Finnish race car project

re japi · May 07, 2015, 03:00:21 PM

Rallycross season 2015 start in week and a half. Cant wait!

JanneÂ´s Lada is NOT ready. This picture was taken last weekend

Still have to go to dyno and test. And I think test has to be done in free practice at first race...

Rotary Starlet has a new owner. That guy is good, and I am really looking forward to see what he can do. Here is link to his Facebook page. Please go and like and support him:
https://www.facebook.com/rxtonikuhanen?fref=ts

Also, I have talked with Janne, who owns that Rotary Volvo PV. Problems should be sorted now and car has massive power. They are doing few modifications to front end, but other than that, car is ready to race. I really hope that Janne and Volvo will have good season this year.

And Finnish rotary fans and enthusiast have own little page in Facebook. Please take a look and like.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotary-garage/680409828697430?fref=ts

Casey · May 10, 2015, 09:11:38 PM

What a great garage space, with a pit too

re japi · May 11, 2015, 05:21:34 AM

Yes, Janne has nice, good garage. He does car services for living. Easy to work when stuff are professional...

Well, he had car at dyno few days ago. After warm up, got ignition good to go. Then they felt vibration. Then massive explosion

New lighter drive shaft didnt like Volvo power.

Yesterday we looked at damages. Gearbox out shaft took a hit. Luckily Janne has spare parts and he started to rebuild gearbox with a guru.

Still have lots to do. Dyno, test and some stuff to car. No hurry, in friday we should be racing

boosted · May 11, 2015, 06:33:50 AM

Jesus! If that happens in my car i would be cut in half!

Casey · May 11, 2015, 08:55:23 AM

Just wow, some forces at work there

re japi · May 11, 2015, 01:28:16 PM

Excantly. Those things are not jokes. Janne said that he was lucky that he remembered to put drive shafts "blast shields" to the shaft/gear box tunnel. Actually, that shield broke in impact. And exhaust got a massive hit. Also there is lots of impact marks in tunnel...

Janne said also that when shaft exploded, everyone within 100m radius had little bit poop in their pants

re japi · May 18, 2015, 06:54:51 PM

Well, last saturday we had first round of our rallycross series. I really like KouvolaÂ´s TykkimÃ¤ki circuit. Had fun again.

This series is really growing, lots of new drivers and cars. We have 40 racers in this series now!

JanneÂ´s Lada was going great, nothing broke. Janne didnt trust the car, because he didnt do any testing. Car was only driven on dyno and to trailer. And first two test runs in race, he had no front brakes.

But during race day, he got more confidence to car so his time improved. Unfortunatly, he didnt get to finals, position 20th. "Big block" Volvo engine is awesome. He has more power and torgue than his previous Opel engine, even though engine didnt rev and didnt make power above 7000rpm. So he is missing some horses. But time to do some testing, next round is in three weeks...

Another JanneÂ´s Volvo Pv with rotary was doing great too. They didnt have last years problems, and car performed well. Driver was smiling

Last years hard work is paying off now. Unfortunatly, he wasnt fast enough this time, so he was 21st.

This picture is from friday night, getting ready. Weird thing is that people just low this car. We really dont know why

But its well made and looks quite good, so maybe thats why...

Picture is from saturdays morning practice. I think Janne was nervous..

Top 3 in autocross. Winner, Vesa was last years champion with his awesome Fiat X1/9. He really deserved than win. Last week he had about 10 hours sleep. He broke his engine less that week ago

3rd was Toni Kuhanen, with Rotary Starlet. Previous owner Toni Niemi sold his 2013 winner car(green) and now its is in Toni KÂ´s hands. Toni is also really really good driver, and this was his first rallycross even. Really looking forward to see his driving..

2nd was some 16 year old dude!!!! He was really fast, really impressive! Looking forward to see how far he can go...

Here is a little clip (phone image). 2 heats. First has blue rotary Volvo and orange rotary Starlet, second heat has Janne`s Lada...

re japi · June 09, 2015, 06:48:03 AM

Finally bro and dad have made some progress with car. Hopefully, it will be ready after our summer vacations.

