[Robert Lawson]

Ok, ok…. I should have known better right???

The Aluminum “Rods” were not going to work. They sure look good in those video’s but there is no way of getting the wheel that hot (730 deg!!???) for them to work as….. advertised. I’ll index them on a different set of hubs and send them to work with Rich for TIG welding. If they stay “in shape” cool, if not… they were scrap bits anyway.  In the meantime, I just ordered new wheels.

If anyone needs their beer or soda cans welded up just stop by and you can do it yourself!!!!! Thank GOD I bought the small pack!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

Fred, what temp is that BP Stat???

 

[Robert Lawson]

Last year I did something most thought was a little nuts…. I took 4 new “off the shelf” wheels and cut them apart! It was necessary to make 1 set of wheels that would clear my front brakes and also provide a usable front tire width ALL while not adding to the overall track width of the front end of the kart.

That was a mouthful!

Why tell you this? The disguarded 4 pieces from that project now form a perfect set of new front wheels for our Vintage kart!!!! I LOVE IT when a plan comes together!!!!

Now, on the F-125, I simply treated them as a 2 piece wheel. Must use silicone and an O-Ring to keep a leak proof seal…. a bit of a hassle! Its also a pain because even after evacuating all the air pressure from the tire, when you take the wheel off the hub it separates! This also requires Beading the tire ON the hub you will run on the kart, no biggie because we balance that entire assembly as its run anyway….. but if you need to gain access to a front corner the hub has to be removed with the wheel or you start all over again!

So, with this set I’m going to try that crazy Aluminum Welding (Brazing) rod that is advertised everywhere. I still will not bead up a tire without it being bolted to a hub, but, I’m hoping it will give me the option of removing the air and not having to reseal the wheel again like the F-125 set-up. I was going to go the route of lazer welding, as you may remember, I posted a video of the local shop that utilize this. But, it would be expensive AND it also is NOT a penetrating weld… like this brazing rod…. so what the heck I’m gonna give it a try!

For this to be successful it must completely fill the seam and be air tight.

If it works this really changes our options for getting a proper sized (custom) wheel for the big front brakes needed on the heavier/faster laydown 125 or 250. No wheel manufacture offers a 1 piece wheel with the needed 1.625″ backspace in a width wide enough for us to use as front’s. DWT offered to make our wheel if we bought 24 of them at a time! Naw, we’ll do it ourselves!!!!

If it works, I’ll do the F-125 wheels as well!!
If it works, I’ll post the video for you to check it out!!

Also bought new rear wheels so I’ll box this stuff up and send them off to Jim for Powder Coating. If you are wondering how the heat of brazing will effect the wheel strength, they will get “normalized” in the baking process of Coating @450 deg….. twice, because they will get a base color and a top coat!

Hope to show all of it off when its finished.

Hang in there Y’all!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

Wow, well…. uh, hmmmm…….

Just when you you think humanity cant do anymore damage, we have an election. The burning down of the Country that I truly expected has not happened…. yet. Its coming though, because this is far from over.

So…..

Thinking better of thrashing to prep for a Vintage ride at Daytona. Not going to bother. Instead, I’m taking a road trip and doing some shopping tomorrow! Off to South Bend IN. to buy a couple Yamaha’s for the Zip kart to eat next year. If you LOVE your kart you should keep it well fed!!!!

The Doc checked me out, answered ALL my questions and even showed me the surgery on video…. right on his phone! 4 more weeks of “easy”….. no ab or core activity other than the everyday movement/motion. I can cut grass (push the mower), rake leaves (carefully) but not pick them up, and “play lightly” in the garage, but no lifting at all….. 20 lb max.

To stay distracted from the World out there I’ll keep pluggin away until the SHTF or April arrives…. and we go back to the Track!

Hang in there Y’all!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

I visit the Dr on Thursday and will find out how things went during Surgery AND what my new level of restrictions will be going forward. This sitting around has me shopping like a Teen girl during Prom season!!!!

Have not purchased anything but have tried cutting some sweet deals, what do I have to lose??? Been trying to steal some things offered OBO…. its actually good fun!

I think the Vintage Racing is going to be a heck of a lot of fun. That group seems to be growing. I just want to enjoy Karting again, racing the Zip kart will bring some of that “Old Days” feeling back. I’ll build that F-125 anyway and we’ll keep it and our current kart waxed up and waiting for a time to play with them but that class is all but dead these days. Part of me wants to try to build that class back up, but I know what has hurt it and nothing short of rule changes will help to get guys interested in it again. Not sure I want to put in that much effort.

