James Houghton managed a 2:11.811 for the second fastest time of the day. We just featured this car along with having James on the Slip Angle Podcast. Needless to say, making an 800hp Garrett GTX3582R Gen2 powered FWD track car is difficult. James and Cole had a drag race down the front straight at the end of the event and it looked like James pulled a little bit on Cole based on the video floating online.
James visited the Rally Ready Ranch run by Texas Dave after Super Lap. I was a bit lost trying to figure out how to get to the garages at COTA so Dave came out and grabbed me from the parking lot. It sounded like James had as good of a time in the UTVs as I did.
This was probably one of most mild things we did in the UTV during my bachelor party at Rally Ready. Bombing through the woods in the UTVs was an unreal experience. Go to Austin, eat BBQ, go to Rally Ready. I do recommend eating the BBQ after driving at Rally Ready as the proper order of operations.
Austin local Jenson Little knocked out the third fastest time of 2:16.311 in what has to be the mildest looking Unlimited class car ever. I mean, I see much more crazy body work on street cars. I can’t even tell if those are the stock fender flares or not. The aero is only a simple splitter, canards, and a rear wing. That’s it from what I could see.
The engine bay is pretty clean. My dad asked what the purpose was for the sock on the brake fluid reservoir along with what the suspension remote reservoirs were. Oh, he also asked what the BOV was. There’s a black tube going across the engine bay in front of the engine which I’m sure stiffen things up.
6 comments
That NC Miata is what my NC Miata wants to be when it grows up
Honest question? Is there a lack of participation / competition going on at this event? Doesn’t seem very many serious competitors for the top spots.
Looks like a total of 46 cars were entered. In reading comments on various forums, it seems the high cost of entry due to it being at COTA deterred some from participating. That said, I think the notable cars missing were the Professional Awesome Evo, PZtuning Civic which seems was in Japan and just set the Tsukuba FF track record, Chris Boersma Civic, Can-Jam STI. RS Motors Evo. Could any of them have beat the Lyfe GTR? Not so sure…. would have been interesting for sure. Hopefully they all make it out next year.
Great article on a great event. I’m positive that this will become a standout event that draws everyone. SuperLap Battle USA, well done on taking what must’ve been a huge risk and making it happen. Khiem, so glad you were able to get there!
Not too sure that radiatior on the Miata is going to be effective. Even though you have high dynamic pressure at the stagnation point on the front bumper, it the streamline would have to turn something like 80 degrees, into another high pressure zone under an unvented hood. I’m sure it works but it probably adds a ton of drag. I hope he builds a ducted hood vent eventually. Or you could do what Ferrari did recently with the 488 Pista and vent beneath the car. Ferrari claims 10% better cooling and 7%less drag. Another bonus is that the rear gets cool air instead of hot air which is denser, with less turbulence and entropy so the rear wing or spoiler becomes more efficient. The CoG is better too.
I had to know what was going on with the SR3 Radical suspension. Found a pretty fascinating message chain. The original inventor chimes in at the end.
The nik-link uses a bell crank to compress the top of the coil over as well as the coil over compressing from the bottom a-arm. This gives more shock travel to control the spring they say. The ARB is a tubular bar bent downward at one end and is mounted across the chassis connected to the bell cranks on either side. When the suspension moves the bar bends (bows) causing roll resistance.
ubrben (Automotive)
27 Jul 04 17:50
This is what I hate about the whole patenting system. The ‘nik link’ is identical in concept to the front suspension system Andrew Thorby designed for the early 90s Van Diemen Sports 200 car. He subsequently used the design on the Lister Storm LMP
LMP900 (Automotive)
4 Aug 04 13:25
I did indeed use it on the Van Diemen and the Lister. There are a number of benefits, but on the front of the Van Diemen (and presumably the Radical) it allowed the good motion ratio of a pushrod linkage with the chassis simplicity of a simple double A-arm/coilover layout. Didn’t realise it was patentable though….
Andy