Garage Heroes (In Training)

Learning as we go. Come along with us and Enjoy the Ride!

Race Lucky

How to Pick a Racing Series

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DwD 0463:  How to Pick a Racing Series

There are a ton of racing series and types of racing and finding the best one for you can be daunting, especially if you are just getting started.  In this episode of Dominating with Dawson, we talk about what some of the factors that should influence your decision and can save you a lot of time and money when getting started. 

We tried to cover everything we could, but undoubtedly, we may not have completely covered this topic and may return to it in the future.  Please let us know if we missed anything that you can think of. 

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We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS  Are you are looking to stream or save your integrated telemetry/racing data with video?  Candelaria Racing Products Sentinel System may be the perfect solution for you.  We are in the midst of installing the system in two of our cars.  If this sounds like something that may help you and your team, please use our discount code “GHIT“.  This will give a 10% discount code to all our listeners during the checkout process.

PS2  If you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, do not forget to use our discount code for all Apex Pro systems.  Please enter the code “ghitlikesapex!”.  You will receive a free Windshield Suction Cup Mount for the system, a savings of $40.

PS3  Do you collect data and never use it or have time to use it?  Is data analysis almost another job at the track?  Fire Laps may be what you need.  Quick collection & automatic analysis.  Enter “GHiT” and you will get a free 3-months onto your annual membership.  Firelaps.com

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Alan, Jeremy, and Bill

Hosts and Drivers for the Garage Heroes In Training team

DwD 0463:  How to Pick a Racing Series

GHIT 0125 Lucky Dog Is Coming East to Charlotte with Cathy McCause Fuss

Lucky Dog's First Ever East Coast Race at the Charlotte Roval
Lucky Dog’s First Ever East Coast Race at the Charlotte Roval

Cathy joins us on the podcast again to talk about the first ever Lucky Dog endurance race on the east coast that will take place in 4 weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway on their Roval and we will be under the lights!  There is no way we would miss this race and it will likely be our teams only wheel to wheel race this season.  Cathy discussed how the Lucky Dog season has gone this year and what updates to the race procedures that they adopted to assist with COVID 19 compliance.  If you haven’t been to Lucky Dog race yet, this may be a great opportunity.  There are still a few spots left to enter a car and there may be seats available on their website under the “Dog Pile” area.  We simply cannot wait.

Dominating with Dawson covers the term throttle steering and helps us to understand what it means and how it can be used on track to add a little more to your driving repertoire.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Best regards,

Bill, Vicki, Jennifer, and Alan

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training podcast

and team members in the GHiT

Immature Endurance Racing Team

Highlights from the episode include:

1)  Cathy’s history at the Charlotte Motor Speedway

2)  How COVID 19 has changes the Lucky Dog paddock procedures and how everything is still very fluid and changes day to day and especially track to track

3)  Changes that have been tried so far include no pitting on pit row, requiring a face mask or a racing helmet at all times, limited track access for kids and spectators/visitors.

4)  The details of the Charlotte race include over 18 hours of racing, The BBQ event is still a go for Saturday evening, and a 10-hour race Sunday.

5)  There is over $10,000 in prizes and awards available during the weekend, not counting the $10,000 in watches from Rebel Watches (We Are Rebels!) and the $3,000 d in tires from Hankook tires, hopefully our much preferred RS-4’s.

6)  We may be able to debut the new 196 Honda Civic is all goes well with the prep and cage.

7)  Attendees will include traditional west coast Lucky Dog entries as well as many east coast and midwest teams.

8)  Horse trading seats as a way of trying new tracks and events

9)  Potential tracks that may appear on the 2021 Lucky Dog schedule.

10)  How Lucky Dog works with a flexible qualifying model to balance competitiveness and still allow for new and experienced drivers in a single event.

11)  Randy Pobst will be racing his Volvo at the Charlotte event.  He will be much faster than we are.

12)  The mystery of the Fuss Fantom E46 continues.

13)  Greg and Bill may have similar car buying issues.  But on the bright side, Bill may have solved a race car solution for both coasts.  Greg, call us.

14)  Bill is confused between goats and sheep and everyone is confused with Lucky Dog racing and racing dogs.

