My 2014 REFUEL TT Adventure at Laguna Seca

Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
14,539
Location
Manhattan Beach, CA, USA
I have always enjoyed refuel events greatly. They tend to be way better days than any holiday has ever come close to matching.

Last year, I unfortunately had an extended stay in China that prevented me from participating.

This year, I made up for it. :)

This is the DP1e. She was made in an era where good cells were minimally available even if you had budget. As a result, it suffered from the sadness of saggy yellow bricks that were inadequate for the job. However, this was the singular sad thing about the car, the rest feels custom made for me. Even the drive chains (which I may someday change to belt) became a lot more quiet, and the scream of the car grew on me while racing it today. Silence is still my preference if given the choice, but this sound is a close second. :)

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We got her running by recycling 3 old scrapped-out test batteries from Zero, and turn it into an amazing vehicle and a 1st place trophy. This was the team that did most of the work, without the help of each of these awesome and skilled men, it wouldn't have happened.
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Thank you guys so much for your priceless help through so many late nights and the amazing suspension linkage repair at the track today! You made it happen!
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Congrats man to you and your team. That is truly amazing!
 
What's with the sling bro?
 
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A very awesome mans amazing kart group.

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Electric cowboy put down an awesome 1:53 on a stock 2014 SR! Woot! Jamie and Brian also rocked!

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What do you have left to do to it before you can get it inspected and registered for highway use?
I'm hoping to see it at Pacific Raceways in September!!!
 
This is my session. It is the first time the car has been tested at speeds above 60-70mph on bumpy roads and parking lots. It felt incredible to drive. Tires were over inflated though and it was difficult to keep them hot at these relaxed corner speeds.

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The suspension link buckled when the pro racer I had drive it went off track in the corkscrew in a practice session. We cut the buckled link apart to save the threaded ends and welded in a new cromo center tube section in the pits and we're racing again in about 30mins.
 
Oh wow... Speechless and amazed, you guys rock!
 
Awesome. Luke.
So... Have some death grip? :)
 
nicobie said:
Looks like a blast, especially when you were able to run at speed.

Did you use all your battery? 15 minutes on a race track is pretty good. About how fast were you running?

Were you running the original motor and controller?

Wish I was there to see it in person.

Nick


It was the origional PM100 controller and Remy HVH motor, but with 30 kwhr of zero cell, we were very over-batteried.

At one point we had it topped of, ran the time trial, and then it went straight to the autocross track afterwards where the whole crew (and a few other random folks) took several laps over the course of an hour and a half. We then got updated that our transponder didn't work, and that we would have to immediately re-run our TT laps AGAIN! which the car did with near 25% capacity remaining.
 
Farfle said:
It was the origional PM100 controller and Remy HVH motor, but with 30 kwhr of zero cell, we were very over-batteried.

Over-batteried or under-motored? :evil:

With belt drive and less batteries you guys are going to kill it next year :D

The Palatov V8 version would crush even the super karts. How much HP is the REMY pushing? You got to beat the twin turbo Hartley.

It is amazing how fast the mini karts were with Zero motors/batts/controllers and no traditional suspension

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I'm not generally a car guy exactly, but in this one instance I think I can make an exception...:)
 
That DP1e couldn't be in better hands to keep writing chapters in "the book!" Congrats, and as always the next chapter just gets better and better!
 
As the vehicle sits today, it has excessive battery. I have a solution.

Fitting a Tesla Model S controller. I currently have 380A phase current. Not sure the best path towards doing it, but perhaps a Lebowski controller brain driving the Tesla Model S P85 controller. I've heard they do 1800A phase current for 30seconds, which should enable gearing the car to be twice at tall for double the top speed, while ALSO gaining the ability to accelerate with twice the torque at the wheels.

With an EV, you can have your cake and eat it too. :) EV's are the inevitable future of high performance vehicles.
 
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