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Greetings Saturn Enthusiasts!
Please enjoy the latest October SPS Updates…
Please Excuse Our Dust
You might not expect that a construction project for a primarily distribution-focused business like SPS would affect our customers. However, please be advised that we are currently living with an extensive roofing project on our building that began on September 23 and is expected to continue for nine weeks.
Already, this project has caused one power outage (on Thursday 10-03-02) that forced us to close for a half day. And we will soon be forced to move our rooftop wireless antenna that will temporarily leave us without internet access.
We apologize in advance for any inconveniences that this may cause. But lets face it: race and show season is virtually over for the year. So at least this project will be done before spring – when such complications would be even more costly for all of us!
Product News
Denso's new Iridium spark plugs are now in stock for all Saturn L series sedans and wagons and VUE sport utility vehicles using either the 2.2L Ecotec or the 3.0L V6 engines. Denso Iridium spark plugs use incredibly durable iridium to make a spark plug electrode that is only 0.4mm in diameter. And while the iridium material itself has no claimed performance benefit, its incredible strength and high melting point (even higher than platinum) allows much smaller electrode design than what would be possible with conventional materials. This smaller electrode creates a more concentrated electric field that reduces the voltage requirement. On some performance motors, this can translate into easier starts and quicker acceleration. Visit http://www.spswebpage.com/tech/denso.html to learn more about Denso Iridium spark plugs. The WSIK16 at $13.95 per plug is recommended for the 2.2L Ecotec while the WSIK20 (also at $13.95 per plug) is recommended in the 3.0 V6.
Our latest SPS t-shirt features a modern race-inspired blueprint design on the back and the SPS checkered flag logo on the chest, printed on heavyweight 100% cotton white t-shirts. They are available in sizes ranging from medium to double extra large. Choose between short sleeve or long sleeve applications - or get one of each! The second generation SPS ‘Blueprint Design’ t-shirt is available now in the short sleeve version as part number SPST003X for $19.95 each and the long sleeve version is available now as part number SPST004X for $24.95 each. (‘X’ in the part number denotes the size.)
SPS Racing
In a weekend filled with AWOL alternators, booming exhaust systems, errant shift cables, failed wheel bearings, and melted fuel pump harnesses, the SPS Racing/scR motorsports camp kicked off our first full race weekend of the year by taking Grattan Raceway by storm during the Labor Day weekend beginning August 30. Bring on the mechanical gremlins - we can fix anything! Well, almost anything...
Practice day, Friday, August 30:
Since this was to be the first race weekend of the year for James Walker, Jr. and the #34 car, he made the Friday morning trek across the state of Michigan to shake out the off-season bugs. He was joined by John Comeskey in the #55 Six Cats Racing SC2 and Jan Rief in his ITA Integra GS (cough, cough.) The sun was shining, the grass was green, and the racecars were ready to roll.
Roll they did until the second practice session, when the ‘oh-so-cool’ new-for-2002 carbon fiber dash and gauge panel on the #34 car indicated to James that the battery voltage was somewhere below nine volts. Thinking back to Watkins Glen in 2001, the team quickly concluded that the alternator charging wire had gone south. No problem, this would be an easy swap.
Unfortunately, inspection of the wire showed that it was fine, so the team made the next logical conclusion: the alternator must be bad. However, replacing the alternator (not the most friendly job on a Saturn, particularly in the middle of a big, grassy field) made no improvement. So the engineers broke out the wiring schematics and very slowly came to the answer: the oh-so-cool new-for-2002 carbon fiber dash panel had bypassed the stock battery indicator light which, for reasons we still do not completely understand, is an integral part of the Saturn charging system. Go figure…
The long-term solution would have been to procure another indicator light, splice it into the oh-so-cool new-for-2002 carbon fiber dash wiring, and hope for the best. The team instead bought two more batteries at K-Mart and charged them overnight in the Hampton Inn hotel room, hoping each would last for the following day's races.
