my last track event was SMOKIN'...literally!

[Leslie]

Ran with MVRPCA this past weekend at Mid OH, talked 'cash84' Jeff into going too...we drove through a CRAZY 5 hrs of hard rain getting there, Saturday was chilly and rain but the sun came out on Sunday, all was good to go

Got through 4 laps just kinda taking it easy and dialing it up slowly, all is good so start to get on it....and started to smell something different...not brakes or clutch, brake pedal was a bit 'spongy' so I slowed it down on the back straight from 138 to around 100ish, got in the brake zone and WHOAH! smoke coming from the motor BIG time, pwr steering GONE, brakes GONE, holy crap!

In my group we run wheel-to-wheel, so I downshifted and rev'd to settle car, drove through the turn looked quickly left/right on mirrors to make sure no one was by me and drove through the turn off the track.

No damage to body, I was fine and glad I had my suit on and had toe hooks. Jeff runs over to my car, can't figure out what went wrong them he yells 'OMG, you have a snake on your snake!' haha Serpentine belt came off and tensioner pulley on the back straight!

I got lucky, Chip Vance from auto assets trailered me back to Columbus, loaned me a sweet 911 porsche to drive while I waited 2 days to get parts, and got me back on the road last night.

BIG thanks to Steve Fess from my VCA club who contacted Tom Sessions and John Archer....all 3 of them calling me at the shop and telling me everything I needed to check so my Viper was safe to drive home. They also called me several times during my 5 hr drive home late last night to make sure I was ok.

Now THAT my friends is called VIPER CLUB OF AMERICA membership!!!!!!

 

[Mopar Boy]

Sounds like an eventful event!

Sound like you still managed to have some fun though!

Any pics?

 

[vpower01]

 

[Janni]

Glad you and your baby are ok. Great group we have here.

Now - would you PLEASE post this over where folks think that the website is the main part of membership????

I am proud to count all three of the VCA folks you mentioned as my friends and I second your thought on "this is what it's all about!"

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Sessions, Archer and everybody that tracks are great assets. I could write a book of all the times folks have bailed me out. Some situations I still don't know how I made it through.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

No damage to body, I was fine and glad I had my suit on and had toe hooks.

Hope your suit includes some Depends! Wow.

So what happen to the brakes - belt come off and hit something?

 

[Fatboy 18]

Wow!!!! So did the tension pulley shatter? Or was it the power steering pulley that caused the belt to fly off?

Good stuff, glad your OK. Any pics of the damaged parts?

Mark

 

[Leslie]

Tensioner pulley came off and so did the serpentine belt, started the whole progression of all the pulleys freezing up. The pulley had tooo much melted belt on it to reuse it.

The mechanic said it started at my a/c compressor and went from there so quickly. I check my guages at the beginning of that back straight each lap, so it must have started as I entered the braking zone.

Haha sorry I didn't take pics, they make you sit in your car 'til the session is over and the tow truck comes to get you, believe me I was rattled and glad to have not gotten hit by another passing car.

In retrospect, doing searches on the forum I have found that the belt should be replaced around 40K miles, I am at 52K....I would have had no idea of knowing the compressor was going to seize up....I also will be replacing the power steering bracket as well because the stock one is junk and I don't want an issue there either.

Will post some pics I took earlier.

 

[Fatboy 18]

Thanks for explaining it in more detail

Mark

 

[white out]

Nice work keeping the car together & glad that you got it back up and running.

Back in '06 when running my WS6, the belt came off, and was thrown from the car, hitting the mustang I was running in the windshield.
Had to go back, grab it, and install it.

Nick

 

[Leslie]

here's some pics:

it was KINDA cold out going to the track, pic of Jeff's yellow '06 and my sapphire '01

Jeff ripping it up on the front straight, he was doing 150 easy on the back straight
barely showed him the line and he was ready to hit it!

My friends Fred and Nancy's Cobra

Very nice GT3

Chief Instructor with his porsche

Lots of nice cars at the track

 

[cash84]

Thanks Leslie for inviting me!! That was the best weekend I had for a long time other than your car but glad it wasn't anything serious. I sure was bummed out on monday because it was a blast! Can't wait til next summer since I'm all set with everything lol.

 

[Leslie]

Nice work keeping the car together & glad that you got it back up and running.

Back in '06 when running my WS6, the belt came off, and was thrown from the car, hitting the mustang I was running in the windshield.
Had to go back, grab it, and install it.

Nick

omg, now THAT is impressive

 

[FrankBarba]

now why don't i hear about these events.

 

[Leslie]

now why don't i hear about these events.

I've been posting the porsche club HPDE's at Mid OH in the IL, IN and OH sections.

Remind me in Feb when they put the 2010 schedule out and I will send it to you

 

[Rich Wesorick]

Imagine that - above and beyond service from Sessions, Archer and Fess... Viper Hall of Fame guys - all three of them!

 

[Leslie]

A few more pics:

Taken Sat. afternoon before my blowup
Front straight, running NT05's up front 295's helped with push, PS2's in back, still took about 3 laps to get them warmed up but it was about 45 degrees out haha

Turn 1

My girlfriend Rachelle on the low speed autocross track, practicing her handling/braking skills

Rachelle and Jeff on the autocross

Even with the cold and rain and car problems, we had a great time and there's nowhere I would rather be than at a track!

Thank you for running with me Jeff!!!!!!

 

[ROCKET62]

ALMOST a great pic of the Sneaky Pete/Viper ghost that shows up on rare occasions:

here's some pics:

 

[Leslie]

ALMOST a great pic of the Sneaky Pete/Viper ghost that shows up on rare occasions:

here's one when he did show up

 

[SkyBob]

No damage to body, I was fine and glad I had my suit on and had toe hooks.

I've never been on a track in my life. What are toe hooks?

Bob

 

[C.Hermsen]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say she meant TOW hooks...

 

[SkyBob]

Yeah, that would make sense.

 

[Leslie]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say she meant TOW hooks...

thanks guys


guess I really am blonde

 

[cash84]

I've never been on a track in my life. What are camel toe?

Bob

 

[SkyBob]

Hey !!! Now that one I don't need explanin ...

 

[Mopar Boy]

I've never been on a track in my life. What are toe hooks?

Bob

They help with shifting (ie heel/toe)!



Now about this camel.....

 

[cash84]

haha I had to! just that toe in there caught my mind. Got a kick outta it tho. lol

 

[Mopar Boy]

Just a dirty mind!

Is this a WI thing? I have a freind in WI and he is the same way!

 

[C.Hermsen]

Yes unfortunately :-(
Us Wisconsinites tend to be foul minded drunks

Oh and we're also really bad at making decisions...

 

[cash84]

at least we are proven to out drink em........thats probably why we are so screwed up lmao