Well it seems my season may have come to an end this past weekend.... sent this message to my racing buddies...
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Mark,
Got some really good news and some really really really bad news. Good- I had a commanding win in my heat race. Started last and past everyone. Got a good video of the whole race. It wasn't the typical once the leader gets in first he stays in first. I took the two front cars with 2 laps left. I will see about getting the video loaded to facebook page this week. Karey said that once I got past them I was way out front. the car ran very well and the new setup was the best it's ever been. The two new tires ($300) plus the reduction in weight and suspension tuning was what did it. It was very nice and great fun with the new mod's and the car running so well.

Let me now say I did not finnish the feature race. The guy that won was the number 44 car (the one that I beat in my heat race) won the feature. This tells me that I at least have a feature winning setup and skills (had I should say). I did end up going to the emergency room which sounds bad (I know) but everything is ok.

First mistake was I hit 5 instead of 3rd on the first straight. Bunch of cars past me. Second lap or so I think I got up too high coming out of the #2 turn and got caught up in the loose stuff. I hit the wall and rolled 2.25 times. Hitting the wall really gives you an appreciation for the force these little cars can generate. It was a huge impact. The rolling part was sort of fun (if you can enjoy thoroughly all that money away). I ended up against the wall on the drivers side on the back straight. Generally when these roll you have major top hood and side damage. The top of the car never hit the ground! Once the car got above top skirt, I had no control and it was like everything was in slow motion. I had my eyes open the whole time a watched and remember everything. I remember being in the air and how oddly smooth the ride was. I got a 1" gash on my left knee and banged it up good. I wasn't going to go to the hospital but Karey suggested we should. Got four stitches and am a little sore this morning.

My poor little car will never be the same. I'm ok with the rollover but it is upsetting to know I had a winning car setup and it is gone now. Put a lot of work into it but that's racing. The bell housing to the tranny is cracked all the way around. I had to tape the door skin on with duct tape so it wouldn't blow off while coming home. Two of the four tires are trashed. The tow truck had to pick the whole thing up and place it on the trailer. Not sure how I'm going to get it off or what my next step is. I really don't want to spend anymore money as I have already spent a bunch to get it where it was thinking that everything would be set for a long time.

By the way the camera was not on for the feature so I did not get the rollover. When i turned the camera on it took a photo instead of doing a movie. Not sure what happened with that?

I am now looking for a gently used cavalier or sunfire if you know anyone?

that sucks!!! that is why i like our mostly tube chassis cars.... they are pretty easy to jig back up and rebuild

I don't know what year car your looking for but you can get blown up quad four cars around here for $500 or so.

I looked at it last night after work although it still is on the trailer. The whole rear end, wheels "v" bar and struts would need to be replaced. The upsidedown V bar was twisted and bent in many directions. The rear wheels and tires are bad. The 5 speed is gone. Both lower control arms and struts are bad. I can't see the power steering R&P so that is unknown. Can't start the engine as the tranny has it locked. The body looks like crap now. I do have an free rear end and 4 speed auto I could try to put back into it but i'm not sure it would be worth all the work. I could take a 5 speed out of a car that is 100% road worthy but that would be a waste.

I hope it rains Saturday, to by me sometime. I might just scrap the whole thing (keep the engine) and start fresh next year. I can keep my eye on Craigs list for a couple of builders and then take my time.?

You can see what it used to look like at my website. Maybe I should take some photos of the after effect of the roll and post them?

www.jayjensen.shutterfly.com

i would fix it... its all bolt on parts easy enough to fix... get some decent struts used on here...a rear axle beam from a JY and a front subframe... easy enough

As long as the chasis and mounts are still good, you can replace the suspension pieces and body panels. I've been through this before, as has Bob, I'm sure! It'll take a lot of work, but you can do it. Check you local salvage yard, they'll have most of what you'll need.

