Bildon Racing News...

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Thompson puts a lock on NYSRRC championship

BeaveRun , 8/20-21/2005
Steel Cities, Double Regional

AMB Transponder Results - Saturday
AMB Transponder Results - Sunday

Within the last few years, a new northeast race track has been developed and opened to the public. Beaver Run Motorsports Complex was the vision of a few business men from the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area and contains a variety of venues. Stage 1 of the main "north" track is a 1.6 miles track with a fast, blind downhill corner, a fast straight, tight horseshoe corner, and a twisty infield. There is also a go-kart track, and room to hold an autocross or motorcycle race simultaneously. This would be the first time the #50 GTI had run on this new track.

Saturday
In the first qualifying session Don slowly brought the car up to temperature as he learned the track. The car felt good and Don began to push. Near the end of the session while entering turn one, the car suddenly snapped sideways and Don quickly corrected to control the sliding GTI. A post session inspection revealed that the right rear tire was flat spotted and at one point was completely worn to the metal cords! Clearly this was the cause of the sideways adventure. Don was elated when he learned he had earned the second fastest time his first time at the track.

A VW competitor informed Don that he was locking his right rear tire every lap into the fast horseshoe turn. This turn is approached from the fastest straight, flat out in 5th gear and the car is slightly loaded to the left as the track curves slightly just before the turn. This would unload the right rear, and allow it to lock up under severe braking.

The ITS Corrado had spent part of the day at the track Friday bedding in the disks on a new differential and running the engine through it's paces to MAKE SURE it was over it's previous problems. The car was starting the event with a totally new suspension and some significant gearbox changes (R&P, Diff) in addition to the earlier engine problems this meant the SLC was still a big unknown.

The first qualifying session was started and the Corrado was on it's way. The car completed a number of "installation" laps when the ignition began to cut out under load. An examination in the pits revealed a wire had beem incorrectly attached during the hasty installation of the engine after the Nelson race. With that sorted out the car was ready for it's first SCCA race!


New tires are mounted on the ITB GTI and the team prepares for the afternoon races. In the first race, Don knows he is faster and pushes for a few laps, but has to conserve tires to be able to finish the long 25 lap race. As the session goes on, Don feels the rear grip again going away and the 2nd place VW Golf eventually passes the #50 GTI. Bildon finishes second and is pleased with the result. The team again changes the GTIs rear tires, bleeds the brakes, and get's ready to run the ITS Corrado in the final race of the day.

Starting from near the back of the field, starting the first real race for the Corrado VR6 was like getting a monkey off the back for driver, owner, constructor, Bill Sulouff. The car felt great after getting past the first lap shuffle. Bill was happy to find that he was even able to start picking off other ITS cars in addition to a few others outside his class. But really, after a year of slow development and an early season full of disasters, just being out there and "in the show" was a big relief.... and then it happened.... no, not again! This car must be possessed he thought as Don came over the radios and said that blue smoke was coming out of the back as the Corrado came by the pit straight on lap 6. A quick look at the temp and pressure guages showed no problems....but we'd been here before! So instead of destroying another engine Bill thought it wise to pull the car off immediately as it was also appearent that the car was not making as much power as it had earlier in the race. A post race inspection showed that all the water had been pumped out of the engine. A bad hose. Yet another obstacle in the development of the ITS Corrado. So back onto the trailer it went.... again.

Sunday
For Sunday, the team decides to place a spotter (with radios) in the tower near the turn where the tire is locking up. This proves helpful in qualifying, and confirms the exact spot where the Bildon car is locking the tire. Don easily qualifies fastest on Sunday, but is unfortunately still locking the right rear wheel. Don has pole position and on the start easily distances himself from the second place car in what would be a long 25 lap race. Bildon spotter Drake Core notices that on nearly every lap the tire is locking. He carefully explains when it does and when it does not which helps Don determine a conservative line into the turn to hopefully conserve tires.

The race is long and the locking continues causing the car to slowly lose grip in the rear. The second place car pushes and eventually makes its way by as the Bildon car conserves its tires. Finishing second, the team has now amassed a large lead in the 2005 NYSRRC point's standings. Beaver Run exceeds expectations and its mix of twisty infield and fast straights provides a challenge unlike any other track the team has seen. We'll be back to lap the beaver!
 
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