Got the 6 orange samples from the Powder Coating Co. this week. I finally found a tint/shade/effect I like….. but now I think I’ll only use it on wheels! We will paint the Zip chassis and tanks and put some crazy cool wheels on it.

Daytona, even after the med haze has cleared, is still in play. Just waiting out the result of how the kooks & nuts will handle the news Tuesday night and what our post Nov 3 world looks like. Don’t want to make a habit out of taking a firearm with me on the road to a race track because of psycho “protesters”.

Hang in there Y’all.

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

Thanks to Steve Pasteiner for the COOL new Repsol “Lucky Racing Socks”!!!

Yeah, I’m still feeling rough, but Stylin in my new go-fast socks baby!!!!

[Robert Lawson]

It must be the meds…..But I cant stop thinking about Daytona!

To be honest I hate the drive down there and I really have nothing I want to race….. maybe its because, Ugh…. mah belly hurts.

When you “cant” you want to…. when I’m able, I’ll probably forget all about it.

I did order up some powder coating swatches/samples to look at. May as well LOOK while I’m racked up here. Might just run a chassis or 2 and some wheels over to Jim Anthony and get some color on this stuff. The new F-125 will need a bunch of fab before we can get it in color so it may be a couple month yet. But gotta plan things out for when I can get out and do it while sitting here waiting to heal.

I’ll shoot a clip when I get these samples, they are super cool 2 stage powder coat.

I survived, I think, Ugh…. I’m gonna laydown!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

OK, lets try this again….

[Robert Lawson]

Was “geared up” mentally for Gallbladder surgery/removal today, got rescheduled for Friday so…….

I got a mess to clean up in the garage! Rich helped me to hurriedly set the place up for Winter, stacking karts and storing totes/bins. Still have quite a bit of stuff to arrange and store away so I’ll be out there today getting that done. I may tear the Zip Kart down today/tomorrow too, that will free up room to “create”!!!!

Every year I say “I’m doing this…” and it still sits. The first page here is proof of that! We decided to leave the 4 banger chassis unpainted, that will save a ton of time. We are replacing king pins on the Hot Rod, that’s not as easy as it sounds. They are adjustable ride height (weight jacking) king pins and the design has been changed by the manufacture from the originals I have. Its a clearance issue with the brake hub/rotor. I may also install the new spindles I have too, which will need brake caliper mounts and hours of fitting/finessing to keep the overall track width the same and clear the chassis & bits up front there. Then, there is this Other f-125….. build it up, tear it down, paint & reassemble, seat, bodywork, floor tray, etc…. Ugh! I have a bunch of fiberglass work to finish somewhere in there as well.

All that said, April will be here before you know it. I won’t go full on with any of this until we see what will become of our World in 2 weeks.

Hang in there Y’all!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

Got some video uploading now… 3 in car clips and 21 hand held recordings!

Friday afternoon/evening I set up the course with entrance, apex and exit cones for visual aid. My toes, fingers and face were numb, lip is chapped, joints ache, it was rough!

Short story, it was cold and wet Saturday AM, it took until Noon to get the new pavement in T1 dry enough to run on, sent Rich out in the new kart as a test dummy to see if it was good for the group to go…. he spun in THE PADDOCK at the bottom of the hill!!! It was all good from there on out. The 4 banger had a few different drivers try it out before the fuel pump took a dump and I got 3 rides in the Zip Kart before it blew up and it was STILL a good day!

We busted A$$ to get the place in shape to run.

Thanks to the guys that drove their vehicles around or picked up a broom to help….. AND the Marshals that took action and grabbed the side-by-side with a blower and jumped in too!

Bob Cole was our Pick up driver, Rich & Kenny made announcements so I could play, Curt Faasen prepared a great spread of Groceries for us and Jan Pasteiner baked us some fudge/butterscotch scones that went VERY WELL with the Coffee!!!!

Thanks to everyone for their patients, and, keeping others in mind and making good choices on track keeping our Safety Record at a Perfect 100%!

Ill post links for video and pic’s soon!!!!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

<span style=”color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, serif; font-size: 12px;”>”We are all set guys, now we need the weather to turn in our favor.”

</span>Well, well, well……

Ridicule if you like, Prayer works!

Its not going to be Summer weather but just a week ago it was L 27 – H 40….

This AM I’m seeing L 33 – H 55, a considerable improvement.

Worked on the scrapper all day yesterday. its as done as I’m willing to get it!! Ultrasound this AM then over to Rich’s to mount the fenders on the trailer and drag it over to my garage to load up. Leaving the F-125 home, just not motivated to purge and fill H2O & AF this weekend. So, we go just for fun!!! If everything blows up or breaks down we still have BRISKET to look forward too!!!

