Bad Co. Racing - Version 2.0

RallyCross team, located in Central Florida; weekend hobbyist project with my step-sons.

Daniel L. Carradini, Rally Noob. 43 (as of 01/17) - Experience limited to Road racing, and Auto-X.
Along with my wife, when available; and at least 2 of my step-sons.

Car Specs:

2005 VW Golf GTI, (Mk. 4 Chassis).
2001 Audi TT-Q 1.8 T engine, (AMU code, 225 Hp, 207 Tq stock).
Mk. 4 Golf/Jetta 5 speed trans, (EGT code - 4.235 final).
2001 Audi TT-Q complete sub-frame, and lower control arms.
2001 Audi TT-Q steering rack, (2.5:1 ratio).
2001 Audi TT-Q rear brake conversion.
EuroJet FMIC.
VW Mk. 4 front struts, with R32 springs.
HotBits rear (HB SS 82-205-C-Rally), with 250mm/25 Kg springs.


Running in SCCA RallyCross, Modified FWD class (MF).

www.BadCoRacing.com (site under construction)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2017 11:19AM by DanielSL.

This weekend was the first event for the Central Florida Region RallyCross series. Drivers school on Saturday was beautiful weather, but rather quiet with between 10-12 cars showing up.
Today was the first event. A non-points test and tune to get everything dialed in, as our next event is a night event.
Car ran very well, with only a few minor details to work out. My step-son was not able to join me, but I was lucky enough to be joined by my wife, as we had already pre-registered as a two-driver car. She took to it like a duck to muddy water.

We were lucky enough to be joined by Leon Drake, who won this past years MF division at Nationals, in a VW as well. My class. My manufacturers platform. Got to talk his ear off all day, and get some great advice on car set-up.

Of course, Leon set FTD, with a 98.423, and second fastest overall after six runs with a 605.722.

I was very happy in the first heat, to set my personal best, and get within 7.1 seconds of "the master"; at a 105.521.

In the first heat, all three of my runs were 105.xxx seconds, with a variance of less than 2/10ths of a second. Pretty darn repetitive. Unfortunately, I missed the same gate all three runs as well; getting a 10 second penalty each time.

I got an overall position of 11 out of 21 drivers my very first time out, and just narrowly squeaked a PF can into 12th by 3/10 of a second over a combined 6 runs in two heats.

Learning with the coming seat time has me feeling confident for the season, as I would have been in 8th overall had I not missed the same single gate in each of my morning runs. Without that 30 seconds of total penalty, I was solidly in the top 8, time wise. Even with some consistent rain (heavy drizzle), I only hit two cones between the 6 runs.

My wife was so darned good, for never doing anything competitively in a car before, that I am already a little worried......

Edited for actual times, now that all results have been posted online. I was actually faster all three runs of the first heat, than my fast run of the afternoon, which is the one I got the photograph of.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2017 06:35PM by DanielSL.

Today was event number three, for our season. Pulled off another second, and my wife pulled another third. Actually had four cars out there this time, so 2nd was good enough for a medal. The FIA Peugeot 206 showed up this time, so I knew there was no way of a first place, even if we had no more mechanical gremlins.
Lost yet another coolant hose, after a full pressure check, repairing two leaks, and replacing all of the radiator hoses with reinforced silicone last week. This car just seems to have it in with coolant issues. Was able to get all six of my runs in, and the hose went on the last run on heat two. Did a patch job with heat shrink tape, so my wife could finish her final three runs in heat two. Patch only lasted one run, and I told her to just go for it. If we lose a motor, we just throw another one in. Then again, Audi TT-Q 225 AMU motors are getting scarce. On her third run, the alarms were going off like a fire house, but she made it back to the trailer.

Special thanks to our sponsors; European Performance and Repair, and MD Auto and Tire. Great teams at both shops, and awesome owners allowing an almost old man to relive part of his youth.

That "Full FIA spec" Pug is a Group N can according to the guys bragging about it on Facepoop
Group N means bone stock engine and trans. Only thing allowed is suspension and pads..
Max 120 bhp..

Seems like the other guys there like to bullshit as much as you do..You fit right in..

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

John, I don't know which certification it is to. All I know is it has FIA papers, and the driver drove it in South America. He is stupid fast, not because of the car, but because of his skill set. Versus the rest of us Rallycrossers, he can get that little bugger flying. When it's wound out, it sounds like a Japanese motorcycle.

