A disappointing trip to Iowa.

Well, the inevitable happened in Iowa - we lost our engine. Not that we've misplaced and it hasn't turned up but rather, it let go and we have no powerplant for the remainder of the season at this point.

We were having a rather good day in that Jimmy had found a good set up for the shocks and springs and had the car settled in where he wanted it. He was enjoying running the high banks of Iowa and was able to run on the high side or the down on the apron. It was shaping up to be a good night and we were looking forward to a good run. The qualifying run was so-so but Jimmy thought that the car had potential and was ready to give it a go.

Jimmy qualified the car in 14th but was able to secure a higher starting position due to some issues with two other competitors. He rolled off in 13th starting position and was holding his won through the first 10 - 15 laps. He had passed a couple of cars and we had started to feel good about what the night might bring. A steady run and a good finish were looking like distinct possibilities.

A caution came out on Lap 21 shortly after Jimmy had been lapped but he was still staying strong and was looking good. A flat left rear tire, though, was about to change things.

We called Jimmy in and changed the tire while still under caution and were ready to push him back out when he called over the radio that the engine was not feeling right. As we listened for a moment, we could hear that it was running rough and did not sound good. Jimmy reported that the temp was running high again and was asking if we should proceed. The call was made to give it a go and see if running through the night air would bring the temp down a bit.

Jimmy rolled down the pit lane, completed another lap and as he dove into Turn 1 while still under caution and a puff of white smoke emanated from under the hood of the car. "The engine just died and I'm bringing it in on the back stretch" was the last we heard for the night.

Upon pushing the car in and removing the hood, we found a puddle of oil under the left front corner of the block and oil seeming to seep from between cylinders 4 and 6. The initial thoughts would have to be researched more after we got back to the shop as it was now after dark and tough to see what the real issue may have been.

Upon pulling the hood off in Brownsburg, we discovered that there was an issue with a spark plug. It almost appeared to have been nicked by something and therefore had no doubt misfired and caused the engine to stop running properly. While we still have some work to do, it does not appear that our engine is a total loss and may be recoverable. However, we still need to decided what we're doing for the remainder of the season and whether or not to pull this one and work on it later while we convert another powerplant.

We'd still like to consider ORP at the end of July but we'll see what happens. There are many decisions to be made and all of them are, as I like to say in the military, "above my paygrade."

So, as it stands right now, we're remaining hopeful that we may be running at ORP and the remainder of the schedule but it's way up-in-the-air. As soon as we know something, we'll be sure to report and make sure our fans know too.

In the meantime, keep cool and we'll see you at a racetrack somewhere...



- Gar

Getting ready for the pavement stretch.

We have removed the engine from the dirt car and are getting ready to put it back into the pavement car. After having a rather dismal night at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, we've been able to troubleshoot our firing issue and think that we have it pinned down.

It seemed as though there was an issue with the electrical system between the mag and the spark plugs. Anyone who was at the Hoosier 100, no doubt, heard the engine off a little bit as Jimmy was coming down the front stretch on several occasions. This was the root of that issue.

We're happy to have discovered that for a couple of reasons. The first being that it is a simple fix and the second being that it is saving us a trip to the dyno that we were anticipating during this break. Now, we don't have the stress of time-constraints before getting to Iowa nor do we have to shell out the money to get the dyno scheduled.

Beyond that, we're also looking at rigging up an oil cooler in an effort to keep the overheating issue under control. We're happy to know that everyone is dealing with the overheating issues this season as the new ethanol fuel seems to be burning hotter. Reports were that the podium finishers were running temps in the 240-260 bracket and we were pegged at 240 during both races. With any kind of luck, the oil cooler will keep temps somewhere between 220 and 240 throughout the race and allow us to finish the event. Right now, that is our single goal for the next few races.

Tomorrow, we drop the engine in the pavement car and then we start to do the small things to get ready for our next race which is only 16 days away.


- Gar

The dirt car is on-track and sounding good!

Tonight is Jimmy's first time in a dirt Silver Crown car in over 10 years and we're excited to see him in it. The nengine appears to be running better than what we had last week (which we swapped out of the pavement car last Sun evening) and that has been a positive development.

Right now, we have had an issue with the brakes develop and the team is swarming over the car right now in an effort to figure out the problem. We hav eno doubts that it is something that can be fixed, we just have to be patient and get it done the right way.

                                         The dirt car is ready to go before hot laps begin.

We've gotten the brake issue figured out and things appear to be going smoothly again. We hope to get Jimmy on-track again soon before the end of the hot lap session. Follow us on Facebook and we'll keep regular updates coming throughout the evening.


- Gar

 

From our public relations man, Steve Zautke:

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Steve Zautke

Eddie Sachs Racing

Shop: 586-292-6415

Cell: 414-588-3821

E-mail: szautke@gmail.com

EDDIE SACHS RACING

USAC TRAXXAS USAC SILVER CROWN SERIES

Race Preview - Hoosier 100 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds

 May 23^rd, 2012 - The Traxxas United States Auto Club (USAC) Silver Crown Championship Series along with Eddie Sachs Racing (ESR) and their driver Jimmy Kite have a quick turnaround as they return to action Friday, May 25th at the Indiana State Fairgrounds for the historic Hoosier 100.