Here also started the theme for the weekend: small numbers making a big difference, this time, just twelve small volts.
Qualifying, Saturday, August 31:
Qualifying on Saturday morning would be a record-setting event (for people who care to keep track of such records). For the first time ever, no less than FOUR Saturn coupes took the green flag for an SCCA-sanctioned road race - the three cars in the scR motorsports camp plus the 'Trans Am blue' (we still say it looks blue-green) coupe of Chris Berube. Because the #34 had missed nearly all of practice on Friday, most of the session was spent getting a feel for the car, but the car was quick nonetheless. Fifteen minutes with the eyes glued to the voltmeter were rewarded when the final grid for the race was posted.
The paddock was buzzing with the talk of four Saturns in the top ten qualifying positions! Unfortunately, there was an Integra (belonging to our friend and neighbor Ran Rief) on the pole, but the #34 car was only 0.016 seconds behind, with the #21 car occupying the third spot back. This time the small difference in numbers made for a huge difference in bragging rights. Figuring that the start of the race would be critical, the Integra camp and the Saturn prepared to do battle by discussing starting strategy over a hot dog or two.
Race, Saturday, August 31:
In a move that will be debated until James and Jan are old and grumpy, at the wave of the green flag, the #34 car made a perfect move and beat the Integra to turn 1 by three car lengths. It was a lead that would never be relinquished. To hear Jan's side of the story, one would hear words and phrases like ‘cheater,’ ‘jumping the start,’ and the favorite ‘taking advantage of the new guy.’ Nevertheless, James won the race to turn 1, and that's all of the racing that took place at the front. The #34 car slowly increased the first lap lead and ended up finishing fourteen seconds in front of the second place finisher in class.
Further back in the pack, however, Mark Rushbrook was finding that several gears were not available to him, including important ones like second and fourth! Consequently he fell from third overall to LAST overall by turn 2 and spent the next couple of choice words deciding what to do next. He considered retiring from the race, but then in a moment of clarity, he realized that both third and fifth gears were still functional. Thus Mark's race resumed. In spite of the lack of all even-numbered cogs (small numbers once again making a difference,) he ended up passing over half of the field and landed home in a solid sixth place, one spot behind fifth-place finisher Chris Berube in his blue-green (sorry, ‘Trans Am blue’) coupe.
And what about John in the #55 car? He spent most of his time battling with an out-of-class ITB Volvo. And while he and the Volvo were battling for mid-pack positions, their door-to-door action made for some of the best racing in the entire group! The Volvo managed to win the position by a nose at the checker – despite a dramatic last-minute effort by John. Nevertheless, John’s seventh-place finish in ITA ensured that all four Saturns finished in the top ten.
Unfortunately, things were not quite as celebratory in the Integra camp. In spite of Jan’s fantastic drive to a second place finish, the car was disqualified for exceeding the SCCA’s 103dB limit for trackside noise. He was over the limit by one decibel. One little dB. Yet another case of small numbers making a large difference.
Qualifying, Sunday, September 1:
Following the race on Saturday, each team had their special tasks to accomplish prior to taking the green on Sunday:
car #34 - charge batteries...again
car #21 - repair shift cables
car #55 - replace front wheel bearing in attempt to cure the 'thumpies'
Of course, all of this paled in comparison to the fabrication taking place in the Integra camp. In keeping with the ricer 'bling bling' image of the Acura marquee, a beautiful three-inch chromed tip was added to the car's exhaust in an attempt to tame the noise concern from Saturday. Aesthetics aside, the glasspacking in the tip was selected for its authentic ricer rumble, and frankly, the car had never sounded so good. (Yes, we are getting a lot of mileage out of this exhaust tip story.)
While a visual, aural, and image-bolstering knockout, unfortunately the tip failed to direct the hot exhaust gasses from the exposed fuel tank wiring underbody and proceeded to melt away just about everything in its path. This resulted in the Integra making only three hot laps (small number again) in qualifying before coasting to an inelegant stop behind the turn-2 worker station.