It's only a naturally aspirated 1.6, but it got the fastest overall time through six heats, against all of the Modified a-w-d cars as well. The fastest single heat time was taken by a prepared class AWD car, but over all six runs he was over two seconds behind the Pug. I love watching it, I just hate competing against it. But I built my car to this class because I saw he was the most talented driver there, and it would push me to make myself better.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2017 06:55AM by DanielSL.

My wife was able to get some video up last night, before it got too late. One run of the night race last month, and one of each of our runs from this weekend. The editing software for the 360 camera is the worst she has used in her career, and she does that type of stuff for a living. I'm almost thinking of going back to GoPros, but the ability to pan the camera angle around with your mouse, while the video is playing, is just pretty darned cool.

I ended up 6th overall out of 26 entrants. If I could have not pushed so much, and had clean runs, I could have made 5th overall. So its starting to come together. Still don't think I will ever take the Peugeot overall, but maybe just maybe...

The website for the RX team is finally more of a site, than the original landing page. Moving forward.

Give me some feedback of how its looking, if you'd like.

Much thanks to SIMC, Corp. for the design and layout.

www.BadCoRacing.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2017 03:19PM by DanielSL.

The event for Daytona is filling up so fast, that SCCA increased the driver slots for the RX from 40 to 60. If any of you guys are in Georgia or South Carolina, and want to head down, it should be a wild weekend. Free admission, parking, and seating for all spectators.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2017 02:57PM by DanielSL.

Prepping for the Daytona event. SCCA is having pits and grid open to spectators for all classes, all weekend. Making a placard to place on an easel, for spectator quick reference. Thanks to the sponsors, partners, and suppliers.

Been having so much fun with the 360 camera on the RallyCross car, that we decided to use it on one of the boats during a sea-trial before delivery. Yes, this is actually what I call work... lol.

SCCA has finished the Venue map. If anyone from Florida or Georgia has a chance to stop by, we will be in the RallyCross pits or Staging.

Back from Daytona. Amazing experience, as it was the first time that RallyCross was done in the Daytona Speedway infield, but a disappointing ending.
At the end of the first day, I was 23rd overall out of 56 drivers; and dead middle in the Modified Front class. That was with taking it super easy the first run, as the wide DMAcks were very "greasy" on the short grass covered field. A true grass-o-cross as some here call them.
Today, my first run was really good, so I pushed it even harder on the second run, and dropped my 2nd to 1st shift way too early on the pendulum turn at the end of the course. Ended up exploding my passenger side outer CV joint all over the field. So that is the next weak spot to fix.
Ended up in last place out of all 10 drivers and 5 cars. I could have easily beaten the two driver Geo and the two driver Neon based on my times. And even though my wife gets better every single event, I still had her barely. So I should have been in 4th or 5th this time. Oh well, at least it was Daytona.

A couple of videos already up from the Daytona weekend.

A tribute to my father in law, a die hard Nascar and Daytona fan:





The broken axle:

My cousin Michael was able to go to the Connecticut round of the GRC RX series, as a guest of VWoA this past weekend. Seems he went to college with a fellow who is now running their IT/Social Media. I was explaining to him just how impressive Tanner Foust is as a driver, and to keep his eyes on him throughout the weekend. So this is the photo he sends me after day one. Lucky bugger even got to go to dinner with Tanner and his crew that night.

The wife has decided that next year, not only does she want to have her own car, but she wants to be competitive. So the DyrtRyder project (88' Firebird - Knight Rider "clone") is now going to be just a toy for her, for afternoon fun runs.

We bought her a 2000 Audi TT, so she can run in SA, as it seems to be a good class for her to be competitive. Most of the AWD cars are either in Prepared or Modified, and those that start out Stock move out of the category rather quickly.

A set of winter snow/ice tires, and off she goes. Only thing the car has on it is a cat back exhaust. She wanted stereo and air conditioning for racing in the summer heat of Florida, so now she has it.

This now allows me to put the full Recaro race seats in, as well as move forward with plans to cage the GTI, and move into doing some Rally Sprints next year.

So now we have one of each drive variant, and one of each division. SA, PR, and MF. By the end of next year, I want to have all 9 classes, and try to figure out how to medal in each one, lmao.
Was thinking about designing an "Arrive and Drive" program, since so many people come to watch and want to try it, but are afraid to take their own cars on the course.

Need to look for a three car trailer now. Luckily work just picked up a Dodge 4500 with a gooseneck and fifth wheel. I think the 3500 Duallys are going to be overworked next year.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2017 06:35AM by DanielSL.