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Earlier in the year Sherm Baumann, president of the Killington Sports Car Club and Greasecar customer decided he wanted to have a bio fueled class for the Okemo II Hillclimb. As part of this event he generously offered Greasecar a display space in the parking lot and encouraged us to bring a few cars and drivers.  Unfortunately since the rally car sustained some significant damages at the Forest Rally a few weeks earlier the Motorsports stable had very few competitive options ready to run.

Since I though this could be a great team building event I worked on prepping a few cars to the best of my ability in the given time frame so that several of the Greasecar staff could have a go.  I found a set of competition seats for the Mini then added some lowered suspension and a turbo upgrade to the maroon Rabbit planned on bringing my daily driver Golf. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks before the event it turned out that Conor was the only one interested in participating. With limited bodies we had to choose two cars for the event and settled on the maroon Rabbit which had done well in Rally-X and the Mini to see what it could do and since it draws so much attention.

After a long day of final preparations, Conor and I packed up and headed north.  Conor drove the truck with the Mini loaded in the trailer and I drove the Rabbit with it’s newly added turbo controller.   It only took a few miles for me to realize that the controller was set too high and was allowing the turbo to consistently produce between 10-24 psi. A few more miles down the road came a loud pop and whistle as one of the intercooler pipes blew off from the pressure.  Since Conor had left a head of me to make up time and I was tool-less I had to call him from the breakdown lane and wait about twenty minutes for him to get to me.  While I was waiting a State Trooper stopped by to check on me and turned out to own a Greasecar Mercedes that he was very happy with.  After Conor arrived I was able to back off the turbo actuator tighten up the boost hose and we were back on the road.

When we made it to the mountain things were pretty damp from the rain that had rolled through earlier but the weather promised to improve.  Since there were only two of us, we planned on running just the Rabbit but ran the Mini through tech as a backup. Both passed inspection but neither looked like much competition next to the usual crew of high powered cars in the lot.

Mark Penta was there with his Audi 4000K Rally-x car to run his first hillclimb. We ended up splitting a condo right on the mountain and grabbed dinner next door at the mountain lodge that had just opened.

The next morning we went through the usual rituals; drivers meeting and checking tire pressures. The sun had come out and the course was pretty well dried out.  Ralph showed up to support the team and help out on the hill, it was great to see him out there.

We lined up for the Group A fam. run with me behind the wheel and Conor riding shotgun. Within 5 seconds of crossing the start it was clear that fast on the street does not equal fast on the hill. Even though the little 1.6L engine was giving all it could with the VNT turbo blowing hard the power and response can not even compare to what the rally car delivers.  I knew then that we would be asking a bit more from the car than it may be willing to offer.

After fam I put in one timed run then handed the car off to Conor.  It was clear that the engine was running hot so we hot wired the fan just in time for Conors fam..  When he got back to the bottom of the hill it was clear that the coolant was a bit low and the engine was still running pretty hot.  I topped up the water and tried to keep the engine off until the last minute.

On my second run it was clear that the head gasket was starting to leak. We tried to let the car cool off as much as possible so that Conor could get in at least one more run.  Unfortunately when he got to the start line the exhaust leaking by the gasket was forcing water out of the reservoir and he was not allowed to start.

In an attempt to salvage the weekend I took the Mini for a run after lunch but found it was far too underpowered for the job and since I knew I’d need to drive it home I decided to throw in the towel. We spent the rest of the weekend working checkpoints on the hill and headed home early on Sunday due to rain.  Hopefully I can get something together for Burke II coming up in three weeks.

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More great action shots at On-A-Limb .

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The New England Forest Rally is one of the longest standing rally events on the East coast and is made up of a number of long sand and gravel access and logging roads.  The two day event sanctioned by Rally America takes place in Maine and NH and includes several spectator Super Special stages.

Les and I headed up to Maine on Wednesday evening to register for Recce (a day long drive through of the course) which would take place on Thursday.  Recce is run at conservative speeds in in non-race prepped cars since the roads are still open to the public.  We all traveled in convoy and were allowed to run the course in 30 sec increments to take notes. The variety of vehicles in recce was pretty funny ranging from a Chevy Aveo, a Chrystler 300 to a pit service truck.  We were driving Les’s Passat which fared quite well considering though he cringed every time I hit a bump.