GHIT 0125 Lucky Dog Is Coming East to Charlotte with Cathy McCause Fuss

GHIT: 0113 Erik and Chris from the Lucky Dog Racing Series

Erik Torgeson and Chris Wilhelm

Erik Torgeson and Chris Wilhelm joined us to talk about their racing history and the Lucky Dog racing series.  Erik is the Director of Operations and runs the Dog Pound penalty area during the races.  Chris is the head of vehicle safety and technical inspection as well as usually covering radio control and timing and scoring during the Lucky Dog races.  Erik is also known as Bulldog while Chris is the Junk Yard Dog (JYD).  In addition, we go into the upcoming race (hopefully) at the Charlotte Roval where Lucky Dog comes to the east coast for the first time.  We cannot wait to go to another Lucky Dog race and we found a few items we will need to add to our list to pass tech for Lucky Dog, as well as several of the differences between Lucky Dog and the 24 Hours of Lemons series we traditionally race in on the east coast.

    You can find Erik and Chris and the entire racing series at www.racelucky.com and say hello for us please if you see them a the races.

    Apex of Failure on Facebook for the RX-8 project Erik referred to.

    On Dominating with Dawson, Ben covers several of the racing lines and approaches to circumventing a racetrack in the most expeditious manner.

    We hope you enjoy the episode!

    Best regards,

    Bill, Vicki, Jennifer, and Alan
    Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training podcast
    and team members in the GHiT
    Immature Endurance Racing Team

    Highlights from the episode include:

    1)  Bill apologizes for his pit lane violation at Laguna Seca by not stopping for his egg timer.

    2)  Vicki points out that we did not review the rules prior to the last race.  This is not best practice.  Perhaps her interpretation of the goal of the pit lane timer was a bit off, as well as her not attending tech inspection led to a good discussion of the safety practices for the Lucky Dog Series.

    3)  Why Lucky Dog has elected to use pit lane timers and why they chose to use window nets, as well as many of the key inspection points prior to a race, along with several of the key differences between the safety requirements of Lucky Dog and several of the other racing series.

    4)  Alan steals our Lucky Dog branded Hankook RS4 tires for his daily to “test” them, lol.

    5)  We also go into the importance of the attitude of the Lucky Dog series and how it magnifies the fun of the racing weekend.

    6)  A lot of the details related to the upcoming race in Charlotte.

    7)  Our to do list is adding in dash bars into two cars and window nets into one.  We are planning on bringing three cars and have an undetermined number of drivers since it is difficult to firmly plan with everything going on currently.

    8)  Erik and Chris should get Lucky Dog style trophies to represent their Lucky Dog names.

    9)  Both Erik and Chris have a history of racing that includes autocross as well as their start with working with a series in ChampCar.

    10)  Chris goes into the excellence of a Ford Fairlane in autocross.

    11)  Erik sends out a non-controversial message to auto crossers.  Please send you comments to [email protected]
    and we will forward them to Erik for you.

    12)  We discuss the upcoming season and the uncertainty still within the system, especially with the different states and tracks involved.

    13)  How racing is not only tremendously fun but also generates great friendships that can last many lifetimes.

    14)  Car 196 may yet live on in the upcoming Charlotte Roval!  (But in a new

    form)  We also discuss our mutual history with them in Lucky Dogs.  It turns out it may not all be our fault after all.  But it likely was.

    15)  Erik sends out a non-controversial message related to Honda-based race cars.  Please send you comments to [email protected]
    and we will forward them to Erik for you.

    16)  Vicki sets a new record for the number of edits when going into her Laguna Seca experience.  This one will be tough to beat.

    17)  Bill reminisces about her services of the car at Laguna for Mental.  It reminds one of the second autopilot scene from “Airplane”.

    18)  Probably two of the worst, and potentially scariest, “Ugly” story we have heard in a while.  Some people can be very scary when under the red midst.  Bill couldn’t help but make another “entrepreneur” joke from the recent YouTube and Facebook racing kerfuffle with a different, but perhaps related drivers.  (THESE “DRIVERS” ARE FAR FAR FAR FROM TYPICAL)

    19)  Alan gets offended that Erik has the title of “Black Flag Guy” but it is for a totally different reason than he originally thought.  Alan’s version of the title is still intact.  Unfortunately.

    20)   Some of the key differences and details that are needed for the Charlotte race.

    21)  Race Invaders gets a shout out.  We are long overdue for having you on.

    22)  Both Erik and Chris agree that ORP (Oregon Raceway Park) is there favorite track.  We are adding it to our list.  Now, how do we get a car onto the west coast?  New project!

