If I'm doing this right, the X-Type is currently in 82nd place after 94 laps! Still running. The team name appears to be "Glue Sticks," so I may not be doing it right though...

Some pretty hilarious names in the lineup.

Update:

Their last lap was 20 minutes, so they must have fixed something and are back on the track. Each lap usually takes them about two minutes.

It looks like their firebird is out of the race after 17 laps for some reason.

 

I was following in along earlier and it looked like something happened to the Firebird on the 1st lap. They were out for the longest time and must have made a repair. The Jag was like 73rd and then they must have been in the pits for awhile and got out there. I have a feeling they are back in the pits because they have been stuck on 100 laps completed for a long time now. Hope it is not terminal. Maybe they just stopped for a spot of tea.

 

Yep, were team glue sticks. The jag has been running great all day so far. We just came in for gas. Our goal is to just finish with it, not win. We'll work on winning another race. The firebird had a bad MAF sensor and it took us a little while to diagnose and get a part. It's now back on the track too.

 

Awesome. Go baby!

Who says the transfer cases are fragile?

 

Don't jinx it.

 

Looks like they finished the day at 119 laps in 78th place amongst all classes. Much better in their class.

So no DNF!!! Or whatever it is called.

I enjoyed checking in between taking my washing machine apart to remove daughters' hairpins stuck in the drain pump.

My wife compared this project to my occasional (ahem) Jag repairs, and commented that it would be nice to have some new things around that don't require constant TLC...

Got the hairpins out and the washer is draining again! Much easier than a transfer case...

Next up are some capacitors in my stereo. The display disappeared.

If an X-Type can do well in an endurance race, many things are possible with a little ingenuity.

 

Just tell her at least you're only playing with mechanical things needing TLC... She should be more appreciative to have a handy husband.. Lol

 

Great Job on the Track!!!!!!!

 

Looks like they are still going strong!

They have completed 183 laps and are currently in 75th place out of a field of about 120. Much higher in their class.

The car is holding together!

 

That's true, but I think she must be getting jealous of all the mechanical things in my life that need attention, come to think of it.

When I think about it like an endurance race, I realize that after a couple of decades of marriage she is still going strong!

Today might be a good day for some "preventative maintenance!"

 

ROTFLMAO!

 

It looks like they slowed down a bit near the end, so I hope it ended well.

They finished 195 laps at pretty high speed which is a real accomplishment considering that it appeared to be in the process of construction just a few days ago.

I am eager to hear of their adventures.

I took my X-Type up the hill today, for an elevation gain of about 4,500 ft and it took it in stride. I had my Torque set to keep an eye on the water temp, just in case, which was reassuring.

 

Yesterday was a very busy day. The Jag mechanically ran flawlessly the entire weekend. The race ended at 3:30 and around 2:00 the Jag was towed in from the pits, it wouldn't start. As I walked over to check it out we got a call on the radio that the Bird spun and an axle broke. Our team split up, half worked on diagnosing the Jag while the rest of us went to see what was up with the Bird.

The driver of the bird was exiting the turn before the straight at 90 MPH when the lower control arm broke loose sending the car into a spin. Fortunately he was not hit or didn't hit anything and managed to get the car into the pit area. Unfortunately though when they attempted to pull it onto the flatbed the control arm pushed against the base of the bed and shifted the rear end back about 4 inches dislocating the drive shaft from the transmission. Fluid spilled everywhere and they called in another wrecker that could lift the car from the rear.

With 6 guys working on each car and only 1.5 hours left in the race we frantically worked to get them back on the track. The Jag issues turned out to be the stability control button had an error and when pushed the car would not start. I have no clue why this occurred but it is something that we are going to figure out. It got back on the track with about 30 minutes left with a first time driver. As we went to get the Bird back on we closed the passenger side door and it wouldn't latch. I slammed it as hard as I could to get it to go which was a terrible idea as I broke the locking mechanism. We weren't about to let the weekend end this way so a team mate grabbed 10 zip ties, hopped in the car, and the driver started towards the track entrance. He zip tied the door to the roll cage and then hopped back out. Both cars took the checkered flag.

