MSRH - September - Time to sign up

[MikeP99Z]

Not many signed up yet.

AI
Ian Powell
Bill Swendsen
Mike Patterson
Jim Shepard
Casey Holdway
Jack Murray


CMC
Tyler Gardner
Gary Robertson
Pranav Patel
Michael Mosty
David Francis
Craig McCormick
Dan Allford
John Martin

[Pranav]

Is ECR not gonna happen this year? If so no sense skipping MSRH!

[ShadowBolt]

Is ECR not gonna happen this year? If so no sense skipping MSRH!

Yes there is a reason to skip it......it is MSRH. The drive sucks, the paddock sucks and I suck at driving that track even more than the others we go to. If I knew ECR was going to be a for sure event I would skip MSRH.....may even if ECR is a no go. I can't get excited about Houston. Just got back from 2000 miles to Colorado and back. Car is about 60% ready and I'm not using my new tires for a MSRH event.

JJ

[Supercharged111]

Yes there is a reason to skip it......it is MSRH. The drive sucks, the paddock sucks and I suck at driving that track even more than the others we go to. If I knew ECR was going to be a for sure event I would skip MSRH.....may even if ECR is a no go. I can't get excited about Houston. Just got back from 2000 miles to Colorado and back. Car is about 60% ready and I'm not using my new tires for a MSRH event.

JJ

Our race is next weekend, you timed it wrong.

[Fbody383]

I can't get excited about Houston. Woo hoo... moved up one place.

C'mon Jerry, what's not to like?

[michaelmosty]

Woo hoo... moved up one place.

C'mon Jerry, what's not to like?

No kidding, at least this direction is more entertaining. You want elevation, how about that LAUNCH!!!

[Pranav]

No kidding, at least this direction is more entertaining. You want elevation, how about that LAUNCH!!!

I like this direction. The launch has me landing on track surface instead of 400 yards of grass/mud.

[mach1]

No kidding, at least this direction is more entertaining. You want elevation, how about that LAUNCH!!!

Maybe I can keep it together in the launch going this direction, on and my fancy new cut stock front springs should help me LAUNCH!

[Tilton]

I'm out for this event. I have a covered spot for sale if anyone is interested.

Jeff

[Storm Trooper]

I am out! car is not ready!

[ShadowBolt]

I can't see me making this one at this point. Something could change but it's MSRH! I know Michael loves this track but.......

Don't we only have two weeks between Houston and TWS? I would hate to miss TWS ( the last time we get to race there ha ha wink wink) because I went to MSRH.



JJ

[marshall_mosty]

Just signed up for HPDE-4... Gonna tear me up a rental car!!!
Just need enough tires and brakes to get home.

[Fbody383]

Gonna tear me up a rental car!!! Camry? Tape 70 on the side... Tradition and all.

[Rob Liebbe]

Just signed up for HPDE-4... Gonna tear me up a rental car!!!
Just need enough tires and brakes to get home.

Correction - you just need enough tire and brakes to get to the nearest rental car location. Where you can complain about the crappy tires and brakes and get an upgraded ride for the trip back to Dallas.

[mach1]

Careful with those tires, I did tail of the dragon, once in each direction, and it smoked the rental car tires, not sure they will handle a full trackday, I guess you could overinflate the hell out of them to help.

[marshall_mosty]

Careful with those tires, I did tail of the dragon, once in each direction, and it smoked the rental car tires, not sure they will handle a full trackday, I guess you could overinflate the hell out of them to help.

Good idea on inflation pressures...

[Supercharged111]

Really? I never tore through tires like that in HPDE.

[dtanker65]

Just signed up for HPDE-4... Gonna tear me up a rental car!!!
Just need enough tires and brakes to get home.

Contact adds a whole new fiscal dimension :-)
Turn the stability control completely off, not just traction control. With the car running in park, foot on the brake, hold the traction control button 30 seconds until you get "accutrack off" message (Mustang). If you don't do this, the rear brakes will melt trying to keep the car from rotating. Brakes are the issue, tires not so much, one day and the stock pads will be gone. Without negative camber you will trash good tires on the fronts if you are thinking of that. FWIW they usually have V8's available at the airport only, but the X code cars are an extra $20 a day.

[cjlmlml]

and you happen to know this why??? haha

[ShadowBolt]

and you happen to know this why??? haha

Nope....why?

I understand why Dennis knows this but what are V8 cars at the airport only most of the time?


JJ

[mach1]

Nope....why?

I understand why Dennis knows this but what are V8 cars at the airport only most of the time?


