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Career best ET in Bristol FFW

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FFW Thunder Valley Nationals
FFW Thunder Valley Nationals

The Horsepower & Heels team entered the Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals with some hard work ahead of them.   After a stellar performance in Norwalk, OH with a runner-up finish and the history-making initiation of Erica Ortiz into the 6 second, 200 mph clubs, the team was ready & working hard to build upon their progress. This process began promptly after their return from Ohio, pulling the motor for refreshing just 2 weeks shy of Bristol. After tearing it down and discovering no excessive wear or damage, the team opted to switch the cast crank in favor of a steel version for reliability and peace of mind.

There was still much to do as they pulled in the gates of Thunder Valley. Kevin & Dan worked on getting the driveline back together, while Erica unloaded and unpacked. Having arrived mid-afternoon on Friday, the team would not make the first call qualifying session. Teammate John Gullett would grab the pole with a 6.57. Back in the pits, the team buttoned up the car and went to the line for the 2nd session. This night session would prove to be the best conditions for performance, as the cool air and track temperature would aid the car’s performance. But as Erica cranked the car in the staging lanes, she quickly discovered that the Bruno was low on fluid and forced to back it off.

Saturday morning, the team went over the car again. Dan & Kevin changed the tires to a larger Goodyear slicks, and they made the call for 3rd round qualifying. Erica staged up, but the car moved hard right out of the gate past the 60′ mark and she was forced to abort. A broken wheelie bar and the change in tire size had the chassis tune up slightly off, so Dan adjusted it for the final session. Having not made a clean attempt, Erica knew how important the final session would be to the Sunday ladder. She entered the burnout, but something went amiss, and the throttle hung wide open as she fought to keep the car straight and in control while reaching for the power kill. After safely killing the engine, Dan backed her off, tore off the hood, and removed the culprit- a vacuum line tangled in the throttle cable. Erica quickly refired, and jumped to the starting line. Rattled, she staged and took off, but when the tires finally set down over 200 ft out, the car got loose and she lifted. This failed attempt secured her spot at the bottom of the ladder, facing #2 qualifier Chuck Samuels in eliminations.

An early morning 1/8th mile test attempt showed strong improvement, with the car making a clean, straight pass and running stronger than her previous incremental best 1/8th mile attempt. Knowing that Samuels had the performance advantage (he qualified with a 6.62), Erica knew she would have to cut a good light to try and outrun him. She staged first, and left ahead of Samuels, with a near perfect 0.008 light but it just wasn’t enough, as her new personal best of 6.85 @ 207 mph couldn’t compete with his 6.57 @ 217.

Though her early exit in eliminations was not what they had hoped for, the team is proud of their continued progress.

“We know that we come in here under-powered compared to these other cars, but we continue to improve with each outing, and even if we aren’t winning races yet, we’re proud of the advancements we’ve made thus far.” Erica says.

Erica entered the event #2 in points for the Pro 5.0 championship points chase, with John Gullett a close 3rd and Chuck Samuels in the #4 position. Her early exit may have caused her to lose some ground on the points fight, but Erica is not far out of the running. The team is working on some marketing partnerships that would enable them to finish out the remaining 2 events in the FFW season- Topeka, KS & the Dallas, TX world finals.

The Horsepower & Heels team will be back out next weekend, July 12th with the Automatic Pro Mods quick 8 event at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, GA.

 

See photos from the 2006 Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals.    Watch the video of Round 1 eliminations against Chuck Samuels.

 

 

Helping and Learning

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Today, I went to Mr. Moody’s shop to help him work on the motor. This was probably moreso for my benefit than his aid, but I wanted to learn and wanted to be able to contribute, so Mr. Moody humored me. What I learned, is that people vastly underestimate the potential of factory ford parts… as evidence of my recent performances.

