We all have waited for the seemingly endless winter to come to an end. What better way to celebrate the coming of spring than with a race, a hill climb!
Approximately 40 km away from Brasov is the resort of Sugas Bai and the most interesting part of it is the road there, a 4 km mix of both high speed straits and mid speed corners, perfect for testing both car and driver.
As usual right before any race there was some modding to do. Earlier in the year I broke the two rear output shafts, so I knew that I needed stronger ones to cope with the new engine, but installing stronger output shaft required a bigger diff. I had prepared for this and bought and E34 LSD with the super rare 4.45 ratio.
The E34 diff case is in no way compatible with the E36 diff even though they look similar, so I planned to move the internals of the E34 diff in and E36 diff. There was no time for that, so we proceeded to adapt the E34 diff to the E36 diff carrier. That required a lot of cutting and a lot of welding. We can see my all skilled father welding a plate for an adapter.
In the end we made it fit, barely... We fitted it all back and Poos in Boots declared that the car was ready to race.
A very early morning rise later, there we were, at the base of the hill. Unlike last year at Sfanta Ana I was not alone, I had a bunch of friends with me and a few of them would also race.
With the expcetion of a scare on the first reconisance run (where I braked a little too late at the end of a very long strait and the car started to wander left and right), everything was all right.
At the very the end of the reconnaissance runs I kept catching up a competitor, so I knew I was doing quite good. Then I went for the training runs, I was first by a 8 second margin but I had an ominous feeling, like someone painted a big red target on my car...
My competitors kept improving their times and with such a large lead I had no reason to push so I stayed around 2.05.60 on the three practice runs.
What gave me ominous feeling was the presence of a mostly fiberglass Renault Clio 172, a full blown race car with LSD, short ratio gearbox, ITBs, race electronics. The engine is likely a bit over 200 hp and the car should be around the 950 kg mark. That against my 1220 kg 190 hp BMW...
Up the hill I went with a time of 2.05.66, while the Clio did a 2.05.90, I was still first, barely.
The race is split in two runs and the times are added to give the final time, I knew I had to better my time, I knew I had to push. As you will see in the video below, the car had other ideas... When I shifted from 1st to 2nd the gear lever was in the correct position, but the gearbox didn't shift... It was over, but I didn't give up, perhaps I could recover the 2 seconds I lost there...
And I did, I managed a 2.05.30, better than my first run. Was it enough to keep my first place? No, the Clio beat me by 0.08 seconds. Better luck next time....
In the end I came 2nd overall, 2nd in the 2 wheel drive class and 1st non lincenced class. Nothing would have been possible without my friend Artan Sergiu and his engine that powers my car.
It was a great day! I can't wait for the next hill climb event on the 21st of June at Sfanta Ana.
And bonus, a great video coverage that the guys at 6 Flat did.
