asian312
20+ Year Contributor
- 678
- 4
- Sep 23, 2002
-
Houston,
Texas
In a blink of an eye it was over. I had just completed my first HPDE at Texas World Speedway. My story begins at 4:00am as I spring out of bed ready to participate in what has been the better part of two weeks in the making. The car has completed its maintenance and is packed from the night before. I meet my brother in his Miata and the two of us are off on our 70 mile trek to TWS. At 6:20 we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory. Surrounded by trailered race cars and semis that you would expect to see at an F1 venue, we fumble our way through registration and head to the infield. As we pass through the tunnel under the main straight, it becomes very apparent just how big TWS really is. From the road it looks like a mere hill, but from within the track, it stretches as far as the eye can see. With all the choice spots taken by those that arrived on Fri. we located ourselves along the backside of the oval and pitch up camp. At this point things begin to click as I take in the sights and sounds. V8s begin to fire up the background, Spec Miatas, Porsches, Pro stock cars, and Mini NASCARs (Baby Grande) all begin to buzz with life. We continue with our task at hand as we unpack our vehicles, remove spare tires, and get numbers on our cars.
7:00 Mandatory walk around for HPDE. A 2.9 mile walk talk about a way to start the morning. We show up at the pit entrance and spot a familiar face we met at registration. Upon inquiring about our group, we were notified things had fallen behind schedule a bit. Chuck did point over to a line of cars and hinted that maybe we should grab one of our cars and follow them. And as every motor sports enthusiast would do, we climbed in the Eclipse and followed suit. Soon I found myself circling the track taking a lap to familiarize ourselves. The track was wide with very few obstacles to collide with incase you found yourself with all fours off road. The front straight was a banked piece from the 2 mile oval. It was my first time to set foot on a track much less a bank and found myself holding the steering wheel roughly 30 degrees towards the outside to hold myself on the bank at low speeds as we trained along. We met up just after turn 1 to begin the walk around.
Turn 1 comes off of the main straight. This is the highest speed corner and if done correctly can be combined with turn 2 to make one seamless corner. The trick is however that there is a small transition from the bank to the level ground of the road course. The racing line requires the cars to come off the bank roughly mid or higher up to line up turn 1. This section also contains the entrance from the pits and the merging line which I used to guide myself. Turn in off the bank, wait for the transition, pick your straight line, tap the breaks, and watch for the marker. The marker for the turn into turn 2 is a visible 4 x 4 box on the outer edge of the track. Since turn two is a decreasing radius turn, the racing line is to wait slightly after the marker to begin turning in and then carry the momentum through. Turn 3s approach is simple in theory, fast approach, wait wait wait brakes, late apex. Turn 4 is your classic apex. On turn 5 we sacrifice this corner to line up for 6 properly. Ride close to the middle of the track and follow the corner around. Theres a dirt road that I used as a marker to aim for. Turn 6 and 7 have slight banks to them and progressively get more banked towards the inside. For me it was all out, let off to 1/2 throttle for a second, dive the nose into the corner and power all the way through. With the bank compressing the front inside suspension and the AWD grip it was like a roller coaster. Turn 7 requires even more courage as it finishes up hill to turn 8 which is a blind corner. Turn 8 and 9 form the first S on the track. Once again we sacrifice 8, late apex and line up for a straight shot through 9. Good to mention here this was the scariest part of the track for me. The straight between 9 and 10 is the transition back to the infield which has tire walls on either side. Come in too hot off of 9 or to wide and into the wall (and it doesnt look pillow soft). Turn 10 and 11 is a button hook named the carousal. In this corner we were explained that there is no ground to gain, only to loose. As we come across I position myself against the left side of the track and wait for the small bump. Then hard on the brakes and progressively turn into the corner. The idea is to meet the inside of the track just at the point of exit. Done correctly and your lined up for a straight blast to 12. Other wise you push wide if you try and carry to much speed and find yourself scrubbing excess speed to negotiate turn 11. Finally the last section of the track, the make or break section. Ride the track wide and brake deep into 12. Sacrifice 12 to line up the apexes of 13 and 14. Then all out and back onto the front straight.
Pretty simple, I can do the Nurberg Ring in GT4 WRONG! In the following 10 hours I would learn a lot about driving, especially from the momentum cars (more on those later) than I ever could from the 7 years of driving Ive done thus far. So a few key hints to take from the morning walk:
- Maintain a comfortable, but controllable speed.