We have had no problems with the motor after approximately 70+passes, save for the small lifter incident on the first test outing in February of this year. That’s 70+ passes on a stock block, cast crank, and under 24 psi of hairdryer pressure. I don’t know what I was expecting to find as I dropped the oil pan (literally, all over the floor… sorry, Mr. Moody!), but I was pleasantly surprised to find…. NOTHING. Nope, nada, zilch. The rod bearings were good as new, the cylinders all showed way rich conditions, and everything was intact and looked as though it had just been put together. (Save for the outside, which was covered in gunk from that pesky leaking valve cover)

So, Mr. Moody will be replacing the cast crank with a better unit, and buttoning it back up for the Bristol FFW race coming August 4th-6th. Mr. Moody assures me I can now up the power, and expects that we will be able to hit in the 50’s with the stock block before the end of the season. He’s not often wrong… after all, he guessed the cast crank performance to a T. In Bristol, we will attempt to combat the thinner mountain air by turning up the boost a little in our typical sneak-up-to-it style.

Maybe I’ll be fortunate enough to hang onto my #2 rank in the points… (John Gullett has plenty to say about that I’m sure… don’t worry Johnny, I”ll save you a parking spot next to me!) But for now, I’ll just focus on getting down the track consistently and working hard with what we have!

Lesson of the day

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Racecars & Tuning. Its like any new relationship…

You’ve got to learn the little things about her (or him, but in this case as in most autos, “it” will be a she for simplicity sake). What she likes, what she needs, and the way she wants to be treated is reflective on the way she will treat you in turn. And as is true in too often the case, she mainly will only let you know what she doesn’t like, leaving you guessing as to what the heck she really wants (don’t even start guys… you all do it too).

The good news is that upon closer examination, the valvetrain problem in Valdosta was NOT a lifter issue as originally thought. I guess this pessimistic racer always comes to expect the worst in any situation, because as Murphy’s Law suggests, anything that can break, will indeed break and will destroy about a half dozen other things on its way out. So, thankfully, the valvetrain noise turned out to be merely a loose rocker whose polylock had wiggled its way free. No damage, no broken parts, no problems. ::knocking on wood:: Dan worked extra specially hard to make sure that my intake gasket leak, my dragging engine diaper, and my loose rocker situation was fixed, and I was ready for the weekend to test at Phenix City and prepare for Orlando with John Gullett & Ray Sanchez, who would be testing with me.

Good ole Murphy came knocking and of course rained on our parade. Literally. The stormclouds dropped what seemed like several inches of rain over the south, unrelenting for 24 hours straight. When the rain ceased on Sunday morning, the track was a marshland, with pools all across the track surface. After scrambling to find an open track that would be convenient for John’s trek back to FL and Ray’s flight to Canada departing that evening from ATL, we came back empty handed. Nothing worked for the other guys, who all had to head home without getting anything accomplished.

While making those phone calls, we discovered that Montgomery Motorsports Park had a bracket race, and while it was impossible & impractical for Ray or John to attend, the 90 mile drive was worthwhile for me to try and sort the car for Orlando. So Dan & I loaded up for Montgomery, after George Howard agreed to work me into the program for some test passes. What we did not know was that no cars had been run on that track for 3 months, and combined with the rains from the previous day, the track conditions were not exactly optimal. George’s crew were working very hard to prepare the track and get it to come around, and George was very genuine in his concern for mine and all other racer’s safety. Despite the conditions, which did improve as the day progressed, the passes were an excellent learning experience for driving in those type of situations. The first pass of the day, despite having drastically turned down the power on the car, she still managed to severely overpower the track, and got loose enough to have quickly caught my “full and undivided attention” (otherwise known as “pucker factor”). We then tried several other methods of controlling the acceleration, trying to slow the building of boost, timing, etc. but still encountered problems just past the 60′. Adding to the struggles of a new driver, having a new car with an untested combination makes it particularly daunting a task to get this thing down the track. Dan is forced to try and decipher what little information I can provide from my unfamiliar observations and couple this with the complicated graph readings off the ignition. After some calculations, he determined that it had too much rear gear (which we knew would not be able to carry through the 1/4 to begin with) and that it was exasterbating the violent launches.

