The Goal

According to Wikipedia, which is quoting one of the latest crazes of self-help, the second habit of highly effective people is: "Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision." This is essentially eight words too many to say, "set goals." Racing is definitely goal-oriented. Goals range from large to small and are directly proportional to the amount of money and time that the owner can commit to racing. Many of these goals, whether racers admit it or not, revolve around winning. Some people will read the previous statement and think, "of course it is about winning, that's why you race." Other people might react with, "but I just came to play, not win!" There is really more than one way to win in racing:

1. The obvious way: Winning Something. Every race has competition established so that someone can get something that says they are the first-place winner of the event, the points season, the drinking contest, or whatever method of determining a winner the event provides.

2. Slightly less obvious: Winning by benchmarks. This type of winning is done by setting goals and meeting them. There is a strong contingent of competitors that show up to very few races, with the intent on making some sort of lap-time, MPH, or ET, and then leave. Once they have attained the numbers they wish to see, they are done. This is a personal victory that may not be recognized by others but it is a win none-the-less.

3. Down right obscure: Winning by showing up. With racing, it is sometimes not even possible to establish a benchmark for performance. Given available resources it may not be possible for a driver to push their car any harder or even dream of being competitive with other cars. What that driver can find themselves able to do is come to the track and race the car to the best of their abilities.

As time has gone by I've been traversing through the list of winning. I started with wanting to just show up to the track, then started setting benchmarks, now I'm setting benchmarks and have a targeted plan to try and be competitive through recognizable victory.

Goal 1: Run 120+ MPH in the Quarter Mile.

This is a performance goal. I would like my car to reach 120 MPH or more by the end of a quarter-mile from a standing start. This would mean that my car will reach 120 MPH in the same distance it takes a Toyota Yaris to roll to 76 MPH.

Goal 2: Finish top-5 in the points for my class at my chosen race-track.

Race tracks have points-earning system that is broken down into classes. The classes group cars of similar type and modification level, points are awarded for showing up to the race and winning elimination rounds. Last year, to break into the top-5 at the track at which I will be racing required 250 points. A driver is awarded 30 points for showing up to the race and then 11-14 points for winning various levels of elimination rounds. On my schedule are eight points-awarding races. For showing up to those races I can earn 240 points. If I win any elimination round, which will at minimum award 11 points, I will meet my goal.

I know these goals sound simple on the surface. In fact, new Corvettes roll off the show room floor with the ability to run over 120 MPH in the quarter mile. Of course, a new Corvette that can do that costs over $50,000. But unlike that mythical Corvette, I actually own the Capri. The Capri is a collection of the wrong parts trying to be competitive in arguably the wrong event. Whereas, most people would have started with an already fast V8-powered car with a good looking exterior, I started with a 4-cylinder car that is rough around the edges. To make the car competitive I've had to put it on a diet and get it a pretty good workout. This means, like any other highly tuned athlete, it's a little finicky, has loads of personality, and requires a lot of work to maintain.

The engine is a 2.3L-based Ford 4-cylinder engine originally designed for use in the Ford Pinto. The actual displacement of my engine is 2.5L but it is still a Ford and a 4-cylinder and was still originally designed for use in a Pinto. The power-output goal of this engine is 400-horsepower and 400-ft/lbs of torque . That is roughly the same horsepower and torque as a 2001 BMW M5 or the 2010 Ford Mustang GT and is certainly a step up from the stock 88-horspower. This is done with a hideously large turbocharger that is strapped to the side of the engine. Noting that this power output is more than triple the stock levels it puts the engine a bit on edge and means that all of the systems need to be monitored carefully.

The 1984 Mercury Capri RS-Turbo, again to honor its full designation, is actually based on a 1984 Ford Mustang. Mustangs and Capris made between the years 1979 and 1993 have many things in common. First, I have been told by most of my ex-girlfriends and my wife that they are hideously ugly. Second, they all share the same mechanical under-pinnings. The fenders and outward facing sheet metal changed but the underside of the cars are identical. Finally, these cars can be fairly light from the factory (2700 lbs for a cloth interior, non-power windows, 1988 coupe model). My car is probably lighter than that. There is no interior sound deadening, there is no center console, no carpet, no back seat, no air conditioning controls, no extra wires running anywhere, no inner fenders. The car is more tartan than a 1970's New York taxi cab. It is also over 25-years old. This car qualifies for and wears collector-plates. Not that anyone but me would try to collect this type of car.

This car lives an existence where any concern of its preservation is put aside in the name of speed. What breaks and when is the determining factor in how realistic any of these goals may seem and whether or not they'll be achieved. If the Capri is going to fly like a bat out of hell ... it will probably get singed a little by the flames.