Open Track Challenge, anyone competing?
 

At the moment, it looks like Jack has the only air cooled car there and has T2 locked up.

Nobody else is going?

Tom

There's that guy with the 993 that's looking for a co-driver, but he would go into U2.

Last year they had 6 cars in T2, this year there is....Jack. And nobody in U2.

Perhaps the addition of the race groups is fragmenting the field. Or perhaps participation is declining.

We scared off the M3 crowd, and no 911's stepped up to the plate. :(

It'll be more of a test-n-tune year, it looks like. But I think we've got a good chance of podiuming.

I think that's Chris O'Conner from our club, PCA-SDR. He seems to have hooked up with Tim Comeau as a co-driver and may be making it to the event after all.

TT

Don't forget the Teener, that's air cooled....

Missed the 914. Isn't that is the same guys that won the first time? Should be interesting.

I wanted to go to Sears Point to watch, but I won't be in town.

Tom

I thought I remembered them having a diary site where the motor was actually fairly mild, contrary to rumor. I can't find the site now. It could get very interesting if they pumped up the motor some.

Looking at pictures of their car, it seems like such a better platform for a race car than a 911. There's an enormous amount of room available for turbos and intercoolers and exhaust piping. Too bad it's such an aero brick.

Some serious cars compete in OTC. I think if I took my car I would have my a$$ handed to me. Do they have any lower classes for say... non turbos below 2.5L.

Anything below 3 liters on a 911 puts you in T3/U3. This class has been invaded by Evo's this year, as well as the normal S2000 crowd.

Hmmm... I bet an early 911 properly set up with a highly modified 3.0L would possibly whop some tail on the evo's and S2000's. :D
But who knows, those jap cars can suprise you sometimes.

It would have to be a highly, higly modified 3.0. Wayne Mello ran 1:35's at Willow at his first track day with his EVO on showroom tires. That's only a few seconds off Jack's times. More seat time, a little sorting, and some decent tires and he'll be under 1:30.

How would a rookie do with a 85 3.2? Would it be an embarrasement?

No, you would come in second. Jacks's the only other car in the class.

There's still time to sign up. It starts Sunday in Vegas, test day on Saturday.

You can buy a discounted entry off of a guy with a Subaru who just crashed his car. See the opentrackchallenge.com forum for details.

Here's the current weather outlook:

Sunday - Las Vegas - 75°/52° 20% chance of rain
Monday - Willow Springs - 68°/48° 20% chance of rain
Tuesday - Thunderhill - 71°/47° 30% chance of rain
Wednesday - Sears Point - 68°/46° 30% chance of rain
Thursday - Buttonwillow - 80°/56° 10% chance of rain

Rain is good for the Evo's and WRX's.

I think T3 is where the fun will be this year. I don't think a streetable 911 with under three liters would stand a chance in T3. I would be surprised to see times under 130 but I think 131's or 132's is gonna happen.

Yes, but is reliability good for them?

I guess we will find out.

Tom

Let's break it down then. Wayne ran 1:35's on the stock tire, which in Car and Driver's road test was a Yoko Advan. I have to think he can pick up 2 seconds on good BF Goodriches or the like. He said it was pushing like crazy, so a good swaybar and alignment is probably worth another couple seconds. A couple more if he springs for the Penske triple-adjustables. And lastly, he was making only 120 on the straight because his engine was busy eating a piston. So, assuming his new engine stays in 1 piece I think under 1:30 is very possible if he got it sorted somewhat. Wayne knows his way around Willow. He beat everybody, including Mumford's Viper and the turbo 914-6, in the 2002 OTC in his 944 Turbo.

Jack: what is the guy with the Subaru's phone number or email?

Charlie Buzzetti
805-466-3015 days

See this thread.