more pictures
It was a good season. I'm VERY confident that without the MM rear, wouldn't have been as competitive as the season unfolded. Looking back at old tapes and comparing before MM" and "after MM" on the same tracks, three things are very evident. 1) I'm not sawing at the wheel any more — small, not large, corrections are all that's needed. 2) The throttle doesn't have to be controlled as much. 3) I run out of gear sooner and shift sooner — in some cases by 200 feet, I'd say. I was pretty amazed by that.
People's cars have been developed over the year and we have a few cars that are at 9.5:1 and quick as stink. But, they aren't consistent. Either the driver makes 1 or 2 big mistakes in a race or their car breaks. If someone came up with a RELIABLE 9.5:1, and drove consistently, they'd be a force to be had.
While I don't really like the mod motor because of it's weight, lack of torque, and oiling problems, I LOVE it's consistency and reliability. The bone stock 4.6L 4V made 288.9 rwhp in April — in October, it made 288.4 rwhp on the same Dynojet. And, I never did anything to it except change the oil. EVERY other competitor in the series battled engine problems at one time or another. That doesn't mean I'm going to stay with that engine over the winter (it's heavy and traps oil at the top of the engine), but if I replace it, it MUST be with a very reliable, mild pushrod. You gotta finish the race to win, you know?!?
I'm still a believer in improving the suspension and reducing weight, rather than throwing more power at a car. I realize there is a point when more power will be key, but I think I need to fix other weaknesses first. So, that's a large task for this winter. I want to tear into the bumpers and replace some of the supports with much lighter material. The tar paper will finally come out. LEXAN windshield. Get rid of the stock dash and steering column. There are still a lot of potential performance gains hiding in this car.
I hope we stay with Toyo tires. I love their consistency and durability — I got through an entire season on one set of tires (less the one that needed to be replaced because of the crash)... and they're still good for the most part!
Thanks for all of your assistance this season. I'm looking forward to 2003 in a big way. I've learned SO much this year that I will apply to next year and a lot of that knowledge came from you guys. I'm looking forward (in a big way) to working with MM next year again.
Many thanks,
Bryan S.
via e-mail