- Look at the corner ahead, not the one youre at.
- It takes at least 2 corners to correct yourself and get back on the line
- Sacrificing a corner to line up one that exits on the straight means that your exit speed is multiplied as you carry it down the straights.
Off to the class room for our first meeting. I look around at the other participants and feel a little more relaxed as only a handful of them are wearing racing suits. We cover flags, track etiquette, pass- bys, corner stations, and then the Q&A begins. Remember that relaxed feeling? I start hearing things like My viper and I dont know what class Im in, but I have a fully race prepped I settle down and listen intently to what is being exchanged; then head off to tech. We grab the cars and mossy on up. In line with me are a father son group of RX7s. The son is just starting out in Dads old racer 1st gen 7, while pops is in a beautiful red FD. Theyre in our group and excited to see how they would perform (secret closet 7 fanboy). In front is a kitted 350Z with massive dual N1s and a Cobra in front of it. Both are also running in my group. With all the morning festivities complete we head back to the camp to wait for our session.
Its the moment Ive been waiting for, time to go out and play! I look down from my vantage point before getting my car and what do I see first 3 Z06s roll in. You got to be kidding me. Well I slide in to the eclipse and grid up about middle of the pack. Id estimate roughly 15-20 cars in our group ranging from Porsches to Hondas, and even a Viper and a Saturn. As we ready to go onto the track I find my passenger seat empty. There were not enough instructors for every car, but then a head stuck in my window and asked if Id like a ride along. I happily agreed. My tutor for the morning goes by the name of Shawn and normally races Cobras. We strike up a conversation as he tries to measure the vehicle he just climbed aboard. Front wheel drive with a turbo? Should be nice and quick on the straights, we need to About that point I butted in and mentioned AWD. He looks at me, pauses, Im not familiar with these, but should be pretty much the same as a RWD. And with that we are off.
First lap was under double yellows, and I took this time to make out all the markers and follow the line. At this speed it was relaxing, but then the front straight appeared and the green flag was waving. I floored it in 3rd and blasted down the straight. Turn 1 came up so fast and then immediately it was sensory overload. Everything that I had been told and taught was out the window. As Shawn tried to line me up for the next corner, neither he nor I knew my car at these limits. My blessing came in the form of AWD as no matter how bad I botched a corner, it held me on the track. I was going too fast and steering too aggressively. Despite the RM sway bars, my poor eclipse was wallowing about at entry and exit as my stock suspension couldnt handle the mix-mash of steering inputs I was feeding it. Slowly though we reeled her in as we both adjusted and made it through two laps. Lap three, disaster struck as I found myself braking in turn 8 after carrying all that speed from 7. Very slowly my rear began to slide out and I attempted to counter, but Shawn foresaw this and said just to let it go. I did just that, but right at that moment I remembered something, Both Feet In, Richs post. I hit the clutch and brake and threw it into neutral as I watched 1 or 2 cars pass by on the outside. My car was thrown off the track and once all the dust settled I brought her back to the pits for inspection. With my head shaken and my pride hurt a bit I limped onto pit lane remembering not to drag all the debris across the racing line. My head instructor Ali was waiting for us and I expected the worst. Instead I got, You ok? I shook my head yes and his response was, Lets check it out quick, you got half a session to go. I was renewed, new approach and more determination than ever to make my baby perform. We spent the second half of the session mastering the corners and the line and slowly began taking her up to speed. I got a lot of practice doing point-bys, but was more receptive to things at this speed. One thing I did notice during all the chaos was that none of the Z06s lapped me. However, the red civic hatch and that Saturn managed to blast past me twice. All too soon the session ended and into the pits we went. I met up with Shawn for a debriefing and he had nothing but words of encouragement and a few pointers for my next session.
