Good luck team RPM

[racerrad8]

Okay here is the Team RPM weekend recap.

Friday starts off the weekend raining. Youngest son Ryan sets fast time, I am second and oldest son Robert is third. Ryan is 6 seconds faster than Robert & I and we are something like 8 seconds faster than the 4Th place car.

Heat race starts, Ryan jumps out the lead with me behind. I screw up on the start and hit the rev limiter so Robert gets dropped to fourth. Robert passes for third and the gap between the three of use stays the same until I run of track and loose 3rd to Robert. My car is pretty loose as I am running year old tires and the kids are on nice new rubber.

We ran the valves on Robert's car Friday night Ryan decided to do his Saturday morning, which he does. I notice when Ryan has the valve cover off that the gasket has pulled away from the cover and give him the example of the only race I lost in 2009 is when he did not install the valve cover gasket properly and it leaked.

Well, we head out for the main on a clear and sunny Saturday.  Ryan is on the pole, Robert second and I am third. I immediately notice Ryan's car smoking from the left side on the warm up lap, and so do Robert and Ryan.

We roll around and get the green flag. I push Ryan past Robert and we go into the first turn 1, 2, 3. As we go over the hill of turn two, a right hander, the smoke just billows out of the left side of Ryan's car. He takes turns 3A & 4 and decides the oil leak is bad enough to pulled over and hope he can just milk it along for the 1-2-3 finish we were hoping for.

I move to 1st with Robert right behind me and we head of into turn 7 and as I am 2/3 of the way through the corner, I get hit from behind and spun out. I go full throttle to do a 360 and continue. As I am spinning around the car is bogging down so I jam it down into second gear. I can see Robert is the car going behind me.

I spin it around and the Robert is now in 2nd and I am in third and Ryan is behind me as a full course caution comes out. It turns out that Robert got into the corner to hot, locked the front wheels and collected me causing me to spin.

We restart the race and I shove Robert by the leader before turn two and the guy he passes runs my off in the dirt exiting turn two, I gather the car and pass him in turn 3 and then run off the outside of turn 4 as the outside tires were muddy from when he force me off in two. He get back beside me as we enter the carousel and he is on the outside when he spins out.

Robert is now 20+ cars ahead of me and I set off to catch him. I get to approximately 8-10 car lengths back from him, but I notice the clutch is slipping and I start loosing ground. I can see Ryan is way back there running in third and he is 20+ seconds in front of 4Th place.

I go into survival mode to try and finish the race as the clutch is slipping worse at every acceleration point.

I fall into the clutches of Ryan who passes me and I am still hoping to keep the 1-2-3 but we are only half way through.

The lap after Ryan passes me as I crest the hill of turn 3A the car gets light and there is wheel spin. As the car unloads the engine goes instantly to the rev limiter and then it instantly locks up. I pull off the Nascar chute and roll down to turn 7 and watch the boys finish 1 & 2.

So in the end, Robert won the 2011 Thunder Roadster World Finals and Ryan won the 2011 INEX national point championship.

Needless to say Ryan is frustrated at the mistake putting on the valve cover gasket as the section just above the exhaust of cylinders 1&2 is hanging out causing the leak.

Here is the clutch basket parts I removed from behind the clutch cover.

And here is the shot of a piece that wedge between the crank and the case locking up the engine.


Not quite the result I was hoping for but, hey we all have to have dreams. We had a great weekend as Team RPM won two of the four World Finals events and the Roadster and Legends Pro divisions as well as clinched the INEX national points titles in the divisions as well.

When I get the photos from Victory lane I will pass them along.

Randy - RPM

[FJmonkey]

Great update Randy! Keep the details coming.

[weymouth399]

Way to go Randy You were in position to do it, that's all you can really ask for.  Do you think the spin had to do with the clutch problem or just bad luck. Are you gonna buy a third T/R now.

Bob W

[racerrad8]

I do, when I was spinning I had to jam it down into second to complete the 360 and it probably broke then. I think that is why the clutch was slipping and then it finally failed.

Actually, my cars are going to moth balled for the next couple years as I am going to focus on business and growing what I planted this spring.

Randy - RPM

[fj11.5]

cool ,could you park them where i can reach, i may "borrow" some parts mate

[FJmonkey]

cool ,could you park them where i can reach, i may "borrow" some parts mate

Randy has a used clutch he is giving away, see pictures above....

[fj11.5]

i seen that mate, i only want it if he includes the stupid wire snap ring he threw away lol

[Pat Conlon]

..... I am going to focus on business and growing what I planted this spring.

Should I get my Calif. Medical Marijuana card renewed?  Going online?  Farrrr out dude. 

[FJmonkey]

..... I am going to focus on business and growing what I planted this spring.

Should I get my Calif. Medical Marijuana card renewed?  Going online?  Farrrr out dude. 

Pat, with your current record it begs to ask if you have already renewed your card. Either before or after your recent experiment in physics involving some sand/dirt. Before would add to cause and after would add to therapy. Regardless I am happy to know that you had all your gear and it did its job in keeping you as free from harm as possible. I would be just as freaked out when applauded after having my gear cut away and the nurses and doctors found you sans dirt and sand road rash....WTF?? That is why I wear it cuz that is what it is supposed to do!!! ATGATT. 

[Pat Conlon]

Amen bro. One of the many paradoxes in life: How can one be unlucky, yet be very very fortunate?  Case in point.

I wanna know what Randy's growing.

[fj11.5]

whatever randy is growing will he ship out samples in each rpm order, i may need to partake 

[racerrad8]

Well, the 2011 Championship points have finally been totaled and we could not have planned it any closer. If I would have finished in 2nd where was running the World Finals, would have a different outlook. The top four cars in the Thunder Rodaster final results are all RPM customers.

2011 Thunder Roadster Final Championship Points

As also mentioned prior Frankie Marks was able to take the clean sweep of the 2011 Pro division winning the Championship and World Finals

Congratulations are also in order Kirk Hall and Phil Joy for their 3rd & 5th place finishes in the 2011 Master Division.

You can see all of the results listed under "road course" tab in the point section as www.600racing.com

Thanks again to everyone here as well for making 2011 a great year.

Merry Christmas, Randy - RPM

[Arnie]

I'll assume the top 2 listed are your sons.  Congratulations to them

Also, see that Bob Weymouth is one of the top "masters".  Congratulations there too.

Cheers,
Arnie

[racerrad8]

I'll assume the top 2 listed are your sons.  Congratulations to them

Also, see that Bob Weymouth is one of the top "masters".  Congratulations there too.

Cheers,
Arnie

Yep, that is them only separated by a single point; good stuff.

Bob is one of the top circle track racers on the east coast and is becoming a better road racer since he bought brake parts from RPM.


Randy - RPM

[weymouth399]

I'll assume the top 2 listed are your sons.  Congratulations to them

Also, see that Bob Weymouth is one of the top "masters".  Congratulations there too.

Cheers,
Arnie

Yep, that is them only separated by a single point; good stuff.



Bob is one of the top circle track racers on the east coast and is becoming a better road racer since he bought brake parts from RPM.


Randy - RPM

Thanks Arnie and Randy

6th in oval and 27th in roadcourse national points, not bad for all that I went thru this year. And Randy the brakes worked great, (very nice) just need black wheels now. We will try again next year, as long as my body lets me. (damm R.A.)

Thanks for noticing Bob W