So, a taller, less aggressive gear has been ordered and will be installed this week. This however, sealed my fate for yet again missing another Orlando event, which I endearingly consider my “home” and one of the few opportunities I have to see my family. That is the most disappointing aspect of the entire situation, any other event would easily be a perfectly rational decision NOT to attend without a well tested and performing car. Instead, I resigned to stick closer to home and race in the Dixie Pro Mod event (1/8th mile) in Macon this coming weekend, gain some more seat time and sort the new & improved gearing.

Until then….

Testing, Take 2

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…

You think I’d have more to say about my first few outings in the T-bird. Well, I do actually, its just I’ve been swamped with a grueling schedule, and haven’t had a chance to sit and reflect. What better time to do so than after midnight on an exhausting race weekend. (I know, I make no sense)

[cue drumroll] So, finally, after a year and a half out of the seat, the Horsepower & Heels Thunderbird & I took our maiden launch on February 5th at Phenix Motorsports Park in Phenix City, AL. The objective of the test session was to make some incremental passes and to get me familiar with the car. No biggie, right? Well for some, that would have been no big deal, but for me, anxiety grew everyday that I hadn’t been in a racecar, so I was some nervous about jumping into the seat of a much faster car after so long. Everyone kept telling me “Its like riding a bicycle, Erica. You don’t forget.” Yea… a LOUD, powerful, complicated bicycle.

But, as a testimony to the crew and people whom I have in my corner, I am quite proud to admit that the nerves and fear I expected to kick in as I pulled into the burnout for the first time never materialized. Not to say that I’m not overly cautious nor was I prepared for the g’s on that first launch, but at least I wasn’t shakin’ like a polaroid when I finally sat in the seat.

Many people have asked me since that weekend the big questions… What was that first hit like? Well, as much as I have stood behind these things as they leave the starting line, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what that first hit will be like. That was until I let go of that button the first time. As Rick Head said..”I would’ve paid to see your face when you let go of that button the first time.” I assured him it was Priceless.

The weather in Phenix City was cold, so track conditions were not the best due to low track temp. The plan was to start out with some 60′ hits. After the happy shock wore off from that first pass, the second and third went much more smoothly. On the second pass, I managed a 1.09 short time, shutting it off just before the 60′. The third pass I was able to take it out a little futher, but the 60′ was off, and the track conditions were falling off as well. So, we left it at that, and called it a night.

The next weekend, we found a rocker in the valvecover. I am so unaccustomed to this motor, I never heard the miss inside the car. Upon further inspection, Dan found a lifter had failed. Thinking it may have been the result of a potential overwinding in the burnout from my first pass, he replaced the lifters, pushrods, and rockers with fresh pieces to ensure the problem was fixed. Since the temperatures were below freezing last weekend, there was no testing to be had locally. Which meant my next experience would come at my first official event, the ADRL Winter Drags at SGMP in Adel (Valdosta), GA.

With a fixed motor, renewed enthusiasm & great track conditions, I was ready to try and get down broadway and get a feel for navigating the 1/8 mile. Some of my security blanket was unavailable for this weekend, as Dan was in front of me running his own Pro Mod. A few rookie mistakes in the first test passes on Friday made me shut down early (HELLO!?! You’re supposed to leave in 1st gear, not 3rd!) But by the nighttime session, I was ready to kick it on through. Much to my dismay, something went amiss again and I shut off. Back in the pits, it was evident we had some problems by the diaper dragging the ground and the oil accumulation running down the firewall. Kevin and I pulled the turbo/valvecover off to find a rocker off kilter again. The bolt still tight, it was apparent that it had another lifter failure, and with that my weekend was over.

