RJRacing

SANTA ANA, CA – The team has been working at a blistering pace getting ready for its first endurance race of the season on June 26-27, 2010 at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, California. The PTE sprint races will be at 1pm on both Saturday and Sunday, and the endurance race will be Saturday night, beginning with a FREE dinner and beer garden at 5pm. This in addition to RJ Racing’s full hospitality experience. Details are below.

After the problems the team encountered at AAA Speedway in March, the entire engine was gone through with a fine tooth comb yet again. It was discovered that the oil leaks at AAA Speedway were caused by faulty oil galley plugs. This necessitated removing the entire engine again and removing the cylinder head, water pump, oil pump, oil pan, transmission, clutch and flywheel to get to the plugs. After replacing and sealing the oil galley plugs, the leaks disappeared. While the transmission was off again, a lightweight flywheel and clutch disc were installed.

With the extended time off, further modifications were made to the #23 RJ Racing Mazda Miata MX-5. For the last three seasons, the team had been running with the original braking system, which included a disabled ABS system and stock proportioning valve. While the ABS system provided adequate stopping power, the braking feel at the limit was vague due to the additional brake line plumbing running through the ABS system. New brake lines were run and a new brake master cylinder was installed. This also helped shed some weight off the car, it was just surprising how much. The ABS box and the bracket weighed 11 pounds, with the bracket alone weighing 2.6 lbs.

Also, the stock brake proportioning highly favored the front brakes for safety reasons, but this left the rear brakes with very little to do. After the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, 70% of the front pad material had been used, but only 20% of the rear pad material was used. To cure this problem, the team installed an adjustable brake proportioning valve in the cockpit to be able to customize the amount of braking between the front and rear brakes. The key is to adjust the braking bias so the front brakes lock up just before the rears.

The battery was relocated to the center of the trunk to aid in weight distribution and for easier access.

Finally, the wiring both inside the cockpit and in the engine compartment was further streamlined and preparations were made for dedicated switches on the center console for all electrical components.

With all of the work complete, the car and the team are ready to get back on track. This will be the first endurance race for many of the new team members. Make sure to come out and see all the action for yourself.

WHAT: Sprint and Endurance racing
WHEN: June 26 & 27 at 1pm PDT (sprint race) / June 26 at 5pm PDT (endurance race)
WHERE: Buttonwillow Raceway, 24551 Lerdo Hwy, Buttonwillow, CA‎
DIRECTIONS: 5 North to Lerdo Hwy. Turn left on Lerdo Hwy, follow for 0.8 miles. Turn left at Ralt Street to Buttonwillow Raceway entrance. Allow 3-4 hours travel time from Orange County depending on traffic.

There is a $10 admission fee to the track, but as RJ Racing’s guests, we are more than happy to pay your admission fee. When you exit the highway, call either Rob or John at the numbers below and we will meet you at the gate. Pets are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times. Children must be directly supervised at all times. Hope to see you at the track!

–RJ Racing