Harvey Motorsports ES Motorsports/PORTER 1600 Rebuild

[M.Harvey1600]

UPDATE #9

Finally raced the car and got a win first race out. I ran the car in December but I didn't take it as a serious race. More of a fun time to knock some rust off and see if I could hang with the 1600 drivers. I figured with my old out of date 57 Hp single port engine it would be like bringing a switch blade comb to a gun fight. Just wanted to have fun and drive!

MORE New Years 200 Race report:

Sorry for the late report, today is the first day I don't feel completely sick. Thanks for the kind words everybody.

First off I would like to dedicate this race and win to my grandma Anita who suffered a stroke on tuesday January 15. It was a very difficult time to deal with such a life changing ordeal. She is the only reason I had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy and throughout Europe this past fall.
Thank you grandma I love you.

I would also like to thank all the people who made it possible to Get the car out to the race. It's been an extremely long road to recovery for the race vehicle.

Well I picked the new race engine up from Giese racing engines Tuesday January 8 at this point the car was still torn down for clean up. Dustin Schmitt and I finally got the car all cleaned, back together and ready to drop the engine in the car. We fired the new engine up around midnight on Saturday the 19th to test first thing Sunday morning.

Got out to Barstow about 11:30 and met up with Darren Walsh. He wanted to be present to see the Giese engine go to work. Let me tell you this engine was impressive. Pulled every gear in all ranges of the tachometer. It had power on the low end all the way through the mid range and way up into the top end. First time I have ever had the privilege of driving an engine with this range of power.
Started making suspension adjustments making the car handle much better but no where near where it is capable of running. Front suspension was very tricky didn't like the way it worked at all but upon tearing the font suspension post race found out that I had broken the 7 layer leafs prior to this test session most likely because the front suspension was much better in December than it was this time.
I got the car set up as best I could but the car is traveling at a higher rate of speed than it did 7 years ago so the old technology valving within the shocks needs a booster
So they are over being reworked.

The week of the race went along smooth. Started to feel a little sick on Wednesday but still went out for pre race nutritional sushi on Thursday evening and woke up Friday morning with the flu. Not what I needed the day before the first race of the 2013 race season.

Race day:
Left Riverside around 3:30 am to pickup up my father and crew chief. Got up to Barstow about 5 am offloaded the car got tech'd and waited for the race to start.

We lined up to start 3rd off the line right behind #1699 mike and Julie Meehan. First lap was my prerun lap I knew I had to keep pace with Meehan in order to have a solid finish. Race started at 8:30, love the new speed limit of 50mph. Got to the end of main pit a got a good look at the 1st and 2nd place cars and turned it up. First car I caught at mile 2 was 1684 made a clean pass and pursued Meehan got within striking distance by mile 3 as we were both battling hard through the class 3000's. we battled from mile 3 until I finally made the pass stick at mile 7 or so. I came around a corner to see a big rock right in my path. WHAM left rear flat, I know Meehan had a front row seat for the blowout. I Let Meehan back by and found a place to get off the course and started to change the flat but the car fell of the jack 3 or 4 times. We were in one of the worst areas for a flat! Took about 10 mins to change allowing all 1600's 9's and 1400's by in the process. Got back underway finally pulling into our pit at inner hodge for a new spare and to torque our left rear lugs one final time since it was a brand new wheel that I put on the car.
Finished out the lap coming into main to change out the rear tire so I could get back out there and resume race speed. Our car hates the little 15" Yokohama on the rear end. The car is a nightmare to drive.

The next few laps went smoothly picking off cars and making up time on the leaders. Set fast lap for 1600 on lap 5 then again on lap 6 just after the inner hodge pit at mile 12 a group of dirt bikes rode out on the course in front of me. I went off course to avoid an incident once again getting another left rear flat. Got it changed by spectators/chase crew for #904(thanks guys). Made it back around to main pit to change out the rear tire and get a new spare. Last lap I was on a mission since I lost all the time I had made up throughout the day with the flat on lap 6 although I was still in 2nd place by a large gap over Brad Wilson. I made it to inner hodge once again they pulled me in to give me the news that I was now in 1st and that Meehan had suffered a trans failure.

We brought the car over the finish first on the road and first on time by 30+ minutes over 2nd place Brad Wilson and Brock livesy.

It was an amazing return to the desert. Can't wait for the next race. See everyone in Primm for the SNORE battle at primm.

I would like to thank everyone that has came out to support Harvey Motorsports.
My father and mother for building this car 13 years ago.
Giese racing engines
ES Motorsports
ProAm products
Yokohama tires
Dave Folts trans
RADesigns
ZLT graphics
King shocks
DC shock service
SOR race prep
Howe powersteering
Kartek Offroad
Dormack racing
RX pit support
Rulo and ORAF.
Bryan and Greg Johnson
And My co-rider Dustin Schmitt

Can't thank everyone enough

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[M.Harvey1600]

Since we all love threads with pics here are A few images from the race and a few from our fun race back in December.

Photo credit to:
Phil kaos
Dezert wife
John Lacey
Nicole Fuentes
And trackside

[Steven_Tolbert]

Wow Mike, that is a crazy awesome journey back. I'm sorry about your grandma, that is terrible. The car looks amazing man and congratulations on the win first race back. Hopefully I'll see you at BAP, I'm supposed to be towing Dave Matsui's 12 car.