Random Thoughts :)

With the New Year coming up on us in a hurry we have been busy at the shop! Yes there is no more racing going on for the most part so spending time at the track has slowed down for a little while until the season opens back up. With the lack of track days however there are plenty of people planning out the new season.  It’s a great time to do rebuilds, maintenance, upgrades or just get a jump on the other drivers so you will be ready when the flag does drop again!

We have Noble motor build-ups going on, some crazy restoration work, just added a new line of our silicone hoses and at the same time the boys in the shop have been busy redesigning the M400 fuel and oil system to allow the Noble’s to scoot around the track quicker without any troubles. From our experience the power upgrades such as our single turbo conversion coupled with improved suspension and topped off with sticky race tires have been testing the limits on both the OE Noble fuel cell and oil pan while on the track. The possibility of oil and fuel starvation has made us re-think the factory setup and create both a dry sump oiling system and a properly designed fuel cell with strategic baffling. We also came up with a fuel surge tank setup that can be added on which is great for our customers who can’t get the whole fuel tank to us for a complete work up. Nothing like overkill to provide a driver a little less to worry about when railing those high G corners!

 Also we just got back from the PRI show (Performance Racing Industry) in Florida. We are trying to keep or track while digesting all the cool new products that are coming to market and thinking up ways to use them or at least just justify a way to pick some up to play with! One device that we had to add to the ever expanding lineup at TurboHoses was the Race Technology line of data loggers ( DL1, DL2, AX22) and display gauges (DASH1, DASH2, DASH3)! If you have ever been interested in setting up some sort of data logger these are the way to go! It is always amazing how fast technology grows to meet the needs of the people who use them and Race Technology is doing just that! Our track orientated customers are going to love these!

Custom fuel system for Sti

The addiction to speed affects us all!

You want to know how to put a smile on a kids face?
Just put them behind the wheel of something insanely quick with a loud motor and 4 sticky tires, heck it doesn't even matter if the wheels are mounted yet! Just imagining the thrill of piloting a wicked 2-stroke beast all on their own is sure to bring a smile about! Ahh Ya!

New Bay Area Noble M400 owner getting his car detailed!
Congrats!

Too good to pass up.. Noble M400 vs Ferrari Enzo Part 2

Continued from where we left off yesterday... Up early and on the way to ThunderHill..

4:15am 
I'm up, I think or am I still dreaming?

All night I kept dreaming about Spec Boxster for some reason; have I found my calling? In my dream Rob kept trying to drift a Nascar with four people in it. Hmmmmm.....I'm glad I'm awake. Too much candy, too much gum, too much diet soda etc... I feel numb and there's a ringing in my ears, probably my brain. I can feel the redness in my eyes and looking at this computer screen in the dark really hurts.

Mentally planning on what needs to be done:
1. burn off the rubber on the tire from the last track event.
2. wash off car.
3. a quick nut and bolt.
4. check fluids
5. check cameras
6. take asprin, my head is killing me.

4:35am 
Time to get up.


7:40 am
Rob wants his reDbull and bagel. He settled for a power bar (chocolate), yuck, that is the worst power bar ever.

I guess there's some ford gt and scud awaiting punishment.

Good try, but not this time!

Shortly after... We are good!

 

Prep Time! :)

Here he is... Mr. Enzo awaiting our dance! :)

Looks like he brought some of his Ferrari Buddies!

There's a full 360 challenge car that is faster than the Enzo.

Some Enzo Shots..

Rob showing off the aerodynamics!

Crazy window crank! Lightweight all the way!

Enzo's have a very slick pedal setup.

Another Ferrari / Noble owner giving the Enzo an OK!

Rear diffuser.

Menacing side profile shot.

Darth Vader's side shot... Much better looking at a fraction of the cost, IMO ;)

You wish Rob!

Free Rides! Come on down! :)

Plenty of show and tell, the Ferrari guys love their cars!

Motor under glass...a Ferrari specialty!

Finally got some lunch...Guess what they did not offer?

Back to the track..

How about this cool shot of Darth Vader? Cooling off is easy to do with the clams up! Btw Rob say the GoPro makes the car look like a unicorn, LOL!

End to a fabulous day!

Loaded up and on the way home...

(Chris driving, Hoover taking picture & Rob relaxing in the back)

Stopped by BJ's for dinner - a ThunderHill track tradition!

