[dkmura]

This Z was built to compete in the SCCA Touring racing classes, and has the distinction of winning in three different Touring categories: T2 (2008-2012), T3 (2013-2015) and T1 (2015). Most of the mods are concentrated in the suspension, with Koni DA shocks, Eibach springs and fully adjustable swaybars. Enkei wheels and BFGoodrich R1-S tires provide the stick, while Cobalt Friction XR2 pads provide stopping power.



For 2015, we had success in winning the Rocky Mountain Division Championship in both Touring 1 and Touring 3. Traveling to Road Atlanta, the Z has won back-to-back Touring 3 titles the past two years in the American Road Race of Champions (ARRC).



There's still plenty of SERIOUS fun to be had with the Z33!

 

[dkmura]

Thanks- but I clearly have to figure out how to make my pics visible on this site! Any hints?


Don't see many Lotus Europas on the track any longer, but the Exige is a formidable competitor in door-to-door racing!

 

[dkmura]

I have no idea on any how-to's on the pics.

Thanks anyway- I've got a PM in to a moderator. We'll see if he gets back to me.

 

[dkmura]

Thanks, MartinZ- I'm trying to link to the image URL here.

 

[dkmura]

^^Unfortunately not. Started this thread to show a 350Z that is still being actively campaigned in races around the country. The C&D Z was only sporadically campaigned almost a decade ago and was ultimately stripped and sold for parts. The second picture shows the NISMO 350Z that won the JGTC title back in '07 and now resides in the Zama collection in Japan. The yellow Axis Z has not been seen for some time and has not appeared in any NASA events for some time. The point is: there are still some cool 350Zs being raced in 2015-16 and beyond, but those three are not among them.:crying:

 

[dkmura]

Beautiful car!!

Thanks! Hope this inspires a few more Z owners to get their cars ready for some serious fun at their local racetracks.

 

[dkmura]

After figuring out the raw IMG codes were what was needed, I reposted all the pics in this thread. Here's one more artistic shot:

 

[dkmura]

Never did hear back from a moderator on how to post pics, but figured it out from MartinZ's post. MartinZ also posted the picture of a fourth "racing" Z; the copper/black one that he edited into his last post in this thread. Unfortunately, that's also not a current race car, but rather a drifter. While the 350Z remains a popular drift vehicle, it's quite different than a race car.

 

[dkmura]

The specs and construction of my SCCA 350Z vary a bit. It may be the only touring spec car that has raced (and won) three different classes:

Touring 1: Mustang FR500 Boss 302S, Chevy Corvette C7, Dodge Viper, Ferrari F360/430, Porsche 911. The 350Z is allowed to weigh a minimum of 2,400#, but will never make that weight. Fully stripped, with no ballast, but driver onboard, the car weighs from 3,130 to 3,150#.

Touring 2: Corvette C6 Z06, (standard) Mustang Boss 302, Mitsu Evo VIII, Subaru STi. The 350Z was classed here from 2005-2011 at 3,180#, but was moved to T3 in 2012.

Touring 3: Chevy Cobalt SS, Mustang V6, Camaro V6, BMW M3 (both E36 and E46), Honda S2000, Acura TL-S, Currently, any HR-equipped Z must weigh 3,450# to compete in T3.

As for brakes, the OEM Brembo monoblock brakes are paired with Cobalt Friction's XR2 pads and titanium backing plates. Touring rules allow brake ducts to be routed from the bumper and the use of Nissan Motorsports CF ducts. Also using Motul Super 600 brake fluid and SS lines. No allowance in SCCA rules for changing the positioning of the calipers to prevent pad knock-off.

Which production class are your prepping your Z for? I'm not aware of any production-class racing rules that allow the Z33?

 

[dkmura]

I agree it's hard to get the weight down on the 350Z

I'm in Australia and have several options
We have a Modern Sports Car series where the 350Z and 370Z are on the eligibility list in the top class.
Then there is Production Sports Car racing which has a wide variety of cars.

Are there several race sanctioning bodies in Oz? Which one do you race with? Is there an easy way to sum up the difference between the "modern sportscar series" rules and ones about "production" racing?

 

[dkmura]

MartinZ- could you post some pics of current 350Zs racing on your side of the pond? Whether it's a AASA or CAMS sanctioned racer, I'd be interested in seeing what they look like. Maybe post a few pics of your Z build as well.

 

[dkmura]

Thanks for the photos! Interesting that S. Noble's Z has side graphics that almost matched another race Z here in the States.