Back at camp we pop the hoods, place down the wheel blocks, and check the cars fluids. I also check my tires, wheels, and retorque the lug nuts after they cooled. I made it out of the spin with only a little scaring on the bottom side of the front bumper cover and on the passenger rocker panel. With lots of water in hand we head off to the drivers lounge for class. As with the late start of the day, we once again are pitched into what looked like HPDE 3 & 4 class. None the less I take a seat on the nice cold floor and listen in. Our groups class should have been right after, but it did not seem that way as everyone began to disperse. At that point we met up with Veejay and Ryan, the drivers of the 350Z and Cobra. We trade story and experiences and are soon joined by instructor Pete. Pete is an older gentleman but a very well spoken and easy to approach fellow. He gives us a few pointers on the corners and answers all the uncertainties we felt on our first session. Heres where I also get the down low on the momentum cars. By these hes referring to the underpowered 4cyl such as Miatas and that Saturn running amok. He shows us the value of carrying that momentum and how to maintain it with out exceeding the limits of our cars. He also advises us to choose corners to find those limits in safely. Surprisingly it seemed that everyone was having a rough start, including the drivers of the high HP cars. He said with HP comes a whole new set of problems and things to compensate for. This really got me thinking about what I had in store for me car and how my wish list would change. He asked us, If we could work on one area of the car, what would it be? Some said suspension, others blurted out brakes and tires, but we were all wrong. He said, What good is all that grip if you cant stay in your seat? Wow I never thought of it like that. Our little circle winds down and we head back to the camp to wait for our next go.
Session 2. This time around I would be riding solo and my brother receiving a passenger. I had certain goals in mind and lined up accordingly in the grid. Sure enough as we set out under the double yellows, the pack began to split. I slowed my pace down considerably in approaching the corners, but that tradeoff allowed me to carry more speed out of the corner with less input from me. As I slowly refined one corner I began working on the next and the next. I forced myself to focus on the next apex and let the car naturally drift and trusting it. In the carousal I set break points and measured the limits of my brakes and tires on the approach. Soon it seemed I was beginning to connect the dots. Not as harsh straight lines, but as semi-smooth curves. I noticed that taking the track in this manner was less strenuous, on my body and on my car. By the end of the session I had learned to progressively use less braking and more precise taps to control my speed and pinpointed which were my trouble corners. I was also able to setup better, find the straight line to brake on and which gear to enter in. It was a strange sensation that although I wasnt fast, it all made sense. That session I only pointed by 5 cars, a Porsche, a supercharged C5, the FD, the red hatch and that Saturn.
Session 3 would be short as we were loosing sunlight and were 2 hours behind. With only 10 min of track time, I had to make every corner count. I was positioned right behind Veejay in the 350z with my brother and the Saturn behind. We got the ok and onto the track we set. As I hit the front straight under green conditions I engage in a friendly drag race with the 350. I carried a bit more speed off turn 14, but he managed to keep me at bay. As we made the transition down to turn one I found my line and braked early giving me the position I needed for the marker and turn 2. The 350 was a gaining space, but it looked like he pinched the apex too early. On the exit I was full out on the throttle and closed the gap to about 1.5 car lengths. Turn 3 and its hard on the breaks. Once again the 350 turns into soon and is scubbing off speed to keep it on the track. Theres no room to pass until the stretch after turn 6, so all I can do is keep on his tail. Despite my efforts in the corner the 350 had blistering acceleration and would pull slowly away on the straights. As turn 5 approached I remember to look back and check my rear. Sure enough the Saturn was hot on my tail. I wanted to continue the cat and mouse game with the 350, but coming out of turn 6, I let off the throttle to let the Saturn pass. I followed and watched as he faded farther away. He was smooth and knew what line kept him fast. From that point my goal now was to gather up all that I had learned in an attempt to catch the 350. I line up the last S before the front straight and just nail it. I came out at the top of 3rd and was well into forth before I backed off the throttle and turned into 1. I found my line quickly and got me down to speed for turn 2. As I hold it together drifting to the outer berm between 2 and 3, I see the 350. In my excitement I pinch 3 and really feel the tires taxing to maintain grip and keep me on track. I finally make my line on turn 4 and use 5 to launch out of 6. By this time the 350 is mid into 7. With the pedal down I decide to go all in and throw it into 7. I feel the driver front dampener compress and stick as I rotate out towards 8. Find my bush and its hard brake and through 9. The 350 is in the carousal and with any luck hes gone in too hot. I feel the bump and brake hard, downshift to 2nd, and turn in. I ride the corner and rocket out on the exit. I find my line and brake hard for ..oops wrong corner. What I thought was 12 was actually 11. I complete the last series of turn and emerge onto the straight with the checker waving. I give a thumbs up for good measure.
So what happened with session 4? Well the event was running short on time so they decided to combine both HPDE groups. With the heat already claiming 6 cars from previous races, I felt uncomfortable running with the faster cars from HPDE 3 & 4. My first track event had come to and end.
