A couple of weeks ago I went to Rochester, NY for the Baja East region competition with Ferris State University. We had the typical late last minute detail nights that every race vehicle has in every aspect of motor sports. On the night or I should say morning of the day we were leaving for the 10 hour trip, we put in our brand new Briggs engine that we got last fall in the car and start it up. Well, after running it for about a minute, it completely seizes up. Yes, there was oil in it. Luckily we had a spare engine we could put in. We ended up not leaving until about 3:00 in the afternoon so it was a late night driving all the way straight through after like 4 hours of sleep. My car got to the campground at about 1ish in the morning and we slept in the car. The second vehicle got there at like 3 and couldn't sleep in the vehicle cuz they were in a reg. cab ranger. They found the next driest spot and ended up on a stage in a covered picnic area. It was quite a funny sight.
Now onto the competetion. This is pretty much a 3-day event with the first day is tech inspection, second is dynamic events, and the third is a 4-hour open-wheel with other cars endurance race. We passed tech on the first day, but after three attempts and a decent amount of changes. Some of the dynamic events are hill climb, suspension and traction, maneuverability, acceleration, and this comp included a water event so there was a tilt test in a pond and water maneuverability as well. This means that the car had to literally float like a boat. We were all across the boards in these events with 3rd in hill climb and pretty much last in water maneuverability. In the endurance we did quite well. We got 22nd in the race out of like 90 some. The only break we had was somehow a ball joint nylock nut came loose so we lost about 1-2 laps there.
Over the entire comp, we got 35th overall. For us that is the best we have ever done. But enough of the chit chat, you guys probably just want the pics.
Float testing in the campground pond
Float testing #2 in the campground pond
Fix #2 for not enough rear floats
Hill climb hill
Acceleration test
The tilt test with tilting the car 30 degrees to make sure it rights itself
Water maneuverability
The rest of these are the endurance race
This is the part of the incorporated hill climb during the enduro
Our rear float that actually started breaking off on the last lap and still hung on
And our trophy for our 3rd place finish in hill climb
And last, but not least:
Our unofficial mascot sort of because it not actually a bulldog since we are the Ferris State Bulldogs
It was a ton of fun, but unfortunately I didn't get drive at all. We built the car to fit me because the plan was for me to be the biggest driver. However when we get there and go to get through tech, I get in the car and they start measuring, and I somehow ended not having enough clearance between the top of the helmet and roll cage. It kind of pissed me off because I was slouching as well.
Yea, but what else can you do. That was on the first day that I found out I wasn't going to be driving. I could have been an asshole like some people would about the whole thing, but that gets no one anywhere and does no good whatsoever.
Took a couple of pictures of my ranger flexing on a couple of snowbanks at my house. We just got about 13 more inches not to long ago man am i ready for spring. My truck is a workhorse i was pulling burried scrap metal out of the frozen snow today was kind of fun. Cant wait for spring i am going...
Yeah, so I just bought my buddies 82 K5 Blazer. I needed a quick cheap vehicle cuz I messed up my fiance's Explorer. So now she's driving my Jeep and I get to drive this Ugly mother!
