After more blood, sweat and tears than any car deserves, the R14 was ready for an initial shakedown. It didn't go very well. The car runs on E85, so it was very tough to start and keep at idle. Also, it was later found that the wastegates had torn diaphragms just before this shakedown, causing a boost leak and adding lag. The big turbo powerband made nothing below 5000 rpm and then would explode in horsepower, vaporizing all four tires in rubber shredding wheelspin. That makes it pretty much undriveable, especially when I thought about the upcoming autocross and time attack competition, which both put a huge emphasis on throttle response and usable power.
It was back to the drawing board for a couple weeks and then back out to the track. The second test was much better, as Geoff had installed a new prototype turbo designed to produce the same power level but with much quicker spool and response. Also at the second test was World Challenge race driver Andrew Wojteczko and his super cool dad, Andy Wojteczko, assisting Geoff in the handling department. Andrew and his dad were very helpful in trying to get a proper suspension setup done for the awkward handling characteristics of the R14.
During the second test (you can see on-track video at youtube.com/watch?v=-rbVCuz94QY) we began to notice binding with the power steering system or the diffs, or both (we must have pulled out a quart of excess PS fluid). Power delivery was much improved, but the bind in the steering had us all stumped, and it made the car very hard to drive physically. We also began to experience some mysterious front-wheel lockup when braking and adding steering load. I began to chase my tail a bit and never did quite catch it. With a few days left before the event, Geoff and his team went back to work again.
Finally, the day of the shootout arrived. The car made good power on the dyno and we were sitting in roughly third place after that part of the competition. The first driving event was the autocross, which was held early in the morning. Dodging cones is something that, as a team, we have struggled with in the past. This year was no exception, as boost response was simply not where we needed it. I found myself waiting on the car through several sections of the course, knowing that I was losing time. On my last run, I drove the car a lot more aggressively, having tried everything else I could; although we lowered our lap time considerably, I think I also destroyed the already damaged rear LSD, allowing the car to get inside tire wheelspin. We ended up in fifth place after the autocross.
The drag race part of the shootout, which was held around noon, actually turned out to be one of the most fun parts of the event. I have to give a disclaimer here and let you know that when it comes to running the 1320, I have about as much experience as my five-year-old - except he has better reflexes. Thankfully, though, the organizers agreed that we didn't need to actually cut a light and the times would be determined simply by car performance.
Seven hundred ponies is a decent chunk of power to lay to the asphalt, and I needed some help with technique. Luckily, Geoff brought along Ernesto Arango, an accomplished Honda drag racer and Full-Race's right-hand man on the East Coast. Ernesto, upon hearing that I really didn't know how to drive a quarter-mile at a time, was about ready to drop his sockets and leave the property. But he ended up giving me some pretty helpful tips.
Each team was allowed five passes. We used the first two to get the launch correct. Ernesto had suggested getting slop out of the drivetrain by using the handbrake while inching the car forward. "You do it wrong, man, and you're gonna snap an axle, guaranteed," Ernesto said.