VARA Race This Weekend

**italcarguy** · #1 (**permalink**) 05-23-2003, 07:57 AM

There is a VARA race this weekend at Laguna Seca. RTB Racer and I will be there. Hope to see some of you there. We will be stopping off at Buttonwillow to test his car for half a day before continuing up north to Laguna Seca. Hopefully, we'll have a good report on his all new suspension.

**smestas** · #2 (**permalink**) 05-23-2003, 11:45 AM

Wow!

Laguna back to back weekends with a test session at Button Willow?

Must be nice! Good luck and have a good run.

**italcarguy** · #3 (**permalink**) 05-25-2003, 09:35 PM

We just got back from Laguna...

Friday's test day at Buttonwillow went great. The car ran awesome and suspension was nice and tight. Funnest part of the test day was out running tons of current SCCA race cars. Each time Richard brought the car into the pits, a few cars would follow him off the track to come check out the car and ask questions before heading back to their trailer. Way to show them what's up with the Alfa's Richard!

Saturday and Sunday at Laguna went well. Wire cam off the alternator and drianed the battery on the last lap. While leading his class and running 5th out of 19 cars (behind 2 Viper GTS, 1 Shelby GT350, and a 1997 BMW M3), the car shut down on the last lap in turn two. This put Richard in a last row starting position for today's race. At the start he got a good start and made his way up to 7th overall and 3rd in class. At the end he collected 3rd place in class, 7th overall, and first out of the VARA cars in his race.

Good Job!

larry · #4 (**permalink**) 05-25-2003, 09:52 PM

What kind of times was he running at Laguna, just curious if my times last week would hold up.
I ran a 150.88 during the race on Sunday.

**italcarguy** · #5 (**permalink**) 05-25-2003, 11:40 PM

He was turning a consistant 1:48 all day today. Yesterday he was doing 1:49 and 1:50

**75evo** · #6 (**permalink**) 05-26-2003, 01:37 AM

Anthony,

Was it a cool day yesterday and today down at Laguna?

Larry,

To be fair 2 weeks ago during the final race, it was a little warm, so 1:50+ is plenty fast. Maybe you should start thinking of a 24V?

Man I hope I can be midpack if I get in the race group at year's end.

larry · #7 (**permalink**) 05-26-2003, 10:59 AM

I have a 230Hp 12v I can go to, The 200 HP motor is doing fine. First I need to put in the colotti close gear set. The gearing is more important right now. I was in third 90% of the time, used 2nd and 4th in two sections. It's like having an automatic.

RtbRacer · #8 (**permalink**) 05-26-2003, 01:15 PM

It was anything but cool, I was burning up in the car. Also the car ran very well for what it has as a motor, I am getting a new motor soon and hope to be able to run a 1:47. The current motor has issues and is barely holding 160hp at the flywheel. My new motor should have 190hp. This was also with a set of 4.56 rear end gearing. It should do better with a 5.12 and a close-ratio gearbox, but we all have to start somewhere.

See you at buttonwillow June 7-8

Richard

**italcarguy** · #9 (**permalink**) 05-26-2003, 03:44 PM

Zamani,
It was hot enough for me to be wearing shorts and a t shirt. It was hotter than last weekend.

Larry,
That would be insane if you dropped the other motor in your car. I hope that you success will motivate other Milano and GTV6 owners to step up to the plate. Alfa Cup could use a few more newer cars.

I did not know Colotti made gear sets for the GTV6. What rear end ratio are you running? I am assuming there is tons of stuff for your car in England. Here, I haven't really seen much in the high performance parts for your car.

**75evo** · #10 (**permalink**) 05-26-2003, 06:39 PM

Anthony,

With Richard's car at 190 bhp and a very low kerb weight......scary.... I'm going to rebuild my engine, the current one is a little tired, but running well. About 210 bhp is my guess, but the weight of the whole car is a killer, about 2800 lbs.

Hopefully next year there will be 2 more Milanos in the race group. Not sure if I will be competitive though...but what the heck....

larry · #11 (**permalink**) 05-26-2003, 08:21 PM

Anthony,

I got the gear set from a friend who bought two Alfetta race cars many years ago. This set was trashed, the syncro carriers aren't replacable like the street cars, they had to be machined off and the replacements machined and welded on. I wish I never started this but, I am almost done just setting up the 3.80 final drive. For now I am going to leave the car as is and race with the Milano Brother and that black Milano is getting faster. Good competition.....

**75evo** · #12 (**permalink**) 05-27-2003, 09:41 PM

Anthony is right it ispossible to get a straightcut close ratio gear kit from the UK:

http://www.nick-humphrey-motorsport....E3.htm#gearkit

He is preparing a 75 Turbo EVO. The parts used, especially for the "super dedion" is mind blowing.