Video coming!!!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

GOOD NEWS!!!

The Asphalt Pavers are scheduled to be there Friday, Grinding & Paving T1!

I spoke with Curt about my very positive experience at Mid-Ohio a bunch of years ago. They had milled or ground all of the Corners on the track and the Club was concerned that the abrasiveness of the raw surface would wear tires and cause trouble. It was AWESOME! Smooth from the lazer guided milling machine and super grip….. it was a joy to drive on!!! You don’t always have to Pave to upgrade the surface, milling does wonders!

Curt said he will inquire about the Paving Co doing some milling with a similar machine to other turns as well. Of course I jumped right in and suggested T3 and the Bowl get some attention before anything else. Not sure if that will get done the same day or if they will come back and do it after this weekend but its ALL good news!

I plan on getting out there between 1 & 3 Friday.
Race Gas IS available at the track.
Curt is pickin up the Groceries for us!
Staying over and heading out Sunday is OK!!

We are all set guys, now we need the weather to turn in our favor.

Looking forward to the look on the faces of CIK guys after taking the 4 banger for a ride!!! I’ll get video!!!!

RPM

 

[Robert Lawson]

Its official, we are only running 1 day this weekend, Saturday 10-17. ALL drivers that paid the 2 day fee will be reimbursed in cash at the track.

Its going to be cold so please prepare. I pumped Antifreeze through my system today, I suggest you do the same OR drain your karts system and fill it Saturday before getting on track.

My kart is a pain in the a$$ to drain down completely so pumping through AF is a better choice. I’ll push it out with fresh H2O in the AM Saturday and then do it all again Saturday night for the near future.

YOU CAN NOT RUN GLYCOL IN YOUR KART ON THE TRACK!!!!

I will speak with the Track guys in the AM and check back tomorrow about when we can load in on Friday, Saturday night camp over, Pavement plans, and other details.

BRB!!!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

One day this website is going to self destruct!

Did you notice there was a “new post” #109530…. but you can’t see it???

I got tired of trying to post a video so I just wrote a nice message and included the link in Plain Text…. so it would go through. I then decided to alter the post with another link but forgot to make it Plain Text and POOF…like a Fart in the Wind, its gone!!!!!!

It doesn’t matter how I do it, Cut & Paste, Copy & Paste, Copy URL, “Insert a Link” from the menu above…… it just doesn’t work. Can’t figure out HOW I did it a couple weeks ago!

Anyway, I plan on having the trailer back together on Saturday. I’ll have about 3 days to get all 3 karts finished up and ready to go.

Boys, it looks like a single day gig at this point. I plan to drive out Friday and NOT return until Sunday. I’m planning Dinner for everyone Saturday directly following On Track activity at 5PM. You can dine & dash, take out, or eat/relax/hang and campfire with me. Again, who knows what will come after this election so LIVE IT UP while you can!!!!

More to Come!!!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

As much thinkin out loud or “talking to myself” I’ve been doing while working on this kart we just bought you’d think I had multiple personalities!!!

I remember all the reasons why I got out of clutch karts…. and have been chastising myself, while working on it ever since!!!!

I have accepted that the Trailer Body will not get paint before Grattan so that actually takes a bit of pressure off. Still have plenty to do though, on Karts AND getting the rig back to road ready.

Right now, we have enough cash & commitments to do a single day. We’ll keep all options open until the call must be made. Looking at Accuweather way out to the 17th yesterday it said H 71!!!

I hope we get a super nice day (or 2!) out there, with the uncertainty of what is past Nov it will be a nice gift!!! Take advantage while you can Y’all, there are NO guarantees of any freedoms these days!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

Good News!

Best of Luck, race safe & tell Benn we said hello!!!!

[Robert Lawson]

Back home here, I’m just drained…. beautiful day but very very long!

Rich helped me off load the kart, I sat in it while it was still in the bed of the truck. It needs A LOT of help! There is so many things “wrong” with it I may have to park it until April. We’ll see, but with all the other things that MUST be done to go to Grattan…. this may not make the cut.

I may catch hell but I dont care, I dont like that place….. the paddock is very confusing, the announcements were for $hit, you cant see ANY of the track without intentionally walking to a place to look and then you cant see much. Dont care how cool the layout is, the place stressed me out the way its randomly set up.

Needless to say, I wont be going back there. And, no one will miss us!

Its back to work tomorrow. The 3 weeks will fly right by.

