LEMONS VET WINS AT INFINEON

A Nissan SE-R that placed 5th in last year's 24 Hours of Lemons (Thunderhill Raceway) won 4 times at Infineon Raceway in the NASA Performance F Class. Apparently, the car that initially cost $500 for the Lemons Series was brought to specifications for the NASA Series. No disclosures were made on how much money was spent but what is now clear is the quality of talent that exists in the Lemons Series. The equipment is just one part of an endurance race. Everything has to come together - driver, machine and team for 24 Hours. This validates the decision to campaign in this series because it has one very unique component - you start with a small spending purse. That means you are competing against teams that are creative, resourceful and have the know-how to circumvent very restrictive rules. How else can you explain having organizers with titles like "Chief Perpetrator", "Also Capable" and "Money Ho"? 

Good Times ...

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SOUNDS OF RACING

It isn’t racing if the sound of the cars can’t make the hair in the back of your head stand up. I found three clips that demonstrate the phenomenal sounds of the rotary engine.

The first clip features the 1991 Le Mans Winner, the #55 Four-Rotor Mazda 787B. That was one of the all-time great victories when you consider that just about every manufacturer was campaigning that year. To date, Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer that has ever won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The second clip will give you an idea on the exhaust note of the RX-8. You’ll hear it mid-way into the film, at 1 Min. 30 Sec., when you get an in-car camera view. The third clip will give you an impressive onboard view of a Touring Car being pushed to the limit.

Mazda 787B at the Miyoshi Proving Grounds 

Mazda RX-8 at Homestead Int'l Raceway 

Mazda RX-8 on the ragged edge 

HYDROGEN MAZDA RX-8

This is the reason why I want to start testing the Rotary Engine. Here’s a clip of the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen Car being driven around by demonstrators. The Rotary Engine (Wankel Engine) that is the power plant of the RX-8 has certain characteristics that make it well suited for Hydrogen Fuel. Normal gasoline Piston Engines (Reciprocating Engines) can have over a hundred moving parts that rely on the lubricating properties of the gasoline fuel (before and after combustion) to operate optimally. Hydrogen, because of its cleaner combustion properties, does not offer the same lubricating effects. Fortunately, though, the rotary engine only has 3 moving parts and does not depend on the same lubricating approach as a piston engine to perform. It uses oil mainly to preserve the apex seals, which serves as a separator between the stages of operation - intake, compression, ignition and exhaust. 

Clip of the Mazda Hydrogen RX-8 

Explanation of the Rotary Engine 

Explanation of the Piston Engine 

THE POWER OF HYDROGEN

Here's a glimpse of the awesome power of Hydrogen. It is used by the Space Shuttle as part of a sophisticated fuel system to launch itself into space. The system is comprised of Solid Fuel, Liquid Hydrogen Fuel and Liquid Oxygen Oxidizer contained in external tanks that the Space Shuttle jettisons in stages upon reaching a specific velocity, distance or when it is depleted.

Space Shuttle Lift-off Video   
Space Shuttle Wikipedia Article 

THE EDUCATION BEGINS

A partial schedule of next year’s “24 Hours of Lemons ” has been posted by the organizers. Our target race, the one to be held at the Thunderhill Raceway in Willows CA, is slated for the 21st and 22nd of November 2009. We are waiting for the full schedule to be announced hoping that more races will be held at venues closer to Orange County. That will give us a chance to do a shake-down race before Thunderhill.

We’ve recently added a “Countdown” feature to our blog. Currently, it is counting down to the Thunderhill Raceway event this December. Schedule permitting, I’d like to visit as a spectator and start my education of managing an endurance racing team. I’m particularly interested in learning what the competitors are doing - what equipment they are using and what tactics and strategies are being deployed in the quest for victory. 

Onwards and Upwards!

RACING PLATFORM

The search is currently underway for equipment that will be used for next year’s campaign to win one or more races in the "24 Hours of Lemons Series". Accordingly, I’ve settled on a plan. It was initially the intention to field one car for next year. But to be compatible with our longer term goals and to achieve economies, it is necessary that we start canvassing for two cars right from the outset. 

There was never even a doubt in my mind that the cars will be Mazdas. I have owned five Mazdas in the past and know by experience that they are solid platforms to start from. They are also relatively inexpensive. So, beginning immediately, a search for a Mazda Miata and a Mazda RX-7 will be initiated while keeping in mind the constraints of the Lemons regulations. As of this writing the cost of the entrant car cannot exceed $500 without the safety equipment(s).

It is our goal to discover and/or develop the platform for a “Hydrogen Package” appropriate for endurance racing. The differences between the Miata and the RX-7 are substantial. One is an open top with a piston engine and the other is hardtop with a rotary engine. The wide array of technological differences between the two platforms will provide a broad spectrum from which the team can test, compare and select the best systems relative to our goals. Eventually, one package will probably win out as most suited for Hydrogen under the stresses of endurance racing. But it is essential, as a matter of know-how, to understand both packages at a high technical level. For this purpose, the laboratory will be the racecourse. Appropriately, the lab is called "The Lemons".

HANDICAPPED RACER

I was at the Neighborhood Cup in Aliso Viejo this evening and had a chance meeting with Benedict, a disabled friend of mine who gets around in a wheelchair. He’s originally from Indianapolis and has a passion for motorsports. In our conversation, I mentioned my plans of racing in the "24 Hours Of Lemons" around December of next year, if not sooner. As a result, we are now in discussions and will be investigating the possibilities of fielding an extra car modified for a team of handicapped racers. There are technologies for disabled drivers currently available for street use that can be improved to meet the demands of racing. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite racers, Alex Zanardi, whose legs were both severed in a racing accident, races in a specially modified BMW 320si in the FIA ETCC in Europe. So, the idea is viable. I’ll keep you informed.

Alex Zanardi Article 

Alex Zanardi Official Site 

Hand Drive Opel