Preparing for Season 7

The Fart-hinder Saab 900
 on the pace lap of its first race.

It was six years ago that Tim Winker got a message from Darrell Peterson asking about a Saab 900 that was hiding in Tim's garage. Tim had posted a note about maybe turning it into a racer for the inaugural ChumpCar World Series race at Brainerd International Raceway in June. That was in early April, 2010. Eight weeks later and the Saab was on track. Other team drivers and car builders were Greg Wold and John Hogdahl, and all were looking forward to their return to racing during a pair of seven hour races in a $500 crapcan Saab. Alas, it was not to be, as something apparently went wrong in assembling the engine to the gearbox (the gearbox sits below the engine and also acts as the oil pan). The rod knock death rattle put the Saab behind the wall after only a couple of laps. Rather than swap for another engine, the team chose to pack it in and race again another day.

Thus begins the tale of Fart-hinder Racing. Though most of the drivers have changed, Team Fart-hinder is now preparing for a seventh season of endurance racing, still with Saabs. That original 900, a non-turbo 2.1L hatchback, remains with the team and is likely to see some action during 2016. It is estimated to have over 10,000 racing miles on the chassis during its six years since becoming a race car.

The primary team car now is a 1999 Saab 9-3, powered by a 2.0L turbo, acquired from Team Cougar Bait in 2014. The 185 HP engine is believed to be original to the car, has never been modified, and has an estimated 160,000 miles on it. The oil pan was removed last year to see if there was evidence of sludge, a known killer of Saab engines in street use, but the inside of the engine looked new, thanks apparently to frequent oil changes by previous owners.

The first race on the Fart-hinder calendar for this season is a ChumpCar dual-7 at Road America in mid-April.

A 30 degree work day at Fart-hinder Central

The 9-3 did not need a lot of attention over the winter as it had succumbed to an early clutch failure during its last race in 2015. A few upgrades should make for improved lap times in that racer. The failed clutch, a refaced OE disc done at a local shop, has been replaced by a new Saab Viggen clutch, donated by Minnesota Saab Club member Jim Hickstein. In addition, the brakes should improve with the larger Viggen rotors (308mm vs. 288mm for standard 9-3s) and steel braided brake lines. Frozen Rotors have proven to be outstanding on both the 9-3 and 900, so they were again the source for the Viggen rotors. Mike Mandy, Mark Fitzpatrick, the father and son duo of John and Aidan Hicks, and team captain Tim Winker will do the driving and act as crew.

Installing wheel studs. Note the larger diameter brake disc.

The 900 will need a bit more attention, as the gearbox took a lot of stress last season thanks to the welded ring-and-pinion. It still works in all gears, but there was a good sized wad of metal shavings on the magnetic drain plug when the fluid was last changed. The front motor mount also needs repair or replacement as the mount to the body punched through the two bolts that anchor the gearbox to the chassis. That made shifting difficult, particularly into 5^th gear. That car also suffered a broken exhaust and failed clutch at last year's final race. To do the transmission repair properly will require that the drivetrain be removed from the car. The team has gotten pretty good at removing and replacing the engine/gearbox assembly, now able to do a complete swap in about five hours. The planned debut for that car this year is the World Racing League weekend at BIR in May. The 9-3 will still be the primary car, but the 900 will see action if enough drivers sign on. Saturday's race will be 9 hours, with a 7 hour race on Sunday.

Two drivers with competition experience will join Fart-hinder Racing for the first time at the BIR race. Jeff Gadbois, who has raced competitively in Formula Ford, Spec Racer and Sports 2000 will take to the track after a long time away. Paul Moormann's primary background as a competition driver is behind the wheel of a very fast rally car, a Saab Sonett powered by a 900 turbo engine. In addition, Paul has extensive experience repairing Saabs which will be a valuable asset. Both should be a good fit for the team.

Fart-hinder Racing will once again be a part of the eEuroparts Motorsports Program. eEuroparts.com will share our blog entries with their customers. Cartons of Saab parts from eEuroparts arrive regularly at Fart-hinder Central to keep both Saab race cars, and several street Saabs, running at peak performance.

Hanover European Auto Parts in Hanover, Minnesota, continues to be a major backer of the team. The vast inventory of quality used Saab parts keeps us on track within our meager budget.

But Wait, There's More....

Mark Fitzpatrick has acquired a couple of Mazda Miatas in the past year, and is converting one to meet the rules of ChumpCar and WRL. It is not yet complete, but the roll cage has been installed. It is likely that the Miata (still seeking a good name) will be competing sometime this summer.

Travis McCormick continues to work on his “Molasses” Firebird, and hopes to have the gearbox woes that sidelined it at it's last race sorted out.

Tim has some ideas about replacing the original FHR 900 with another Saab, especially since derelict Saabs seem to keep finding their way to his compound in the hills west of Duluth. That means the 900 race car is for sale, with a large load of spare parts and a complete spare 900 with a freshened engine. It's a great way for a new team to get started in the exciting world of endurance racing.