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Who's up for a Corpus Christi suspension seminar in February/March


NickHolt

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I know it's late notice, but things are working out so I can get away from San Antonio and drive to Corpus Christi several Tuesday evenings in a row this February and March. I usually try not to schedule much during that time period because for the past few years I had some medical treatments to endure before racing season. But, thanks be to the Good Lord, I no longer need those treatments.

 

The seminar is designed for dry-slick or rubbered-up dirt tracks (like most South/Central Texas dirt tracks) and for asphalt folks running at CC Speedway, Central Texas Speedway and/or Houston Motorsports Park. Folks running road courses find this class particularly helpful as well.

 

The seminar IS NOT designed for teams running on bumps or running extreme four-link rear ends. If you're running a high-tech dirt or asphalt Modified, a dirt of asphalt Late Model, an asphalt Pro Late Model or asphalt Pro Truck running a big-bar, soft-spring set up, or if you run on bump stops, save your money for the shock guy. You're going to need it.

 

However, this seminar IS designed for classes like the Limited Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks (or whatever they're called where you run) and the rest of the "lower level" classes. If it runs on springs and the suspension goes through some amount of body roll, this stuff is for you.

 

This IS NOT the sort of seminar where you are told what to run, who to buy your stuff from or what the latest trick setup is. We all have heard about so-called suspension seminars where some particularly successful driver tries to share his setup with the participants. There is no such thing as a magic suspension wand and every car and driver are different. So if you're only looking for a "trick-of-the-week" kind of seminar, save your money.

 

It IS the sort of seminar where you will learn how weight actually transfers, how roll-centers actually work, how to chose ball-park spring rates for your car (all cars are different to some degree or other), how caster, camber, toe, bump steer and Ackerman all work together during body roll, and be provided a whole bunch of handling suggestions for all sorts of different handling issues. When we're done, you will have good picture of how a race car suspension actually works and enough information to make your own suspension decisions without having to ask what others are running.

 

The big selling point on my seminar is that I teach the actual physics and geometry, but in words that anyone can understand. You don't have to be an engineer to understand what I'm talking about. Yes, there is some simple algebra involved, but I hand out a computer program that does the math for you. I also hand out 70-80 pages of class notes that go along with each week's session. And I take calls to answer questions and even will set up time to meet with you one-on-one if needed. I want you to understand this stuff and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

 

The seminar will be at Sames Ford on Ayers (near SPID and the Crosstown Expressway) thanks to Hector Aguirre. The first session will be on Tuesday, February 10, starting at 6 and ending at 8 pm and will run for the next five or six Tuesday evenings depending on how things progress.

 

The seminar costs $300 per person. But if you bring your crew chief with you, he/she is half price. To reserve a guaranteed spot in the seminar, a $100 deposit is required. I limit the class size to 15 people, so it might be a good idea to get your reservation made pretty quickly.

 

Please contact me by PM on here, or by phone or text (210-415-1251), or by email (nick.lssz@gmail.com) and I will get you registered.

 

Nick

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NICK has been by my house a couple of times and here i thought i knew a thing or two about set up .. i have not done so bad with what i have learned over the last 30 years by just trying things out with set ups and building the cars we have raced .i thought i was sorta good at it and yep won some races over the years had some fast cars and such but i knew i was always missing something never had anyone teach me much of anything and mostly learned the hard way ....try this try that and hope for the best ...problem was knowing what i know and thought i was right set me in my ways of doing things i thought were correct .........over the winter i thought about some of the things nick has told me and wondered can i step out of my comfort zone shut up and listen and learn something knew that was a hard decission to make and every one that has been around me know i dont move so easily out of my comfort zone i suppose the know it all sickness ....well i found out just paying attention to what nick has had to say has changed my ways of thinking and got me a little more excited about racing again ,,,i dont know what i will learn from nick and be able to hold all that is said or showed to us by nick .but just the couple of things he has pointed out explained a lot of what my cars have done and have not done over the years the tiny little details that cost in speed and money when you look at it as a whole ...... dont sit on your butt with a chance like this with nick to learn what you are missing .dont think you know it all like me ... i am a talker its hard to get me to shut up and listen .but i found nick is a talker too with a ton more knollege than i have in theory . and i shut up some what lol...anyway if i learn just one or two things from nick that will improve my cars it will be worth it and the cost of this class is cheaper than the mistakes i have made over the years buy far .[ yes buy is spelled that way on purpose ]..i cant fathom the savings i would have saved in just tires alone had i met him 30 years ago ..............think about it guys you have a lot to gain here but much more to lose if you dont take the chance in learning more than you could ever think .. this book ie nick talks to you directly ..... i f you have been out running me on the track and all of a sudden that changes ...you will not have to wonder why that is ..i listen to him talk and see that most of his teaching is really dirt set ups but works great for pave ..like nick said he cant give you set ups pursay you have to figure that out but the tools are there to make it easier for you and cheaper .i would like to say dont show up it can work out better for my team but that wont be fair to nick or you ..if you have that nagging question as to why i cant seem to get this car just right ...the answer could be here in this class it will least clear some things up .i will be there ..