JJ

Airport is where they do most of their business vs the smaller locations.

Is anyone hitting the Dyno at MSRH this event?

[dtanker65]

Nope....why?

I understand why Dennis knows this but what are V8 cars at the airport only most of the time?


JJ
I don't know why the V8's are only available at the airports. They advertise the cars in the class with the SS Camaro, but I have always been able to get a Mustang GT. I never could reserve a V8, but they always had one for a $20 upgrade when I got there, nothing but V6's anywhere else. Well worth it, the V6 is a turd, it's 300hp is nowhere near the power of a 4.6. The auto is marginal on the track, sequential is better than drive. I have had no issues. I was a bit ashamed about the condition of the pads on the last one I returned, but I couldn't help myself out there. I have a weak character.

[marshall_mosty]

I will most likely run by the parts store for a spare set of front pads on whatever I get "just in case"...

[mtpockets]

Ok, to lack of elevation at MSRH I find when I go off track there there's lots of elevation change. Yes, we need to sign up for the last NASA race at TWS. At least the last NASA race this October. The talk at TWS last weekends WRL event was March - June minimum. Whenever it closes, if it ever does, I already have "The Last Race" T-shirt from May's WRL event.
See y'all next weekend.

[MikeP99Z]

Don't be surprised if other classes are combined into our group. We only have 14.

[ShadowBolt]

Don't be surprised if other classes are combined into our group. We only have 14.

Looks like I'm not the only one that does not like that place.

JJ

[Trublu]

Time to shake off the blouse, pry that annoying grain of sand from under the.... And get yer ass signed up girls.

[michaelmosty]

Time to shake off the blouse, pry that annoying grain of sand from under the.... And get yer ass signed up girls.
Agreed!!!
With the confirmation that there are only 2 events left this year, I would have thought everyone would be itching to get back on track.

[Fbody383]

I would have thought everyone would be itching to get back on track.Has a weird feel to it. Need to change the "race year" to make Hallett the last race of the season, then take the summer off and come back strong as a new season.

Whoever makes it will still have fun.

[Storm Trooper]

Has a weird feel to it. Need to change the "race year" to make Hallett the last race of the season, then take the summer off and come back strong as a new season!

That sounds good to me.

[Trublu]

That sounds good to me.

I'd be all over that, makes perfect sense to me

[GlennCMC70]

I pushed for this for a few years. This real hurdle is the year we transition over. We either run a short season, or a long one to get it started.

I think the bigger issue is a season that changes as it goes. It needs to be firm early on and stay that way. Makes it hard to points race that way.

[mach1]

Does NASA hate us? Always trying to do things different, Hallett for nats, different season, me e-mailing Will bitching about TNT @ TWS, etc. Or are all of the race groups this way?

[Fbody383]

This real hurdle is the year we transition over. We either run a short season, or a long one to get it started.
Not necessarily, it's just math. We just have to make it clear that certain races could count towards points in two different seasons.

I agree it is much better if it would be stable for a couple "seasons" worth.


Or are all of the race groups this way?
I believe the season definition was our group's way of saying what worked for us. The 'voices' of Hallett for Nats is the recognition that we have had good voluntary CMC fields for a region race-could we get more cars out of the shadows for an official CMC nationals.

No, I don't think NASA even goes so far to dislike us.

[GlennCMC70]

Some things were more stable in the past. We have had 2 different "owners" in a few short years. Each w/ a goal to make it "theirs". Add in the TWS "closing" and ECR repaving that should have happened over the summer and got pushed back, things can get odd.
Unless NASA rents the track for Friday, they don't have any say in the TNT.
No way Hallett will work for Nats - too small of a facility. Go to a Nats, and see how big it is. Even TWS would be borderline size wise. Don't even get me started on the facilities for TWS or Hallett. Can't imagine what the bathrooms would look like after a week of folks camping there @ the track. The lines for a shower would be crazy. Hotels are non-existent for Hallett. TWS would be borderline if a game was in town.

[GlennCMC70]

Not necessarily, it's just math. We just have to make it clear that certain races could count towards points in two different seasons.

That was an option I offered.
How do you work the issue of the required number of racers to qualify for Nats? If the season starts after Nat's, do we just use the Jan-June/July races?

I'm on your side, but make sure we see the whole picture.

[Supercharged111]

Having never been, I can't say, but CMC is only 1 class compared to all the classes converging on a normal national event.

[RichardP]

No way Hallett will work for Nats - too small of a facility. Go to a Nats, and see how big it is.