IF you intend to do the Test Day with us please dont wait to send something off, I’m stressed out enough already!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

Wow… what an up and down week!

The kart will not get to the Track until late Friday so my plan is now shot. I’m just not THAT motivated to “race it” that I’d have to thrash on it most of Saturday to run it Sunday. Fuhgetaboutit!!!!

So, Im not leaving until Saturday AM. Will buzz over there, pick up the Kart & Parts, hand out fliers for Grattan, meet Bruce and pick up a set of tanks, buy some carb kits, have some chow and away I go!!!!

That’ll make for a long day, hope to be heading back by 1-2pm.

Gonna be a busy weekend at Grattan!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

Been busting a$$ on the trailer here and chasing down parts for the new kart. Hoping to run that kart at Pitt this weekend.

Heading out EARLY Friday AM, solo, in the truck with some clothes, gear bag, fuel jug, little cooler, sleepin bag and some gears & misc bits. No tools, no stand, no starter, no pop up, won’t even be able to put air in the tires!!! Its not all bad though, Ronnie Lorang and I have known one another since we were both 5-6 years old running around at race tracks all over the country…. he’s gonna hook me up!!! I’ll work on this thing all day Friday, IF I can fit in it without needing fabrication!!! If I can get it together, its track ready and safe, I’ll enter a Vintage class and run it. If necessary I’ll enter a Sunday Race and get Saturday AM practice too. I have not run the additional course, my experience was on the old Original layout so I may need the extra time. Its been more than 25 years since I slipped a clutch, and, I have no experience with the Mickey-Mouse Walbro carb that is completely a$$ backward from anything I DO remember from the old days!!!!

Sleeping in Ron’s trailer, no coffee, cooler food, completely unprepared with a kart I have not yet seen…..

Should be fun!!!!!

[Robert Lawson]

Well, you know what they say about “the best laid plans”!!!

We got every lap of AM practice Saturday morning, I was SO prepped that I was 1st on track 2 of the 3 rounds!!! We all knew rain was forecast for the afternoon so I went to Dave and asked if the race 5 “enduros” could be combined with the race 3 “enduros” to avoid the coming rain. He checked it out and hooked us up!

We would go 1st after lunch…..

The new headrest didn’t work with my old-old helmet, even after making an adjustment to add height with additional padding. 3rd run was with the new-old helmet and it was as if I had new glasses or something!!! Never once touched my helmet to pull it down…. When you can see, even over rough surfaces, you can haul ass!!!!!

The old VL/RVS 125 is still super fast. The kart was perfect, braking, handling, just everything. The tune was fat and broke up in 5th-6th gear and I still have an issue with my data. With limited time due to moving up in race order I swapped Temp 1 & Temp 2 for the race to see if the issue followed the change but as you see we never got back out. Will simply change out the unit for another, I have 2 more MyChron 2’s. 1 being factory refurbished and never run so we’ll see if it was simply the data collection itself. These units are old, many years of vibration will take its toll eventually!

Sunday AM had track drying take up a bunch of time and left just a single run for each group. The track was still wet so I just called it a weekend and started packin up.

Back home, working on the trailer again!!! Going to PITT next weekend, thought about bringing the F-125 for a sec, then thought better of it. We’ll run her again next month at Grattan, Which by the way, MAY have some surface repairs done before we get there!!!!!

More to come!!!

RPM (stay dry, rain sucks!!)

[Robert Lawson]

Off to Gingerman in the AM.

Not in “race” mode…. its hard to get up for these gig’s. A cluster of a class called Unltd where you cant compete with twin 250’s and there are not many if any F-125’s. So, its not really “racing” is it? I do have to get this Data collection issue figured out and give the new head rest set up a go so we go through the motions.

I’m more interested to see how my little Niece and Nephew are going to take to the Track life. They are so fired up to go, hope they enjoy it.

Tons of video coming, 4 cameras this weekend so should get some cool stuff for y’all to check out!

See You Monday!!!!

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

Frustrated……

I spent 45 minutes, on 2 attempts, different attachment procedures, and still came up with ZERO posts.

Man, I need my own website or something.

[Robert Lawson]

Things are moving along very nicely.

The test/tune has good momentum, our trailer upgrades are coming along, and the headrest project for the F-125 is DONE! We will test it at Gingerman in just 2 weeks!

