Pam

Have a great time guys and stay on track!!!
Pam

MoodDude

So is it going to be a fight for number 8? Of coarse I won't want it.

whiterex

Well, I'm headed out for my first hit of track. See you all at tech.

SilverEIGHT

Wonder how our friends are doing in Savannah? I'm jealous! I need to see evidence of track! Maybe one of our speed demons will sneak onto a hotel computer and upload a few images or a story or two. There's always a story... maybe a or a or maybe even a but there is always a !

How did the initiation go for whiterex?

rxeightr

Looks like they forgot us back here at home. The least they could do is give us a quick "hey, we miss y'all" post.

Stop&TurnFreak

I now know how the other half live while I am at the track. I don't like this, but I had a great day with my daughter, which is priceless. But, I would like some updates.

whiterex

This was one of THE most unreal experiences of my life! I have much respect for the track. Spun around a couple of times getting into turn 4 a little too hot....... and maybe(very likely) a hair off-line. I'll let the "others" tell the initiation story, they could tell it better.

THANK YOU to legocken, TA, OD, phlash, mooddude, and l8apex for making my first hit of track a good one. Will post a few pics in a bit.

whiterex

Here are a few..

whiterex

and a couple more... this is one of the few passes that I made all weekend.lol.

Stop&TurnFreak

I am missing it a ton now.


UPDATES@!!!

MoodDude

I had a ton of fun with you guys. The little tips and pointers off track really helped, especially to relax on the straight away, the little waving at the flag station really did the trick! Especially since I was hitting 140mph at the end of the straight.
Passing Porsches really was fun, especially the Porsche Turbo's since that has always been my dream car!
I think the "rice burners" really suprised everyone there! Hope you guys keep me in the loop for the next time you all go and don't mind a piston engine sharing your space with you.
S&TF - really wish you where there so I could have riden with you, everyone talked about your driving skills over the weekend!

skillmaker

Whiterex,

I think I know why you had a problem with that turn...

You were giving credit to l8apex for helping you?

Late Apex?

Sounds like someone of whose advice you should have been a little more skeptical!




Oh yeah... Great pictures. Insane Jealousy!

MoodDude

About Whiterex's spin, I didn't see it until he was sitting in the grass on the first day, the first time out. I think the problem wasn't the advise, but the difference between AutoX (which is what he does) and a road track (which this was his first time). For a road track, you don't only need the car to come up to temp, but also the driver. By the end of the event, he was definitly one of the better drivers in our group!
I don't even think the softer dampers in the rear would have helped either (next time find an instructor that doesn't wear shorts with long socks)!

TrackAddict

Guys - it was a great time in Savannah this weekend. We missed all the folks who couldn't make it. Sorry for the no updates over the weekend but all of you who have hit the track know what it is like at the end of the day after being out there. Tired, hungry, worn out and ready for a few cold ones and some zzz's. The drive home last night wasn't too bad but when I pulled into the garage I was done.
Phlash - thanks for stopping by the house Friday morning and watching me wash and pack my car The drive down was fun especially with the 2-way radios. Congrats on a great track weekend. You looked confident and cool out there and certainly kept up the speeds. You did get your obligatory off but no harm no foul. You got to lose it to learn just how far you can push it or what the result of a mistake is. Hope you had a safe drive the rest of the way home.
L8Apex - congrats on being signed off for your next Roebling event. You looked really good out there and sounds like you made a ton of progress. Sorry about my snoring...
Lego - great driving this weekend. Congrats on soloing as well. I appreciate using your jack and your offer to help we with my wheel stud. I just wanted to get on the road home.
Whiterex - dude, I am glad you are hopelessly hooked on track now. The experience is beyond words isn't it? Get those rear shocks softened up and you will notice how much more drive able the car is. The RX-8 rotates on a race track very well and doesnt need to be set up to do so any more. Sounds like your instructor was very impressed with you on Sunday. Awesome!
OD - what can I say man. It was great meeting Mrs OD and chatting with her. She is a keeper. Sorry about not stopping at the Subway near the track for eats. Next time I'll listen. On track, you are a fast bugger! I was glad to see you reel in the Super Stalker. I wished you would have been in HPDE3 with me on Sunday so we could run nose to tail for a few sessions.
Mooddude - it was great to meet you officially and have you be a part of the Georgia RX8 Club. Your 350Z is one bad *** machine! It was fun watching you tear down the front straight. Hope to see you many times again on track.

