04-15-2019, 11:17 AM | #1 |
Drives: 2017 1SS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 391
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1Lap1LE (a.k.a. The Flying Penguin)
So, this will end up being more of a summary than a build journal, though there's still more to come. In May of 2017, the wife of a long-time co-driver reached out to me in advance of his birthday wanting to do something special for him and asked if there were any "bucket list" items. I suggested One Lap, and said that I'd provide the car and we'd split expenses - she was up for it, and so it began. At that point, I had a CAMC 4th Gen Camaro, and we were going to run that. In August of 2017 I was running my 4th at CAM East in Peru, Indiana, and I was gridded next to "Mellow Yellow", the GM Performance Driving Team's 6th Gen SS1LE on DSSVs and 305 RE-71Rs. While we were planning on running One Lap in the 4th gen, but it was rowdy and loud and not really comfortable or ultimately as fast as a 6th gen. I had been considering an SS 1LE, and talking to the various engineers there that weekend sold me on it. On the way home I decided to buy one. A couple weeks later I was on a plane to Detroit, where I was picked up by Alan Johnson @ Matick Chevrolet in my new SS1LE. We did the paperwork in a hotel parking lot, after which he got out and his wife came to pick him up and I hit the road to go back to NJ. Alan tracks a ZL1 1LE and we have stayed in close contact since the sale. So I took the car home and promptly got ready to head back to Nebraska for the 2017 SCCA Solo Nationals. I put 295/30/20 RE71Rs on it and a DSC controller, and ran the CAM Challenge and Solo Nationals. I didn't have a great week, but my co-driver was able to grab 7th place at Nats in the car. After that, it was time to get ready for One Lap 2018. Prep for OLOA 2018 was more about getting track time than anything else. My co-driver and I were both long-time autocrossers, but track noobs. One Lap requires that each driver have two days of on-track school, and so I sent my new Camaro with my co-driver for two days at Watkins Glen, and he came back with nothing but rave reviews. He tracked the car before I got to! I then took the car for a weekend at NJMP's lighting course, and it was a total riot. I was hooked on track stuff from that point forward. The rest of the prep was pretty easy for OLOA 2018 - Ferodo DS2500s, SRF, and 295/305 PS4S. I got out to a TNIA at Pocono a few weeks before the big show to knock the rust off. We got to South Bend for Day 0 of One Lap, or "Sticker Day". Why is it called sticker day? The car was so good that week. We were two track novices (though with a lot of autocross experience) and while we weren't running away from anyone, we were competitive - we finished 3rd in class and 16th overall. It was some point mid-week that One Lap went from "bucket list" to the primary focus of my motorsports calendar. I was hooked. Before One Lap, I had ordered a Whipple through the Weapon-X group buy. The supercharger wasn't the best call for autocross or track work, but I always wanted to build a bonkers car, and this was the opportunity. So I put the Whipple on in the garage. I also had some custom 300 lb/in front springs wound by Cannon Spring Co. out of Oklahoma, and paired that with some 1000 lb/in rear springs and perches from Ground Control. And we went autocrossing again. On the way there we stopped at McCluskey Chevrolet in Cincinatti and picked up the GM Performance ELSD Calibration. My co-driver grabbed 3rd in the big GT class in Optima's DriveAutoX last year in Peru, Indiana. After that, I did another track day at NJMP Lightning and VIR. And I hosted a wounded veteran for VETMotorsports, and let him have his first taste of autocross in the car. In my last session at VIR I was getting a misfire above 135 mph. It didn't reappear on the ride home from VIR to NJ, but the car would be very rough at startup, and felt off. I figured I had melted the cats. Sure did. In order to do One Lap with the blower, we needed to make sure that we had a reliable setup, so more air and fuel was on order. I took the car up to Jannetty Racing Enterprises where they installed and tuned: Roto Fab Big Gulp LT5 Throttle Body LT4 HPFP LT4 Injectors JMS Voltage Booster Kooks 2" headers with and without green cats Kooks 3" X-pipe Results were pretty good. (this is with no additional boost) As the old adage says, "power is nothing without control", so it was time to address aero. The aero package on the car is meant to be legal for SCCA Time Trials Max 1 Ruleset. Components: Steve Christy Composites carbon fiber splitter (double thickness) Steve Christy Composites carbon fiber dive planes Driveway Labs hood vent GOODAero rear wing ZL1 Add Ons Diffuser I've also decided to move away from the MRC/custom springs/DSC setup so that I can get some real spring rate under the car. On order (and hopefully arriving this week) are a set of MCS two-way non-remote coilovers - 650 lb/in front and 1200 lb/in rear. Also (hopefully coming before One Lap) is a set of brake ducts, roll bar, and rear seat delete from the guys at Garage Therapy. We'll be running on 325 rear and 305 front PS4S on OEM 5th Gen Z/28 wheels for One Lap this year. Autocross and Time Trial will likely see 305 RE71Rs on 19x11 square Forgelines. You can follow the adventure on the facebook or instagram accounts (1lap1le) and this year we're fundraising for VETMotorsports. The fundraiser is the pinned post on the Facebook page, and none of the donations go to our running of the event - 100% goes to VETMotorsports to help them further their mission of empowering injured veterans through motorsports involvement. My co-driver for this year is Ryan "Brad" Finch. He's "Brad" at Tire Rack, so if you're buying tires, ask for him. We're both veterans and have found a great home in motorsports, and are excited to tie that in. As a Tire Rack employee, he's bringing with him support from Tire Rack, so we'll also be running the Tire Rack Street Survival decals on the car. Incidentally, I bought the red 4th gen in the first picture from this year's co-driver. It was originally built by the lead ELSD calibrator for GM. "Brad" came out to see us at the Wet Skid Pad last year, and he's co-driving this year. Next year's co-driver will be the same co-driver who grabbed 7th at Nats in the car while it was on temp tags, and 3rd against Brian Peters and Randy Atkins @ Optima. We'll be at Nelson Ledges 4/27 and 4/28, and at Blackhawk Farm on 5/2 in shakedown and pre-run mode as both of those tracks are on the route this year. One Lap starts 5/3!