I don't think anyone is calling for Hallett to be Nationals for NASA. I think the call is for Hallett to be the Nation Championship for CMC.

It would be cool to win the CMC National Championship at the actual NASA Nationals but most of the time there isn't even enough participation to keep the class from being canceled. There certainly isn't a good representation of top CMC drivers from multiple regions at Nationals. And yet, there is Hallett, with lots of top CMC drivers from multiple regions every year. We even use the championship format. Sounds like a Championship event to me...

When was the last time you were at a national event? They used to be a big deal. I don't think they are that big anymore, either...

Richard P.

[GlennCMC70]

I also don't see this split Nats lasting much longer. You split car count and double the venue costs. I don't see the upside.
The first NASA Nat's will always be my favorite by a long shot. Even though I didn't win one until the 3rd and 4th one. 25 cars (where is JB?) in CMC and most of us didn't know each other at all. It was great. There was more shit talking before the event than I have ever seen among CMC racers since. It was great.
Wish I could find the fuzzy math post where I predicted the new Mid Ohio lap record based on the current local CMC regions record and only missed it by a tenth.

[RichardP]

That was an option I offered.
How do you work the issue of the required number of racers to qualify for Nats? If the season starts after Nat's, do we just use the Jan-June/July races?

I'm on your side, but make sure we see the whole picture.

The other part of the picture is the rules. They come out late in the calendar year so that people have plenty of time to get their cars ready for the next season (well, except when they come out late, after our season has started...). Do we change rules in the middle of our season? Hold off on the rules changes until our next season starts. What about people who come from out of region? What rules do they have to follow?


Richard P.

[RichardP]

I also don't see this split Nats lasting much longer.

CMC was dead at nationals before the split...

The first few nationals were good times for sure.


Richard P.

[GlennCMC70]

CMC never recovered from the Class split w/ regards to Nats. It even killed some regions. Ours is doing well. RM is good and GL's is ok. We all need to go run that track in Kansas together once.

Yep, the first 3 Nats were great. I could write a book just from those.........

[Fbody383]

Do we change rules in the middle of our season? Hold off on the rules changes until our next season starts. What about people who come from out of region? What rules do they have to follow?
Just have to define it clearly.
CMC is still a NASA national class, with rules updated annually to effective January. The more stable the rules, the less this is an issue.

There's no reason Texas can't simply adopt the national rules in effect on the date of the race.


I don't think anyone is calling for Hallett to be Nationals for NASA. I think the call is for Hallett to be the Nation Championship for CMC.
It would be cool to win the CMC National Championship at the actual NASA Nationals but most of the time there isn't even enough participation to keep the class from being canceled. I would like to go to a national event, though I really don't like the thought of being DFL for the cost, when I can do that with a lot more cars AND get to race with CO/MW guys.

[Fbody383]

Don't be surprised if other classes are combined into our group. We only have 14.

Maybe we got lucky...
https://nasa-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/content/upload/5206/Houston_welcome_Sept_2015.pdf

R1 12:50 Saturday - 25 min
R2 4:00 Saturday - 20 min
R3 12:45 Sunday - 30 min
R4 4:15 Sunday - 20 min

Man this so beats drag racing and Auto-X.

[mtpockets]

Does anyone know if Tech will be open Friday? This is my first event this year.

[MikeP99Z]

NASA Logbooks and 2015 Annual Tech
All racers must have a NASA Logbook and 2015 Annual inspection. It
is recommended that if you have not already received an annual that
you arrive Friday to get this done between 10AM and 7PM.

New logbooks are $20 and annual inspections are $10. Please bring cash if you can.

[Pranav]

I had my windshield replaced and lost my 2015 Annual tech sticker. Do I need to go through the process again or is a record kept of me having passed 2015 annual tech to where I can get another sticker?

Marshall did my tech back in January.

[GlennCMC70]

The record is in your logbook.

[marshall_mosty]

I can tech cars Friday night. I should have 2015 stickers.

[Pranav]

Thanks Marshall. Just checked the logbook and the only recorded entry was 2013 :(

[Trublu]

For those coming into Houston on US290 be sure to check for road closure times.

[mtpockets]

I'll be there early tomorrow morning for tech, in line and ready prior to 10. Have family engagement Friday evening, have to leave the track NLT 1300.

[Pranav]

Yay me, just punched a hole in my radiator with an effing drill. Hope my favorite radiator shop can bail me out tomorrow.

[Pranav]

$20 later all fixed. See y'all tonight.