HSR Classic Watkins Glen International 2023

 Here are some pictures from the June HSR Classic at Watkins Glen International. I took pictures for two friends that were racing there so that's why the multiple pictures of some of the same cars.

I never like it when cars crash, especially vintage cars.  I know how much work goes into restoring them and the heartbreak when something goes wrong. Having said that, I did capture one paticular crash sequence that tells this story of heartbreak.  I hope both the Datsun Z and the BMW get restored back to their original glory.

Take a look:

                  And now for some happier photos:

That's all for now.   Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Brought to you by Paul Ziegler, Publisher Carcamerastory.com   Follow on Instagram @wownowpics

Pictures From Watkins Glen International Glen IMSA Weekend - June 2023

 Here's a few pictures of the racing action June 22- 25, 2023 at Watkins Glen International. Included in the competition were the Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Carrera Cup, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and my favorite, the IMSA Pilot Challenge featuring Grand Sport and Touring cars.  Since my car is an Elantra N, I love seeing 'my car' on the race track.  

So here you go:        From the Michelin Pilot Challenge 120

                                     From The IMSA GT Daytona and GT Daytona Pro Classes

                                              From The Lamborghini Super Trofeo Races

                                                      From the Mazda MX-5 Races

                                    One of my favorite cars- the C8 Corvette

And to see some of the GTP, LMP 2 and LMP3 cars see my previous blog post.  This is just a sample of the hundreds of photos I took that weekend.  

Brought to you by Paul Ziegler, Publisher Carcamerastory.com   Follow on Instagram wownowpics

And The Winner Is Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen

If you left Watkins Glen International last Sunday thinking the No. 6 JDC Miller Motorsport Porsche driven by Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy won, you found out later the BMW No 25 of BMW M Team RLL actually won. The Porshe was disqualified in the post race inspection for having a skid plate thickness less than the minimum. This makes the win a first for BMW in the modern GTP era.

The competition is fierce in the GTP class as all four manufactures Porsche, BMW, Cadillac and Acura have won in this season's first 5 races. It doesn't get better than this.

I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday photographing the nonstop competition that included the Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Carrera Cup, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Watkins Glen 120- IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen- IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship.  That's a lot of racing!  

The weekend was punctuated with ocassional showers, cool breezes and intermittent sun with some high humidity. A typical Upstate New York June weekend. At least the smoke from the fires in Canada had blown in another direction, or it stayed aloft.  Two weeks previous saw practice canceled for the HSR Classic races due to smoke. That's a first.

So now you that know who won, I'm going to post several pictures showing what it was like to be there. 

If you want to know all the results, click on this link from Autosport:

Click Here

And now for some pictures:

Opening Ceremony

Not the winner

Not the winner

Yes- The Winner!  

                                                         1st Turn, First Lap

                                            Afew more sights from the competition.

                                             Not a good day for the No 80 AO Racing Porsche

                                     

                        This is the first of a couple of posts covering the weekend of racing.

Brought to you by Paul Ziegler, Publisher  Carcamerastory.com  Follow on Instagram @wownowpics

                                   

On The Road Again- Quick Takes

 I'll be traveling to cooler climates this week so before I leave I wanted to post a few pictures of interest to Hyundai performance car fans.  They include the new refresh of the Elantra N, my Ceramic White N parked next to a fellow Tampa Bay Cafe' Racers Porsche and a teaser view of Zephyr Designz concept Elantra N.  

Here's your eye candy for the day:

The refreshed 2024 Elantra N that will be on sale later this year. No details yet on engine or performance figures. Possibly just a cosmetic refresh.  The '23 version is on top.  What do you think?

 

Then there's a side by side comparison of my 2022 Elantra N and my friend's 2023 Porsche. I'll take one of each!

And finally, Zephyr Designz concept Elantra N.  I want one!  Killer car for sure:

And with that, here's my two Elantra N's on the launch pad (my driveway).  Roll On!

Thanks for visiting my site. Stay tuned for racing pictures from Watkins Glen coming in June. I'll be at the Vintage Classic and the TCR/ IMSA races next month.  Will have full coverage including the Hyundai factory team cars and race results.

Brought to you by Paul Ziegler, Publisher, Carcamerastory.com and author of "Echoes From The Glen"

Follow on Instagram @wownowpics

Oil Analysis For Your Elantra N

 Recently I've been searching the web for articles on proper fuels and oil for use in turbocharged, direct injection engines used in the Hyundai Elantra N.  ( This applies to anyone with a Kona N or Veloster N as well.) 