Synopsis of the day to come...we need some rest first!

Too good to pass up.. Noble M400 vs Ferrari Enzo

Sometimes an opportunity comes along that you have to jump at...

5:25 am

We have a chance to track against an Enzo on Wednesday.
It was very last minute and my car is with Grapeman 6 hours from here. It's estimated 9 hours to the track from his house.
I guess I can make the event if I non-stop drive. My ETA to the hotel is midnight, pending I leave within a few hours.

My car isn't prepped and just came off the track. Oh well, wish me luck!!!!

Here goes.....

6:30 am

Once the shop opens up, my crew will handle all of the logistics, I just have to get my car and to the track. 

I'll keep everyone posted throughout the day.

Ok, it's 6:30 and I have to grab my trailer.

6:37 am

I hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew, it seems to be a habit of mine.

Lets see, an Enzo weighs about 2800lbs.
Approximately 660bhp, which translates to 5XX whp and a top speed of over 200 mph.

Hmmmmm.......I can't drive worth dog poop.
Crap, I'm calling Racer Rob up!!!

I'm off to grab my trailer folks, i'll post through out the day, evening, night, morning, dinner, junk food, red bull etc....

8:45 am

Racer Rob met me at the shop. Were on the road. I5 is super windy. Lucky for us Grapeman is lending us his trailer.
I'm filled up with red bull and power bars!!!

Chris packed up tools and William will deliver them to the track in the morning.

9:48 am

Rob just drank two red bulls, he's gonna crash later.

Were going over our strategy. I wish I had a front lip now.

10:23 am

Pit stop.
Gas, vitamin water, water, m&m, gum (extra long lasting flavor), sour crawlers and asprin.
It smells like cow pucky here.
Were making good ground and averaging 85mph.

11:40 am

Almost at the Grapevine. Making great time!!!
La traffic back north is going to be painful.

12:28 pm

1 hour to darth vader.

90mph.

12:43 pm

Camera batteries are charged, right?

1:57 pm

We have DV on the trailer!!!
Thanks Grapeman for meeting is during your busy afternoon!

2:34 pm

We are staying ahead of the traffic and keeping our fingers crossed.
I'm starving!!!!!!!!someone pass me a burger!!!!

I won't have enough tools to do anything, so I hope dv makes it just enough to accomplish our goals.

2:40 pm

I think we're getting bored.
Ron is humming rap songs, while I do the beats!

It looks like traffic ahead, but it's moving.

Darn truck in front of won't move and we almost missed the turn off.

Here was the reason for the traffic.

2:50 pm

Rob's on 4 redbulls, life savers and sour power worms.
It's a good day!

People keep dive bombing the trailer!!!!!

Here comes the heavy metal songs from his mp3 player!!!!

4:14 pm

Pulled over by chp.

4:26 pm

He let us go.....NOT!!!!
state budget crisis needs funding.

4:49 pm

Pit stop.
Pissed off about the ticket!
fuel, soda and throw out garbage.

5:03 pm

Huhhh..... Took a nap.... Feel better....10 minutes does wonders.
Falling asleep again......Hoover need pillow.......

Ready to get back on the road!

Between 5:03 and 7:18 pm ;)
The sun is going down. We listened to oldies: EWF, Stevie, jacksons,
Isley brothers, etc..... I'm somewhat numb and Ron is doing great.
All the candy is gone and were left with one bottle of water and half
bottle of vitamin water.

Were not even close to being there!!!!!
Half the asprin is gone as well.

Lots of waves on the freeway, but we just keep going.

I'm playing out in my pee brain what will happen tomorrow.....

7:18 pm
Rob and I realized that we're not too bright to try and do this, but we progress.

The big rig lights are really neat and somewhat hypnotic. Rob slapped me in the chest and wanted me to snap out of my trance.

The support is awesome and we thank everyone!!!!!!!

There's a huge head wind and we need fuel again.

I apologized to Rob for the short notice and asked what he wants me to do to dv. He said well be fine. With all the messed up cars we've driven, we're in good shape.


8:18 pm
No more vitamin water and the last two life savers are gone.
We are near the shop.

I think it best to get some sleep, wake up early and head out.

See you all tomorrow!!!

Too be continued....

California Speedway Hoover's Wrap Up

Hi All,

We are back from the track and all trailers unloaded.

