Team News

Daytona Race Report has been posted...

Daytona Race Report has been posted to http://www.grandamadventure.com/ga_main.html.  Enjoy.

Mark

Race report coming soon...

During the race we had a mechanical failure - at this point we think it was an overheating fuel pump.  It stranded me on the far side of the track, and this caused us to have essentially a 30 minute "pit stop".  Danny took over with about 40 minutes to go, and brought the car to the checker.  We have a lot to share, and some fantastic in-car video, so check back soon for the update. 

Qualifying...

We qualified for Daytona about mid-pack of the ST field, which is pretty disappointing.  The car's handling quickly deteriorated during the 15 minute session.  When I pulled off track, it was determined that the right rear tire was flat, and that the left front was down about 14 llbs  pressure compared to normal.   I knew something was wrong with the car, but I stubbornly stayed out trying to get a good lap.  Oh well - tomorrow we race!

Roebling Update posted

Roebling Update has been posted to http://www.grandamadventure.com/ga_main.html

We do expect to have Danny's transporter in the RV section of the infield during the 24 hour race.  Stop by and share a cold one with us. 

Testing at Roebling

Prior to the Daytona race, the team plans to test at Roebling Road Raceway, on Monday, January 23rd.  

We'll be getting more seat time in the car, testing a slightly changed suspension setup, and practicing our pit stops. 

Expect an update to the website with pictures and a brief story.

Car Update

I talked to Doc today.  He said he took the car to the Dyno, and verified we were down on power during the Daytona test day.   Due to the last minute engine swap, he never had a chance to tune the motor prior to bringing the car to Daytona for testing.  With the car on the Dyno, Doc tuned the air/fuel ratio (the car had been running extremely rich), and swapped out the exhaust for a different one.  In doing so, the motor gained almost 20hp and 10 ft/lbs of torque, as measured at the rear wheels.  That will definitely help us at the Daytona race.

Website improvements

The website experienced some frustrating down time today, so I decided to move it to a new service provider.    It looks the same, but it's MUCH faster now.  The pages load quicker, and you should find that the videos that I post will now load fast and without hic-ups!

Crew announced

Jon Lewis, owner of German Speed Merchants out of Wilmington, NC, has agreed to act as Crew Chief for the fledgling race team. 

Jon is the builder and owner of "Old Yellar", the SCCA Volkswagen Jetta ITB car that Danny and Mark drove in the Kumho Tires 13 Hour Charge of the Headlight Brigade endurance race at VIR last October. 

As an experienced crew chief and car owner, Jon brings to the team some fantastic organizational skills.  For the Daytona race, Jon will also bring a few of his excellent German Speed Merchants mechanics to supplement our crew, so we should be in good hands.