dmp

So? How'd it go?? :D

shaunv74

Man it was great! According to my Gtech here were my top G-load stats:

Acceleration: 0.43g's (it's an RX8)
Deceleration: 1.0g's(new pads yeehaw!)
Left turn: 1.04g's (I think I permanently warped my eyeballs) Holy cow do these tires grip when they get warm. And the springs work great!
Right turn:0.98g's(It's mainly a left turn track so not as hard but still great fun)

It was really a great experience and you can't beat it for the money. To start the day when I showed up there were a ton of people there with all kinds of crazy cars. There was Bob in his 300rwhp Miata turbo. There was a guy with a brand new Noble M400. (very pretty car). A couple of vipers. A bunch of dedicated race prep'd Porche 911 RSs'. Lot's of bimmers, a few corvettes including a 3rd generation stingray in great shape that just sounded sooo cool going around the track. That old school muscle car sound. There was a guy with his Ariel Atom. He didn't race it but we got to talk to him for a while and gawk at it. There was even a ALMS prepped C6R corvette there, that Bob passed in the straightaway. A few Alfas too. Just a ton of great cars to wander around the pit area and gawk at. I wish I had brought my camera. Then there was this slick lowered silver RX8 with the carbon rear lip that kept stomping C6 vettes and porches. I wonder who's that was.

I parked next to Dan and Bob to check out the car and get it ready. Dan let me borrow a bunch of his tools and helped me check out the car to make sure it was okay. I was in the novice C class and had an instructor riding with me. Bob was in the A class and Dan was in the B class.

It was fun as we all got to watch each other run. My instructor was a great guy that really helped me work on my technique and learning the track. I think he is now an RX8 fan as well. Whenever we'd come up on someone slower coming out of the corners, like and S2K or Mitsu 3000GT VR4, Evo etc. he'd say "go get em now! Get em get em!" I learned a ton and really started working the car. I was able to sufficiently melt the tires and smoke the brakes enough to make me look respectable back in the pits. I topped out at about 125mph on the long straight mainly because I was still a little hesitant about taking that gradual right hander and setting up for corner 2 much faster than that. It's a wierd feeling having to keep your foot down on the throttle at 125 while going around a corner! I guess that's when your nuts have to tell your brain to shut up. I know the car can do it but I wasn't comfortable yet. I can definitely brake later and harder than I did.

At the end of the day my instructor let me go around the track on my own. Although I definitely got passed a bit more out there with all the B and A class guys. Either way I learned a ton and had a great time.

It was cool to watch Dan scream by the stands at 8500rpm. Man it really gives you an appreciation for the RX8 to see him really catch people going in and coming out of the corners. He could hold his own on the straights but every time he'd come out of the corner by the stands he'd just be reeling someone in because they just couldn't get on the gas as early as he could. The car sounds really unique out there too. It kinda sounds like a cross between a jet engine and an F1 car. Just really high pitched and smooth. It makes me want to get the intake and a full header back exhaust just to sound cool like that too.

All in all a great day and I can't wait to do it again.

kristopher_d

So, does anyone know when the next club school is? I'm itching to get on the track, and while I could do the proformance school (24 April or 8 May), $495 is a bit more than I care to drop right now.

dmp

GREAT write-up Shaun :D

Bob is a GREAT guy - I hope you got the chance to talk to him some. He was my instructor; but I've known him for years from my Miata days.

And Dan..geesh...the Canadian Wonder. :D

Skinless

Glad to hear you had such a great day. I wasn't able to make this one, but hopefully we can meet up at one in the future. Even if you hold the gas down through turn 1 you won't see too much more than 125 before braking for turn 2. The MPH climb really slowly at that speed in this car. I do know what you mean about the feeling you get there at full throttle. It's even more scary on a bike. On my F4i (sold when I bought my 8) it was over 130 through there and when you go across that rough patch on the inside and get some headshake the pucker factor is really high. Anyway, sounds like you enjoyed yourself enough to do it again. We need to get more 8's out there!

dmp

Shaun - what you mentioned about not wanting to stay on it - that's EXACTLY what I was talking about, if you recall...I'd settle in about a buck 120 on the front straight, then just sorta hang out until I got thru one. The entry to turn 2 is where I'd make up TONS of ground - actually 'accidentally' passed a guy there, if I recall.

:D

shaunv74

Yep. I do. I was thinking about that when I'd see my shift light on the Gtech start blinking at me in 4th gear..."hold on baby..just a little longer..." Gee ya know the Racing Beat flash would really be nice right about now with the 9300rpm redline. I wouldn't have to worry about shifting or hitting the fuel cutoff and spinning wildly out of control at 120+.

I know what you mean by being able to reel people in during the braking zone. I would get on the brakes too early but some people were actually getting on the brakes so early that I had to lay back just so I didn't get too close to them.

Kris: I found this on the NW porche club site http://www.pnwr.org/forms/registration.asp: It looks like they have a driving school at Pacific Raceway coming up on May 15th.
http://www.motorsportreg.com/calenda...8122&x=55&y=10

kristopher_d

Thanks for the link. Can't sign up 'til the 29th 'cause I'm not a member, but the write up on their school looks, interesting. Although, I may just drop the deposit and commit to the Proformance school. I've been wanting to do that for going on 3 years now. I don't know, I want to get on the track where I can push my limits and see what Ruby is really capable of in a more predictable environment. :shrug:

dmp

Here's bob's track report:

shaunv74

Bob is an animal in his "chick" car. It's so cool to watch him chase people down like they're standing still.

Nemesis8

iTrader: (3)

I'm itching all over now after reading this thread - dam you guys

shaunv74

Yeah it was a good time. Too bad you couldn't make it. I'd love to hear your car scream around the track.

Skinless

We should definitely try to find a day that a bunch of us can make this year. There's getting to be quite a few of us around here who attend them and we should be able to add Kris soon. I'll have to compile a list of events this year and maybe we can find one that works for most of us.

shaunv74

Cool. Thanks Skinless. I'm definitely up for any day I can make.