After Recce we met up with Rick and Conor at rally headquarters for technical scrutineering which we failed the first time around due to missing a second fire extinguisher and some safety wear.  Thankfully Chris Duplessis who is a vetran of the event and lives up the street was in front of us at tech and was able to make a few calls to get us the gear we needed.

Friday morning didn’t start very well, we were giving the car a final once over before heading to the rookie drivers meeting when we discovered our transmission mount had sheared off.  Since Les and I were required to attend the meeting to compete we left the challange of getting the mount fixed to Conor and Rick.  After removing the mount the guys ran around the pit trying to find someone with a welder when they came across… you guessed it Chris Duplessis again who quickly welded and re-enforced the mount so that Conor was able to install it minutes before we headed to the first Super Special.

Friday’s event was to be made up of 2 Super Specials and three proper Special Stages broken up a by a couple of Parc Exposes and long transit stages.

Super Specials are basically short stages in a confined area set up for local spectators to see the competitors and are preceded and followed by Parc Expose (displaying the rally cars). From a competitor’s point of view Supers aren’t real racing since they generally last less than a minute and are not very much like a true stage but they do help spectators get a sense for the sport and be involved.  Unfortunately two of the special stages on Friday were canceled after the long transit to the start meaning that only one real stage remained after a long day of waiting and transiting.  This was a bit of a disappointment but we finally hit our fist stage of the event under the cover of darkness …….

To be continued……

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Since Rally NY didn’t go quite as planned NEFR will be our first official event.  Though we are entered as regional competitors we will be sharing the course with all of the big national teams including drivers such as Ken Block, Travis Pastrana and Tanner Foust and regional 2WD heros Chris Duplessis and Luke Sorensen.

Because Rally NY lasted less than one stage most of our car prep can be carried over to Maine.  Unfortunately it only took a mile to crack our windshield so that will need replacement, but otherwise I was able to use our prep time for more detail oriented work including: building a light bar and wiring the driving lights, re-painting our racing stripes on the fenders, adding more storage and a rear-view mirror to the cockpit and making adjustments/modifications to the injection system for a bit more pep.

As an avid recycler and general cheap skate, I fashioned my light bar out of the 1″ tubing that I cut out of my cage when I updated it last month.  I’m pretty happy with how it came out as it’s pretty sturdy and allows for several different light configurations. I plan on adding an additional diagonal bolt-in support in the center.

These lights are super bright, luckily I have a 120 amp alternator.

I painted the light bar with bed liner for stone protection and put the signature stripes back on the fenders. Rally America rules would not permit the cool wing on the back of the car so that was removed for the event but honestly I don’t think it detracts from the look of the car and I really don’t know that it served much purpose.

The cockpit is still a bit cluttered with the stage notes and some other junk from NY but I finally added a cup/bottle holder.

Since the car is mostly straightened out I turned my attention to the trailer where I fashioned a coule of cabinets to keep clutter out of the way and made room for a tool cart. The cabinets proved to be harder to deal with than expected since nothing is square or plumb in the trailer.  My plan was to build everything modularly in the shop then install the units but quickly realized nothing fit against the curved walls even though I tried compensating for them.  In the end I had to just build them in place piece by piece.  Not my finest joinery but it’ll do the job for now and is an improvement over what I started with.

I’m headed out of town for a wedding tomorrow and will be getting back the day before having to head up to Maine so I hope I’m not forgetting anything.  Starting the day after the rally my work schedule gets real hectic so I’ll have to see how many other events can fit in this summer.  Greasefest is on July 25th at the shop in Holyoke

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There was much preparation and anticipation leading up the the Rally NY Rally sprint.  This would be Les and my first stage event and the perfect 1 day low key event to get some practice before the New England Forest Rally next month.  The two weeks leading up to the event were filled with long days and evenings getting the cage up to current spec, installing the intercom and rally computer as well as fabricating skid protection, mud flaps and the required identification decals.  The humble Rabbit is finally starting to look like a proper race car again.

