GEN3... "15 minutes of shit..."
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 12:15 pm
...SHIT EATING GRINS THAT IS!!!
Now that I've moved to NH and am about an hour and a half away from NHMS, I called Shawn Morrison to see if there was any way I could get some time in the GEN3, when its ready. His reply was a resounding "YOU BET! How about Friday?"
Uhhh, Yes please! Boy am I glad I made that call...
So Friday I brought my SRF to do a half day of testing and was able to get in the GEN3 for the last session of the day. Randy Youngsma was in the GEN3 for the two sessions before me. After each of his sessions we'd get together and talk about the car. Each time he got out of the car it took him more than a while to stop smiling ear to ear before we could talk. Good stuff...
Then it was my turn. Once I finally got it out of the garage (I kept stalling it in first gear) my first impression was how great it sounded leaving the paddock and going to grid. As I sat and waited for the session to start, I imagined how cool it will sound to have 20, 40, 70 of these things all taking the green during a race!
Amazingly, I didn't stall it on the way out for the start of my session and took the first couple laps with a bit of caution. The rest of the laps, not so much! It took a couple laps to adjust to the higher RPM shift point, but once I did, WOW!
What an amazing difference from our current generation SRF. I kept waiting for the motor to fall on its face and it never did. Power all the way to the rev limiter. I may owe Shawn a left rear tire. Exiting turn three (RH'er, up a hill) in 2nd gear I smoked it all the way up the hill until I shifted into 3rd. Did that a few times... hahaaahhaaaa! Holy crap, that was fun....
I have to say that something that kinda caught me off guard was the new rotors. I do not yet have them on my SRF. Even with Randy warning me of this from his sessions, and my much earlier braking point in the GEN3, I managed to lock them up pretty good once going into turn 3 and almost bought a new nose for Motion Dynamics. Don't worry Shawn, I kept it on track and kept going till the checker!
All in all, a really REALLY fun session, that ended way too soon.
While in the garage, standing around the GEN3 with a half a dozen or so fellow SRF'ers, one of the suggestions that was made was to put an additional frame tube around the muffler. One that would go around the muffler to protect it at the back of the car. Just to take the curse of off a lower impact hit. Also perhaps make the muffler a 3 piece for an easier and less costly repair. Other than that, that the whole group was very VERY impressed at how "clean' the install looked.
Great job Mike. Really happy to see where this is going... and MANY thanks to all who are moving our class in the right direction.
Now if we could just get some cooler looking bodywork to go with that awesome sounding motor! Ha...
And thanks again Shawn! When can I do it again?!!!!!?
Now that I've moved to NH and am about an hour and a half away from NHMS, I called Shawn Morrison to see if there was any way I could get some time in the GEN3, when its ready. His reply was a resounding "YOU BET! How about Friday?"
Uhhh, Yes please! Boy am I glad I made that call...
So Friday I brought my SRF to do a half day of testing and was able to get in the GEN3 for the last session of the day. Randy Youngsma was in the GEN3 for the two sessions before me. After each of his sessions we'd get together and talk about the car. Each time he got out of the car it took him more than a while to stop smiling ear to ear before we could talk. Good stuff...
Then it was my turn. Once I finally got it out of the garage (I kept stalling it in first gear) my first impression was how great it sounded leaving the paddock and going to grid. As I sat and waited for the session to start, I imagined how cool it will sound to have 20, 40, 70 of these things all taking the green during a race!
Amazingly, I didn't stall it on the way out for the start of my session and took the first couple laps with a bit of caution. The rest of the laps, not so much! It took a couple laps to adjust to the higher RPM shift point, but once I did, WOW!
What an amazing difference from our current generation SRF. I kept waiting for the motor to fall on its face and it never did. Power all the way to the rev limiter. I may owe Shawn a left rear tire. Exiting turn three (RH'er, up a hill) in 2nd gear I smoked it all the way up the hill until I shifted into 3rd. Did that a few times... hahaaahhaaaa! Holy crap, that was fun....
I have to say that something that kinda caught me off guard was the new rotors. I do not yet have them on my SRF. Even with Randy warning me of this from his sessions, and my much earlier braking point in the GEN3, I managed to lock them up pretty good once going into turn 3 and almost bought a new nose for Motion Dynamics. Don't worry Shawn, I kept it on track and kept going till the checker!
All in all, a really REALLY fun session, that ended way too soon.
While in the garage, standing around the GEN3 with a half a dozen or so fellow SRF'ers, one of the suggestions that was made was to put an additional frame tube around the muffler. One that would go around the muffler to protect it at the back of the car. Just to take the curse of off a lower impact hit. Also perhaps make the muffler a 3 piece for an easier and less costly repair. Other than that, that the whole group was very VERY impressed at how "clean' the install looked.
Great job Mike. Really happy to see where this is going... and MANY thanks to all who are moving our class in the right direction.
Now if we could just get some cooler looking bodywork to go with that awesome sounding motor! Ha...
And thanks again Shawn! When can I do it again?!!!!!?