The opening SCCA/NASA race schedules have been released and these are the events I anticipate entering. If any Nissan Sport reader has an interest in attending, please let me know and I'll try to get you onto my crew list! Most of the races are in my home state of Colorado, but there are also events in Utah and Wisconsin scheduled. These are door-to-door road race events with practice, qualifying and 40-50 mile race distances (two races per weekend).

Date Track Race type Class/Vehicle

3/22/09 High Plains Raceway (HPR) Opening test Day- ITA 200SX Se-R4/18-19 Pueblo Motorsports Park (PMP) SCCA Dbl National T2 350Z5/16-17 PMP NASA Regionals PTB 350Z7/4-5 HPR SCCA Dbl National T2 350Z8/8-9 Miller Motorsports Park (MMP) SCCA Dbl National T2 350Z9/5-6 HPR SCCA Dbl National GT3 350Z9/21-27 Road America SCCA Runoffs T2 350Z10/24-25 HPR SCCA Regionals ITA 200SX Se-R

Unfortunately, last weekend's race was snowed out! Looks like I'll be testing tomorrow (4/11/09) at Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR). Next week there's a Double National at PPIR and the early entry looks very strong. Last year's second place Runoffs finisher (Mike Pettiford in a Solstice GXP), two new BMW Z4 M-series coupes with good shoes and a couple of Camaros to duke it out with my 350Z in T2. Unfortunately, I won't be on the fast or fresh rubber--I'm using last years tires to start the season!

Well, it's two days before the first event and it looks like the weather gods will be intervening. The tow down to Pikes Peak International Raceway is about 90 miles and the latest forecast calls for between 6-8" of SNOW by the time I leave Friday afternoon. The snow should tail off as I go further south, but I expect that much of Saturday's National will be wet. Since I purchased full tread Toyo R1Rs for use as rain tires, I think the Z will be in good shape. But rain races are somewhat unpredictable, so I'll have to be on my game starting tomorrow.

After braving the snow storms we made it up to PPIR and had two days of tough SCCA racing. I found my tires from last year to be the biggest limiting factor. While predictable at the limit, they didn't have the traction in either the Saturday or Sunday races to keep me in the hunt. Result? I finished 5th both days and chased the field to the checkered flag.

Still, I enjoyed the challenge of driving the Nissan Sport 350Z to the limit and screaming through turns at 95-98 MPH. Top end at the end of PPIR's back straight was only 110, but for a short 1.3 mile course, it was quick! We had the added bous of good weather on Sunday and an easy tow home.

It's now May and the next race up is a NASA event at Pueblo Motorsports Park. The 2.2 mile, 13-turn circuit features a long straightaway with high speed, long-radius turns followed by some great elevation changes. It looks like a full field too, with NASA bunching 45+ cars (and multiple classes) into the race!

The Nissan Sport Project T2 350Z will race in Performance Touring B with NASA. The differences in rules from NASA to SCCA make the car marginally competitive, unless built to take full advantage. Compound that with racing against turbo cars at over a mile high in altitude and I expect a real fight on my hands.

Two problem areas I've worked on include an exhaust leak in the Y-pipe and a AN oil cooler fitting that was beginning to seep. The race is May 16-17th and I'll update my results after the event.

Update from the track: today was the first NASA race at Pueblo Motorsports Park in Colorado. The Nissan Sport T2 350Z ran well in practice and qualifying. My fastest lap, a 1:47.332 over the 2.2 mile course had me gridded 5th for the first heat race. Not bad, for a NA VQ35DE playing with V-8s and turbo cars. Only problem was the slow second gear starts. Despite being in the powerband, the sheer torque off those slow starts was no match for the race prepped Camaros and Mustangs.

But the 350Z has great brakes and once the race was underway, I made steady progress in getting back around a few of the cars. It was great stuff, drafting a AI-spec Camaro down a short chute and setting up an inside pass. He tried to shut the door at the last second, but the Z was through, fair and clean!

Unfortunately, a DUMB mistake took me out of the main event. After a few laps, I could smell oil and thought, "Crap, someone is smoking". Then I checked my mirrors and could see a white mist emerging from my Z. That "someone" was me! There was no alternative: I had to hit the pits. But a quick inspection failed to reveal the cause and I took it in for good. The left side of the car and engine compartment were soaked in Redline oil and I had to pull the engine belly pan to get a good look. After checking and cleaning for a couple of hours, I found nothing wrong. After analyzing the situation, (and testing the engine) I came to the unescapable conclusion that the likely cause was misinserting the VQ35DE's dipstick and vnting crankcase pressure (and oil) through the open tube.

Sunday's race is yet to be run and I'm determined to do better (and avoid shooting myself in the foot)!

The Sunday race report is almost the exact opposite of Saturday's events. The Nissan Sport 350Z had no more oil leaks and after talking with the safety official who first checked the car in the pits, I now believe that the dipstick was inserted properly, but may have come loose in the race. Crankcase pressure or my error in reseating the rubber seal? I'm inclined to believe the latter, but fortunately, it was nothing a lot of brake clean, some fresh Redline oil and a wash couldn't fix just fine! Awfully glad I stopped when I did.

On Sunday, the Z ran great--the oil pressure always stayed high and there was no sign of overheating---in the opening practice session. NASA elected to combine the 'Thunder' (big bore) and 'Lightning' (small bore) groups in holding a 'chase race'. The slowest cars are released onto the track first and the fastest cars are released at perscribed intervals. The idea is all cars should be closing in on the finishing line at the same time, but my experience nixed that.

Due to my oil problem the day before, I was gridded 7th (out of 38 cars) and knew I had a good chance to win overall. When I was given the signal to go, the Z launched like a missile! By the second lap, I was chasing down the Porsche ahead, after that it was a Mustang and another Porsche (in the same corner) and on and on. By the fourth lap I closed on the lead Porsche and made another clean pass just before the front straightaway. Accelerating away, with the VQ bellowing away, I was seeing 116-118 MPH speeds by the end of the straight. Lap after lap I continued to stretch the lead until I spotted a NASA official signaling me to slow my pace. The last two laps were run at a reduced rate until I saw waving yellow flags at T10 for a major shunt involving one of the winged AI cars in the tire barrier. The checkered came out one lap early and it was nice to win with a 24 second margin.

After that, the afternoon race was somewhat anti-climactic. The main race was from a standing start and I elected to start from the rear of the field to keep a V-8 from crawling up my backside! Still, the Z was soon dicing with several pony cars and moving up the order. With no other PTB-class cars to race with, I ended up with two "wins" and a 7th place overall finish. But it was the close racing with other cars that makes racing so much FUN! Lots of spectators commented on the appearence of the Nissan Sport 350Z and how much fun it was seeing it mix it up with the other marques. I just wish there were more Zs out there to keep me company!

350Z in hand-to-hand combat! Check out the seventh picture down in this link:

http://www.nasarockymountain.c...=3027