Les pop riveting the belly pan into place.  We used a sheet of polyethylene to make the skidplates and flaps, we’ll have to wait and see how they hold up.

Finally in her race drag.

Posed in front of Greasecar Headquarters.

After all of our preparation was complete we packed up and headed to Rally HQ in Kerhonkson NY, about 2.5 hours drive.  The plan was to make it in time to register, pass tech and complete our orientation at 6:30.  When we arrived we found that things were not very well organized in the pit area.  There was a classic car show going on at the same hotel and no one was sure what to do with the rally’s race car trailers.  One trailer was already stuck in the mud across the street.  Luckily we were early and had enough room to off load the car by the pit area and park the trailer on the side of the road before the clutter really began.

After unloading we registered and picked up our race packet.  The Polish organizers argued with Les about the proper pronunciation of his name but otherwise we made it through without a hitch.  At tech Walt Clark threatened to not pass us as he was still sore from me taking the class win from him at Burke a couple weeks earlier, but in the end decided to be a true professional ;).

Once all our paperwork was in order we met up with Bernie who gave us our orientation and had some useful co-driving tips for Les. With a long day of logistics behind us we had just enough time for a late dinner before heading off for some rest.

Saturday morning I met up with Les at breakfast and he told me he had been up for hours shaking out his nerves.  We had a light breakfast and made our way to the stage start to get a few recce runs in before the 10:00 start time.  I don’t think either of us were prepared for how closed, narrow and loose the stage was.  The idea of a 4 mile single road rally sounded as though it was going to be a bit of a let down but it was quickly clear that there were some challenges ahead and our original idea of saving the good tires for NEFR immediately went out the window.

Many of the turns looked the same and visibility was limited in the overgrowth under overcast skies. There were a number of very large pot holes and trenches that spanned the entire width of the road and marbley sections of gravel runs over crest.

Back at the pits we had just enough time to swap tires before the race then lined up for our transit stage.  The newly installed intercom was acting up and Les and I could barely hear each other, fortunately we already knew the route to the special stage.  Driving up to the stage start was when the butterflies really started to flutter and we both took a few deep breathes before strapping in and pulling up to the start light. The count came down and we were off.  Immediately I could feel the torque of the diesel breaking traction and knew this was going to be a game of weight shifting rather than steering.  My plan was to use this first stage to feel out my traction breakaway and gather up confidence to push my times as the stages moved on. After the first mile I was just starting to dig in a but when we came around a blind right that tightened over a bridge into a loose left 3.  As we made our way around the right turn we had to a slippery halt as a co-driver holding his emergency sign came into view.  The injured parties were being attended to and one other team had already been sent ahead to the radio checkpoint so we were told to keep going.  As we drove over the bridge we saw Eamon Sweeny trapped in his co-drivers seat as the door had been caved in after sliding into a tree on the loose left turn after the bridge. Not the type of scene best witnessed in the midst of your first stage of your first rally.

The initial shock lasted a few moments as we slowly drove away from the scene and remembered that technically we were still in a race.  Lester was completely off the notes at this time and told me I’d just have to drive it.  I started picking up the pace just as we approached the clearing where the road transitioned to tarmac for an uphill hairpin right.  Les was able to get back on the notes and we gingerly yet cautiously finished the course knowing that our time was blown anyway.

At the turn around we joined all of the other competitors who were lined up and waited for a couple of hours to hear the status of the racers and plan for the event. Eventually we learned that the racers had been sent to the hospital and emergency crews were stuck on the stage road so the mornings runs were cancelled and we were sent back to service and lunch at HQ.

Bach at HQ a drivers meeting was held and the competitors were asked to vote as to whether the race should continue.  Tom Lawless spoke up to say that no decision should be made until the condition of the injured racers was known and so we all worked on servicing our cars and awaited news.  Once another couple of hours had passed and no new news was received it was decided that the race was canceled.

Disappointed and deflated we packed up and headed home, looks like NEFR will be our maiden event.

Fortunately both injured parties ended up with only minor injuries limited to a sprained knee and fractured collar bone.