There are so many wonderful things to continue on about, but at this point its all a blur. I would definitely recommend everyone give it a go if you have the chance. One thing that did pay off was all the maintenance work. The first session I was concerned about my car and if it would hold up to the rigors of racing. By the last sessions I was steadily in 3rd and 4th powering through corners keeping the RPMs at 4K+ the entire run. It is nerve racking when the car is your daily driver, but in the end I know its just that much tougher. The other piece I will walk away from this is the knowledge of my cars limitations. Braking hard under street conditions is vastly different to the amount of speed and the frequency I was doing it at the track. Thank you Tuners, Im a trading in the go fast bits for another day at the track!
7:00 Mandatory walk around for HPDE. A 2.9 mile walk talk about a way to start the morning. We show up at the pit entrance and spot a familiar face we met at registration. Upon inquiring about our group, we were notified things had fallen behind schedule a bit. Chuck did point over to a line of cars and hinted that maybe we should grab one of our cars and follow them. And as every motor sports enthusiast would do, we climbed in the Eclipse and followed suit. Soon I found myself circling the track taking a lap to familiarize ourselves. The track was wide with very few obstacles to collide with incase you found yourself with all fours off road. The front straight was a banked piece from the 2 mile oval. It was my first time to set foot on a track much less a bank and found myself holding the steering wheel roughly 30 degrees towards the outside to hold myself on the bank at low speeds as we trained along. We met up just after turn 1 to begin the walk around.
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Turn 1 comes off of the main straight. This is the highest speed corner and if done correctly can be combined with turn 2 to make one seamless corner. The trick is however that there is a small transition from the bank to the level ground of the road course. The racing line requires the cars to come off the bank roughly mid or higher up to line up turn 1. This section also contains the entrance from the pits and the merging line which I used to guide myself. Turn in off the bank, wait for the transition, pick your straight line, tap the breaks, and watch for the marker. The marker for the turn into turn 2 is a visible 4 x 4 box on the outer edge of the track. Since turn two is a decreasing radius turn, the racing line is to wait slightly after the marker to begin turning in and then carry the momentum through. Turn 3s approach is simple in theory, fast approach, wait wait wait brakes, late apex. Turn 4 is your classic apex. On turn 5 we sacrifice this corner to line up for 6 properly. Ride close to the middle of the track and follow the corner around. Theres a dirt road that I used as a marker to aim for. Turn 6 and 7 have slight banks to them and progressively get more banked towards the inside. For me it was all out, let off to 1/2 throttle for a second, dive the nose into the corner and power all the way through. With the bank compressing the front inside suspension and the AWD grip it was like a roller coaster. Turn 7 requires even more courage as it finishes up hill to turn 8 which is a blind corner. Turn 8 and 9 form the first S on the track. Once again we sacrifice 8, late apex and line up for a straight shot through 9. Good to mention here this was the scariest part of the track for me. The straight between 9 and 10 is the transition back to the infield which has tire walls on either side. Come in too hot off of 9 or to wide and into the wall (and it doesnt look pillow soft). Turn 10 and 11 is a button hook named the carousal. In this corner we were explained that there is no ground to gain, only to loose. As we come across I position myself against the left side of the track and wait for the small bump. Then hard on the brakes and progressively turn into the corner. The idea is to meet the inside of the track just at the point of exit. Done correctly and your lined up for a straight blast to 12. Other wise you push wide if you try and carry to much speed and find yourself scrubbing excess speed to negotiate turn 11. Finally the last section of the track, the make or break section. Ride the track wide and brake deep into 12. Sacrifice 12 to line up the apexes of 13 and 14. Then all out and back onto the front straight.
Pretty simple, I can do the Nurberg Ring in GT4 WRONG! In the following 10 hours I would learn a lot about driving, especially from the momentum cars (more on those later) than I ever could from the 7 years of driving Ive done thus far. So a few key hints to take from the morning walk:
- Maintain a comfortable, but controllable speed.
- Look at the corner ahead, not the one youre at.
- It takes at least 2 corners to correct yourself and get back on the line
- Sacrificing a corner to line up one that exits on the straight means that your exit speed is multiplied as you carry it down the straights.
Off to the class room for our first meeting. I look around at the other participants and feel a little more relaxed as only a handful of them are wearing racing suits. We cover flags, track etiquette, pass- bys, corner stations, and then the Q&A begins. Remember that relaxed feeling? I start hearing things like My viper and I dont know what class Im in, but I have a fully race prepped I settle down and listen intently to what is being exchanged; then head off to tech. We grab the cars and mossy on up. In line with me are a father son group of RX7s. The son is just starting out in Dads old racer 1st gen 7, while pops is in a beautiful red FD. Theyre in our group and excited to see how they would perform (secret closet 7 fanboy). In front is a kitted 350Z with massive dual N1s and a Cobra in front of it. Both are also running in my group. With all the morning festivities complete we head back to the camp to wait for our session.