Not exactly how I had hoped to make my Pro Mod debut, but on the bright side, I am confident that once we get these new car bugs figured out, the car will be a very fast piece. I am so tremendously grateful to all the people who have helped me get to this point, and who continue to do so: Mr. Moody, Dan, Kevin, Biscuit, Josh, Dennis, Bill, and everyone else. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the news I was hoping to hear a mere 2 weeks until Orlando, so it is highly unlikely I will make that event. (not enough time to get fixed and sort the 1/4 mile issues before then I fear) That is the downside to not having found any marketing funding, but my hope is that it will come once I get everything sorted out.

In the mean time, its back to work. If I don’t indeed make Orlando, I will be testing at home to get this thing ready to roll in Atlanta. I’ve had a ton of helpful folks depart similar BBF experiences, and have a good idea where to look from here.

Until then…

ADRL Winter Drags

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Valdosta, GA–

Erica Ortiz takes the Horsepower & Heels Thunderbird out for the first Pro Mod event of the year. Competing for the first time in the ADRL Pro Nitrous class, she is the lone turbocharged car and the only female racer at the event. A valvetrain issue keeps her sidelined during qualifying.

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Photos by: Sarah Spear; Jason Sharp; Roger Richards

What luck- delayed by COLD

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What luck.

I finally get my car running, get it out to the track, excited as all get out to test again this weekend, and hopefully be the first turbo car to try and qualify for a Dixie Pro Mod race this Sunday in Phenix City. But NOOOO. Mom Nature has other plans.

Today, the weather is beautiful. Sunny, temperatures in the mid 50’s, no wind. A little on the cool side for my FL Native heritage, but not bad testing weather at all. But NOOOOOO, that would be too much to ask for. Instead, mother nature has decided to blow in a super cold front, which is expected to drop temperatures to the low 20’s overnight and bring possibility of a snow flurry on Saturday. Yep, SNOW. It is NOT supposed to snow in GA! And because it wasn’t enough to ruin my chances for Saturday, but Sunday the temperatures don’t show signs of improvement at all either. GRRRR!

What is the forecast for Monday you say? Hmmpfff. Exactly what you would expect… Sunny & beautiful, high in the 50’s. A dollar short again….

Oh well. Next weekend is the ADRL Winter Drags in Valdosta, GA at South Georgia Motorsports Park. I’m mainly using it for some test time and to try for my license. I don’t think I stand a chance yet against those 4.07 & under n2O promods, but it’ll still be cool to be racing along side them.

Now where did I put my Parka?

 

Muscle Mustangs Mention

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Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords mentionThe CyberStangs column features a mustang or ford related website in each issue. This month, they have chosen StangFreak.com , a site based mostly on the west coast of mustang enthusiasts, with a growing population and new chapters across the country. Earlier this year, I was asked to write a small column on the site, entitled ‘SHE FREAK’. MM & FF did a complete feature on the site, mentioning my column and also my own Horsepower & Heels website!

Check out a copy of the article on the StangFreak site…. or click HERE.

New Car Woes

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We all know they exsist. We all know that they are inevitable. Then WHY are new car bugs such a pain, and still come so unexpected?

Maybe I should have expected them, or maybe I should have known better, but somehow, just as I think I’m done and ready to go, something sets me back. This weekend was no exception. After the disappointment of missing the Orlando race due to a starter mis-alignment problem, I was happy that the fix wasn’t nearly as expensive nor as complicated as I originally feared. Fixed and ready to go by Thursday of this past week, I was very excited to have Dennis Lugo (Excessive Engineering) coming up on Saturday to help me get the car dialed in and tuned. As he was traveling up to Phenix City from Orlando, I decided to meet him at the track to have the car unloaded out of the school bus (yes, the SCHOOL BUS. Don’t ask, the trailer was INOP) and situated before he arrived around 3pm. Now, earlier during the week the car would start when cold, but would not re-start after some heat was in the motor, or would crank but not stay running when warm. Figuring that it was in the start-up programming, I assumed that it was one of the issues that could be resolved once Dennis arrived. So, I started the car up at Phenix City and drove (as in cruised) the car down the track to get used to the Bruno. After stopping briefly at the top end, the car would not go back into high gear on the return road trip. Back in the pits, Dan looked at me skeptical as to why, thinking I had forgotten to eat my Wheaties again. Wrong, one snatch against the shifter, and it snapped the base of the shifter in two places. Something was wrong with high gear. Dan went back to the shop to weld together the shifter mounting assembly, adding a strengthening plate to the back and we re-installed the shifter. By this point, Dennis is almost to Phenix City, so I finished bolting up the wheelie bars until he arrived.