Our one moment of glory.

Fire truck stuck in the mud.

Heading back to service after cancellation of morning stages.

At least we look the part.

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Burke Mt is a bit further north than Ascutney and due to a variety of reasons no one was interested in coming along for the weekend so I planned for a solo trip.  With a number of upcoming races including two rallies I decided it was finally time to spruce up the paint job a bit.  Being that Greasecar Motorsports is on a bit of a budget and knowing that the paint job would eventually get messed up anyway, I decided to take on the job myself.  I was able to get a color match done at our local auto paint supplier with a cool hand held scanning device.  Some quick prep and a bit of spraying later made for a big improvement.

In addition to a paint refresher I finally got a set of tarmac tires.  On Jesse and Dave’s recommendation I settled on a set of Dunlop Direzza Star Specs.  Though not quite as grippy as the soft slicks most are using for hillclimb, these DOT spec tires will give me a bit more flexibility on wet surfaces and test driving on the street.

Once again, as a rookie I am required to get to the hill by Friday evening for orientation which meant I needed to pack up and hit the road by early afternoon. I packed up the trailer, fueled up the Duramax and made my way north.

Though not the best campsite, I was able to score a conveniently located spot right across from tech.

The registration was a bit smaller than Ascutney and the event more organized which promised a lot of runs and seat time. Many of the usual characters were present and a few other interesting vehicles made it out as well.

Fellow rally rookie Cutler Heiser showed up with his Audi Quattro which he is working the bugs out of to compete in regional stage rally.

Brian Dennis was driving “The Mystery Machine”, which was was constantly engulfed in a mysterious haze.

This beauty is a 1968 McKee MK8, super cool!

Then of course was event chairman and fastest on the Hill Sherm Baumann in his home built midget racer.  Sherm is also a Greasecar owner and organizer of the bio-fueled class at the upcoming Okemo 2 race.

Walter Clark is scrutineer of both hillclimb and rally as well as being my competition on the hill.  Since he has retired from stage rally competition, I purchased all of his old gear.

Sherm at the top of the hill after yet another scary fast run Saturday morning.

I had a great weekend and with 11 total runs really got the chance to feel out my new tires and start fine tuning the injection system for more top end power.  I started off the weekend with a 2:52 but was able to scrub it down to a 2:33 by the end of Sunday to take a class win!  The car still has a lot of un used potential (as does the driver) and hillclimb is definitely the best bang for the buck when it comes down to driving practice and car break in.  Not to mention fun as hell and a great crowd of people. Unfortunately I’ll be missing the next climb at Okemo but will be looking forward to the second runs of Burke, Okemo and Ascutney later in the summer.  For now though, I need to get ready for Rally NY in a couple of weeks.

Youtube videos

The view from atop of Burke.

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After some big fun at Ascutney, it’s time to take things back to ground level with some RallyX in CT.  Since some of the other guys at the shop had been expressing interest in getting involved I offered my maroon Rabbit to Ethan for the event if he fixed the leaking intermediate seal (note oil puddles under the engine).  Les would be coming along as well to get some co-driving practice in as preparation for upcoming Rally NY.

After some morning showers the sun came out and warmed up the course just in time for the first runs.  There were fewer entrants than we had seen at the other events this year which simply meant more runs!  The course was mostly tall grass still slick from the earlier showers however some transitions over the entrance road combined with chunks of loose asphalt hidden in the grass offered some surprising thumps.

Everyone got a kick out of the two Greasecars rattling and putting in line as the offered up the aroma of fried food.

Ethan had great, clean runs for a first timer, completing the entire day without hitting a cone or going off course.

The Orange car performed welland luckily we had just installed the new skidplate in time for the event.

During his second run, our friend Dave Baker popped another C.V. joint (the same thing that ruined his morning in Rochester).  Since RallyX rules allow you to complete your runs in another vehicle registered in the same class I offered Dave the orange Rabbit for his third run of the morning.  Knowing Dave’s reputation for breaking things I was sure to take my 3rd run before offering him the wheel.  Everyone can imagine what happened next.

