any circle track racers here

T77911S · 03-21-2019, 03:48 AM

i am getting an old ACT race car next month from up north. it has not been driven in about 10yrs and it does not fit in any classes up north, so I am bringing it down to south Carolina. with a few changes I can run it in the charger class at myrtle beach speedway but not planning on racing this year. i have too much to learn.
i am not planning on making the changes yet to race it. first i am going to do a lot of practice with it to learn to drive it and to make an attempt to learn chassis setup.
mainly i am going to start with tire temps and camber. i plan on getting suspension software that plots the moment centers and roll center, but i am not planning on making any major changes for a while unless the car is really really bad.
its a car my father in law built for himself then sold it, then bought it back. the plan is to spend several days up there so hopefully he is planning on going through the car with me and doing some setup on it.

i have done a LOT of reading about chassis setup and understand the theory pretty good. i just don't have the experience. i am really looking forward to learning more about the setup but then also quite overwhelmed about how you can do to the suspension for tuning. like i have always said about music equipment to guys that don't know much about it. the more knobs you have the more things you can have adjusted wrong. that's the way i feel about this car.
i am actually looking forward to learning the suspension more so than driving, but i just wish it was a road course car instead.

i have met some guys at the track already. met one guy that has been driving that track for 20yrs and actually won the late model race last week end. he did offer some help. right now it is just me and the wife. even though she grew up racing she doesn't know much mechanical wise, but she will do anything she needs to do.

so i have been reading on line and i have some books, one is how to make your car handle which i have had for many years and have read many many times. i did get another one specifically for circle track.
any other suggestions of reading materiel?

looks like all the late model cars are running BBSS setups, i don't think the chargers are and i am willing to bet the car i am getting is running conventional setup. also all the cars now have a lot more aero dynamic front ends.
i would have to change the brakes and spindles to race it.
also the motor is illegal and i will have to add weight for that and the fact that i have a quick change rear end.

T77911S · 03-21-2019, 03:52 AM

Also looking for guys on here I can ask for help from.
And yes, I will ask some stupid questions.

javadog · 03-21-2019, 04:05 AM

I don’t have any experience with circle track racing but I do have experience in other forms of racing. From what I’ve learned over the last 30 or 40 years, you’ll probably do better if you focus on your driving ability than worrying about the set up. Everyone I’ve ever worked with that had talent could out drive other people regardless of the equipment they were in.

Get some seat time. And get some more and follow that with even more practice.

T77911S · 03-21-2019, 04:22 AM

yes,
trying to keep it simple at first.
driving and learning what tire temps are telling me.

i have driven road tracks and circle tracks twice.

timing the guys at the track they are all VERY consistent in lap times. within .1 to .2 per lap.
a bit intimidating.
lap times are about 21.5 for the fast guys, 22.5 maybe 23 for the slowest on a .5 mile track.

ckelly78z · 03-21-2019, 04:41 AM

Paging Tim Hancock !

A930Rocket · 03-21-2019, 05:42 PM

Bring your check book if you go racing .

I know it’s a circle track car, but what would it take to make it run DE’s, open track days, run what you brung, etc.

Tim Hancock · 03-22-2019, 04:10 AM

I took up dirt circle track racing about 5 years ago starting with an old beat up car from a different track/class. I went from total newbie to rookie of the year that first year then continued to improve to be a top five car by the end of the second year. I placed 3rd in points in 2016 then 2nd in points 2017. I had a blast, but the weekly repairs and stress of points racing finally got old and mid 2018 season after a bad night, I decided I had had enough and sold the car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/648618-finally-went-did-wife-not-happy.html

KFC911 · 03-22-2019, 05:24 AM

^^^ Wow Tim....I didn't keep up

....

At least ya still got that old fiddle I presume?

Well done...

T77911S · 03-25-2019, 02:59 AM

this is asphalt car.

tim,
where did you go for help on suspension setup?

jim,
I have considered that and I am still considering it. I do want to at least do some practice days at the track here. also, I can do a LOT more track time for a LOT less money but then I only turn left. I get track time on Fridays, 11am to 5. all day and not 5 20 minute sessions.

I would have to remove some roll cage in the passengers side and I think the floor pan is raised (?) I would have to install a passengers seat.
it would be more fun playing with the suspension for a road course since it would take out a lot of variables and I understand road racing more.

don't know if it would be bad on the gear box or the quick change rear end.
it would be fun to be able to remove the carburetor restrictions and let that V8 breathe!!!

I wonder how well it would handle on a road course, as in if it is setup right would it handle pretty good. talking to that guy at the track last week he said these cars don't like to slow down and they don't like to turn......
I know that Is in reference to cars that are built JUST to turn left.

Tim Hancock · 05:15 AM

While building up my car, I sought out advice from other racers in my class and ended up getting some good advice from a local race car builder. I also spent tons of time on circle track race car forums searching out posts that were somewhat relevant to my style of race car/track. I am an engineer so I spent lots of time trying to understand the black art of dirt car setup. I would say it took me about 4 races to go from complete newbie with no circle track experience to being a "somewhat" competitive racer in my class. My very first race, I purposely started at the tail of my heat race. I believe my second race I just dove in and started wherever I was supposed to.