I signed up for a track day with the "Driver's Edge" at MSR-Cresson and got put on the alternate list. Wednesday night, got a call that a spot was open if I wanted it. The Miata's roll bar wasn't in yet, so I sub'd the Pontiac G8. Mad flurry of car maintenance, brake flushing and tech inspection ensued! Saturday AM and there I was.

So, yeah, I was the track with the automatic 4-door sedan!

Car actually held up to 4 25-minute sessions really well. Only complaint (besides obvious heft) was the damn transmission. It would abrubtly downshift and upshift at the most inopportune times.

So, my head is still spinning. What a hoot! Had no idea that 25 minutes could pass so quickly. Instructor said I was ahead of the curve . . . pretty sure she was referring to my early apexes.

Get to go again tomorrow.

OK . . . time to bash the track newb!!

 

I wont' bash you because I've never been to the track. Good luck!

 

Signed up for my first in the V8 Miata 8/31. Have done them on bikes but I was told I still need to do school for the car.

Sooo, the Midwest Mustang club is holding an event, School, 4 hours on road course and then 4 hours on the track's adjacent drag strip.

Total cost? $65. Regular track days they get $195 just for the school. Mostly doing it for the signoff as I have only driven the car a total of 100 street miles since it was built and I'm not going to push it hard. Really just getting school out of the way for the SAAB next year.

 

I opened this expecting to see that you finally got a rollbar! I am disappoint. Jk, track driving is VERY addicting so be careful

 

That's a steal! Personally, I'll take all the instruction I can get.

But, I do have a rollbar. Here it is next to my Torsen and the Enthuza that I picked up for $100:


Think of this as the follow-on to the V8 Supercars race (last time I saw you IIRC):

 

Welcome to the addiction.

Eagles Canyon has an event Aug 10th.
A little longer drive for you than MSR-C.

 

Eric, it was nice meeting you at the track. I didn't put two and two together when I saw your car.

 

This.

Hope you and the missus have separate bank accounts.

 

I named my Miata "The Retirement Account" as in, "Yes honey I put money into the retirement account this month".

 

LOL.

The Pontiac's tires are done. Wear strips on all four and some light chunking on the front-passenger side. They were close before I went (barely passed tech), so I was actually expecting this. I just priced new tires for the Poncho.

Honey?

At least I got my money's worth.

Interesting thing is that the front-passenger side had the most brake dust and the worst tire wear . . . but we were going CW. ??

I was grossly overdriving the huge beast in the slow sections. Go slow to go fast was totally lost on this . I got better towards the end, but still. Total hack job. Humbling experience.

 

Congrats! Now get the Miata out there. Then, you can try and not think of improvements to the car. You can try ...

 

Actually, all I've been thinking about lately is improvements to the driver. I got to ride with an instructor in a bone-stock rental Camaro. He was going MUCH faster than me. BTW, avoid rental cars with worn-out tires and brakes. I know where they've been.

But I hear you. Looks like an extremely slippery slope from the car improvement standpoint. First order of business would be safety and track reliability.

 

MOAR SEAT TIME!!

 

Welcome to the fun. I was out at Cresson with the Drivers Edge last weekend, too, instructing. I remember the G8, it is silver, right?

It was a nice weekend, weather stayed decent. I had a bunch of fun in my '99:





Have you signed up for the September event yet?

robert

 

Yep! Tortured Renee for two solid days in the huge beast!

Signed up the instant I got home on Sunday. Silver Miata next time though.

I'm going to try and hit up the August event at Eagle's canyon that EricJ mentioned (if I can find time to get the roll bar in). Like Mobius said, it's all about getting quality seat time with an instructor at this point. With a two month lay-off, I'd probably be starting over.

 

Driver's Edge blows, run with apex or nasa. ECR is running a open day on 8/10 that I'm instructing. Also a sam park ford open day at ecr on 9/7 that I am also working. I know MSR is closer and I would rather go there then ECR but the group putting on the event is as important as the location.

 

Definitely going to try to make the 8/10 at ECR.

I'm new enough that the only things that blow are my turbo and my driving!

 

I hate this thread.

I was skipping this season to justify 949/TSE brakes and XIDAs. You are tempting me to throw it on the CC and get back out in September.

 

Do it. Winter is for saving! Make Christmas come early !

 

LOL! Like a heroin junkie saying "I think I'll skip this hit." Doesn't work, especially with all the other junkies saying "Dude! C'mon!"