Track Days

[BigJon@Work]

I've got another topic for Scott, who doesn't seem to read his forum anymore. Scott, are you reading this? Please reply.

Anyway, I got do two driving days at Pocono raceway last weekend. It was awesome. I drove my car, which wasn't quite up to the task as I overheated the tires and brakes, and the engine temp was approaching the red zone. I did get to drive some other cool cars including the 2-ton Cadillac CTS-V. With 400 HP and a 6-speed manual transmission. It was quite a trip hurtling it around the track. I was never sure it was going to even turn in on the fast corners with all that mass steaming down the straights.

My friend had his brand new Corvette C6 Z06 there. He was over 160 mph on the front and back straights, WITH A STREET CAR!

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Chevy always likes to balance the Vette on that fine line between street and track car.

160 on the straights? Fun. I'd like to see what it could do on a longer straight. Like, maybe, I-5 between Grapevine and Sacramento? I've always wanted to speed up that stretch of road.. :p

[Serenity]

ZOOM-ZOOM!

[BigJon@Work]

This is truly a racecar for the streets. Much more-so than even the last generation 'vette. The Z06 engine is built by the race team's engine builder, Katech, using race engine technology. I think Chevy says the top speed is over 190 mph.

[BigJon@Work]

ZOOM-ZOOM!

Hey! how did you know I also got to drive a Mazda RX-8 around the track. What a sweet car. Zoom-Zoom indeed.

[barfle]

Went to the Indy Car race at Richmond last night. Can't hear a thing today.

Well, it's not really that bad, but the noise of 22 Indy cars on a 3/4 mile track is awesome. A little good racing, but I don't think very many people were really pushing their limits most of the night.

I'm still not sure what caused the yellow while Danica was IN THE PITS. Talk about crap for luck!

There was a sprint car race before the main event. Three cars finished on the lead lap (and one hit the wall with less than ten laps to go - just keep your brain in gear and you're guaranteed fourth - oops), fourth place was two laps down, and fifth place was seven laps down, although running well. I really hate to see races decided on attrition, even though that was the cause of my own best finish ever.

AJ Foyt had a car in each race, ended up last finisher in both. It's funny to see how racing skill sometimes goes through generations (look at Marco Andretti) and doesn't go through others (Foyt kids are only racing because Dad had the name and the money - he should hire a decent driver and maybe give the kids some instructions).

[BigJon@Work]

AJ's main problem is he won't hire an engineer to set up the car. He has engineers on staff, but they only look after the systems. (Remember the famous laptop throwing incident years ago?) He does all the car setup himself based on driver feedback. He’s very, very good as far as that goes but you will never be able to get those last 1-3 percentage points of speed that Roger and Chip spend millions to uncover by buying the best engineering talent in racing.

I was surprised they got the Richmond race in with all the rain that was predicted.

[barfle]

AJ has always had a temper issue, although in competitive arenas that isn't all that unusual, although he is a standout in that area. I remember when Ontario Motor Speedway opened up and they had electronic scoring, with a little transmitter on each car that an antenna at the start/finish line would pick up. He blamed that for problems he was having with the car, and kicked it, breaking it off the car.

He might have been good enough at driving to be able to overcome his own lack of engineering skill, but that's not going down the generations.

[Serenity]

Excuse me guys, I'm just trying to hog the board for a little bitl....

[Shapley]

Serenity's obviously trying to boost her post count...

[DavidS]

Sorry to be a wet rag (and maybe this should be on the "Pet Peeves" thread), but there are too many people who behave on the public highway system as if it were the Indy circuit...

[Catmando]

Serenity's obviously trying to boost her post count...

Oh boy, I didn't realize you are female Serenity.

[DavidS]

Serenity's obviously trying to boost her post count...

Oh boy, I didn't realize you are female Serenity.

Hey, Cat, you're good for my ego: I fell on my face twice in that respect (with the great guys Tan and Navneeth)!
To err is human...

[Catmando]

I wish there was a little 'M' or 'F' in the profile summary box.

Oh well, I made the same mistake with navneeth, only the opposite.

[Shapley]

Well, I'm not infallible in that area, having made incorrect gender guesses more than once, and suffering a failing memory (the curse of age, I suppose. Not Alzheimer's but Old-Timers).

However, I seem to recall that, back when the old DCBBBB group or whatever they were called used to get together, they posted a photo of the gathering, and Serenity appeared very much female. I hope I'm not mistaken.

V/R
Shapley

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

I think it's the DCBBBLB, and I don't think Serenity was in any photos. I think Stravinsky was.

Hey, Serenity, do you care to declare a gender affiliation?

If anybody's confused about me, I'm a female.

[Shapley]

Selma,

Thanks for the clarification. You're right, it was Stravinsky in the photos. I told you, Old Timers!

V/R
Shapley

[BigJon@Work]

Well, Serenity has complained of wiman's problems in the past, so if she weren't . . . well, the mind boggles.

Anyway let's get this thread back on topic and see if we can draw out Scott.

Scott! have you ever done a track day?

Trivia question: What movie did someone yell Scott?

[Catmando]

And I'm a tomcat.

[Serenity]

Well, I'm not infallible in that area, having made incorrect gender guesses more than once, and suffering a failing memory (the curse of age, I suppose. Not Alzheimer's but Old-Timers).

However, I seem to recall that, back when the old DCBBBB group or whatever they were called used to get together, they posted a photo of the gathering, and Serenity appeared very much female. I hope I'm not mistaken.

V/R
Shapley

What? Post a link so I know what picture you're talking about. As far as I'm concerned, I've been so "neuter-gender" on this board in the past 3 years.