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The 2009 Season is Underway, but Not With Our Car April19,
2009 | The
2009 Season is officially underway in the Milwaukee/Chicagoland area.
The first event was hosted by the Milwaukee Region SCCA at Miller
Park in Milwaukee. One hundred and twenty nine drivers came out
and braved the 40° degree temperatures with hopes of getting a few good
runs in before the rain. Unfortunately our SPS Solotime 1998
Chevy Camaro SS was not able to run on this day.
Late in the day
on Saturday we discovered an issue with our ABS module which prevented
the safe opperation of the vehicle. Luckily Brad Leak let me
co-drive his STX 1993 BMW 325i. This was a new experience for me
as I had never driven an STX car before, much less this particular car.
I was in for a treat.
Brad recently acquired this
car and he has a few street miles on it. However he has not yet
dialed in the set-up. This was to be the cars first shake down
run and the goal was to develop a baseline.
In it's
current configuration the BMW rewarded patents and smooth driving.
The old adage "Slow In, Fast Out" applied in spades with this
vehicle. By our third run we started to get a feel for it and
laid down a 61.620 second run which placed me in third out of 10 STX
entries, but I was still 2.582 seconds out of second.
Unfortunately the rain started between the morning and afternoon
runs and the course was completely soaked by the time Brad and I were
scheduled to run again. I knew I wouldn't be able to go any faster in
the rain, therefore I chose to skip my afternoon runs. After all
it wasn't my car. |
| Energy Suspension is our newest sponsor November 24,
2008
 | MLS
Motor Racing has always been a consumer of Energy Suspension products.
We first started using their bushings on our Camaro back in
1998
when the car was brand new. We were not happy with the
"sloppy"
response of the factory rubber bushings so this was one of the very
first upgrades to our car and we've been happy ever since.
One of
the first things we noticed is that turn in was much crisper and the
car felt more connected to the road which gave us more confidence to
push the car even harder. All this without sacrificing NVH
(Noise, Vibration, and Harshness).
A big thank you goes out to Energy Suspension for their excellent
products, great customer service and support. |
| Finally a Convenient, Durable and Affordable Product which Keeps your
Tires Warm! October 31,
2008
 | MLS
Motor Racing has
started production on our Tire Blankets. We have made even
more improvements to the durability of our final production
version by using even more durable exterior material and a better
stitching technique. This will help us to achieve our goal of
producing the highest quality product at the lowest price which you
will be able to use for years to come.
We are schedule to begin shipping them on December 1st 2008 and you
will be able to order them directly from us on our online catalog,
which is coming soon!
Tire Blanket Survey |
| Third Place Finish but Good Enough to
Win the Class September
29,
2008
 |
It
came down to the last run of the last race of the year to determine who
would be overall ESP class champion with the Milwaukee Region SCCA.
Entering the event Bob Weir trailed Eric Thompson by 1.6
points
out of a possible 400 points. One non-regular ESP driver,
Craig Depas in a 2003 Mustang Cobra, and one F-Stock Driver
who
co-drove with Bob joined the fray at this last event of the year.
It
turns out the ESP was the class to watch all day which was really
apparent after the first run when only 0.1 second separated Bob, Eric
and Craig. By the end of the morning the spread had increased
to
0.4 seconds with Todd in the lead. He had learned very
quickly
how to drive an ESP car. The order was Todd, Eric,
Craig
and Bob. Bob could not catch a break the rest of the day and
conned away his hopes of being class champion.
Eric regained 1st
with his first run of the afternoon by laying down a 60.884 and then on
his 6th run he ran a 60.872. However, Todd was able to beat
those
time on his 5th run with a 60.550. Craig, who was hovering
in
the low 61.3's, was finally able to execute a perfect run on his 6th
run and drooped a full second off his time to 60.322 to take first
place.
When all the points were tallied, MLS Motor Racing
won the ESP class championship with 494.98 points to Bob Weir's 491.28
points. |
| MLS Motor Racing Takes 1st in ESP at
WAI's Waukesha Event September
29,
2008
 |
At
the last minute WAI had to change venues from Miller Park to Waukesha
County Fair Grounds due to the fact that Milwaukee Brewers made it into
the playoffs. The club did a really good job of notifying
everyone via email within plenty of time for everyone to adjust.