 

 

SORRY NICK you can edit me if i crosed the line here ..it is not a plug .. just the truth

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Thanks for the plug, Mike.

 

Back in 1974 - after proving once and for all that I am no race car driver - I decided to learn all I could about suspensions. There were no racing suspension books. No websites. Just a desire to learn and access to the the SAE library at Southwest Research. I was single and had plenty of time on my hands, so I spent lots of hours studying SAE articles and putting pieces of the suspension puzzle together in my head.

 

Then I discovered the Chevrolet Power Manual which more or less shared what they learned doing the SCCA deal back in the Mustang-Camaro wars. That Chevy manual verified most of what I had learned from the SAE studies.

 

At about the same time I was making sense of all the variables, Steve Smith came out with his suspension book. Most of what he wrote about was pretty much right on although some of the math was, well, let's not go there. I borrowed some of his drawings in my suspension notes. Thanks Steve.

 

I'm sure many of you already have the physics and geometry all figured out, but for those who do not, here's your chance to learn.

 

Nick

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Nick you might say this isn't for someone running the more advance suspensions but a firm understanding of basic suspension dynamics is what developed some of the more advanced suspensions. I think this seminar would be worthwhile for most people that race.

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You bet, poorboy. But I just wanted to be clear about what will the focus.

 

And I also want to make it clear that this information is the real deal. Just ask anyone who has attended the seminar in years past. I've had folks from SW Research attend. A physicist, a NASCAR driver, two engineers from a company that does tire testing in S. Texas, doctors, lawyers and folks from every class of racing imaginable. And I am currently advising a group of UTSA engineering students who are building a formula car for the SAE competition coming up soon.

 

This is not to brag. There's nothing to brag about. I didn't invent this stuff. I just happen to have the ability to explain the concepts in words that most racers understand.

 

Frankly, the course is way undervalued. For less than a set of tires a team can get obtain much better lap times. Yet I keep seeing teams buy expensive engines and the latest trick stuff and not go any better through the turns where nearly every race is won or lost - except in drag racing, of course.

 

I will cut off registrations when it hits 15 folks, because more than that I can't keep track of who's getting the information and start talking to an audience instead of a few friends who want to learn.

 

Nick

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The seminar is filling up fast. 2/3's full as of noon today, February 2.

 

I'd really like to have a few more dirt teams sign up. As many of you already know, if a front-running, good-handling asphalt car shows up at a Texas dirt track, that car will do very well right away. That's because they are pretty much already in the ball park for a dry slick or rubbered-up dirt track.

 

I have worked with several teams that are running at Cotton Bowl and they run well and over the years I have also worked with teams that run on shorter dirt tracks in Texas.

 

Again, the stuff I teach applies to dirt just as much as it applies to asphalt. So, come on. You won't be disappointed.

 

The 1st class session is a week from tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb 10, so you need to get registered pretty quick before the class fills up.

 

Nick

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A team that was set to attend had to back out since one would be out of town for at least three of the class session. So that leaves two spots open. Let me know before it fills up again.

 

Nick

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Just wanted to let everyone know that we have a full seminar. If you have not registered but want to attend, call me to see what we can work out. 210-415-1251.

 

Looking forward to our first session tomorrow evening at 6 pm at Sames Ford in Corpus Christi.

 

Nick

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I have been to nicks school many years ago and I will say he can help get you on the right track and while he may not be up on the wild 4 link suspensions he can for shore get you lined out on the front end geometry and that's one of the most critical pieces of the puzzles so if you can go GO

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The welcome sign alone was worth the money! The power outage made it all interesting, lol.

AND HE POINTED my driving out for the reason on the power outage ,the nerve ..i am going to take nick to lunch after work tomorrow i have a early early start time and will be done by 11 am .and we will have a prayer session over my driving .....and the confusion he sat forth during his class ..i think a few folks just found out what they did not know tonight ..bang head against the wall .lol

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