As soon as Dennis gets there, we plug up the computer and get to work. Cranked it up (with some fuel injected into the throttle body elbow, blower-style) warms up, and Dennis begins his magic. For those that are not aware, Dennis can tune nearly every system out there, he has been tuning since the early days of DFI, and has already been using the Big Stuff 3 system (the system on the T-Bird) since last year. After a few minutes, we shut down the car to make some changes in the program. When to crank it up again, and… NOTHING. Squirted fuel in the motor, it started for a few seconds and then cut off. “Yep, that is what it was doing. And then we can’t make it start again.” I told him. So, we started troubleshooting. Ignition firing? Check. Enough fuel at start up? Double Check. Timing right? Check. Firing order correct? Check. All cylinders firing? Check. We pulled the plugs and replaced the blackened plugs with fresh ones. Still nothing. Dennis changed the map. Nothing. Start up maps. Nothing. Every imaginable component. Nope, nada, nothing. I have never in my years of knowing Dennis, seen him stumped like this…. and I’m worried.

By now, its getting dark, and the test session is over. So, we loaded the bird back into the bus, and headed to the shop. After a bite to eat, Dennis, Josh and I continued to try and diagnose the problem. Dennis continued with the map. Finally we pull the plugs again. #1 is soaked with fuel, while the rest are dry. Dennis determines that the #1 fuel injector must be stuck. By this time, its 12 am. So we wake up Walt to get the number to the owner of the only set of 160# injectors we know of in town. Thankfully, Kelvin makes a call, and we are on our way to Smith Station, AL to a set of brand new injectors.

Back at the shop, Dennis replaces the injector in question, and I hit the starter button again. Vrooom! Started up clean, but all of a sudden I look up to see the intake valley ON FIRE. We rush around trying to throw water on it before resorting to the powder fire extinguisher to put it out. One puff, and the fire is out, but now we have a wonderful powdery mess to clean up. Apparently, when we left to get the injector, I forgot to plug back in the #3 spark plug wire. It arc’d and ignited the fuel in the intake valley. Big whoops on my part. luckily nothing was damaged in the fire. So, at 1 am, we open the bay doors, push the car out, and wash all of the powder out of the engine compartment. After drying everything out, and making sure everything was plugged up correctly, we tried again. It fired, ran for a few minutes, and then quit again. Hmmmm. Checked the plug, and it was not soaked as it was last time. We figured now that the injectors were running correctly, we’d have to rework the map to keep it running smoothly, since we had been trying to compensate in the map for the bad injector. Seeing how it was almost 2 am, we called it a night.

This morning, we started off bright and early again. Got to the shop around 8am, and got back to work. We were ready to set the timing, and adjusted the crank trigger again (after some adjustments last night). But the car started acting up. Now, it wouldn’t crank at all. A few more hours of trying, and finally Dennis started unplugging injectors. Sure enough, with 2 injectors unplugged, the car started right up. He switched injectors, and unplugged another 2. Fired again. So it wasn’t related to a single bad injector, it was something within the computer. Dennis determined that there was an injector driver problem within the box, and with that our day was done.

So, the computer has been sent back and the injectors sent off to be cleaned. It’ll be next week or so before we try again. At least we figured out one of the problems. GOTTA LOVE NEW CAR BUGS!