Dan Padburg put together a great course given the limited
amount
of space available.
Both run groups were able to get dry runs
in the morning even though rain was threating. By the middle
of
the third heat it finally started to rain. MLS Motor Racing
was
able to put down 3 decent runs in the second heat and lead Bob Weir
before the rain hit. By the fourth heat, the course was
completely soaked and neither Bob or Eric could go any faster.
As
a result, MLS Motor Racing took 1st place at the final WAI event and
locked up 1st place in class for the season. |
| Flowmaster Sponsors MLS Motor Racing September
29,
2008
 | Sound
issues have become a hot topic in the SCCA Solo Community.
Throughout the nation a few regions have lost sites because
some
the the cars were just too loud for the neighbors. The
Milwaukee
and Chicago Region SCCA are lucky enough to have sites which are
relatively remote vs. residential areas so sound has never really been
a primary concern. However, after learning that the MLS Motor
Racing 1998 Camaro SS was on par with cars which we thought were too
loud, we decided it was time to investigate alternative exhaust
systems.
We researched many after market exhaust
companies and found that Flowmaster was able to meet our sound, quality
and performance requirements. Their commitment to R&D
though
engine dyno and chassis dyno testing peaked our interest, and
we
were also impressed with their internal baffle design which does not
use packing material. The
muffler's cross flow configuration and design
allows the system to use equal length 3 inch pipes after the
muffler which helps to minimize weight, maintain clearance behind the
differential cover, and improves ground clearance vs. our previous
system.
We look forward to receiving feedback from our co-racers and course
workers at the next event. |
| Milwaukee Region SCCA Event 7 September
20,
2008
Image
courtesy of Andy
Seipos |
We
now know that it is possible to get 100 runs out of a set of Hoosier
A6's. This must be some type of a world record.
While there
is still rubber on them, they are not fast, which was evident in our
results. We placed third out of 3 in our class and
thirty-fifth
out of 119 overall. Our best run, 60.470 was the second run
of
the day. We were not able to improve on this time even in the
afternoon, even though Bob Weir and Craig Depas were able to break into
the high 59's.
Pictures can be found
in the Gallery Page |
| MLS Motor Sports Swag Now
Available September
3,
2008
 |
MLS Motor
Racing has partnered with Cafe Press to develop and sell MLS Motor
Racing apparel and other Autocross & Motor Sport clothing
items. We
currently offer two versions of the MLS Motor Racing Logo as well as
some fun children's shirts and a few other shirts people may enjoy.
While our initial offering is limited, we plan on expanding the line by
creating new and unique designs.
Please visit our Cafe press store at the following link: MLS
Motor Sports Apparel |
| WAI Event 7
August 31,
2008
 | WAI
put on a really good event this past weekend, despite a last minute
course change brought on by the unexpected arrival of the Porsche Club.
There
were three entries in ESP this weekend: Bob Weir, Tim
Greenwaldt,
and Eric Thompson of MLS Motor Racing. Tim is a new comer to
ESP
driving a new to him 1994 Camaro. Although he was on 6 year
old
Victoracers, Tim drove well. We expect good things from him
once
he gets a new set of tires and learns the quarks of driving an ESP car.
Bob Weir and Eric Thompson were neck in neck all morning with
Eric in the lead at the lunch break. On their 4th runs, it
looked
like the MLS Motor Racing Camaro was going to take the win.
But a
great 5th and 6th run by Bob put him squarely in first place in ESP.
In car video of our 4th
run can be found on the Video page. |
|
Gallery Page Updated. Thanks Andy! August
23,
2008
Unflattering
image courtesy of
Andy
Seipos |
Thanks
again to Andy Seipos for taking all these wonderful pics at the Chicago
and Milwaukee Region Solo Events. Not only have I learned so
much
about the handling properties of my car from analyzing his pictures,
but I have also learned that he is really good at catching us during
our best moments.