This is the first time I've been to California Speedway. I was extremely impressed with the facility and the track. The event was a Porsche Owner's Club (POC) and there were more Porsches than I could count. Full pit crews, big rigs and tire changers were everywhere. If you wanted to have rear wing envy, this was definitely the place. Rob told me that the bigger the wing, the slower the car. I saw an EXTREMELY modified 911 turbo that I found hard to believe was slow. If you stood in the Grand Stand, you could see 85% of the track and follow the cars through each turn.

During mid-morning, Mark V. stopped in with his Blue Noble M12 and we all had a chance to meet him. He stayed with us for a few hours. Great meeting you Mark. We hope to see you on the track soon!!!!

Jim and I were the pit crew in the 100 dg. weather. Most would consider that too HOT to track, but during these track days, we get to test our products and push the envelope on our developments. In the first session, I played Crew Chief and had direct contact to Robert's car. I kept an eye on his car and would contact him if I needed him to come in. I took a second to put my camera down and Jim tapped me on the shoulder telling me that Robert's car is smoking. I had him pit while running back to the paddock to get a fire extinguisher ready. Unfortunately, his day ended due to a worn ring.

I've watched Robert drive for a few track events now and he's incredibly fast at learning a track. Seeing him on his home turf really gave me an idea of his ability in a familiar environment. He took better lines than Rob and didn't scrub off too much speed into the turns. The car looked very balanced at each apex and he carried his speed with ease. Nine seconds faster is HUGE.
When he told me that, I half way believed him and the other half told me that he was a really slow driver in the past. However, he proved me wrong when he went back with DV on Sunday and once again beat his best Friday time by 3 more seconds with a passenger.

It was the weekend of my birthday and my wife asked what I wanted. I told her that I wanted to go to Fontana and bring a partial crew to see Robert's Noble and DV on this legendary track. She gave me the OK. Rob insisted that I go for a ride since the pit crew wasn't necessary anymore. I grabbed my helmet and off we went. In our run group were: Skyline GTR, GT3, Cup Car, 911TT, Lotus Exige, BMW m3 (Super fast) and a few others. We started at the end of the run group and into turn 2 he had already passed half the group. The Skyline must have started later in the session because he came out of nowhere. At turn 3 and 4 we duked it out with the 911tt and the Gt3. Those guys fought hard for position and tried to cut into our line, but the Noble made it by with very little effort. It almost seemed like slow motion when I saw their passengers face looking at us pass them by. We finally made our way back to turn one and there was the Skyline GT-R. Into turn one both of us were full on the throttle and we started to just walk past him almost as if he was going in reverse. I found that hard to believe and chalked it down to a slow driver. I've driven my share of cars at 160+, and even a few times on the back roads at 155mph on many Nobles. Carrying the speed on turns 1 and 2 is way more than I can handle. I did my best to look over at the speedo, but Rob's hand was blocking it and my helmet was stuck to the roll bar. I just kept monitoring oil temps. coolant temps. and oil pressure since I was a prisoner of G-Force. After the third lap, I had enough. It's really difficult to be a passenger at such high speeds.


Due to our busy schedule, we didn't do any work to DV. We tightened the lug nuts, torque the axle nuts and wiped the windows. We had to take some numbers from Roberts’s unused numbers and all we could come up with was ZERO, since we had to have them on the side doors, back and front. I had no idea or had forgotten that this is the same fluid we've used for the last 3-4 track events. Robert and Rob drove with old clutch/brake fluids that were quickly on the way out and that gave them a ton of trouble shifting. In addition, we didn't have a front lip for those high speeds, no belly pan and no diffuser. Top speed was 170mph with no passengers. Next time we go back, I'll have a better prepped car and try for 180mph.

The guys from GMG Porsche came over and complimented us on the performance of the Nobles. They couldn't believe that we could own the track with so little effort. After Robert learned to pilot DV, he bested almost the entire POC in every category and a few of the full race prepped Cup Cars. Not bad for a car with air conditioning and radio.

During our break, we decided to walk the paddock area where we saw the white Norma. If you have 10k, you can drive it for two days. Sorry, we were just 10k short and decided to buy yummy cheese burgers instead. During our time there, we saw one crash coming into turn 2, that shut the track down for 45 minutes for clean up. The driver is fine and the rear end of the Porsche looks to be repairable. While walking the paddock, we saw the garage for GMG Porsche Racing and I recognized one of their crew. It was a friend of mine that does all their data scraping. I couldn't believe that they hired him to print out all the telemetry and translate it. It was very impressive to see such an organized group. They even had air jacks to cool off the tires when sitting in the paddock area. Racing with this group definitely sets a standard.

