Friday, October 22, 2010

A few years & a few thoughts later...

There are good reasons why there haven't been any real updates for a long time now. The main reason is that the racer is not done - yet - but there has been steady progress, even if it has been at a glacial rate. The other reason is that the likelyhood of any project's completion is inversely proportional to how much time is wasted blogging about it.

The project started as 3 big design steps forward early 2008. Actually finishing it meant that 2 steps have been taken back. It was completely redesigned late 2008. The second step forward (Two wheel steering) will be fabricated and installed after the racer is done, tested, and well used. The third design step (Two wheel drive) will wait for another project.

Even if the machine is capable of amazing lap times, well, I still need to learn a LOT about generating amazing lap times. Living in an area with a fantastic roadracing club (MRA) and an amazing new track an hour away (High Plains Raceway) is a real blessing.

So just how great can an EX500 powered racer with a heavy steel frame and stock wheels really be? Well, as much as it excites me, you won't see "The Making Of..." artsy video nonsense or any other pompous promotional puffery. But it will provide loads of valuable information and experience for very little money that will be applied to a far more radical, faster, and better finished racer.

Oh yes - the racer project is, as the homebuilt aircraft people like to say, "90% done, 90% left to do"...