Luckily Dave had brought along a pair of spare axles and after replacing his, he and Mark Penta helped replace the inner C.V. on my car for the afternoon.

Mark swept the event with quick times in his usual hot dog fashion after spending the previous week in Germany at a super car driving school.  Unfortunately a pair of O.C. ruined his final adjusted times.

After their lunch time repairs the Baker boys were back on the course to finish off the afternoon.

All-in-all we had a successful day, with Ethan scoring the best while the rest of us suffered O.C.s and DNFs.  Unfortunately there are no other RallyX’s scheduled until the end of the summer and with my schedule I don’t think I’ll be able to make that one.  However there are plenty of other events on the calender.

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The New England Hillclimb Series takes place at 4 mountains in VT and NH:  Ascutney, Burke, Okemo and Philo.  Details at www.hillclimb.org .  Basically a hill climb is exactly what it sounds like, each car is timed climbing the mountain access road from top to bottom.

Competitor cars range from strange looking purpose built open wheel V8 climbing cars to vintage sports cars and daily drivers.  Class grouping is very complicated and involves multipliers based on engine displacement and forced induction specifics.  You know it’s odd when a diesel Rabbit gets grouped in a class of Chevy Camaros.

I packed up the car and headed up Friday afternoon for new driver orientation and tech inspection.  The race takes place in the Ascutney State park which has a campsite at its base and I reserved a site for the truck trailer and tent.  Our spot was next to JimiHeyder and Uriah Mcdermott who consistently run at the top of the pack.

Once the car was unloaded I checked in with scrutineers Walter Clark and Don Taylor.  Walt is also cheif scrutineer for Rally NY and since our first planned stage event is coming up in June at Rally NY I wanted to make sure that the car was up to snuff.  I also knew from a conversation a few months erlier that Walt was planning on selling off some of his rally gear and spares which could be helpful to me.  Don is the regional tech for Rally America and so I was also looking forward to getting his opinion on what the car needed for current regulations.

Dave Burden put on the rookie driver orientation, basicially the usual “be safe not stupid” talk and walked us through the specifics of the event and protocol. Then we headed up the hill for a familairization run and back to camp for tech inspection.  Les rolled in right before tech followed shortly after by Uriah.

Once the car was checked out we got the camp fire going, grilled up some dinner and tipped a few back with some of the seasoned racers.

In the morning after a short drivers meeting we all lined up at the start and completed another fam run before timed runs started.  the weather was nice and dry so we all anticipated some good grip.

While in line Sherm who races an open wheel car and organizes the Okemo climbs showed up in his Greasecar.  Unfortunately he didn’t brig his race car but would be working one of the turns.

In the end, my best run was on Saturday and the most learning on Sunday when I played with tire pressures and turbo adjustments.  We’ll see how the experience applies at the upcoming events.

At the top of the mountain after a TSD run we did in Jay’s Rabbit.  We were totally off time but had a fun run to the top.

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Team O’Neil left a ton of concrete-like mud caked into all the wheel arches and even with a pressure washer we were having a hell of a time blasting it out.  I pulled the front fenders off and Less jacked up and chiseled out the rear.

With the car cleaned up I put my attention to swapping out the steering and making a lower control arm tie bar and updated engine mount.  Since I was going to have the front end all apart I figured it would also be a good time to plate up the control arms to add some strength.

I made up some templates for the engine mount that would utilize a MK4 “dogbone” rear mount.  Ethan picked up some steel and proceeded to cut out all the blanks.

I decided to use Ethans 110V mig welder to put the box together but really wished I had just used the tig like I did on the control arms and tie bar. But in the end the mounting box turned out well though it may need additional stiffening later.

Tie bar and skid plate mount.

Control arms plated and stiffened.

The power steering was a bit of a challange since it turned out I needed a different steering u-joint, fortunately Jesse ended up needing a manual u-joint for a project car so we simply swapped.  Once the rack and linkage were in I moved on to plumbing.  I was able to get a local shop to fab up the high pressure line and I made up a couple of banjo fittings to finish the job.  With the steering done I had 1 day left before the hillclimb to get some wiring finished and build a temporary intercooler water system.

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