Go Pro Hero- This is a pretty good camera, but it frustrated Jim and myself trying to figure out how simply it worked. I guess that's why we have Zack. At 160mph, the rear camera started to point downwards from the high speeds, then straighten itself up when we slowed down to 80mph. During the first session, we had it on the incorrect setting and didn't get any video. However, we did get more video later in the day and Zack will edit it Friday.

Afterwards- Robert's wife made us all dinner and surprised me with a birthday cheesecake. Unreal, the food was better than any restaurant. Jim and I left for our hotel and Rob decided that he wanted to get back home asap, so he took the 7 hour drive back to Northern California. Since we had a Noble on our trailer, we found that the hotel we booked wasn't very nice, so we decided to get on the freeway and drove the wrong way and had to back track 20 minutes to Embassy Suites near Disneyland.

It's great to be in such a competitive group of racers and we'd love to have more Nobles participate!!!! The look on their faces is absolutely priceless!!!! Come join the fun!!!!

Thanks to:

Robert G. - for being such a nice guy and looking forward to better his GreenMachine even more.
Robert's Wife (allison)- FOOD!!!!!
Jimbo- Pit crew and trailering.
Racer Rob- trailering and driving.
Zack- posting pics. to keep everyone entertained.
Wife- for letting me go.

Quick Clip From California Speedway

Darth Vader is up front and Robert comes flying up from behind the pack!

At California Speedway!

Darth Vader our black Noble M400 is getting ready to join Robert and his SCCA ITE Noble M400 on the track to mix it up with some Porsches! Sounds like a fun day!

Robert Tests Out His M400 @ ThunderHill

With a fresh single turbo conversion and a ton of other upgrades Robert takes to the track in his Hooverized Noble M400 for a few shakedown runs!

Prep. For Virginia City Hill Climb

The Motorsports Program Is In Full Swing!

In the aftermath of our track day our thoughts here are still on racing, the effects take some time to wear off! :)

With that in mind we have been implementing some new ideas into our motorsport program and will have some exciting news coming soon regarding our Arrive & Drive Track Support Program that will allow us to provide yet another level of support to our fellow racers!

Our Motorsports Division has been getting a good portion of our focus as of late, and we are ramping up to provide new areas in both on and off track support. For those who are wondering what our program covers here is a quick rundown.

• Vehicle Build (Engine, Chassis, Tuning)
• Pre/Post Track Prep
• Driver Coaching
• Transport
• Trackside Support
• Bodywork & Finish

All of the individual portions are custom tailored and we sit down with every client to see which areas they need assistance with then we design a specific program around them to fit their needs. Our experience has shown that taking some or all of a race vehicle’s prep work off a drivers plate allows them to be more focused on what is important to them The Driving!

Our last build was the SCCA ITE Noble M400 which we did for Robert.

If you haven’t already take a moment and go to his build blog http://robertm400.blogspot.com/ check out the extensive pre-work that was done for a car getting prepped for track competition! The crew here has done an awesome job in making sure that everything went together in a timely manner and was built to exceed Robert’s expectations! We had a great time getting this Noble together and all of the upgrades will be put to good use annihilating his competition!

Let us do the same for you!

On Car Video From ThunderHill!

Here is some action footage from the track! Ride along with us as we go around ThunderHill Raceway and see our friends on the track enjoying the day!

Annual Track Event A Success!

This past Monday we held our annual track event at ThunderHill Raceway in Willows, California. The day was a blast, weather was great with high 80's and some cooling wind

that blew through in the afternoon. An open track with the entire day reserved gave everyone plenty of time to get out there and safely drive at speed in a controlled environment.

The TurboHoses crew had a wonderful time chatting with our clients and seeing the machines we collaborated on with them in action! Cars

in attendance ranged from Noble M12 & M400’s, a couple Lotus Elise (one turbo and one supercharged), A Lotus Esprit, Turbo and Supercharged BMW M3’s and a Porsche!
Here is a short video giving you a look at the day.

Zoooom

Noble lip for downforce