As a result of the last minute heroics from the team the organizers awarded us with the Heroic Fix trophy!

As you could see the Jag got faster as drivers became more comfortable with it. A 2:01 is a respectable time for the track, especially in a C class car with springs being the only upgrade. The car was very fast in a straight line, our speedo is broken so I do not know our top end but I am sure we hit at least 115. It did not corner as well as I had hoped, but it still has original bushings that are cracked and dry rotted. These will be the first upgrade for next race as well as changing out other suspension parts that are heavily rusted. The tires while being an extreme summer tire with a 200 tw were not all that I had hoped for. We will use this set for one more race as there is plenty of tread left, but I would like to move to a 17in rim as there are many more tire options for racing.

I'll try to post some pictures tonight, I wasn't able to take many as the team spent most of our time making repairs and as captain I do my best to make sure everything is running smoothly with the team. I also spent a fair amount of time helping other teams get back on the track. If you ever get the chance to attend a Lemons race I highly recommend it. You won't find a friendlier more helpful group. Well, outside of a Jaguar forum that is.

 

Congratulations. Your hard work and perseverance paid off. Thanks for letting us follow your exploits from the build through the race. I personally found it fascinating. I'm sure the tweaks you plan on for the next race will really pay off. And I'm sure someone on here will be able to help you with the DSC issue. Glad to hear you had no issues with the transfer case. I'm sure a lot of owners were happy to see that. If it can take a constant beating for 24 hours at high speed I would think it can more than handle some spirited day to day driving.

When is your next race?

 

Bravo! Sounds like a lot of fun.

115 mph! Nice! Especially knowing it was in pieces a few weeks ago.

Are you guys allowed to use a tablet and connect to the car's diagnostics, instead of just going through the dash gauges?

I use Torque Pro with a $15 Bluetooth adaptor and it works great with my phone. Total investment: $20. I can pick what info I want to monitor.

 

Yes, we do have a similar app with a Bluetooth adaptor. I actually put a phone holder on the dash for this purpose, but no one else had the app and I drove twice Saturday and fixed cars Sunday so I couldn't use it. I was going to use race chrono or track addict as they have the track pre-programed and will maintain a log of lap times, speed, brake zones, etc.

 

Also wanted to mention that I upgraded the dinky little transmission cooler to one that is appropriate for a truck that can pull 10,000 pounds. Biggest one I could find at it only cost $50. It is really a good investment for any automatic transmission that you plan on working a bit.

Okay, so here are some pictures of the weekend.




Black flagged after a spin. We're in the penalty box.




Firebird had a few issues with only 1.5 hours left in the race.




Yea, things just went to crap




Just after we took the checkered flag




Post Race team photo, with Most Heroic Fix trophy.

 

Oh, this car is not ours but I thought you would think it is cool. It was the car's debut, but you will probably see it pop up in other car media outlets over the next full years. Yes, it's a helicopter, and a car with an Audi motor, and it is fully amphibious! It only made it two laps on the track and then a lap around a local lake before the motor started to crap out, but it will be back and fixed in the future.

Speedycop Amphibious Race Helicopter

 

Nice pictures! But we (me, anyway) want to see more of the jag... BTW, how did the name come about?

That is probably a good idea about the transmission cooler. I ought to do that.

There is a part (that I have never seen) designed to divert air to the transfer case, if no one mentioned it. That, or fabricating something like it, might also be a good idea. Especially if you are running at 115 mph for hours on end.

 

I didn't feel it after the race or bringing it in to see how hot is gets. Air flow couldn't hurt though as long as no lift is created. We only get to top speed on the front straight. The average speed on a fast lap is 65 or so, but it is constant braking and WOT.

The kids came up with the name. They liked the Elmer's cow but I liked the color scheme more.