 

[dkmura]

Hey MartinZ- while we're in the deep freeze here in the States, this should be peak racing time in Oz, isn't it? How many National level road racing events are there in the summer? How many cars are usually entered in each one? Finally, how is your own car prep going?

 

[dkmura]

Thanks for the reply! Very interesting to note what your race season is like. I enjoyed watching the Pulsar Challenge video- racetracks throughout the world look much the same. Another few questions: what do entry fees cost and is there any prize money for series like the Pulsar Challenge?


BTW- thought you might be interested in one of my past Nissan racecars: this was my Nissan 200SX (nee Pulsar) GT5 racer

It's almost the exact opposite of your Pulsar Challenge car: tubeframe, race slicks, 1300 cc full race engine with dog ring gearbox and silhouette bodywork. Tons of fun to drive when it ran, but TONS of work to get it dialed in!

 

[dkmura]

In the world of motorsports, that is pretty cheap. In Colorado SCCA racing, the entry fee was $299 for four races (2 per day) over a weekend. No prize money there, either. You can win cash and tires for winning a SCCA Majors race, but that was more expensive ($550/weekend).

 

[dkmura]

Fast forward to March 2016 and it's time to create some new goals for the upcoming race season. First off, I'll continue to race in SCCA, but will primarily campaign in my home region. That means giving up the chance to win a SCCA Majors title, but I would like to qualify for the SCCA Runoffs in September. Goals for 2016 are the win the Rocky Mountain Division (RMD)Championship in both Touring 1 and Touring 3. That's a tall order, and depending on whether I can get my tubeframe Z33 up and running, all these plans may go up in smoke. In any case. here's the schedule as I see it in March:

Date/ track/type of race/ Class



April 30-May 1 High Plains Raceway- RMD Championship Touring 3
May 14-15 Circuit of St. Louis- SCCA Majors Touring 3
May 28-29 Pueblo Motorsports Park- SCCA Majors Touring 3
July 2-3 High Plains Raceway- SCCA Majors Touring 3
July 23-24 Pueblo Motorsports Park- RMD Championship Touring 1
August 20-21 High Plains Raceway- RMD Championship Touring 1
September 19-25 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course- SCCA Runoffs Touring 3

Seven weekends doesn't sound like too much, right? But it means the Z will have to have almost faultless reliability throughout ALL the races to finish in the points and depends in great part to how well my competition campaigns and finishes. For 2015, we achieved dual RMD championships, together with back-to-back American Road Race of Champions (ARRC) titles. This year is sure to be tougher, but I think both me and the 350Z are up to it!

 

[dkmura]

Yesterday I spent several hours going through all the fluids (including bleeding brakes), checking tires and brakes, cleaning and sealing the paint for the coming year. I've got a new AIM timer for this year, but am having a tough time figuring out how to mount it to keep GPS monitoring at max effectiveness. First race isn't for several weeks, but the closer I look, the more work I find!

BTW- for MartinZ: SCCA entry fees range from $330 for a quad regional weekend to $550 for a US Majors weekend.

 

[dkmura]

This upcoming weekend is the Rocky Mountain Division SCCA opener. High Plains Raceway is a 2.55-mile circuit located about 60 miles east of Denver, CO and will be where we kick off the season in the middle of the country. Weather forecast calls for rain on both Saturday and Sunday, so I may get the opportunity to run some new BFGoodrich KDW-R rain tires I've been saving. With two races each day (four total), I need reliable finishes to start the season with.


Lots of fast cars in my group, Porsche 911 GT3, BMW M3 E46, Audi A4 turbo Quattro, Mustang GT500-R and others. While most of these are in other classes, we are still racing to gain position in the race. With the possibility (probability?) of rain, that promises to jumble the field even more. The 350Z is a good car to drive in the wet and I'm looking forward to a good race weekend.

 

[dkmura]

Well, these early season races in Colorado have a way of springing some surprises. A series of winter storms are tumbling across the state, bringing 8-16" of wet, slushy snow to the metro area and highways east. Here's my tow rig this morning, all prepped and ready to head out this afternoon:

Gotta love the PURE GLAMOUR of racing in the Rockies! At least the Z-car is clean and dry in the trailer for now...

 

[dkmura]

I just love those Enkei wheels

Thanks! But do you mean the Enkei Raijins (BBS lookalike) or the RPF-1? Both are well made, good lookin' and performing wheels. I also have some Enkei PF01 that have enough offset for good caliper clearance.

Also, this weekend's (4/30-5/1/16) SCCA races were cancelled due to the snow. They'll be delayed until next weekend.