View Full Version : What happened to Leo?
AtomicInternet
03-15-2003, 10:54 AM
He was doing strong in the practices (14 and 15th) but didn't finish the race. I know once Dave and Craig get back they'll post, wondering if anyone talked to them yet.
exigent
03-16-2003, 04:59 PM
Well... its like this...we ran a fast time of like 2:31:40 or somthing like that. It would have been good enough for top 3 or 4 last year... but..... this year everyone went faster.... lots faster. Aubulen in a BMW ran a 2:27.00 iic.... and he turned them preaty consistent.
We qualified poorly... we arnt entirely sure why... the only thing we could guess was the brand new tires in the rear provided TOO much grip.
Now to the race itself... on the first lap at around turn 7 Leo came over the radio saying he was hit HARD 3 times.... He said the steering wheel was off like 30 degrees so he knew somthing was bent. He came in the pits when he came around to the front strait. Criag, Chris and I jumped the wall and got the two right side tires off and looked for suspension damage. FAST like we got two new tires on the right side and the lugs tourqed... we could not find and damaged peices and assumed(hoped) it was the wheels/tires. It unfortunatly was not... the wheel was still crooked and the car handled POORLY. A few laps later I heard on the scanner that a diffrent team reported to race control that they observed damaged, dangleing peices in the rear of the car. We had Leo pit yet again and this time we jacked up the rear got stands under her and crawled under the car looking for bent or broken peices.... again we found none. We got him back out and he was able to finish the race. He was two laps down after all this but he still took a checkered for SOME points anyway... Our pit work was as best as we could get... we had him in and out in record time for us 3 anyways. Its hectic and crazy especialy when you dont know what your looking for and the obvious safty concearns of sending him back out with the car boofed up. We were lucky and got through the race... Im happy for that. Leo did good with the circumstances. Being hit so hard on the first lap is crapy... its hard to get a good race when things like that happen to you. Hopefully we will see what really happened when the race airs on the 29th(i think).
Im thinking craig or leo may post pics of the car.... but if not ill tell you that it hit him hard enough to partially cave in the rocker pannel under the right side door.... there is quite a bit of metal there and it had to be hard to bend it so.
And here's one for the beleive it or not's..... After the race back at the padock we looked the car over... we found the right camber plate had been jared loose by the hit throwing about 15° of negative camber at it.... Thats not the amazing part though... Chris looked inside the engine bay and found somthing extrordinary... the serpantine belt actually fliped over and was on all the pullys UP-SIDE-DOWN... it was all chewed up but it was there and on the pullys in the right manner... just completely upsidedown.... now explain that one....
HangTime
03-17-2003, 02:46 AM
Whatever the case, I'm glad you guys made it home safely and that Leo didn't get hurt during the race.
I was following the race via live timing on SCCA and I noticed that something happened to Leo on lap 1. DAAAANNNG... I was watching the 12 Hrs of Sebring on Speed this past weekend and I can sort of picture what might have happened if I remember turn 6/7 correctly. Chalk another one up to Sebring, it was pretty brutal on the ALMS cars too on Saturday.
Anyways, sounds like there's some work to be done over the next few weekends before Mosport. Hope the frame didn't get bent...
mcon99
03-17-2003, 01:30 PM
Thats not the amazing part though... Chris looked inside the engine bay and found somthing extrordinary... the serpantine belt actually fliped over and was on all the pullys UP-SIDE-DOWN... it was all chewed up but it was there and on the pullys in the right manner... just completely upsidedown.... now explain that one....
wow. I can only think of two ways this could have happened.
(a) it was installed upside down. I doubt you guys made that obvious mistake ... but it is at least possible
(b) the belt got snagged on something and twisted itselfed upside down while the engine was running. Scary stuff, because it obviously could have easily broken apart while flipping. I'de be careful when you take it apart to look for anything it might have caught on.
exigent
03-17-2003, 08:25 PM
I can personally assure you that the belt WAS installed correctly....
Lepak91
03-17-2003, 10:06 PM
Glad to hear Leo is Ok. I'm going to have to watch the race. Is anyone meeting up to watch the race on the 29th?
AtomicInternet
03-21-2003, 06:46 PM
I vote Leo's house!
Lepak91
03-22-2003, 11:35 PM
Hey Leo what do you think? Your house or we could head up to a bar near you and watch the race.
I don't think we will see much of the Cougar but I am all for getting together I owe you guys for all the help we would of never of even made it to Sebring without you guys help as it was we worked until the last night before we left. let make a plan for Saturday.
Leo