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Spring Has Sprung !?!
The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and racers are assembling their race crafts to do great battle on the clay oval. There is never enough time to prepare, or money for parts, and as the last day before competition approaches, the scramble envelopes the minds and credit limits of the racers. The Warriors who take their battles to the clay oval understand, preparation is where the winning starts, and time is a very precious commodity.
The Warriors of Dirt learned that Bob McGrotty slipped off a box while wrenching on his car, breaking two of his 80 year old ribs. To aggravate his race preparation further, Bob’s hands had dried and cracked, making the turning of bolts a painful endeavor. High Noon on April 9, 2010, revelly sounded, “Roll Call” went out on Keevan Motorsports Forum, and WoD Volunteers began arriving five hours later. John Ireland had been working up at McGrotty’s shop with the help of John Sheppard, Kent Dollarhyde and Josh Clark for the better part of a week finishing motor assembly and completing install. Once the car could be loaded, it was transported to Shop Privateer to get further help from local volunteers.
Bob McGrotty, Kent Dollarhyde, Austin Duyck, Jason Smith, and Rob Ireland confirm the scaling
During a conversion from Grocery Getter to Checker Chaser, many things need to be changed or modified. Factory rivet heads had to be ground off and be replaced with through bolts to secure the upper ball joints allowing for secure attachment and easier replacement.
Before the grinder started spinning Katie Saner ties off Rick’s hair—Saftety First!!
Ron Jermann bravely holds a bolt as John Ireland welds a “Keep it from Turning” tab on the bolt head
McGrotty keeps his hands clean but his eyes keen on the progress.
The Warriors of Dirt learned that Bob McGrotty slipped off a box while wrenching on his car, breaking two of his 80 year old ribs. To aggravate his race preparation further, Bob’s hands had dried and cracked, making the turning of bolts a painful endeavor. High Noon on April 9, 2010, revelly sounded, “Roll Call” went out on Keevan Motorsports Forum, and WoD Volunteers began arriving five hours later. John Ireland had been working up at McGrotty’s shop with the help of John Sheppard, Kent Dollarhyde and Josh Clark for the better part of a week finishing motor assembly and completing install. Once the car could be loaded, it was transported to Shop Privateer to get further help from local volunteers.
Bob McGrotty, Kent Dollarhyde, Austin Duyck, Jason Smith, and Rob Ireland confirm the scaling
Dollarhyde set up the scales and the car weighed in close to the total weight goal, but a cross weight of 44%, and a rear weight of 38%. After some further inspection, the car was deemed in need of a total work over. A hard bounce on the right front corner to check shock dampening did not return the car to ride height, it just sorta stayed down. A suspiciously duct taped together double “spring within a spring” bouncer in each back corner gave good reason to disassemble all of the suspension.
Ron Jermann working on the right front corner
American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Crew Chief Ronnie Saner determines the caster and camber curves for the car would be perfect, “ for a… tractor!” If this car was going to race, there was work to do.
Ronnie Saner- Owner of RSR, Crew Chief of AMA”Team Latus Motorsports”
The dirty, greasy, just out of the briar condition of the car did not deter Ronnie’s enthusiasm or dedication. Ronnie was on the hunt for a magic combination. “Springs are the most important tuning component on a race craft suspension, whether it is a motorcycle, latemodel, or an Oldsmobile Cutlass that thinks it’s a race car” Ronnie trails off as he crusades to Walters Racing, hot on the trail of a magic spring.
As is with all Street Stocks and Pure Stocks at Sunset Speedway, the race car you see turning laps was a grocery getter in its past life. The easy to find, cheap to buy, and interchangeable GM parts makes the metric chassis an economical option to entry level racing.
1986 Olds Cutlass-Before Race Car Conversion(You Think Grandma Will Notice the Car Missing?)
As is with all Street Stocks and Pure Stocks at Sunset Speedway, the race car you see turning laps was a grocery getter in its past life. The easy to find, cheap to buy, and interchangeable GM parts makes the metric chassis an economical option to entry level racing.
1986 Olds Cutlass-Before Race Car Conversion(You Think Grandma Will Notice the Car Missing?)
During a conversion from Grocery Getter to Checker Chaser, many things need to be changed or modified. Factory rivet heads had to be ground off and be replaced with through bolts to secure the upper ball joints allowing for secure attachment and easier replacement.
Before the grinder started spinning Katie Saner ties off Rick’s hair—Saftety First!!
Worn out ball joints were tossed, and taller ball joints were installed to improve front end geometry. Right upper A-Arm mounting bolts were replaced with longer studs to provide corrected caster and camber curves.
