SCCA CAM-C Thread

[kz]

If you're down to a quarter you're almost certainly seeing fuel starvation. There's going to be pressure in the lines for a bit. At Peak G the fuel pump runs dry and pressure in the rail starts to drop.

I know fuel = weight, but if you want to run that low you really need some sort of swirlpot to reduce fuel starvation issues with the stock tank setup.

I was aware of a possibility of starvation but never really experienced it before - granted on most sites turns just aren't long / large enough for it happen. Lesson learned.

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[mavisky]

I was aware of a possibility of starvation but never really experienced it before - granted on most sites turns just aren't long / large enough for it happen. Lesson learned.

Yea that 270 degree corner would be tough. We have a similar corner at one of our tracks here in Georgia and on the road course it's a definite concern.

 

[TeeLew]

Picture of the Solostorm log off the tablet - throttle is all the way to the floor...

It sounds like a fuel pickup issue.

 

[Gearz]

I typically run at 1/4 tank or less (like 25 miles to empty) and as far as I know I haven't had fuel starve or certainly haven't felt it. Granted this is a stock GT350 so I don't know if they do anything different for it and I don't pull the lateral Gs you guys with aero do.

Next year I'll probably switch to the full tank and smaller rear sway bar setup that Strano and nearly everyone else in the class is running. It's only about 60 lbs difference and not in the worst location and maybe that's what's holding me back - can't be my driving.

 

[kz]

I typically run at 1/4 tank or less (like 25 miles to empty) and as far as I know I haven't had fuel starve or certainly haven't felt it. Granted this is a stock GT350 so I don't know if they do anything different for it and I don't pull the lateral Gs you guys with aero do.

Next year I'll probably switch to the full tank and smaller rear sway bar setup that Strano and nearly everyone else in the class is running. It's only about 60 lbs difference and not in the worst location and maybe that's what's holding me back - can't be my driving.

Not sure if you've seen it but his (Sam's) rear broke broke ("snapped") on Thursday - not sure what bar he's on right now but I know that at some point he installed Steeda Competition Bar (soft one with relocation brackets).

 

[Gearz]

Yeah I was there when he discovered it. Funny how he was complaining about the "compliance check" before but probably wouldn't have found it without the check. I think that was a prototype bar done for Steeda. It broke right a the weld for the washer that limits the lateral travel against the bushing.

 

[NightmareMoon]

I typically run at 1/4 tank or less (like 25 miles to empty) and as far as I know I haven't had fuel starve or certainly haven't felt it. Granted this is a stock GT350 so I don't know if they do anything different for it and I don't pull the lateral Gs you guys with aero do.

Next year I'll probably switch to the full tank and smaller rear sway bar setup that Strano and nearly everyone else in the class is running. It's only about 60 lbs difference and not in the worst location and maybe that's what's holding me back - can't be my driving.

GT350s don't have the fuel starve issue (they've got a pickup in each side of the tank).

 

[TeeLew]

It broke right a the weld for the washer that limits the lateral travel against the bushing.

As it should. AL split collars are just as good for the job and don't introduce a weld HAZ. If the bar was heat-treated after the welding, it should be fine, but it probably wasn't.

 

[TeeLew]

I wonder if we could make something like the Holley Hydramat fuel pickup work? They don't make one specifically for our cars.

 

[NightmareMoon]

So Day 2 update -

Felt pretty good going into day 2 on the east/plane side course. I didn't have the east course quite as well rehearsed as I had Day 1's course (advantage for showing up 4 days in advance of my run days), but I posted a good time and a clean line on my 1st run, but coned a stupid outside cone.

Run 2 I went wide after attempting a 3rd gear shift in the big 270 sweeper, and still managed to fuel starve and nearly miss the braking zone. Yikes, that corner was like all three of my nightmares rolled into one. Still, it was clean and kept me in 4th. My 3rd run was better, but I still had fuel cutouts in two places and held onto fourth while dropping about 1/2 sec of my time, so I finished strong, but had no answer for the camaros. The 4-banger who finished 2nd probably had an illegal splitter, but I declined to protest, because, well, its CAM, and I didn't need a 3rd place finish bad enough to ruin somebody's day. Shotz's 650 hp NA carbon fiber build was really as fast as it looked and the driver wasn't making any mistakes this weekend.

So I finished firmly in 4th place and I still beat the CAMT mustangs and all of FS class, so that's good. 3rd was my goal, knowing who I was going to be competing with, so 4th is ok.

Next year my plans are to address the stinking hard brake pedal issues once and for all, trying some different brake pads, and maybe get to addressing my low rear gearing (OS Gilken maybe) and start into some fixed seats and lightweight mods (will need either a tow vehicle or a tire trailer, since I won't be packing tires into the back seat with fixed seats anymore.

Car weight at 3825 (iirc) with a 170 lb helmeted driver, wing, splitter, and a half tank, which isn't bad, but it could be better.

 

[TeeLew]

 

[kz]

So Day 2 update -

The 4-banger who finished 2nd probably had an illegal splitter, but I declined to protest, because, well, its CAM, and I didn't need a 3rd place finish bad enough to ruin somebody's day.

FWIW he's been trying to get rule clarified on where exactly is the splitter measured from and I don't think his letter was ever responded to in Fast Track.

 

[NightmareMoon]

FWIW he's been trying to get rule clarified on where exactly is the splitter measured from and I don't think his letter was ever responded to in Fast Track.

I had that question clarified before the big rule change, but Raleigh said a different thing to a competitor last week, so yeah. Its worth a protest to get an answer, but I didn't want to be "that guy" this time esp on the final day results and at nationals. Better to protest after day 1 so there's some wiggle room to 'correct' the issue w/o invalidating the competitor's runs, and probably better to get that clarification at a smaller national event than the big one.

 

[mavisky]

FWIW he's been trying to get rule clarified on where exactly is the splitter measured from and I don't think his letter was ever responded to in Fast Track.

I'm assuming the clarification was asking to have it clarified if it's from the bumper, factory splitter, or what portion is actually exposed?

 

[kz]

I'm assuming the clarification was asking to have it clarified if it's from the bumper, factory splitter, or what portion is actually exposed?

Basically yes - whether it's from furthermost point of bumper cover or the place where the splitter attaches to the body (which in some car is further back than front of the bumper cover).

I agree it is worth clarification - protest is probably at this point the only way to do it but there's bullshit protest shaming going (like the ESL Miata guy that spammed a bunch of fb groups) and additional stigma of protests in CAM.

At this point it needs to become a full non supplemental class with clear rules. It's far past the point of bring your regular modified street muscle car to autocross.

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