This is a Shop Pack of six test samples.

Our engines are very powerful and efficient considering they produce almost 300 HP in stock form from a 2.0 liter engine. Part of that is the result of turbocharging as well as having direct fuel injection. With the benefits of power and fuel efficiency come some demands on making sure the oil we use is up to the task and owners need to be sure they are using the best fuel available.

The best fuel available does not mean the highest octane, rather it means keeping Top Tier fuel in the tank at all times. Top Tier refers to the quality/ aka additive package the suppliers use that helps keep the fuel system including fuel injectors, pistons and cylinders as clean as possible. Regardless, you still should be using 91 or higher octane.

For this post, I'm illustrating what it takes to do an oil analysis for your car. The company I chose is SPEEDiagnostix. The reason I'm trusting them with my oil analysis is the guy that founded the company, Lake Speed Jr.. He is one of the world's foremost Tribologists ( the study of friction, wear and lubrication) and has years of experience working with top NASCAR teams, including Joe Gibbs racing.  Some of you may remember the NASCAR driver, Lake Speed from the '80's, well Lake Speed Jr. is his son and he obviously grew up around fast cars.  I urge you to check out several YouTube videos by Lake about the science behind engine performance.  You will learn a lot!

                                                         Ready To Send My Samples

The cars I am having tested are my two Elantra N's.  The '23 model with the six speed and my '22 Elantra N with a DCT.  The six speed is still running factory oil as it only has 2800 miles on it and the DCT has about 6800 miles. I changed out the factory oil at 3200 miles and am now running Amsoil Signature series 0-30 Synthetic.  It will be very interesting to see what the analysis shows.

The other thing I like about SPEEDiagnostix is they use the same type tests as used by Formula 1 teams. This is explained on the company website and is worth reading. 

Pulling a sample is easy- I bought a fluid transfer pump at Harbor Freight for only $6 bucks and I've included a picture. The oil is accessed through the dip stick tube. The only downside is I consider this a one time use.  The reason is contamination of the samples. I bought two pumps; one for each car and I don't know if I'll use the pumps for a second test in the future. It all depends on the process to clean out the pump apparatus.  SPEEDiagnostix sells a less complictaed pump that looks easy to clean.

There is a second option and that is taking a sample when you remove the drain plug to change the oil. That is more work and could be messy, but it certainly works.

I have put a link below to check out some videos by Lake and his company.  If you have the time check them out and you might want to have an analysis done on your oil.  And if you want to save some money, You can get a shop pack good for 6 tests for around $249.00 It just might save you an engine rebuild, or at least alert you to a potential problem before it gets serious.

Why Oil Analysis?

 I hope you enjoyed this 'educational' post.  Stay tuned for some action photos from Watkins Glen as I will be traveling to New York in June for the HSR Classic followed by the IMSA Six Hour of the Glen and TCR Series cars, including the Hyundai N racing team cars.

Brought to you by Paul Ziegler, Publisher   Carcamerastory.com

Author, "Echoes From The Glen"

Follow on Instagram @wownowpics

Hyundai Elantra N - The Perfect Performance Family Sedan?

 I've been away for a few weeks so finally have a chance to put up a quick post inspired by my two grandkids. I have a 4 year old and a 9 year old I'm watching for the week- both boys.  You can imagine the mischief they get into. But when it comes to taking a ride in the car, they want to take the race car- my Elantra N.

I like these cars so much I bought a second one.  Here's my 2022 with the DCT:

And here's my six speed filling up with Shell 93. Both cars have aftermarket wheels that I think make them look all that more special.  Either flavor, automatic or stick,  both give you a fantastic driving experience. 

                                    

But don't take my word for it. Here's a new video that was just posted by Everyday Driver and it tells the story better than I could.  I agree with their impression of the cars; a very good and balanced review.  And regarding the reference to taking kids in the back seat- I haven't given them the puke test yet.  Don't want to mess up the alcantara!

                           Click Here For Video:

                                       (1) Hyundai Elantra N - Constant Applause - Test Drive | Everyday Driver - YouTube

                        For now, it is back to the beach here in Florida to watch the future car enthusiasts.

                        Watch this blog for new updates soon.  Hope you enjoyed the video.

Brought to you by Paul Ziegler, Publisher Carcamerastory.com and author of "Echoes From The Glen"

                                             Follow on Instagram @wownowpics