Reno Fernley Race

We left Salt lake about 5:30 am. The drive was a breeze.


I never get used to the comedy, creativity and chaos found in the paddock. Being new to 24HL, my team was overwhelmed.










We got through tech and BS inspections without a hitch, set up our pit, and once the track was closed to cars we walked the course.











Joe's team had a great start. The starting flag dropped with them in second place. The moved up to #1 and held it for 25 laps. After that they started to see some of the weird ignition problems they had seen at previous races.




Like Thunder Hill last winter, our pit neighbors were Eyesore and Free Range. I was with my own team Volatile RAM and Joe was there with the Snowspeeder. Also Paul's car and team Knights Of The Round Track were there. Unfortunately Paul's car fried some bearing test day and didn't get to race.







Mark Jr started the race for us. He reminded me of me at my first race with his enthusiasm, and spinning out of control off the track. [sniff] I'm so proud.










Mark Z drove our second leg and our over-heating problem from V-RAM's first race last year returned and plagued us the remainder of the race. It took us out of competition, but with the pressure off we could just relax and have fun.



We all managed to take few black flags. The Judges were very generous to us though and usually just sent us to switch drivers and





Eyesore finished first place overall. I attribute their success to a brilliantly innovative car, fantastic driving skill, an organized pit routine, and me letting them sit in my chair. With all their track effort they are also have a great time. This race it was Elvis costumes and a pink Caddy theme for the Franken-Miata.

Toward the end of day two I was t-boned by the Let It Ride CRX in the apex of the first uphill turn. I saw them in the penalty box after that but didn't see them on the track again. I wonder what happened to them.





Mark Jr and I decided to stay in Reno for a night before heading back. On the way there I spotted a bunch of kids jumping jumping in the river off the freeway and had to pull over. Next Fernley race I'll definitely be going for a dip again. We hung out with a few of the Eyesores, decided Salt Lake strip-bars aren't all that bad, and slept in before the drive home. Success.


Mobil Esemka-the creation from SMK student


this news is from detikoto :
Cars double Cabin Esemka the result of creative students Digdaya SMK 1 Singosari, Malang seems indeed feasible diacungi thumb.

For even if only given time only 3 weeks, 50 students involved in the project of making the car able to do the best with everything very neatly.

Students this is not to have to lose one's head with a short time that, because they even thought it is all part of the challenge.

"They all tertantang completing this project," said Principal SMK Malang 1 Singosari Good Gunawan when talking with detikOto, some time ago.

Therefore, these students also begin to explore various sources of inspiration and design a car terciptalah Cabin is double-knit but elegant.

Challenges also continue, because after holding students this design should be able to mewujudkannya.

This is not an easy matter, because only they are given a stock injection engine with a former East 1500 cc.

Therefore, to start the project then this is the students start choosing components that are fit for the car they dream double Cabin.

For the framework, they choose the framework of the Isuzu Panther Suspensi from Mitsubishi L300.

"We chose them because they are already evident kehandalannya," clearly good.

After that they create a new body is double Cabin. Pembuatannya is not without obstacles, as all part of the body they do this is hand made.

"So if there is little that is not suitable to be made again," he said.

Once everything is completed according to Good next challenge is to make the holder to fit the machines they have.

But before that, they have machines that do not have any transmission and final gear. Therefore, these students play the brain to search for machine parts that fit.

"For the transmission and final gear we use belonging Suzuki Escudo energy in order to generate more robust and does not ngedrop," said Good.

Work hard for 3 months this was terbayar already, because this car has been recognized quality.

"Yesterday the car was new Pak Bupati Malang," he said.

According to the plan if there is no obstacle in the way, cars will be Esemka to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Bonneville or Area 51?

I went to Bonneville Salt Flats with Paul and the whole Knights Of The Round Track team. A surreal place. Once you move away from the staging area there you are surrounded by white in every direction and distant mountains floating above a perpetual mirage.

Me and Paul drag-raced. Their car pulled ahead off the line but I could keep up. When we hit 90 MPH Paul veered off to head back, but I pushed ahead to see where V-RAM maxed out. It took some time to make 100. At about 102, things got strange. The car felt floaty. The horizon started to misbehave. I had the wheel pointed straight ahead, but the distant peak I was aiming for was sneaking of to the right so casually that I almost didn't notice. I had entered a wet region and was hydroplaning. No braking. No steering. Car spinning. 102 MPH last time I checked. Larry shitting. I didn't try to correct and just hoped I didn't hit a dry patch and flip. Salt sprayed my face whenever the car was sideways. The trunk opened and slammed shut as rotation passed backwards. The car finally stopped and I took a moment to get my bearings. The landmark peak was behind me now. I drove and the staging area slowly emerged ahead of me.