    GHIT: 0113 Erik and Chris from the Lucky Dog Racing Series

    GHIT 0084: Our Sunday Race at Laguna Seca with Lucky Dog

    Sunrise at the Corkscrew
    Our last racing day at Laguna Seca for 2020, unless…..

    We conclude our wrap up of our racing at Laguna Seca with the Lucky Dog racing series by summarizing our Sunday race and our overall thoughts and experiences.  We had a great trip out to Laguna Seca and the track is wonderful.  Did our Saturday continue into Sunday.  Yes.  Did our car give it everything it had?  Yes.  Did we finally break the podcast curse and finish a Lucky Dog race?  Well……listen and find out. 

    Riding into the sunset
    Thank you to Lucky Dog and Laguna Seca

    Highlights of our review include:

    • Race car status and prep review
    • Mental’s first rolling start in a race and our thoughts on tire warming of street tires
    • Mental’s Stint to start Sunday race day
    • The setup of our race car and how to drive it optimally
    • Many of the differences between the Lucky Dog series and Lemons
    • Vicki’s technique to remove some of the oil leaking into the cabin of the car
    • A discussion on window nets
    • Mental seems to have a “new” Miata attraction developing
    • Performance variability between the series and within some of the car’s by different drivers
    • Our goals for the weekend and goals for our day/stints
    • Our primary issue turns were #6, #9 and #1 (and late Sunday any straightway, lol)
    • Vicki’s thoughts on going through the Andretti Hairpin 3 wide and the aftermath
    • Our repair efforts, several of them
    • Erik won an award from the race, with a bit of our help
    • The joys of a random steering direction on center
    • Our end of day exploits
    • Favorite cars we were able to have several great laps of back and forth racing with
    • Mental completes his full set of competing in all amateur endurance series that use production-based cars
    • Track thoughts about Laguna Seca
    • The upcoming Champ Car race at Watkins Glen
    • Mental takes over hosting and we review our goals going into the race
    • Bill shockingly overthinks things and wanders down a path away from racing
    • Bill befuddles Mental enough that he is left without words
    • We question our training and preparation and Mental
    • Bill points out a gift that Mental received but wasn’t even aware
    • Vicki and Mental bond over Veggie/Vegan and Bill will have none of it
    • Front wheel drive thoughts and the difference between it and the way a car is prepared/set up
    • Best/Favorite cars of the weekend
    • Our usual Good, Bad, and the Ugly
    • Overall trip takeaways

    For those who care:

    Mental was able to get down to a 1:54 on Sunday
    Vicki was able to get to a 2:06 on Sunday
    Bill was only able to get to 1:59 on Saturday

    The overall fastest lap of the weekend was 1:41 on Saturday and 1:40 on Sunday by the red #97 Miata

    Southworst MX-5
    Fastest Car of the Weekend title goes to

    Overall, we loved our time with Lucky Dog and their team.  Please try to race with them if they are ever near you. 

    Lucky Dog
    Lucky Dog Racing League

    Also, we really want to thank Erik for allowing us to use his car and experience this great track. 

    Best regards,

    Bill, Vicki, and Alan
    Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training podcast
    and team members in the GHiT
    Immature Endurance Racing Team

    #racelucky #raceluckydog #garageheroesintraining #garageheroesintrainingpodcast #fasterfarms #deafstig #deafstigsbodyshop #ThankYouCathy #becauseracecar

    Some of our Favorites from the weekend

    Two of the biggest big boys. Small stature but big time speed!
    Tiny but Mighty. AND AWESOME!
    350 TR
    Mustang 350 TR
    Erik, Lonnie and Vicki
    Deaf Stig (Lonnie) and Vicki
    and Erik makes and appearance
    Area 51 was one of the more unique cars we saw
    It was a race with constant challenges, mostly internal

    GHIT 0084: Our Sunday Race at Laguna Seca with Lucky Dog

    Lucky Dog Portland – Saturday Night Review

    An interesting day

    Randy Pobst with Jennifer and Vicki at Lucky Dog Portland
    Randy Pobst with Two New Friends

    Here is how our day and night have gone at Lucky Dog Portland.  Its got a good, bad, and ugly, but what would you expect from us after all.  Its live and unedited from the paddock, so sound quality may be less than stellar.

    We had a bit of work to do....
    “We” pulled off our first engine swap at a race, barely.

    Any questions, please let us know on our Instagram.  We will try to cover them tomorrow or tomorrow night if we finish fixing the car.  

    Thanks again.

    GHIT 0049: Lucky Dog Portland – Saturday Night Review