The #21 car did not have significantly better luck, with Mark having control over all forward gears for only four corners. After that point, he was back to running the third-fifth marathon. Rowing through the gears in this manner was good enough for a fourth place qualifying spot – which manifests Mark’s exceptional driving skill - but the car was still well off its potential.
By this time (Sunday morning qualifying,) the #55 car had already replaced both front wheel bearings. And John and Jen had only brought one extra left and one extra right knuckle assembly, so they hoped that all bearings would last for at least 2 more sessions. Their wishes came true, and John’s 8th place qualifying position would be one better than his 9th place start on Saturday. And while this is significantly farther back in the pack than the other cars on the team, its really right where he should be considering the state of preparation on the #55 car and the relative lack of driver experience. (We look for John to be a contender in the years to come.)
In the team scR #34 camp, however, everything was going to plan. With a fresh battery and a new set-up derived from Saturday's race notes, the team ran the car around the course in 1:32.0 - the best time of the weekend, and good enough to land them on the pole. The next closest ITA competitor was over 1.4 seconds behind (another small number making a huge difference.)
Race, Sunday, September 1:
At the drop of the green, the #34 car again pulled away from the field heading to turn 1 and never looked back. Fifteen laps and 11.8 volts later, Tom and Pat were able to share in their second victory lap of the weekend, hooting and hollering all the way. Back in the pack, however, there was a race taking place.
With a fast ITB car causing a small traffic jam at the start of the race, it was non-stop action between the horde of Saturns and a recently-rewired Integra. All was looking good for the #21 car mid-race with a solid second place finish shaping up until - this time, about seven laps into the race - the shifter cables wigged out yet again. (Note to self: check the shifter cables before Mid-Ohio!)
This small miscue let the Integra (who had crept up from a fifth-place qualifying spot) quickly by, and forced Mark to soldier on to a third-place finish at the checker. The Saturn coupes of Chris and John rounded out the top positions in seventh and eighth, respectively. Once again, John and the ITB Volvo (the same one from Saturday) put on a show for the workers and spectators, swapping positions as many as three and four times per lap! But this time, John won the position from the out-of-class Volvo because in his words, ‘Someone had to beat up on those ITB cars in the back of the pack with a Saturn.’
And so ended the biggest Saturn race weekend ever. A pair of wins, a pair of front-row qualifying efforts, a pair of fastest race laps, and every team car finishing every race in the top ten. Do you think anyone in ITA is noticing a trend here?
The scR team finale will be the Mid-Ohio WOR Games in October. All three teams - plus Chris, Jan, and our usual band of ITA groupies - will be taking to the big track one last time before the decision to go to the ARRC is made. Sure makes for a short season, but rest assured that we will be back in 2003 with two new crewmembers. Hondas and Acuras beware!
2002-2003 SPS Catalogue Update
Although we were originally hoping to have the new 2002-2003 catalogue in the mail by now, progress is still steaming ahead. The final document was sent to the printer on Wednesday, October 2. We expect the bulk mailing to begin during the week of October 14-18.
There are over 8000 customers in our mailing list that will receive new catalogues as part of the bulk mailing. This includes all Saturn owners who have purchased from SPS within the past 3 years.
If you sent $5 for a catalogue since July and have not yet received a copy, don’t worry – we ran out of the old catalogues a little bit early and are finishing the new catalogues a bit late. You will be included in the bulk mailing!
Thanks to everyone for your patience and understanding!
SPS 2002 Event Schedule (tentative)
Oct 5-6: SPS Racing at Mid-Ohio
Nov 28: SPS Closed for Thanksgiving holiday
Dec 7: SPS to attend PRI trade show in Indianapolis
Dec 24: SPS Closed for Christmas Eve holiday
Dec 25: SPS Closed for Christmas holiday
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Until next month, HAVE A GREAT FALL! |