I had made a few calls to find out what the conditions were and got 'they may dry out by Saturday'. They seemed dry enough, but I must have sprayed 70 pounds of salt off the car tonight. Next year we'll give Bonneville Speedway a few more weeks to dry.

The Evolution of The Car

Cars have come a very long way in the last 100 years or so. They used to be slow-moving, cumbersome things that weren't a whole lot better than walking, and they were unattainable to most people because they were cost prohibitive. Plus, there just weren't that many of them. Now cars are everywhere, and they have changed so much. They not only go much faster and are much more reliable than their predecessors, but they have features that wouldn't have even been imagined or dreamt about in the past. Even simple things that most people take for granted like windows that open and close and air conditioning weren't in the first cars. There were no radios, and there certainly weren't any navigation systems or diagnostics that allowed your car to 'tell you' when something was wrong or the door wasn't closed tightly. The first cars weren't much above horse-drawn carriages, and they broke down a lot. People were always fiddling with them to keep them running properly and there were no warranties. Long distance trips weren't realistic, and there weren't gas stations on every corner, either. Slowly, though, cars started to develop and acquire more features like air conditioning, heating, and windows that could be rolled up and down - which were eventually replaced with power windows in most vehicles of today.

Radios and things like them came later, and the first were AM/FM only. Eight-track tapes, cassettes, and CDs came along eventually, as did navigation systems, diagnostic checks, and being able to plug your iPod into your car and play the music that's on it through the stereo. Whether these things are actually needed is debatable, of course, but that doesn't mean that they aren't wanted or that they don't enhance the experience of travelling. Now that there are good warranties on cars and they are very reliable, people can take long trips without being so concerned about them breaking down. There are always places to fuel up and get a snack, and there are auto clubs that you can call if a tyre goes flat or the engine gives up - or if you run out of fuel. It's nothing like driving a car 100, 50, or even 25 years ago, and it makes one wonder what kinds of options are going to be seen on cars in the future. Undoubtedly there will be many more changes and features to come.

20 Inch Rims...riding parts Style

11:05 PM Posted by fatchay 0 comments




If a custom ride with high performance and a ton of style is what you are after, then Chrome 20 Inch Wheels would be the way to go. With 20 inch wheels your car not only looks better, it will seem to drive better

If you are thinking of putting 20 Inch Chrome Rims on your ride there are some things to think about before doing so, if you are riding on 320is then by adding the 20 inch rims it will cause tire rubbing and therefore your ride loses performance.

Are you thinking about lowering your ride? Although 60mm would make your car phat, more than likely it will result in tire rubbing and rough cruising. 40mm, on the other hand, is sure to result in less rubbing and a smoother ride. 20 inch custom wheels will complete your look. Contact your local dealer for the hook-up!

ou get to pick from a wide variety of designs and styles which can be selected from the following alloy, bronze, black, chrome, brushed, machined and platinum, which are only a few of them. Choosing the most suitable one for you is a bit confusing and time consuming, but will certainly be satisfying in the end. No matter what your choice is your car will finally appear great.

heck with your local dealer to determine with 20 inch rims really are the best choice for your car's suspension, engine and body style. You don't want to lower your vehicle's performance for the sake of style alone. You want to upgrade the style and performance of your car and there are plenty of other options available.

f course, you want to be riding in style. Take a look at your car. The look of the car flowing up from the tires, as well as the way the tires take hold of the pavement can make that difference. So, if you want to be the envy of all your friends, then you need to get up, hit the gas, and roll down to your dealer for some custom 20 inch rims.

(2 Weeks Until Reno) Success!


First, my little '98 Tacoma handily pulls the trailer and car.


Second, somewhere between the Energy "Solutions" nuclear waste facility and the Air Force bombing range, we found a great location to test uninsured, unlicensed, un-street-legal, unattractive cars. It was so out-there that four totally nude people didn't expect Mark Jr to drive by in his jeep, honking and waving. When he returned from scouting and told us about it, I knew we had achieved sufficient boonieness.


Third, the car ran like a champ. It looks like we've resolved our overheating issues. Mark Sr took it above 100. Mark Jr made sure it could handle a spin-out into sage brush, and also made sure it had enough mud on it. The only issue that bugs me now is that sometime when I removed the dash and climate controls I disconnected the fuel gauge. Hmmm.


It was an effective test, but next weekend, (last one before the race) I want to talk Paul into a bit of wheel to wheel at the real-deal Bonneville Speedway.