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2017 1SS 1LE - 663 whp/623 wtq Rotofab/Whipple/Kooks 2"/LT5 TB/LT4 Fueling/E85/MCS Coilovers/Ground Control/GOODAero/Apex Wheels/Race Louvers |
04-15-2019, 02:18 PM | #2 |
CamaroFans.com
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Well this journal will be worth following...
Bring this bad boy to Camaro Fest and the NCM course in July. |
04-15-2019, 02:27 PM | #3 | |
Drives: 2017 1SS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 391
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Quote:
I'd love to, but I'll be on a family vacation then. I'll be at NCM on Friday 5/10 for One Lap and for TT Nats.
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2017 1SS 1LE - 663 whp/623 wtq Rotofab/Whipple/Kooks 2"/LT5 TB/LT4 Fueling/E85/MCS Coilovers/Ground Control/GOODAero/Apex Wheels/Race Louvers |
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04-15-2019, 03:37 PM | #4 |
CamaroFans.com
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Hope to run into you someday at the track.
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04-19-2019, 09:51 PM | #5 |
Drives: 2017 1SS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 391
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Looks like I’ve got some work to do.
MCS 2-Way Non-Remotes Ground Control Camber Plates, 650 lb/in front springs (1200 lb/in rears not pictured) This is replacing my home brew setup of 300 lb/in front (custom would by Cannon Springs) and 1000 lb/in rear with a DSC controller. That setup has been great, but with the aero I wanted to add more spring, and dropping 40 pounds of unsprung weight has its appeals. I’m sure I’ll miss the ride quality on the transits, but these should feel awesome on track.
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www.facebook.com/1lap1le
2017 1SS 1LE - 663 whp/623 wtq Rotofab/Whipple/Kooks 2"/LT5 TB/LT4 Fueling/E85/MCS Coilovers/Ground Control/GOODAero/Apex Wheels/Race Louvers |
04-20-2019, 06:33 AM | #6 |
Drives: 2018 1SS 1LE Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Michigan
Posts: 287
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Alan is a top notch guy.....I’ve known him since my G8 days.
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2018 SS 1LE—707rwhp, 615rwtq
2009 Pontiac G8 GT—605rwhp, SOLD |
05-06-2019, 06:03 PM | #7 |
Drives: 2017 1SS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 391
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So far so good. Three days into One Lap and we’ve done pretty good. First in class, 7th overall.
This car is so awesome.
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www.facebook.com/1lap1le
2017 1SS 1LE - 663 whp/623 wtq Rotofab/Whipple/Kooks 2"/LT5 TB/LT4 Fueling/E85/MCS Coilovers/Ground Control/GOODAero/Apex Wheels/Race Louvers |
05-10-2019, 10:33 AM | #8 |
Drives: 2017 SS 1LE Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Monterey, CA
Posts: 2,474
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Chris, lets get an update!!! Also what the hell happened to Andy in the 720S?!?!
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IG: @NC_M1SS1LE
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05-10-2019, 03:32 PM | #9 |
Drives: 2017 1SS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 391
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Had a long night last night. Oil cooler lines rubbed through the factory oil cooler hard lines and the car dumped all of its coolant in Indiana.
A bunch of local racers stopped to help and we thrashed until 2 am to get the car together. Then the supercharger belt tensioner failed 5 hours into the 6 hour drive to NCM. Belt was waving to us through the hood vent. Cut it off, zip tied the bypass valve open and Ryan sent it in “restrictor mode”. First session was bad as he was 5 minutes from being in the highway (we rolled in late due to the mechanical) but he stood on a 10th and 11th overall for the next two events. We think our class win is locked up and the skid pad will determine overall. We can finish between 8-10 if things go normally. Beyond thrilled with the week.
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2017 1SS 1LE - 663 whp/623 wtq Rotofab/Whipple/Kooks 2"/LT5 TB/LT4 Fueling/E85/MCS Coilovers/Ground Control/GOODAero/Apex Wheels/Race Louvers |
05-11-2019, 08:22 PM | #10 |
Drives: 2017 1SS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 391
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What a week.
We also raised over $5,600 for VETMotorsports and were the highest placed American car. More to come later, but here’s a taste of the week.
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2017 1SS 1LE - 663 whp/623 wtq Rotofab/Whipple/Kooks 2"/LT5 TB/LT4 Fueling/E85/MCS Coilovers/Ground Control/GOODAero/Apex Wheels/Race Louvers |
05-11-2019, 08:27 PM | #11 |
Who Needs to KNOW?
Drives: 18 ZLE Join Date: May 2018
Location: Left Side of the Moon
Posts: 1,771
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Congrats Chris.
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ing for grip.
Are you in the NY/NJ/PA/CT region? Join us for autox fun at MetLife Stadium. HUGE lots, tons of runs. http://www.motorsportsne.com/ |
05-11-2019, 08:39 PM | #12 |
Hot Dog
Drives: '17 1SS 1LE Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Metro Detroit
Posts: 1,937
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Congratulations!
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2017 "M1SS1LE" in Hyper Blue w/PDR
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05-12-2019, 09:51 PM | #13 |
Drives: 17 ss1le. Pray headcam e85 fbo msd Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Northern Indiana
Posts: 79
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Awesome work guys!! And great write up
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05-13-2019, 08:46 AM | #14 |
Drives: 2017 SS 1LE Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: San Ramon, Ca
Posts: 550
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Congrats!!
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