Its the moment Ive been waiting for, time to go out and play! I look down from my vantage point before getting my car and what do I see first 3 Z06s roll in. You got to be kidding me. Well I slide in to the eclipse and grid up about middle of the pack. Id estimate roughly 15-20 cars in our group ranging from Porsches to Hondas, and even a Viper and a Saturn. As we ready to go onto the track I find my passenger seat empty. There were not enough instructors for every car, but then a head stuck in my window and asked if Id like a ride along. I happily agreed. My tutor for the morning goes by the name of Shawn and normally races Cobras. We strike up a conversation as he tries to measure the vehicle he just climbed aboard. Front wheel drive with a turbo? Should be nice and quick on the straights, we need to About that point I butted in and mentioned AWD. He looks at me, pauses, Im not familiar with these, but should be pretty much the same as a RWD. And with that we are off.
First lap was under double yellows, and I took this time to make out all the markers and follow the line. At this speed it was relaxing, but then the front straight appeared and the green flag was waving. I floored it in 3rd and blasted down the straight. Turn 1 came up so fast and then immediately it was sensory overload. Everything that I had been told and taught was out the window. As Shawn tried to line me up for the next corner, neither he nor I knew my car at these limits. My blessing came in the form of AWD as no matter how bad I botched a corner, it held me on the track. I was going too fast and steering too aggressively. Despite the RM sway bars, my poor eclipse was wallowing about at entry and exit as my stock suspension couldnt handle the mix-mash of steering inputs I was feeding it. Slowly though we reeled her in as we both adjusted and made it through two laps. Lap three, disaster struck as I found myself braking in turn 8 after carrying all that speed from 7. Very slowly my rear began to slide out and I attempted to counter, but Shawn foresaw this and said just to let it go. I did just that, but right at that moment I remembered something, Both Feet In, Richs post. I hit the clutch and brake and threw it into neutral as I watched 1 or 2 cars pass by on the outside. My car was thrown off the track and once all the dust settled I brought her back to the pits for inspection. With my head shaken and my pride hurt a bit I limped onto pit lane remembering not to drag all the debris across the racing line. My head instructor Ali was waiting for us and I expected the worst. Instead I got, You ok? I shook my head yes and his response was, Lets check it out quick, you got half a session to go. I was renewed, new approach and more determination than ever to make my baby perform. We spent the second half of the session mastering the corners and the line and slowly began taking her up to speed. I got a lot of practice doing point-bys, but was more receptive to things at this speed. One thing I did notice during all the chaos was that none of the Z06s lapped me. However, the red civic hatch and that Saturn managed to blast past me twice. All too soon the session ended and into the pits we went. I met up with Shawn for a debriefing and he had nothing but words of encouragement and a few pointers for my next session.
Back at camp we pop the hoods, place down the wheel blocks, and check the cars fluids. I also check my tires, wheels, and retorque the lug nuts after they cooled. I made it out of the spin with only a little scaring on the bottom side of the front bumper cover and on the passenger rocker panel. With lots of water in hand we head off to the drivers lounge for class. As with the late start of the day, we once again are pitched into what looked like HPDE 3 & 4 class. None the less I take a seat on the nice cold floor and listen in. Our groups class should have been right after, but it did not seem that way as everyone began to disperse. At that point we met up with Veejay and Ryan, the drivers of the 350Z and Cobra. We trade story and experiences and are soon joined by instructor Pete. Pete is an older gentleman but a very well spoken and easy to approach fellow. He gives us a few pointers on the corners and answers all the uncertainties we felt on our first session. Heres where I also get the down low on the momentum cars. By these hes referring to the underpowered 4cyl such as Miatas and that Saturn running amok. He shows us the value of carrying that momentum and how to maintain it with out exceeding the limits of our cars. He also advises us to choose corners to find those limits in safely. Surprisingly it seemed that everyone was having a rough start, including the drivers of the high HP cars. He said with HP comes a whole new set of problems and things to compensate for. This really got me thinking about what I had in store for me car and how my wish list would change. He asked us, If we could work on one area of the car, what would it be? Some said suspension, others blurted out brakes and tires, but we were all wrong. He said, What good is all that grip if you cant stay in your seat? Wow I never thought of it like that. Our little circle winds down and we head back to the camp to wait for our next go.