Ron Jermann bravely holds a bolt as John Ireland welds a “Keep it from Turning” tab on the bolt head
Ronnie Saner returns to test the gaggle of miscelaneous springs, rating each one at the predicted installed height, watching the weight required to compress each spring per inch, mentally simulating out how each spring will perform in Bob’s car, and then selecting the best matched pair out of the lot.
Black magic, performed by a master… Ronnie Saner works diligently to find a matched spring set. When asked how grass roots dirt racing differed from his work in the AMA Ronnie responded, “ Racing is racing, the physics and principles are the same. It’s the consequences of performance that drives the attention to details.” “When you have a rider who has sacrificed a ‘normal’ life to race bike, trains everyday, and risks his life to win on a bike you are prepping, the pressure to have every detail perfect is always to the extreme.” Ronnie gives the I-just-love-to-race-grin, “When you are playing in the grass roots divisions like this, the pressure is not as great as the consequences are less dire, but the enjoyment of the challenge is just the same.”
Black magic, performed by a master… Ronnie Saner works diligently to find a matched spring set. When asked how grass roots dirt racing differed from his work in the AMA Ronnie responded, “ Racing is racing, the physics and principles are the same. It’s the consequences of performance that drives the attention to details.” “When you have a rider who has sacrificed a ‘normal’ life to race bike, trains everyday, and risks his life to win on a bike you are prepping, the pressure to have every detail perfect is always to the extreme.” Ronnie gives the I-just-love-to-race-grin, “When you are playing in the grass roots divisions like this, the pressure is not as great as the consequences are less dire, but the enjoyment of the challenge is just the same.”
McGrotty keeps his hands clean but his eyes keen on the progress.
The volunteers who answered the WoD Roll Call sacrificed their own race preparation to further McGrotty’s 2010 experience. Each volunteer had his or her own inspiration in coming, but all had the same intent of getting one of the most inspirational drivers at Sunset Speedway just a little closer to the checker flag.
The hard work and sacrifice paid off as Bob qualified 5th fast last Saturday night. After the heat races, Bob took a seat in the stands nursing those broken ribs and sore hands, letting Rob Ireland run the car in the A-Main. A right rear shock gave up, but Ireland was able to edge into a second place finish, giving McGrotty a good place to pick up from once his ribs finish healing.
The hard work and sacrifice paid off as Bob qualified 5th fast last Saturday night. After the heat races, Bob took a seat in the stands nursing those broken ribs and sore hands, letting Rob Ireland run the car in the A-Main. A right rear shock gave up, but Ireland was able to edge into a second place finish, giving McGrotty a good place to pick up from once his ribs finish healing.
Special Recognition and Thanks goes out to:
RSR (Ronnie, Katie, Kya Saner and Bubba Evoy) :
For taking the time out of their busy AMA Race Season to lend expertise, experience, and provide the most valuable commodity,there time.
Ron Jermann:
For taking on the difficult dirty greasy tasks involving front suspension while his own car sits at home, not yet ready to race.
Rick Begemann:
For coming out on short notice and being willing to do whatever needed to get done.
Team Privateer:
(John Ireland, John Sheppard, Paul Ireland, Kent Dollarhyde, Katie Ireland, Jason and Tyler Smith, Josh Clark, Mikey Sweere, Austin Duyck, and Robby Ireland)
Always ready, willing, and able to make good things happen!
For taking the time out of their busy AMA Race Season to lend expertise, experience, and provide the most valuable commodity,there time.
Ron Jermann:
For taking on the difficult dirty greasy tasks involving front suspension while his own car sits at home, not yet ready to race.
Rick Begemann:
For coming out on short notice and being willing to do whatever needed to get done.
Team Privateer:
(John Ireland, John Sheppard, Paul Ireland, Kent Dollarhyde, Katie Ireland, Jason and Tyler Smith, Josh Clark, Mikey Sweere, Austin Duyck, and Robby Ireland)
Always ready, willing, and able to make good things happen!
SPONSORS:
· Mike Sweere - Rear End
· Jeff at Transaction Transmission - Transmission
· John Sheppard - Springs, Pan, Valves and Parts Runner
· Katie Ireland -Vinyl
· Kevin Rogers -Magic Spring
· Paul Ireland -Paint and Materials
· Ireland and Ireland - Title Sponsor-“Whatever Bob Needs”
All copyrights reserved, permission given· Mike Sweere - Rear End
· Jeff at Transaction Transmission - Transmission
· John Sheppard - Springs, Pan, Valves and Parts Runner
· Katie Ireland -Vinyl
· Kevin Rogers -Magic Spring
· Paul Ireland -Paint and Materials
· Ireland and Ireland - Title Sponsor-“Whatever Bob Needs”
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