I had a terrific time. The car ran great and it felt really good on track. Although the track got greasy, it was a hoot feeling the car just slip and slide under me. I feel I have come a long way since my last trip to RRR and that was satisfying. My ride int eh Pantera was a great experience , My neck is not hurting anymore but I felt the after effects of the ride all day yesterday. That thing is a beast.

TrackAddict

So, were you there? What do you base your expert opinion on? Do you have anything worthwhile to add? At first blush, the answer seems to be NO!

SilverEIGHT

All I can say is "Just Damn"! Wish I could have been there with you guys.

MoodDude

Thanks - great to meet you too. Your advise was invaluable and I will practice my heal-toe now with some help from Lego. I hope that one day, I can be as good of a driver as all of you already are. Just need more seat time.

Phlash

Otay boys and girls........first, I'll get some pics up soon........The convoy down way great! We behaved (partly because one of our own was trailering tires, gas, etc). Tech inspections went fast. I like the way that the NASA folks do it now rather than your instructor, it was much quicker. Friday night we went to Spanky's for the worlds absolute worst service.....but damn it, we keep going back there every time we go to RR...why?.........who knows.

The new RA1's ROCK! I have already corded one...grrrrr....but that was the worst that happened for the entire weekend. I think three or four of us had a little off track time that we didn't plan on. As expected from me in these events, I had one. L8 has the "after cloud" tape I sure he will post the first chance he gets. It happened in turn two, after a fast as hell (almost 100mph) entry into one (after passing a Porsche) that went okay, but due to driver error trying to set up for two at a clip too fast for entry the rear of the car started the turn a fraction sooner than I did. I almost got it back but momentum speed prevailed and it snapped around and spun me off track right toward the flag station at two. After the day the workers at that station came up to me and told me they thought I was gonna save it but that I lit up that flag station and the radio chatter from that station as I spun toward them. Nothing was hit or hurt. The only thing that took a beating was my pride and the inside of the car has enough sand and crap in it to fill up my kid's sand box.

STF, remember your comment to me after the last RR event that DSC was hurting me??? Well after my first session, Dan quoted the exact same line. We turned it off. I got experience and play with the dance of the rear end for the entire weekend....and it was good...a little squirly and ballsy at times, but what a feeling. Dan pushed it just a little bit faster and faster each session. Carrying more speed than you and I did there and I am taking a line that is a little off from what you and I had run...but all is good.

We had two scares at the event this weekend. Two or three of us just happened to be there to see both events. On Saturday, we were watching the back section standing watching turns three and four. One of the racing groups was qualifying, a 944 was bunched up into turn four,he locked up and went off track and clipped the sand. Let me tell ya boys and girls, eveything you have ever heard could about "do not try to catch or get sideways in sand" is true. This guy caught sideways, the 944 went into the air and rolled hitting side to side up the sand embankment and bouncing off of the tree line before coming down facing turn four on the embankment. He got out under his own power. Sunday, thunder practice, three of us were in the observation tower watching the practice. Three vets were playing back and forth. about half way through, one of the vets came wide onto the front straight and caught wheel off left and it unsettled the rear......he tried to catch it, rather than letting it go through the big sand field. Well, you guessed it.....the correction threw the car straight at the pit wall. He hit the wall head on at about 100-110mph (his best guess he told me later). It was one of the hardest hit's I ever witnessed. The front of the car was reduced to half it's original size. But, the drivers area stayed in one complete piece and the driver was able to get put on his own power. I have pictures of the after effects of the hit on the vet.

