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WEEKEND RACERS ON THE LOOSE

August 26 & 27, 2000 Buttonwillow, CA, Open Track has been organizing weekend racers for five years and RPM Engines was there to join the fun.

 Ryan Flaherty and John Lindsey have been putting these events together since college, stemming from a passion for cars they organized autocrossing events, which later moved on to road race track events.  Open Track has been so successful that they have now become the official southern California NASA chapter. 

RPM Engines who has been promoting “Back to the Tracks” (a program that teaches people where and how to go auto racing in an effort to keep them from racing on the streets), has joined forces with Open Track in order to take these students and put them behind the wheel.  Students will be driving GB Mustangs around the track learning the dynamics of race cars as well as the operations of organized racing.

Three students will be selected from letters sent to rpmengines.com, open-track.com or gbmustang.com, explaining why they should be selected for the program.  These is no charge to the student once selected, however they must be at least 18 years of age, have a valid drivers licence, and motivated to be an ambassador of the sport of auto racing as well as encouraging their own to keep away from racing on the streets!

GB Mustangs will provide the initial three identical cars to be used for this program and will also be available for rent during race weekends.

The weekend was full of events, between a Mustang suspension shootout, which was fun to watch, to our very eventful races.  RPM Engines brought its #26 Mustang which being an open class event was able to run its stroker 351 Windsor motor. The suspension is still in American Sedan trim, which does not allow for any major modifications.  In fact found out that the car has a terrible tendency to push, making it loose precious cornering exit speed. We still qualified in 4^th position in a very mixed field of  Porsche, BMW M3, Mazda RX7, Camaros, and more Mustangs.  Ryan and John (Open Track officials) have very similar Mustangs, one with a 319c.i and the other one with a 331c.i motor but both have a Griggs full package underneath.  I had my work cut out.

The green flag drops and the RPM Engines Mustang driven by Edward Inclan moves up to second place and all the way from the back Ryan in his very powerful 331ci Mustang fights for third.  After only a few laps, Ed’s Mustang develops an overheating problem that puts him out, Ryan breaks its drive shaft and pulls off and John with the last Mustang on the track breaks a crankshaft in half.  Not good for the pony group.

That night we all get to work for the next day’s race and all but John’s car manages to get fixed, of course using Johns car as a parts car, thanks John.  During practice RPM’s Mustang gets an internal oil leak and catches on fire!  Fortunately it stops very fast but it was caused from an intake guide that came loose from overheating and keeps us from starting the race.  Ryan starts the race and fights the BMW to the chequered flag taking first place in the race.