Just completed 2nd Lemons Race......

Great job!

I ran an X 1/9 in the Chump Car series for a couple of years. Once you get everything dialed in it is dead reliable. Ours just keeps churning lap after lap.

We had a later model, so were able to run a 1500. We upgraded the brakes on the car and also went to 15" tires. The tires made a world of difference! Single biggest improvement was the tires. If you are not running 15" modern rubber, you are wasting seconds a lap.

The only troubles we ran into was lighting. Some of the races we were in lasted very late into the night, if not all through the night. Very dark conditions, and especially rain were very difficult.

It got to the point where it was aggravating driving the car at times. On the back stretch, you plant your foot and watch everyone run around you. Get to the corners and you can wander through the field without a problem. It was not too long before we tried other items (cams, carbs, etc...)

I do like the fact you have classes to race towards, gives you something of a more attainable goal.

Here is the car:


Here are the tires and rims we ran:


And the awesome race conditions in the PacNW!:
 
GREAT STUFF Eric, I see the tires worked perfectly...

with NO clearance issues whatsoever!

HA!

DSCN2336.jpg
 
Someone say bike carbs?

I was not clear on my previous statement. I have no intentions of using anything other than a Fiat X1/9 power plant.

I have the bike-carbs and manifold we used on our 1.5L. I'd be willing to part with them, since they're absolutely of no use on a Rotary. :)

4x 36mm Keihin CV carbs on a hand-built manifold to fit a 1.5L head. Fed a big-valve head easily. Uses stock throttle cable pickup.

Some trunk-compartment modifications required since the runners are long for better torque, so the carbs stuck into the trunk.
 
You might be losing some "cache' " with the event organizers but stepping up to a 1500 would be nice. The CV joints on the 1500 are pretty reliable and less prone to leaks than the tripod design plus it drops right in and you can find spare engines easier.... just sayin....

you've mastered finishing, now time to push it!
 
I switched to 15" tires.....

After running the first race on 13" tires. I used New Fiat 500 rims I found on Craig's List with a set of Dunlop Direzza's. Made a big difference for sure. Our lighting was not as good as it should have been, but good enough. My biggest issue was the lights in my mirrors. I was "Blinded by the light" Some people went crazy with the amount of lights used. We had a few times when the rain fell, but overall very little overall. We lucked out there.
 
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