 motor. So at least on some level HP does not equal wins.

For sure. It's the same in this region, as long as CG or BF don't show up. Hell, we've ran in AIX with them before because it guaranteed we at least finished on the podium in 3rd anyways. Run it, just know those guys are out there for some events, and if you eventually want to play with them, you're gonna have to spend some serious coin.

Now, I _could_ make my car AI legal. Swap the tires/wheels and cork the tune. And maybe I do that someday, but I also like the idea of running my particular configuration based on my own testing and research with some more leeway in choice of parts, etc. Also, I'm a big guy and would be challenged to lose another 100lbs off the car to get down to the same weight as the horse jockey racers in AI with their cars. So that's a huge disadvantage right there. Hard to go faster carrying 100 extra pounds around.

When Dean won in AI he was close to 200#, not all the AI guys are horse jockeys. It's power to weight, if you can't lose the weight, just don't turn down the wick as far.... that 100# is just an excuse if you ask me.

 

[darreng505]

Good thoughts guys. I appreciate the perspective. I'll run it for a while and go from there. I can slap a pro charger on it or de-tune it to AI down the road. Right now I'll try the middle road.

 

[JTStreet]

I can (and will) outperform AIX cars with my bone-stock N/A boss 302 motor.

op: I sincerely wish you the best of luck. However, don't expect to be able to close the 800 HP gap around the turns.

 

[99COBRA2881]

You keep mentioning prochargers? Is there a procharger out now that will do better on the road course?
There's a reason guys run turbos. They're more reliable, produce less heat, don't take engine horsepower to turn them. No belts to break, no secondary tensioners. All of which add lots of weight on the wrong end of the car.

Hang a hair drier on that sob and go get em.

Start removing unneeded bolts and hardware. Did you know a door hinge will stay in place with just one bolt and that bolt has extra threads sticking through that can be trimmed off.

My plan this winter is to remove weight from up high on the car and add ballast across from me in down low in the pass footwell.

 

[darreng505]

Good points about the turbo. I guess I thought procharger because it produces less heat and let's me keep the stock intake/plenum and doesn't muck with my exhaust. Basically a bolt on affair. With the new i1 I could even swap tunes/boost on the fly.

Not sure if I mentioned this higher up in the thread but the 302 motor in a well equipped race car and good driver can easily turn sub 2:00 at vir. I intend to do this. I saw jack Roush jr. hold off two 800 hp vipers in his nearly identical 302r this year. You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it. Anything 2:02 and below could take P1 in AIX at the moment based on usual times I see. Of course that requires race craft to back it up too.

I'm about to add another 50hp and 500rpms with intake and cams.

Gitty up time!

 

[86Fbody]

With the increased power and RPM are you adding oil pump gears or has that been done?

 

[darreng505]

With the increased power and RPM are you adding oil pump gears or has that been done?

Yes. Springs. Pump gears. Already have all the other upgrades. Got carbon internals inside the trans as well.

 

[BlackBolt9]

Not sure if I mentioned this higher up in the thread but the 302 motor in a well equipped race car and good driver can easily turn sub 2:00 at vir. I intend to do this. I saw jack Roush jr. hold off two 800 hp vipers in his nearly identical 302r this year. You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it. Anything 2:02 and below could take P1 in AIX at the moment based on usual times I see. Of course that requires race craft to back it up too.

This is terrible anecdotal evidence.

I'm friends with Jack, have worked on his car when he drove with Dean in Grand Am, raced against him in both Grand-Am and World Challenge. I have nothing against Jack, he is a damn fast driver. That said, there is only one reason Jack was faster than a 800hp Viper at VIR in a Boss302R, the drivers in the Vipers were terrible.

For example, the last World Challenge race at Sonoma:

Viper fastest lap - 1:38.696
Jack in 302S - 1:45.412
Fastest 302S in the same race - 1:44.291

I haven't seen them driven back to back on the same track, on the same day, with the same driver, but a World Challenge 302S should be faster than a Grand Am 302R.

World Challenge car gets dry sump, more aero, wider, stickier tires, Watts link, etc. etc.

 

[darreng505]

Well sure. But my point is simply that HP is not everything and my "terrible anecdote" just shows that. Interpret how you want.

Jack was running 1:58's with stock 302. And that says enough.

 

[BlackBolt9]

I guess I missed your point. Yes, a faster driver in a slower car can be faster than a slower driver in a faster car.

That doesn't correlate to running a Boss 302 against the monsters in AIX though, since, from my understanding, the guys driving those monster cars are capable of driving, not just stomping on the throttle down the straight away.

For example, in 2009 at Nationals, Griswold finished 4th in Spec Miata and won AIX. Don't get me wrong, he isn't the greatest driver I've ever seen, but he isn't some monkey only winning because he has 1000hp either. So expecting to even be close to them just because your car handles well but is down on power is a pretty high expectation. Would I love to see you put a whooping on them, hell yes. But do I think that will happen with a NA coyote engine? Not a chance.

Again, not trying to discourage you, just trying to be realistic. Give them hell and have fun doing it!!! :beer:

 

[Stevedotmil]

This is a great thread. World Challenge is the only series I watch because of the Mustang content. I commend you for trying to do what people say you won't be able to. I haven't driven on VIR but hope to some day. I currently live in Germany and all of the guys I hang out with are trying to figure out why I have a Mustang if I like to drive curves instead of straight lines. Most of them have BMW M3's or 135i's. I keep telling them it's because I like having more money in my pocket. I can't wait to see how you do. Beautiful car.