I'd just like to point out that the fact that James and I have the same last name is pure coincidence. We aren't related. (As far as I know, at least.)
At any rate, a bad day playing with race cars is better than (most) any good day at the office.
Photography Credit: Rob Wilkerson
I’m writing this sleep deprived, running on coffee and sheer stubbornness. I got home at 6 in the morning.
This past weekend, I set out on an 1800-mile journey that was equal parts exhilarating and exhausting, filled with the kinds of highs and lows that only a true gearhead can appreciate.
My destination? Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, where the legendary Gridlife Circuit Legends Festival was taking place.
[Video: Why you need to go to a Gridlife Event | Tom O’Gorman Vlog]
My ride? A 1980s Mazda RX-7 that practically screams “Saved by the Bell” with its retro, neon-colored livery.
This car isn’t just a vehicle, it’s a rolling piece of nostalgia, blending ’80s vibes with modern-day performance. The RX-7 sports a 408-cubic-inch LSX engine, Viper gearbox, Holley Terminator X ECU, two-way suspension from Fortune Auto and lots of aero from our friends at Nine Lives Racing.
Photography Credit: Tevin James
The 900-mile drive to Lime Rock was the calm before the storm, with the gentle whistle of my F350’s turbocharger accompanying my favorite ’80s and ’90s playlist.
I packed light–just the essentials: race car, trailer, truck, safety gear and, most importantly, PB&Js.
The back seat of my F-350 would double as my accommodation for the weekend. I wasn’t going for luxury; I was keeping my wallet happy.
Gridlife Circuit Legends is the kind of event that pulls out the best and sometimes the worst in your machine. The weekend was filled with success and failures from many drivers and teams.
I had one goal all weekend. It wasn’t a trophy, it wasn’t points, it was to break a 1-minute lap time and then drive my car onto the trailer. Foreshadowing?
Once I hit the track, it became clear that this weekend was going to be a battle–not just against other drivers but against my own car.
The RX-7 was running hot–nuclear hot. My oil temps were creeping up to 300 degrees. These temperatures were threating to sabotage everything, and before I knew it, I was in a full-blown war to keep the engine cool.
Lap after lap, I could feel the engine straining. Every time I hit the straights, the LS would roar fiercely–only to have the temp gauge edge further into the danger zone. (Kenny Loggins is playing in my head.)
It was a delicate dance of pushing hard and backing off, trying to find the sweet spot where the car would hold together.
But the racing gods had other plans.
Despite my best efforts–oil cooler ducting, changing to a higher-weight oil, and a lift-and-coast approach–the heat took its toll.
At Turn 3–aka the Lefthander–the LSX let out one final roar before metal hit metal and the engine locked up.
A trackside autopsy led me to believe the No. 3 rod bearing let go, allowing a piston to kiss the valve.
Photography Credits: James Wood
There’s nothing quite like that sinking feeling when you know the race weekend is over. That feeling was compounded by the fact that I still had a 900-mile drive home to nitpick and dissect everything I could have and should have done differently.
[The lessons we learned after our C5 Corvette's engine exploded]
Packing up my shattered dreams and broken race car, I pushed the RX-7 onto the trailer. I settled into the F-350 for what I hoped would be an uneventful drive home.
A silver lining that made this engine failure marginally better: I lowered my previous personal best at Lime Rock from 1:04 to 1:02. However, I didn’t achieve my goals of a sub-minute lap and then driving the car onto the trailer.
But of course, when it rains, it pours.
The first half of the drive was enjoyable. I convoyed with good friends and another Time Attack RX-7.
First checkpoint was the workshop in New Jersey to unload the RX-7. I said my goodbyes, leaving the car in the hands of some very talented people.
Around 1 a.m. in the middle of nowhere, Virginia, I heard the dreaded thump: a flat tire on the trailer.
As if the 14-hour drive weren’t long enough, I found myself on the side of the road in the dark digging tools out of a packed truck bed. By the time I finally got things sorted and back on the road, exhaustion had set in. The last stretch of the drive was a blur of coffee-fueled determination.
When I finally rolled into my driveway 18 hours after leaving Lime Rock, I was beat–physically, mentally and emotionally.
Despite all the setbacks, the blown engine, the flat tire and the grueling drive, I still wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. Racing is about more than just winning; it’s about those challenges, the friendships and the memories that you create along the way.
Would I do it all again? Absolutely.
Photography Credit: Rob Wilkerson
Looking back at the weekend–the karaoke party, the friends, the tight competition, the cool cars–made the whole trip worth it. There is something in the air at Gridlife events–a vibe not found elsewhere.
At the end of the day, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of pushing yourself and your car to the limit, even if it means ending the weekend with more battle scars than you expected. Here’s to the next adventure and whatever it may bring.
I'd just like to point out that the fact that James and I have the same last name is pure coincidence. We aren't related. (As far as I know, at least.)
At any rate, a bad day playing with race cars is better than (most) any good day at the office.
Some people still think that JG and I are brothers.
Cool car and cool story, although I wish it would have ended up in victory with the RX7. The oiling issues have me concerned since I will be doing a swap to LSX from SBC--maybe a dry sump is the answer?
Hey, we’ve been there.
Some possibly helpful viewing:
Motorsports doesn't get much more grassroots than this. The most important ingredient isn't the snarl of horsepower or the smell of tire rubber or the squeal of race brakes, it's indomitable spirit, which it sounds like James has in spades. I don't know if I'll ever get to be pit neighbors with you, but I always hope to be surrounded by folks like you in the paddocks. The FC will be back to fight another day for sure!
And how we fit a dry-sump in our C5 Corvette Z06: Building a Dry-Sump System: Making Room for Everything | Project C5 Corvette Z06.
In reply to rauq :
I really appreciate the kind words. I've been doing this for 12 years and I'll keep doing it. I hope we get share the pits together.
David S. Wallens said:Some people still think that JG and I are brothers.
Wait, you're not?
It's all relative...you don't get the highest of highs without the lowest of lows. Now you are all set for success. 
I do have to ask...did this overheating issue not show up in local testing? Or was it something new?
You did test locally, right? RIGHT!?!?
Well, corporate policy is you have to blow up at least one LS before you get the key to the bathroom, so at least you don't have to go in the bushes anymore.
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