Chasis components can come from a coupe or sedan. Try to find '00?+ with the FE2 suspension for a slightly stiffer rear and 22mm stock front swaybar. Were the front strut towers/upper mounts welded with braces to the dash bar and/or front bars? If you class allows any tubing to go through the firewall this is your best bet. If not look into the vert's front strut tower brace

Sheetmetal from the same body style you have of course. If you can and haven't done so yet, gut the doors and weld them shut. You usually have to do this for door bar clearance anyways.

I agree, I think that your cage should have held the important dimensions where they belong. The rest is just nuts and bolts except for the sheet metal damage and that just gives it a more experienced look. Take it one step at a time, think of it as small bites, and it should run as good or better than it did plus you get to say "I fixed it myself".

Kenny "Poppop" Brown

Honestly just take the cage out and the engine and what not and start from scratch. Where I live There are cavys and sunfires for cheap like 100 bucks. I got my 95 2.2L cavy for 50 bucks perfect condition no rust or anything just needed a new timing chain and It has never failed me once at the speedway and I have been running it for 2 years.


Remember when sex was safe and racing was dangerous .

Update:
Thanks all for the advice.

I will be back racing tomorrow! It was a focused effort but we got it done. Replaced the whole rear but the RR mount was bent. I ended up drilling a bolt hole 1" forward to make it work. Not sure how this will handle? My thought is it may help me around the corner but dog track on the straight.

The engine block was cracked, the lower control arm on the LF was mangled. Rotor cracked and tie rod snapped. Bell housing on the tranny was broken all the way around the top. LF hub was bad, two rims bent and lost two new $150.00 tires (one race on them). I pulled the front bumper cover off and drill screwed all the body panels down so they are not flopping. Fuel sell was bent and came off one of the mounts and the fuel pump came loose from the mount. Sub frame wasn't as bad as I had thought so it stayed in. I had to do and alignment setting the toe out. RR hub was broken and I had to remove all the emergency brake parts. Intake was cracked.

Good news is I salvaged the tranny. this was the biggest thing as I bought an aluminum mig and was able to weld both sides. The gears were fine. It took about a half an hour to set the welder up and to get the temp, wire feed and tension just right, and it was fairly easy to do. I think cleaning everything is a big part in the process

I'm sure I have lost my fast car now so I'm shooting for 4th or 5th in the feature. and that might not happen. We'll see...

Oh, our track just announced that because of business desisions they will be restricting the race schedule to every other month. THis really is bad news for the racers that live close around the track. All the other tracks are smaller than the 1/2 mile track I race now. You can really get these cars wound up on a 1/2 mile.

Congrats Jay good to hear hope you do well. Drop a gear and dissapear!


Remember when sex was safe and racing was dangerous .

Great to hear you got it back up and running. You'll get the set-up figured out soon enough.

Fun night of racing last night. Had a full pit crew of five people including myself. Karey, Darren, Ben and Amanda. I went out for hot laps which I normally don't because the track is usually very slippery. This was the first test after rolling it. I had thought that there was something wrong with the power but it may have been the slippy conditions. The Hornet class was the first heat race with no pack down previous. The track was very wet. I started last (out of 8) and took third. I got sideways a couple of times because of the track. The feature I started third on the inside and positioned 4th after the start. Three laps to go and I was in first place (there was a red light and a few cautions during the race). I had a few car lenghts in the lead then my car lost all power and I had to come in to the pits. It think I still finished 9th out of 16 but it was really fun race leading for several laps in the feature. I will not go into great detail on what was wrong, but let's just say it was a rookie mistake. I most likely would of won the feature race with a car I just rolled a few weeks earlier. It was exciting for everyone that was there and disappointing at the end. I will say that I am a "dumb a**!"

Next Friday I will be racing at a different track and then at the boone county fairground. In two weeks there is a $300 feature pot to win in Moberly.

I will be signing autographs after the interviews

j

great , good to hear you got-r-done!

good luck , you'll get that win soon.