Session 2. This time around I would be riding solo and my brother receiving a passenger. I had certain goals in mind and lined up accordingly in the grid. Sure enough as we set out under the double yellows, the pack began to split. I slowed my pace down considerably in approaching the corners, but that tradeoff allowed me to carry more speed out of the corner with less input from me. As I slowly refined one corner I began working on the next and the next. I forced myself to focus on the next apex and let the car naturally drift and trusting it. In the carousal I set break points and measured the limits of my brakes and tires on the approach. Soon it seemed I was beginning to connect the dots. Not as harsh straight lines, but as semi-smooth curves. I noticed that taking the track in this manner was less strenuous, on my body and on my car. By the end of the session I had learned to progressively use less braking and more precise taps to control my speed and pinpointed which were my trouble corners. I was also able to setup better, find the straight line to brake on and which gear to enter in. It was a strange sensation that although I wasnt fast, it all made sense. That session I only pointed by 5 cars, a Porsche, a supercharged C5, the FD, the red hatch and that Saturn.
Session 3 would be short as we were loosing sunlight and were 2 hours behind. With only 10 min of track time, I had to make every corner count. I was positioned right behind Veejay in the 350z with my brother and the Saturn behind. We got the ok and onto the track we set. As I hit the front straight under green conditions I engage in a friendly drag race with the 350. I carried a bit more speed off turn 14, but he managed to keep me at bay. As we made the transition down to turn one I found my line and braked early giving me the position I needed for the marker and turn 2. The 350 was a gaining space, but it looked like he pinched the apex too early. On the exit I was full out on the throttle and closed the gap to about 1.5 car lengths. Turn 3 and its hard on the breaks. Once again the 350 turns into soon and is scubbing off speed to keep it on the track. Theres no room to pass until the stretch after turn 6, so all I can do is keep on his tail. Despite my efforts in the corner the 350 had blistering acceleration and would pull slowly away on the straights. As turn 5 approached I remember to look back and check my rear. Sure enough the Saturn was hot on my tail. I wanted to continue the cat and mouse game with the 350, but coming out of turn 6, I let off the throttle to let the Saturn pass. I followed and watched as he faded farther away. He was smooth and knew what line kept him fast. From that point my goal now was to gather up all that I had learned in an attempt to catch the 350. I line up the last S before the front straight and just nail it. I came out at the top of 3rd and was well into forth before I backed off the throttle and turned into 1. I found my line quickly and got me down to speed for turn 2. As I hold it together drifting to the outer berm between 2 and 3, I see the 350. In my excitement I pinch 3 and really feel the tires taxing to maintain grip and keep me on track. I finally make my line on turn 4 and use 5 to launch out of 6. By this time the 350 is mid into 7. With the pedal down I decide to go all in and throw it into 7. I feel the driver front dampener compress and stick as I rotate out towards 8. Find my bush and its hard brake and through 9. The 350 is in the carousal and with any luck hes gone in too hot. I feel the bump and brake hard, downshift to 2nd, and turn in. I ride the corner and rocket out on the exit. I find my line and brake hard for ..oops wrong corner. What I thought was 12 was actually 11. I complete the last series of turn and emerge onto the straight with the checker waving. I give a thumbs up for good measure.
So what happened with session 4? Well the event was running short on time so they decided to combine both HPDE groups. With the heat already claiming 6 cars from previous races, I felt uncomfortable running with the faster cars from HPDE 3 & 4. My first track event had come to and end.
There are so many wonderful things to continue on about, but at this point its all a blur. I would definitely recommend everyone give it a go if you have the chance. One thing that did pay off was all the maintenance work. The first session I was concerned about my car and if it would hold up to the rigors of racing. By the last sessions I was steadily in 3rd and 4th powering through corners keeping the RPMs at 4K+ the entire run. It is nerve racking when the car is your daily driver, but in the end I know its just that much tougher. The other piece I will walk away from this is the knowledge of my cars limitations. Braking hard under street conditions is vastly different to the amount of speed and the frequency I was doing it at the track. Thank you Tuners, Im a trading in the go fast bits for another day at the track!
. O well, take the seat out & the weight of the bar becomes a push.
Hope I didn't stir up the hornet's nest?