In the mean time the 4 banger is going to Grattan, probably half naked. And, I did it again…. I mentioned back a bit that I would “buy a kart” if it was the right deal and… I did! Barring any surprises it will be at Grattan as well. I was fortunate enough to have Brandon Schenkel agree to pick it up or I wouldn’t have done it. We will take possession at PITT when we meet him to make the hand off. Its a Vintage Zip Eagle “American” ENDURO. I was attracted right away to its Lineage and History of the Zip brand plus being a Euro version of a purely American formula… the Laydown Chassis. DAP built some US style Laydowns back in the 80’s as well but none of these Euro manufactures could justify continuing to do so for more than a couple years. So, there are not a ton of them around… and we got one that is ready to run as is! Yes, we will “RPM” that bad boy…. returning it to its OEM color and “tidy’n” it up a bit.

I have 2 other karts here to build now so I really have no idea what I was thinkin! Maybe its time to play with the 4 and the Vintage a bit and do a badly needed refurbish of the TSR while building up that 2nd F-125 too? Either way, we have karts to play with at these Test/Track Days and that’s all that matters. Dang…… I might need a Storage Unit!!!

Hang in there Folks….

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

I am now accepting entry’s for the October 17-18 test days at Grattan.

As always, if we don’t get all we need to do the 2 days we will condense and lease a single day. Weather permitting, I would assume that to be the Saturday date. Only time will tell.

We will not be up charged for the weekend, same as we were not rebated for the Mon-Tues in June! So, same price as the Spring program.

$225 single day
$325 weekend

The Brasher Bros are the first to pony up for a weekend! The Pasteiner Family was right behind and is coming for a double as well. Some of our regulars will not be able to make it as CES has rescheduled its early race at Gateway to the weekend after us. Will be hitting up James “Rusty” Ferguson to promote for us at Newcastle as he is the Head Flagman for Stars or some touring Series. Why make the trip if we got a guy on the inside right??!!!  Hopefully he can get his rig out for some lapping with us too.

The 4 banger is so close to being track ready but I have decided to leave it home from G-man in a couple weeks and have it put through its paces at Grattan instead. I just hate operating on the rev limiter, it takes the fun out of it ya know? So I’ll get the trailer in order, get the hot rod prepped up, and we’ll go find out if our new headrest assembly will work…. and that H2O temp data issue.

Looking forward to offering Y’all a nice Brisket & Fixin’s meal this time!!!

I’ll take Ck or MO, Paypal too.

More soon,

RPM

[Robert Lawson]

I’m getting email, text, and calls on the Dates for our October Test!

The attention makes me want to run right out and start pushing info fliers. Thinking about it more, I believe 2 trips may be necessary and maybe adding a trip to Newcastle as well.  Wish I had a connection to some Vintage enduro guys, the track day format would be ideal for the kart guy that doesn’t care to do the race event “dance”.

This is a quote from Nov 3rd 2019, post #150356 right here in this thread:

“Because I have a different view of the “new  found collaboration” of Karting Orgs and Clubs, sharing race events, many will not understand why I think this is a stinker for “us” the customer or end user. There is far more to this “coming together” than Multiple Orgs lending their name to an event and…. sharing the “love”. The only love that will be shared will come directly from your pocket, as Pit Passes and Entry fees will now jump considerably due to this brain storm of collectivism.

Expect a PP including Thursday “drop off” to be $45 – $50, and your Friday-Sun fee’s to be $150. Why? Because you now have 2, 3 or 4 Orgs ALL bringing “members” (cough… working together) and will want (need) to get paid for their part in it. Also, each org will be represented at said events and they will need to be paid as well.”

My point is not to say “I told you so” but to point out the extreme costs.

Going to a race event this year, single day, running 1 class, is going to cost you right about $200 with Entry, PP, and Membership… weekend or otherwise. That pays for a grand total of 62 minutes of track time for a 30 min race class or 77 minutes for an enduro class….. assuming you get 4 – 8 minute practice sessions and run every lap of each, and your race. That’s simply cost of  “track time”, please consider you will be sharing that piece of pavement and pit with 100’s of others…. 30-50 or more for just 8 minutes at a time.

The cost of “racing” will continue to go up, exponentially. We all know it and accept it, if we attend. At this point, I’m only in it for the fun and fellowship.

The above equates to this:

Single Day at Race Track w/assumed practice time

30 min race = $3.22 per min on track. Not bad!
45 min race = $2.59 per min on track. Pretty Good!!!

These are not bad values for the $$$!

Single Day Private Testing (only 7 hrs, after sub 1 hr for lunch)

420 minutes @ $225 per driver = .53 cents per min on track. Umm, hmm…

That just doesn’t seem fair…………..

I hope none of these Sprint Folks I’ll be handing a flier to ask me about the cost of “Racing” on the big tracks, because, its not good news. Is it?

Back Soon,

RPM

[Author]

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