TA - Thanks for your time and input on my DSC free day. You looked great out there. Congrats on the Pantera ride...hope the neck is better today.
L8 - Congrats on a great weekend! Glad to see that the event didn't finish off those tires yet.
Chuck - Sooooo glad things had such a positive turnaround for you this weekend. NASA deals track hits a few times a year and I hope to see you at the next event.
Lego - Great to see you again and hope to see you again at CMP. Glad the new 710's did so well for you this weekend (am I the only one that corded a tire this weekend? WooHoo!).
Mike - That is one bad A ride you have there my friend. Glad to hear the speeds picked up for you so well. Just as an FYI...you can enter one at almost 100mph.....now that transition through two scrubbing of that speed.....well, that's a different story.......
OD - You are one smooth track man.......it was a pleasure following you around the track and picking up some new ideas from you. Please let Mrs OD know that it was a pleasure to meet her and that she was a really trooper to come hang at the track with us.

Thank you all for a great time and lots and lots of laughs......."that would have to be one charming M.........ing pig....." and " "pass me" pink.....I can't wait until the next event!

legokcen

legokcen

TA, Pre Spin :



TA, Post Spin, geting a "Now you listen and you listen good" talking to :

legokcen

Our Home Base :

TrackAddict

Uh yeah - I had a semi spin coming out of 1. I was carrying just a bit too much speed in my first session Sunday. As I felt the car come around on me, I decided to let it go and not try and save it. I slid sideways scrubbing off speed, then put both feet in. I came to a stop in the center of the track with the nose pointed to the inside of the track. I only came around 90 degrees and didn't go off at all. Sometimes you got to push it a bit harder to see what she will do...

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

I hope I have recovered from this event by the time the next one comes around.! Dang it was hot.
Glad our oil/coolant temps are now known not to be a really bad problem.
All of us are getting faster--time to take a deep breath and reflect. Our group I believe is getting a lot of attention. Noticed how many people came over? Starting to use our first names etc. Great to be part of the family like that--really a bunch of excellant people.
My wife said to tell everyone THANKS for making her feel so at home and she now has no doubts about all the good things I have to say when I speak of what we do.

Did my 2 goals for the w/e--
1- run the course in 4th(if you dont go to a higher gear you cant go any faster) --also learned than in 3nd sometimes its feels faster and the exit speed from the turn can actually be higher BUT the time through the turn is slower! Never-the less if you are setting up for a past a little later that higher exit speed CAN be used(just according to the situation)
2- exited turn 8 at over 100mph--fastest was 102--and dang that little "whiggle" in the track surface in that turn does get your attention at that speed!

it was fun exploring the momentum lines vs the double apexs, it was fun taking the turns in differant gears(although I have BIG TIME fuel starvation issues tracking out on number 5--instructor said --too much G's and too much fuel requirement at that high of an rpm(i have 3/4 tank of gas) when I was in 3nd--absoulutely no probs in 4th gear and G's and exit speed almost identical.
It was a heck of a lot better when they gave us 3 passing zones. I think ALL did well with that--wacthing traffic etc. I know now how to take a differant line in 8 when you past through 6-7!
The company as always was the best--thanks to all. Fun watching all progress.
Mooddude and White--it was a pleasure and hope you join us again asap. I would love to see yall at Road Atlanta.
I ended up not turning my dsc off at all. heck it only went off 1-2 times at slick #5. I guess the 4th gear helped me stay smooth. I did learn how to load the chassis a little slower in turn 3 so the chassis felt planted sooner and even my mid corner speed increased. Man that is one hell of a fun turn! Just have to brake like an idiot from 95 to about 70-72 going into 4! THAT can get a little intense.
I could talk all day!
Great time with great folks and I wont get much work done today--exhausted. Lost 4lbs and have a blister on my left palm from the steering wheel!
What times do yall think I am turning?
Olddragger

legokcen

Stop&TurnFreak

Man, I am jealous now. I heard the Evo that was in HPDE4 had issues, and was only running 1:24's. Not sure if I could have kept up, but I have gone close to that speed on street tires.

The pictures are good, it makes me truly wish I hadn't laid out, but when you daughter misses yhou what can you do?