A Great Beginning for 2016

April in the Upper Midwest is a mixed bag when it comes to weather. It can be as snowy as any day in winter, or it could be warm enough to be doing yard work in t-shirt and shorts. At Fart-hinder Central in northern Minnesota, the race cars are often still under a pile of snow or hidden away in a garage that can't be reached by anything short of a sled dog team. Since the first ChumpCar race at Road America is usually in April, Fart-hinder Racing has usually chosen to skip this event.

Photo by Trisha Spettel,  Ace Photography.

This year, however, was different. Following a mild winter, temperatures in March were often warm enough to work outdoors. In addition, Snowbird Mike Mandy was anxious to get a start on racing and returned to his summer home near Ely several weeks earlier than usual. The team's primary race car, a 1999 Saab 9-3, was in pretty good shape at the end of the 2015 season, in need of a clutch after an early failure at the autumn race at Road America. The car had been left over the winter with team member Aidan Hicks to do the necessary repairs at his place of employment, a car dealership in the Minneapolis area.

The decision was made to enter the ChumpCar Landjaeger Cup at Road America, a pair of 7 hour races at America's first and still the best road racing facility.

Some changes in the ChumpCar rules meant we could use something other than OE springs, though there were still restrictions. Some measurements to the assorted coil springs in the parts cache found that the front springs from a classic 900 were the same outside diameter as those on the NG900/OG9-3. However, the wire size was a little larger, meaning a stiffer spring rate. That spring rate would be increased further by trimming a few coils. There is not much available for the rear springs due to their conical design, but Hanover European Parts had given us a pair of Eibach lowering springs for the rear. They weren't quite racing springs, but lowering the rear end would also lower the center of gravity.

Photo by Trisha Spettel,  Ace Photography.

The front brakes were upgraded to the larger rotors found on the 9-3 Viggen, 308mm vs. 288mm that came on lesser 9-3s. The calipers and brake pads are the same, just moved out a little with a slightly different mounting bracket. The rotors were cryogenically treated for longer wear, sourced from series sponsor Frozen Rotors.

Minnesota Saab Club member Jim Hickstein happened to have a complete Viggen clutch package that he donated to the race effort. While the stock clutch has generally not been a problem, the beefier Viggen clutch would give an additional margin of reliability.

Race weekend looked promising weatherwise, with clear skies and temperatures around 70 degrees. We zipped through registration and tech with little difficulty, met the new Central Region Chump Staff, did a few final checks on the racer, then went to dinner in Sheboygan, where we usually stay.

Team captain, Tim Winker, decided to see if there were any German restaurants in the area, since that region was where many German immigrants settled in the 1850s. A place called Al & Al's Steinhaus looked promising, so Tim, Mike and Mark found their way there. All three have spent time in Germany, and were hoping the menu offered more than bratwurst and kraut. It exceeded all expectations, with a full German menu and a salad bar full of pickled this and creamed that. Al & Al's will likely see the Fart-hinder gang at future Road America race weekends.

In addition to the four drivers who would also act as crew, John Hicks brought his 17-year-old daughter, Shania, for her first race weekend. She was pressed into service to maintain notes on what happened during pit stops and to check tire pressures. She also took some photos of the Saab in action.

A smear of red paint left by an errant MR2.

It was a cool spring morning when John Hicks took to the track in the 9-3. His stint behind the wheel had only one incident, a tap on the left rear door by a Toyota MR2. The Toyota driver was given a Black Flag and had to spend several minutes explaining to race officials why he hit another car. In the meantime, John continued to reel off laps until time for the driver change.

Mike Mandy was the next driver and again there was nothing serious to his shift behind the wheel. Mark Fitzpatrick took over at his designated time and started to reel off some quick laps. However, the low fuel warning light came on earlier than expected, and Mark cut his time at the wheel short, returning for the final driver change of the day with two hours left.

Tim Winker also had no issues aboard the Saab, but with 20 minutes remaining in the race, the low fuel light came on again. The earphones had become dislodged enough that Tim could no longer hear what the crew had to say, but radioed to them that he would be coming to the pits in a few laps. As he drove past the pits, the other drivers signaled that he should stay out. Tim cut back his speed a little to preserve fuel. He made it to the checkered flag with no difficulties; nary a bobble from the engine. When he pulled into the paddock, team members informed him that if he had come in for fuel, they would have dropped at least one position in class and several places overall. As it was, they did not lose any positions in the final standings, ending up 12th overall and 6th in a class full of fast BMWs.

The 9-3 performed well, and all drivers ran faster lap times than in previous years. Mark Fitzpatrick ripped off one lap at 3:02.50, the quickest we have ever turned in this car. The transmission gearing was perfect so that the drivers only had to use 3rd and 4th gears, topping out at 120 mph, higher than most of the cars competing. The new rear springs helped the Saab to set up for corners with a touch of trailing throttle oversteer. The larger brake rotors allowed for shorter stopping distances, hence quicker times at all corners of the track.

Photo by Vasil Zhmendak

The Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec tires showed a bit of wear on the outer edges from hard cornering, so were swapped around, with a couple of better used race tires installed on the front. The brake pads, however, showed a bit more wear than we have seen in the past. The combination of medium friction EBC Yellowstuffs racing pads and the new Frozen Rotors may have been great in stopping the car, but also caused them to wear faster. The pads on the rear were worn down to the metal backing. We had some decent used pads for both axles and installed those, hoping to get through Sunday's 7 hour race.

Tim was first in the driver's seat for what he referred to as "a leisurely Sunday drive." In the process he set a personal best lap time in the 9-3. But it was not without some drama. The brake lights insisted on staying on as the Saab left the pits for warm up laps. Rather than risk a black flag, the team called Tim in during the pace laps and rearranged the brake light switch ever so slightly. Problem solved and Tim hit the track again before the green flag, though he was way behind the pack.

YouTube Video: Swapping positions with Mazdas.

John was the next driver, for what was likely his final chance to race with us for a few years. He has taken a job in Italy and will be moving there soon.

Mike took to the wheel for his stint, followed by Mark. All still looked well for the team with quick pit stops and no need to change anything. As the race headed into the final hour, Mark chose to use the brakes less in an effort to save what little brake pad material remained. Even so, he set the fastest lap for the Saab in Sunday's race at 3:03.57.

Flagger Bob Kosky gives Mark Fitspatrick the
checkered flag on Sunday. Photo by Shania Hicks.

The checkered flag dropped on schedule and the Fart-hinder team began the celebration, along with all other finishers. Our overall position of 13th was satisfactory considering that our Saab has the original engine as installed at the factory in Trollhattan. We were again 6th in class, behind a bunch of modified BMWs. Our pit stops were better than in past years, very close to the five minute minimum required by ChumpCar rules. There was no extra time spent in the pits for repairs, and the brake pads lasted to the finish, though the pad material on the rear was paper thin.

 A successful race weekend, by our account. After our dining experiences at Al & Al's Steinhaus and the Saturday meal at Schwartz's Supper Club, we're thinking about changing the team name to "Fart-hinder Racing and Dining Society."

THE END.
(The license plate was a "trophy" won by Tim at the 1991 AlCan 5000 Rally. Photo by Shania Hicks.)