Also, second rallycross event was in last weekend. Series really is growing, over 40 cars in our class, about 20 cars in SRC class and over 15 super cars. Lots of new faces too. Circuit had new tarmac in start so that made some problems, cars were not launching because it was so slippery. We managed to get only one decent launch... :/

JanneÂ´s Lada were good, no problems. Just wasnt fast enough this time, position 19 so we were 5points short to get to finals. Now engine gets upgrade backage, so hopefully Janne gets that +1500rpms, 20 horses and 30nm what he is missing now. Chassis and suspension is working just great. I just love being in JanneÂ´s crew, we dont have to work with car because car is always in good condition. There is some teams that has to work in middle of night and between every heat...

Rotary Volvo was good too, no problems. Car sounds and looks amazing! Unfortunatly in 4th heat, first turn had 3 cars side by side. Volvo got hitted, so he spinned out... :/ But thats racing...

Rotary Starlet was flying also. But in C finals, because of that new tarmac, car just dindt launch so that was it. Impossible to fight from last position...

Clip from Supercar final https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyP6guvwK4w

Clip from Autocross final https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhDMKPbA0ao

In-car action from MR2 in Autocross final https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qn_wZ1biS8

We have In-car camera in Lada, so hopefully we can put those vids here too someday

re japi · July 20, 2015, 05:59:25 AM

3rd rallycross event was last weekend. Well, what can I say about it...

Everything was shit. No bathrooms, no electricity, nothing was good (or even decent) basically. Me and bro had to bring electricity to our side of pits because it wasnt done when we got there. Track is crap, really stupid layout, really bad condition...

Lada had problems before this event so engine builder Seppo Kallonen really had to work with it. 3 dyno session, removed Haltech and back to old dizzy. But now engine is awesome. Massive torgue from low revs. Power really jumps up at 4000rpm. Max is about 250hp and 290nm. Lines crosses at 7000 and limiter is at 9000rpm.

Also made some upgaredes to suspension. Unfortunatly, we werent fast enough this time, position 24 so no finals. Next picture sums our weekend basically...

Then that track. After 3 autocross start, 5 cars were destroyed or badly beaten! It was dangerous. Drives say that we wont race. After long discussion, they were forced to make "adjustments" to track. But track surface was allready gone and it was obvious that cars will be getting beaten in that track...

This Escort was rebuilded for this season. It was beautiful. Driver is ok though....

Well, rotary Volvo was flying. He managed to get to the finals. But before that, oil sump was beaten and bent oil pick up. So he loosed oil pressure and forced to retire. So that was tracks fault too...

Rotary Starlet was flying also. He had no problems. But in C finals, he rear ended someone so that was it...

And that was that even... We are not going back there, ever... :/

clive · July 20, 2015, 08:26:54 AM

Real sorry you had such a bad weekend, I know what its like to loose a car this way (several times)

Sorry but I had to smile at the start of the sentence, "Everything was shit. No bathrooms"

re japi · July 20, 2015, 01:25:43 PM

Yes, I usually use word crap but this time event deserced word shit. I have seen races, rallyes and crosses 37 years now, and I have never seen this kind of chaos and crap anywhere...

Well, good thing is that our car is ok. Just minor battle scars. And I had long talk with our driver yesterday. All is forgotten (almost), and its time to move on. We know that car is fast and really relieble now. We just have to push driver to same level. Next event is in Honkajoki and we love that track. Ready to fight!

boosted · July 20, 2015, 01:50:39 PM

Blimin hell that escorts a wreck.....there fetching mahossive prices here in uk!

boosted · July 20, 2015, 01:54:00 PM

That beers a funny name too....how much do you have to drink before you become "le Coq"!!

re japi · July 20, 2015, 03:19:09 PM

Yes it is. And it was beautiful looking car. :/ And I hate Escorts, so it takes lots for me to say that

Yes, but it tastes good;) quite similar to Stella Artois.

I thought that we finns are cocks even without beer

Casey · July 21, 2015, 12:45:04 AM

Sorry to hear you had such an awful weekend Jarno. Can only get better from there, surely