We've only run two weekends so far this year, missing the first weekend (at Hallett) due to being snakebit... no, not just bad luck. We're talking about an honest-to-pete snakebite, complete with hospital overnight stay. You have to expect a few downsides when you live in the middle of nowhere. :)

To top it off, we were "snakebit" on track a couple of times as well. Anyhow, lot's of action captured with the in-car camera. Click on the link below to view the videos.
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Gary L - 142E ITB race car, 73 1800ES
BlueBrick Racing Website
YouTube Racing Videos

I'll look forward to watching when I find myself at a faster internet connection...

In the mean time... you got a little cameo appearance on a Miata discussion I found myself on a couple weeks ago... I expect you know some of them folks...

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=418962

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-Matt I ♥ my ♂

Well yes, I know a lot of Miata drivers. Improved Touring "A", which is the class just above mine, is full of Me-otters. Almost all of the racing videos I've posted on YouTube include one or two, or a half-dozen of the little buggers. :)

As one of the quicker ITB cars in Midwest Division, I end running with the mid-pack ITA guys pretty regularly.
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Gary L - 142E ITB race car, 73 1800ES
BlueBrick Racing Website
YouTube Racing Videos

Hi Gary,
Great driving, great film-making, great comments, just great! Looks like far too much fun!
Rhys

Thanks! And yes, it is definitely fun. :)

I've got one more Topeka video to edit and upload, it will be a fairly short, basically highlights of the Sunday race.
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Gary L - 142E ITB race car, 73 1800ES
BlueBrick Racing Website
YouTube Racing Videos

Quite a ride!
What kinda FWD car was that you were tailing?
What RPM does the shift light come on?
Did the alternator bolt break or just loosen?
Don't let 'em get you down! Any chance you'll make it up to Lindsborg for Midsommar?
Registration continues through May 31 at VCOA.org.
BTW I painted the silver hood yellow.

The yellow car is a 1995 VW Golf, powered by a 2 liter OHC engine. This driver is THE man to beat in ITB hereabouts. He has won the SCCA Midwest Division Mid-Am ITB championship 14 years in a row, the last 5 or so in that very car. This year, I have turned faster laps than he at both Omaha and Topeka tracks, but have yet to actually beat him in a race, due to mechanical problems. First race at Omaha, a (professionally rebuilt) distributor crapped out. Grrrr! Second race at Omaha, I was body-slammed by an out-of-control Miata, which shook loose the 12v supply wire to the FI main relay (admittedly with a suspect connector). Double Grrrr! Then at Topeka, the alternator bolt snapped during the Saturday race. But not to worry, we'll get him before the year is out! Incidentally, that Golf was put on the trailer after the race you saw on YouTube... the rear main seal went out and oiled down the clutch, it was slipping badly on the last lap. So with him on the trailer, I won both races on Sunday, beating the only two other cars in ITB that day... another Golf (1987), and a Honda Civic, the details of which escape me.

On the shift light, I currently have it set at 6800, but as you saw, there is one place on the Topeka track that I leave it in 3rd gear well beyond that. After all 3 Topeka races I had about 7100 on the tell-tale.

The alternator belt was still hanging on, but without the pivot bolt in place, the alternator was naturally trying to twist around towards the radiator, taking most of the tension out of the belt. If you watch closely, when the problem starts (a lap or so before I mention it in the video), you can tell that in right hand turns the belt slips more than in left hand turns. But eventually, it was hot enough to lose some water, and it really didn't matter whether the belt was slipping or not... it was simply too hot to continue.

I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to make the Volvo meet at Lindsborg. We're obligated to do a weekend "thing" with the local saddle club. So instead of pulling the Volvo around that weekend, I'll be pulling a 2-horse slant load with the wife's toys therein. :)

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Gary L - 142E ITB race car, 73 1800ES
BlueBrick Racing Website
YouTube Racing Videos

Nice videos Gary. Your 142 has a very nice roar to it, in contrast to the chain-saw noise which the Miata's emit. Seems like they are all over the track! And the 142 sounds pretty consistent to all the race bricks in the link below.

I was looking an older video on 04-12-08. Nice job in getting the red 3-series out of the way.

Whenever I look at my 144, I try to tell myself that deep down under that hood, there's a heartbeat of a race car... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhTE-znklWI&feature=related

Have fun.

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1974 144GL, 1996 940 GL LPT

WRT the rally video - Whoa! The pace notes must've omitted that turn!

To get a brief sample of what our B20 sounds like from outside the car, go to the link below and pay attention at about 1:25 into the video. You'll hear the Blue Brick passing the camera car (VW Golf), as we accelerate through about 6000 rpm in 3rd gear. It's only a second or two, but sweet! This video then goes on to afford some footage of our car from the rear for a lap or two.

VWRalf video

More footage of the 142E during the same race, this time from an ITA Miata that was behind us. Sometimes right behind us. :)

red986S1 video

Both of these videos are coincident with our "HPT 05-01-2011 IT Tour" in-car footage.
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Gary L - 142E ITB race car, 73 1800ES
BlueBrick Racing Website
YouTube Racing Videos

Thanks for the extra videos Gary...I must have replayed 1:25 of the video like a million times on the first video! That's one mean sounding B20. I bet you were at wide open whack at the time. At 1:51, I could hear the Blue Brick again at the turn, as it was pulling away from the VW.
The VW didn't sound bad either.

The second video really got up and close to the Blue Brick in action.

Great entertainment!
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1974 144GL, 1996 940 GL LPT