collinsdean

[collinsdean]

IT BEGAN WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL - 1959. I WAS PIT CREW FOR BILL JANOWSKI'S "MONSTERATI".
I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING SCCA AND VINTAGE RACING FOR SEVERAL DECADES.

I FOUND THIS WEBSITE VIA GIOOGLE.

I BOUGHT A LOTUS 23 BASKET CASE IN 1990 AND HAVE BEEN RESTORING IT EVER SINCE. GETTING CLOSE NOW. INSTALLING FIRE BOTTLE DISCHARGE LINES AND PULL CABLE AT THE MOMENT. YET TO WIRE: IGNITION, BRAKE LIGHTS, TRANSPONDER, LAP TIMER.

I PLAN TO VINTAGE RACE THE 23 ONCE IT IS FINISHED, WRUNG-OUT FOR LEAKS, CORNER WEIGHTED/ALIGNED AND ACCEPTED BY THE PREDOMINATE LOCAL VINTAGE GROUP - CSRG.

I AM RETIRED AND SPEND ALMOST EVERY SPARE MINUTE WORKING ON THE 23 OR MY 155 YEAR OLD HOUSE (OLDEST IN REDWOOD CITY).

[collinsdean]

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE STANDARD RADIUS OF A "STANDARD" SKID PAD. IF SUCH EXISTS?

[dalyduo]

Welcome aboard Dean. Thanks for honoring us with those nice shots of your Lotus 23 project. Beautiful work. Love the car and the setting. Looks like a very hospitable garage/gym. :-)

Have a great holiday/new year and please do update us as your Lotus finds its happy place on a race track. Any chance you'll be bringing it to any midwest or east coast tracks?

[collinsdean]

NOPE. I'M STRICTLY A SF BAY AREA GUY. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I HATE TO DRIVE LONG DISTANCES. I KINDA WORE OUT THAT GENE DRIVING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TEXAS AND STANFORD WHILE IN GRAD SCHOOL AND EXPLORING MEXICO, GUATEMALA &, BELIZE IN THE '70S.

SO, NO CHANCE OF TOWING THE 23 TO MIDWEST OR EAST COAST. WHY WOULD I?
THERE ARE MORE 23S AROUND HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE PLANET. WE TYPICALLY GET 8 -10 AT A LOCAL (SEAR'S PT., LAGUNA, THUNDERHILL) EVENT. THERE WERE 13 OR 14 AT THE MONTERREY HISTORICS ("REUNION") LAST AUG.

[dalyduo]

Have never heard anyone mention a skidpad radius before so don't know if there is a "standard". Terry Earwood would probably know, as well as any number of instructors.

Originally Posted by collinsdean

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE STANDARD RADIUS OF A "STANDARD" SKID PAD. IF SUCH EXISTS?

[dalyduo]

Sounds like you're where you should be with that car. Thanks

Originally Posted by collinsdean

NOPE. I'M STRICTLY A SF BAY AREA GUY. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I HATE TO DRIVE LONG DISTANCES. I KINDA WORE OUT THAT GENE DRIVING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TEXAS AND STANFORD WHILE IN GRAD SCHOOL AND EXPLORING MEXICO, GUATEMALA &, BELIZE IN THE '70S.

SO, NO CHANCE OF TOWING THE 23 TO MIDWEST OR EAST COAST. WHY WOULD I?
THERE ARE MORE 23S AROUND HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE PLANET. WE TYPICALLY GET 8 -10 AT A LOCAL (SEAR'S PT., LAGUNA, THUNDERHILL) EVENT. THERE WERE 13 OR 14 AT THE MONTERREY HISTORICS ("REUNION") LAST AUG.

[oldredracer]

Originally Posted by collinsdean

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE STANDARD RADIUS OF A "STANDARD" SKID PAD. IF SUCH EXISTS?

Hey Dean,

Very nice 23. Far higher state of restoration than my Turner, which was always in a condition I rated at a point 'just below racing patina'. As to skid pad radius, I've never measured but a guess would be 100' for the pad at Lime Rock. Someone in this crowd is bound to jump in with exact feet and inches.
Whatever area you find, with a consistant diameter and under similar conditions the changes you make will be reflected in higher or lower speeds at that constant radius. Which I'm guessing you already knew. Or, as Mark Donahue used to say around here:
15 g(rip)r(adius)=(mph)squared.
Choose your racing group with a bit of care. They vary from 'the cars are the stars' groups which emphasize the fact that they still can actually run to full on red mist racing. I'm thinking you'd like something in the middlefor openers? It's no fun driving your 12 year restoration project next to someone who doesn't know what the little shiny things on the sides of the car are for. I'm just sayin'.
Keep us posted. You're going to have a ball.

[collinsdean]

" Choose your racing group with a bit of care"
I've been going to CSRG, HMSA & General Racing (GR) events for several decades. I think I've got a pretty fair idea what they're about by now.
My next door neighbor races a Lotus 47 in CSRG, HMSA & GR events and I've been pit crewing for him all along. I'm doubtful about being accepted in HMSA & GR events as my 23's provenance is questionable. They're very particular.

HMSA put on the Monterrey Historics for decades. Last Aug it was SCRAMP - Sports Car Racing Association - Monterrey Peninsula (a front for GR).

[cdh]

Cool story, thanks, gorgeous 23...dig the proper orange steering wheel.
Not sure if this thread brought you here, this was Skip's 23 at VIR in 1963

A friend posted this on FB - a gem of an Elva for sale on eBay...is it too late for Santa?? Wow

[collinsdean]

Actually it was a Google search for "skid pad dimensions" that led to a link to a Skip Barber skip pad. I then asked the question that prompted the whole thing.
My first post:

"Re: collinsdean

---

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE STANDARD RADIUS OF A "STANDARD" SKID PAD. IF SUCH EXISTS?"


I am still far more interested in researching home built skid pads than 23s - at the moment. I get sorta single-minded that way.

Fortunately, I have access to a privately owned, vast, level asphalt area (any further description and location to remain undisclosed for obvious reasons), upon which my neighbor (the 47 guy) and I plan to set up a skid pad and slalom to shake down our cars and comparatively evaluate suspension/corner weight mods.

The first thing Jim Hall did after moving his shop from Dallas to Midland was pour a skid pad. Followed shortly by 'Rattlesnake Raceway'.

[Rosso]

Originally Posted by cdh

...is it too late for Santa??

If Santa is is still looking, one of my neighbors, Dave Baughman, has his Group C Cosworth-Argo for sale:

Sebring video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_AOWrPOMiQ

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27666849@N04/6146478187/

http://www.hsrrace.com/SVRA/photogal...ks/HSRP-84AM7G

[tapandrack]

Hi Dean,

I Google mapped Road Atlanta's skid pad and it is about 100 feet in radius, with a 50 foot road width. You can try to scale the image yourself below but that's what I come up with.

Bob