Calling in the cavalry
The forecast finally stopped bullying us, so Black Flag Racing did what any responsible endurance team does: we called the cavalry. Friends. Family. People who answer texts that start with, “Hey… you busy Saturday?” You know—the kind souls who show up with work gloves, tools, advice, and the emotional resilience to watch a 2007 Honda Accord slowly evolve into a LeMons-ready science project.
Saturday blessed us with actual, usable weather, which meant we could stop pretending “progress” counts when you’re really just staring at the car while trying to stay warm holding a coffee. With extra hands in the driveway, we knocked out the battery cut-off installation—because nothing says “racecar” like the ability to kill power immediately when things get exciting in the wrong way. From there, we ran the power cable for the battery relocation to the trunk, which is a fancy way of saying we played “find a clean route” while crawling around like raccoons under a porch while two other people were trying to weld.
Speaking of welding, the roll cage also took a big step forward: all primary welds were completed. It’s starting to look less like a pile of tubing and more like something that might keep us shaped like humans if the physics of racing start to get spicy. Since we were on a roll, we pulled the oil pan off, realized the new one didn’t fit and decided the old one wasn’t that bad and put it back on. Yes, it required lifting the engine to get it out. No, we didn’t learn our lesson. Consider it a bonding exercise between man, machine, the concept of gravity, and the value of leverage.
Maintenance got some love too: a fresh oil filter went in, and we finished the electrical work for the radiator fans—because endurance racing is basically a long-form argument against heat. We also installed a new engine belt, which is one of those jobs that feels suspiciously normal until you remember you’re doing it on a car that’s missing most of its interior and dignity.
Then came the weekend’s signature act of innovation: cutting holes in the hood to support a “novel” cooling solution involving the heater—yes, the heater—from last week’s HVAC delete. We removed HVAC like adults, then immediately dragged part of it back into the build like goblins. If it works, it’s engineering. If it doesn’t, it’s modern art, and was someone else’s idea.
Still on the hit list before race day: fire suppression install, final roll cage welding, fabricating and mounting the seat mount, a transmission fluid change, an alignment, and if we are pushing our luck a paint job. The cavalry will be on standby. Bring the beer and maybe a lifting device. NOLA we are on our way.