The ESR team came home in 15th place in the USAC Hall of Fame Classic at Lucas Oil Raceway on Saturday night.  Kite and the ESR crew struggled initially with injection system issues which they were able to overcome.  After qualifying 17th, Kite was able to get the car comfortable and was ready to make his move when tire pressure issues caused the handling to go away. Eventually overheating issues caused the Indy Line Stripe / Brownsburg Signs Beast-Chevy No. 25 to retire after 3/4 mark. Kite remarked afterwards, “We were making progress on the guys in front when we had some tire pressure issues that caused the car to get looser than we wanted.  Then the water temp kept rising, so I brought it in rather than damage the engine.” Kite, a native of Stockbridge, GA is keyed up for his first race on the dirt in several years, “I’m excited driving in the Hoosier 100, to be part of an event with such a storied history is pretty special.  I’ve driven some dirt races over the last several years, but this is my first Silver Crown race on the dirt since 1997.  We learned a lot last week and look forward to putting on a great show for the fans Friday evening.”

ESR is proud to announce that Indy Line Stripe, Brownsburg Signs and Landrum Performance Springs are proud supporters of Eddie Sachs Racing. 

• Indy Line Stripe - With over 15 years in the pavement maintenance industry, Indy Line Stripe services the needs of commercial, industrial, and municipal institutions. Indy Line Stripe is an owner supervised, family orientated business that services the smallest of jobs, to the largest of municipal, and commercial projects.
• Brownsburg Signs – ESR is also supported by Brownsburg Signs.  For over ten years, Brownsburg Signs has been offering top quality custom signs, banners, and more, at highly competitive pricing using the latest in industry leading technology.
• Landrum Performance Springs – Landrum Performance Springs can and does provide all the springs you need to compete and win on every track from a Saturday night bullring to Super Speedways and Drag Strips.

Eddie Sachs Racing - Started in 2007 ESR presents a professional image for their supporters while campaigning on the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Championship Series. Owner, Eddie Sachs, Jr. has spent a lifetime in and around motorsports. His commitment to excellence comes from his lineage as well as his exposure to the many giants of auto racing such as Parnelli Jones and Roger Penske.  In 2011, Eddie Sachs Racing (ESR) teamed up with USAC and IZOD IndyCar Series veteran Jimmy Kite to challenge top-quality teams and drivers of the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Championship Series.

Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN – Auto racing at the one-mile dirt oval dates back to 1903. The fairgrounds have been home to AAA and later USAC racing since 1953 when Jo Quinn and Roger Wolcott promoted the first Hoosier 100.  Legendary drivers such as Bob Sweikert, Eddie Sachs, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Mario Andretti are just a few of the drivers to appear in victory lane.
For sponsorship inquiries please contact Ted Sachs at e-mail: foursachs@yahoo.com, PH: 847-687-2554
For more information on the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series please visit, www.usacracing.com/pitpass

Eddie Sachs Racing •PO Box 46482 Mt. Clemens, MI. 48046 • Contact: esrmarketing25@gmail.com • www.eddiesachsracing.net

We'll have a new update posted within the next 24 hours with pictures and a status on how things are progressing on the dirt car. Stay tuned!

- Gar

Qualifying is over and we're in the show, starting 17th. We were hoping for a better run but it appears that the engine is not doing what we anticipated. We don't have baseline numbers to work off of and that is going to hamper our efforts until we can come up with our own set. In the meantime, Jimmy says that the car is settling, going into the turns but just not wanting to follow-through. He's "diamonding" the turns in an effort to get through them better. There are 18 starters tonight and we'll run a steady race and do our best to stay out of trouble and hope for a good run.

                                    The crew is ready for the events of the night to begin!




- Gar

Race day is here!

We've unloaded the car and set everything up. Jimmy is making final preparations on the car and things are looking good. Ambient air temperature is 84 and track temp is well into the 120s. We're not expecting any rain in central Indiana until sometime tomorrow night and this bodes well for our race tonight.

Jimmy's feeling good about the car and the rest of us are confident that we'll have a successful evening. We'll be updating again later this evening after we run the race. Wish us luck for a good run tonight!


- Gar

Let the season begin!

Well, here we are. Tomorrow night, we begin our 2012 Traxxas Silver Crown season at Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, IN. The car is ready, Jimmy feels good and we're excited to get going.

There were very few adjustments made after the test session run at LOR a few weeks ago. Jimmy has settled on what he wants to do with the shock and spring set ups and knows where he stands with the tires.

We still feel very positive about the speeds that we were putting in during the test and have deduced that we're running very well in comparison to some of the other teams. We'd like to think that we'll be, at least, mid-pack or better. A top-10 finish may not be out of the question but we'll take anything better than 15th. Taht would be a marked improvement from last season overall and especially, the July race at LOR.

We encourage everyone to come out and see us. Here's the schedule of events as it stands right now:

4:00 PM Spectator Gates

5:15 PM Modified Practice and Qualifying

6:05 PM Silver Crown Practice

7:00 PM Heat Laps

7:25 PM Opening Ceremonies

7:30 PM Widow Wax Modified Feature

8:15 PM Driver Introduction

8:30 PM Silver Crown Feature (100 Laps)

Tickets are $20 for general admission, children 12 and under free with paid adult.

There is no rain in the forecast through the weekend so we expect to have a good night of racing and we are ready to kick off the season!

- Gar