Click Here for the
Gallery Update
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Tripod Challenge - Final Score: Three
Way Tie! August
17,
2008
Image
courtesy of Andy
Seipos |
A
big thanks goes out to Erik Van-order-Mey and Sam Karp for setting the
record
straight. Allegedly Chris Fenter, a Wisconsin resident,
pledged
his allegiance to Chicago on Saturday, and then to Milwaukee on Sunday
(hum, doesn't this sound vaguely similar to a certain infamous
Revolutionary War solider, I wonder if Chris could be a direct
descendant). Pat Washburn, also of Wisconsin pledged
his allegiance to Minnesota. These two changes affected the
outcome of the event and put Chicago on top, Minnesota in second and
Milwaukee in third.
The Milwaukee
Region SCCA played host to the first ever Tripod Challenge which pitted
Milwaukee against Chicago and Minnesota this past weekend at Miller
Park in Milwaukee.
For the
complete story, click here |
Pictures can be found
in the Gallery Page
|
Sound Limits Could Cost the Solo
Community $2.0M August
15,
2008
Image
courtesy of Andy
Seipos |
Sound
limits have become a hot topic on many Solo boards these
days.
Are the cars too loud? Are sound levels costing us
sites?
Are the sound levels approaching dangerous levels? Are the
current rules adequate? These are the questions which are
being
debated and the SCCA has taken notice.
For the complete story, click
here |
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MLS Motor Racing Launches Web Site August 10,
2008
 |
MLS
Motor Racing Launches its first web site which was designed and
developed by owner driver Eric Thompson. The goal
of the web site is to share solo racing experiences with fellow racers
and family. It is also a place were current and future
sponsors can visit to learn more about MLS Motor Racing. |
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MLS Motor Racing Takes First at WAI August 4,
2008
Image
courtesy of Andy
Seipos |
At
the two day WAI event at Miller Park, Milwaukee Wisconsin, MLS Motor
Racing takes first place in the mens combined class. The
Saturday
course had some very high speed sections combined with a few crucial
low speed tight turns where a significant amount of time could be lost.
The
Sunday course was the reverse of the Saturday course with an extra
solemn thrown in on the fastest part of the Saturday course.
On Saturday
August 3, 2008 Eric Thompson was in second place at the end of the day.
On Sunday, he drove 5 very consistent runs which ranged from
52.606 to 52.041. On his sixth and final run he found a
couple of
sections of the course where he could pick up a little more speed prior
to braking which translated into a 51.378 run. This propelled
him
to the top of the mens combined class for Saturday/Sunday trophies.
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SPS/Solotime Sponsors MLS Motor Racing
August 4,
2008
 |
On
July 28, 2008 SPS/Solotime delivered the news that they would sponsor
MLS Motor Racing. In return MLS Motor Racing will help market
SPS/Solotime products at Chicago and Milwaukee Region events.
The
team at SPS/Solotime are really a good group of people who have
everything an active solo racer can use, from tire pressure gauges to
numbers. Please take the time to visit their site,
when you
purchase something from them, tell them Eric Thompson sent
you. |
|
MLS Motor Racing Attends First
National Event July 20,
2008
Image
courtesy of Andy
Seipos |
MLS
Motor Racing attended our first ever national event, only to be greeted
by foul weather on Saturday and better weather on Sunday.
Twelve drivers from around the Midwest showed up to compete
in
the E-Street Prepared class.
On Saturday we were the third car
out on course after some heavy storms moved through the area and
flooded the entire course. Unfortunately, we did not have a
set
of rains so Eric Thompson had to make do the best he could. At
the end of our three runs MLS Motor Racing was standing in 7th spot in
E-Street Prepared. Not bad for our first outing, and being
the
only competitor in ESP to run on Hoosier A06 Dry Tires.
On
Sunday the course was a little drier. Again, storms move
through
the area over night and the course was damp, but dried out during our
heat. By our third run the course was 85% dry and we took
full
advantage of it. Our time of 58.072 would have been good
enough
for a 4th place finish for Sunday only, but it was not to be.
A
cone call came it just as we crossed the line, which penalized Eric 2
seconds.
Our combined times from Saturday and Sunday placed in
8th spot over all. While it was out of the trophies, it did
not
discourage us and we plan on attending more nation events in the future.
Local hot shoes, Eric Graunke in his 1995 Mustang took first and Brian
Regganie placed 3rd in his 1994 Camaro. |
Image
courtesy of Andy
Seipos |
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