GT at the 09 Runoff's

[davegt27]

I just got back from Iraq last week so i was trying to catch up on things

anyone know about the F production GT at the runoffs

19 23 #16 Ken Alderson Opel GT 34:07.539 12 1 Lap 2:45.615

looks like he did one lap, anyone know the story?


Davegt27

[anastosmotors]

Correct thats Ken Alderson with his Opel GT FP. He is a member of Opelgt.com
(svopel). He maded it to Runoff. That was his second time to Road America
He improve his time and he was runing faster and faster. He spuned the car at turn #5 but he managed to continue and finish the race one lap down. Congratulations to Ken, he did an Excellent job. It was fun to watch him.
Pete

[davegt27]

That's cool thanks for the report

nice to hear about Opel still mixing it up with all the newer cars

Congrats Ken!


Davegt27

[svopel]

Thanks ... I wasn't ignoring this post, this is the first time seeing it. Special thanks to Pete who gave me in-car videos made at Road America and a lot of helpful hints before my first time at Road America, and to John Mills (former Manta GT4 driver), who crewed for me all year and got my car in the best shape it has ever been.

I started 23 in a field of 31/32 cars, had brake problems and spun the car on the 5th lap, which put me at the rear of the field ... I finished 19th, one lap down. As Pete said, each time on the track was faster than the previous time and that was with the back-up engine ... and that keep ya coming back. Anyway, bottomline the car was faster than I was. But I am pretty confident I will catch up with the car next time at Road America.

I spun because I could not slow the car sufficiently to make the turn. About lap 5 my brakes went away ... I had plenty of pedal, but the brakes wouldn't bite . Usually it's easy for me to unintentionally lock up a wheel during hard, late braking, but not this time -- I couldn't lock the wheels. After my spin, I started braking much earlier for the turns, which is not the fastest way around the track. At Road America (runoffs) was the first time I used Carbotech brake pads and shoes. When I returned home, I called Carbotech, the owner, and told him about my braking problems with his pads ... "your pads suck!" I certainly didn't expect the response I got. He made two trips to my shop, first to inspect my brakes and the second time to "bench-bed the pads." After conferring with his tech guys he concluded that the pads were not properly bedded ... the pads did not show the color of pads that had been hot and very little of the pad material was worn away. I bedded the Carbotech pads like I always bedded other pads ... usually during a practice/qualifying session, which is not ideal. John and I plan to do some testing at Nelson Ledges next weekend (if there's a dry track) and we'll see how the Carbotech pads work. Carbotech promised to replace them if they still don't work. Customer service is still alive!

Ken