MX-1 has successful test at Sandia

Sandia Test Report 9/1/08

The car drove well. I was running a temporary seat and having to work a lot on shifting technique. The paddle shift system will be installed over the winter but I wanted a solid mistake proof system for initial testing so we are running a converted FC shifter with rods similar to a shifter kart. Being 6'2" and having long arms, it is a bit awkward but I am adapting.

You will also note the car still has the FC wing instead of the wide Dauntless wing that is sitting in my living room - don't ask my wife about it - I told her it was her Christmas present. The MX-1 ride height was high for this first test so that nothing was tore up until we figured out the roll and dive angles of the bodywork. Everything cleared easily so it can be lowered significantly. In addition, I had the outboard edges of the tunnel floors raked upward slightly and they will be lowered down to closer to flat. The front to rear rake will most likely be increased as I was running stock FC rake which was our baseline setup. BTW, that baseline setup was good enough for 6th in FC at the runoffs in 2006 for my donor 98 Tatuus. We also have not gone through the range of attack settings for the front wing. Just set it at a good middle of the road setting and drove the you-know-what out of the car to see what fell off! So far - nothing - - - - - - - - - - - big sigh of relief!

Now the car will spend some time on the setup pad before we take it apart again. This time, it will get the GDRE runoffs motor, carbon bodywork and then back to Sandia in late September for the pre-runoffs test. Of course having the car debut at the Runoffs was not the plan but assembling a car by yourself while still keeping a day job and a marriage causes delays. Anyway, I have conservative plans for the car at the Runoffs. But that being said, I will be very dissapointed if they don't know we were there by the end of the day. I am a driver first and going fast is the only reason the car was built - well besides keeping my children from inheriting all my money.

Check out this video from the test: