Good luck Greg Ira!

[ggarrard]

Mark and Steve - Sorry to hear Greg Ira had an incident with the Triumph...but good to hear the car survived. Congratualtions to Don Ahrens fro his top ten finish!! Thanks for keeping us informed.

Gordon Garrard

[preith]

I was brousing over the Runoffs qualifying/race results and found something very interesting. Their best lap times actually decend with theoretically slower classes instead of the other way around. GT3 and EP are on essentially the same skins and GT3 should have a good chunk more in HP. These aren't flukes either, the times are consistent across a 4 day period.

Greg Ira, 240z, EP, 01:43.807

Donald Ahrens, 240z, EP, 01:44.589

Jeffrey Winter, 280z, GT3, 01:46.735

Tony Giordano Jr., 280z, GT2, 01:50.565

Jeff Winters recieved the "hard charger award" advancing quite a few positions. No disrespect, but 1/3rd of the field DNF'd!

[xray]

Good point you bring up...I heard it was rainy/wet some of the time which may play a part in the lap times. IIRC even the big bad Vipers and Vettes had slower lap times than I expected. But, DSR/CSR times were in right around 1:30, so we can see where the speed really is...

[Carl Beck]

Speaking of DSP -

I see Mark Jaremko finished 2nd. this year in DSP. I believe he finished in 1st for the previous two years. Mark was about 4 when I bought my first 240-Z from his father Paul Jaremko at Valley Datsun, in March of 1970. Paul was/is quite a driver himself, winning Datsun one of their first SCCA Regional Championship in 63 or 64 AIR - and is mentioned in John B Rae's history of Datsun/NISSAN in the U.S.A.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[gira]

Relating to the SCCA Z car classification and the descending times. It's 100% about the prep levels of the cars. The GT3 and the GT2 cars would be quicker if they were prepped to the level of mine and Don's cars. I pitted next to Jeff Winter and he was out there in a glorified IT car just to have fun. I have never seen a driver so stoked before as Jeff was after pulling into the garage after his race. He had an absolute blast and that's what we do it for. Anyway, I am on this list for good now. I really like it and the format. I was sort of a die hard Z home page guy.

The competitiveness of the 240Z in E Production is in major jeopardy. We currently don't stand a chance but I have mounted a huge fight for change. I should know something in the next three weeks or so.

Greg Ira

PS- lots of racing the first two weeks on Florida.

[Carl Beck]

I was sort of a die hard Z home page guy.

Hi Greg:

I hope you really meant - you were a die hard "Z Car List" guy... that was the e-mail based Z car discussion group that covered all models of the Z Car, and which was accessed through the Z Car Home Page.

The Z Car Home Page is still at http://ZHome.com, as is the Internet Z Car Club. When the Z Car Home Page was started in 1984, it too was devoted to all generations of the Z Car... but over the years the Z Car community has split off into model specific groups, and today there are plenty of Web Sites devoted to the individual models.... As such, I may just turn the Z Car Home Page into the "DATSUN 240Z Car Home Page", and offer to contribute any/all other materials to the other Model Specific Web Sites (most of them have more than duplicated the information anyway) ... My main interest has always been the Datsun 240-Z and I may just devote more time to that now.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

[gira]

Hey Carl,

Yes, you are correct. That is what I meant. I was unaware that the lists are going model specific, but I am OK with that. I did just build a beautiful 280ZX ITS SCCA competition car. The aero ought to really help us at Daytona. What webpage is for the ZX's? Hey, I travel in your area a couple times a year. I'd love to come by and check out your Z's.. Let me know.

Thanks,

Greg

[Carl Beck]

Hi Greg:

"The Z Car List" was terminated, not split up. After 10 years at Texas A&M the Sys.Admin. that supported us had passed away. The old server was on its last legs and the new management couldn't justify buying a new server for a non-University purpose. So we were loosing our free host and connection to the Internet.

At the same time, participation on the e-mail based forum had dropped off to next to nothing. Everyone wanted to receive the Posts/Replies... but very few were actually participating in the discussions. As the Z Car Community itself split into Model Specific groups (is a HybridZ a specific model) , each with their own Web Sites and Web Based Discussion forums, there was simply no reason to continue with the e-mail based forum. A lot of growth and change took place during the 20 years the Z Car List was on-line. The Technology Life-Cycle you know.....

Your always welcome to come visit any time you are in the area.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[JaDub]

Gregg is right . I did have a ball during the race.

Considering the fact that I was driving a vintage `75 280-Z ex CP race car- right out of the `70s that was all steel AND the only full unibody car in the race I`d say we did all right.

My goal in `07 was to help the GT3 numbers this year. The class was in danger of expulsion from the RunOffs because of low entry numbers. I really wasn`t planning on racing at all this year but since the Comp Board took my suggestions to heart and reclassified the Z from GT2 to GT3 I felt a bit obligated to run my vintage Z in GT3. By finishing every race I ran during the year I managed to out-squeek a BMW by two points for the divisional title.

In regards to the `no disrespect` mention......... none taken. Attrition is a major factor in GT racing. I started from the back of the pack due to a nagging fuel feed issue but with the help of Gregg`s crew we did manage to find the problem before the race. I did manage to make a few `legitimate` passes. You gotta keep in mind that this car is an `ancient` ex- CP vintage car.....straight out of the `70s. I was 350#s HEAVY ( overweight ) from the current tube frame rules of today. This just might shed a bit of light on the lap time discrepencies. Did I mention the fact that I was running a 33mm Single Inlet Restrictor?? Imagain trying to suck all the air the engine needs thru ONE 33mm hole???? This restrictor plate formula cut me back to 265 H.P.. You do the math.

The Z is going back to vintage racing next year......... beating up on the `big bore` guys. :classic:

Jeff Winter

Rallye/Sport - Winter Racing Engines

303 427 0510

[jmark]

Jeff or Greg,

Could a well prepped Z win GT3 with the new rules? I don't think the 240Z can win EP as the rules stand now. I didn't see any rule changes in the Jan. Fastrack. Just wondering if Greg could switch to GT3 and what it would take?

[rxsleeper]

Hi Greg and Jeff,

I am glad that you guys are still running the Zed's. Some of us go back to the days of watching Paul Newman stuff a Sharp Z under the bridge at Atlanta :nervous:

Hopefully I can join in the production/GT fray in a couple of years. I hope to make my ITS Z Prod legal so I can find some more track time.

Next time you see Don tell him hi adn thank him for his help at Roebling last year. He truly is a "good guy"

Hope to see you guys at the track...

Paul

[RICK HARBAUGH]

Hey Greg, I drive the white and carolina blue Z car that was at the prod fest. I couldn't keep up with you and the cat's. What changes are you shooting for? Is there still hope for help? I'm slowly converting from IT to Prod. I love actually being able to work on my car, but it will take a long time to get to your level of prep.

Rick Harbaugh

EP #72