Buttonwillow 2017

In the days leading up to the Buttonwillow race we noticed the car was starting to get a bit of valve float that was not as noticeable during the first two races. During the Friday test and tune session, our valve float limited started getting lower and lower until it was nearly 5,000rpm. Not good for a track like Buttonwillow and a car with 4.10 gears. During the 3rd hour of the race, and trying to baby the car it finally happened. A valve spring retainer decided its life was over and a valve dropped into the #2 piston. Of course after it happens we finished the lap and drove the car to the pits. We swapped the head with another pick’n’pull spare we had in the trailer, and after about 4 hours we had the car back on the track. We finished the race Saturday, and lasted all day Sunday until 30 minutes before the checkered when another valve decided to let go. At that point we packed up the car and called the weekend a success after running almost the whole weekend on a mostly junkyard engine. Video below.