Buttonwillow REvisited...Another Ferrari day

Speedtrial was at Buttonwilow lastweekend. Byron's friend Arick alerted me to the happenings. There is only my Ferrari and some 360's but I don't see them. The short track was run saturday so I waited until sunday to run the full track. I should have run both days. Some very serious shop guys run 3 360's. They are going for it. Two get body damage but they are unfazed ..."its only sheetmetal and Ferrari's are for driving!" These are my kind of guys! The jetfighter pilot is martin He owns a shop with I think Rick and Paul. All part of International Motorsport in Huntington Beach, Cali.. But I digress. Arick is heading to Buttonwillow his car dies. The alternator is dead with his battery. He calls the towtruck to get him to BW. The tow driver is Byron's tow driver! Yup the guy who dropped Byron's Ferrari. Arick:___"Do you remember me?" Driver____"No?" Arick____"Remember my friends Ferrari...." Needless to say the tow driver was very carful with Arick's car. It made it to the track. O.K. that tidbit aside I'm at BW on Sunday. Last time at BW as you remember I blew up one of my CATS. So I decide to make some test pipes to get a nice freeflow exhaust. It takes me a day but I weld up some killer pipes. I save 10lbs off the weight of the cats. I ditch the air injector rails for 5lbs. more. one more useless smog device gone off my racecar. I turn the key and wham this car is loud! I thought the challenge exhaust was loud but man with the freeflow pipes this is cool! I'm now at BW and I'm on the track. F*&King Ferrari electricals I'm getting a solid 5-8 ligth and my rev limiter is coming in at 5000rpms! What the F is happening. I get off the track and my brother says hey those 360s over there are pretty cool. So I decide to walk over and see if I'm lucky and if there is a mechanic overthere. I arrive to see one 360 going home on a flatbed. The other 360 looks fine except for a bondoed front nose from the last track day. The Stadale is getting a rear quarter panal paint job in ductape in preparation for another's day battle. These are my kind of guys. I couldn't get luckier. They are all mechanics! Martin from International Motorsports says___no problem mate... Bring the car over lets plug it into the SD2! OMG I'm in heaven...no guessing. Martin assures me that all the harmonics and huge noise from the open exhaust will not upset responses to sensors to mess with the rev limits. He diagnoses the primary cause as the 5-8 O2 sensor. He tells me to unplug it and run in open loop mode and I'll get through the day. I Thank him and plan a future visit to his shop. These boys come equipped. Two nice tow vehicles two enclosed 25ft trailers and all the tools you could need. I run the reast of the day no problems and I swear the 348 with no cats and challenge exhaust feels faster by the seat of the pants. The exhaust note is deafeningly wonderful. I'm on the track in the 360's class but within 2 turns I can't keep up. These guys are not reckless and they are not wimps either. I do not know the conditions which caused the track antics nor did I think I should ask. Who knows or who cares who is at fault. Racer race an the results...that's life. Anyway, later in the day The standard 360 is closing on a NASA ASA class camaro full racecar. In a particularly nasty part of the track the 360 divebombs past the camaro breaking so late that he is past the turnin. I think they are going to swap paint or both go home on tow trucks. Neither appears to yield. There are two lines through this tight sweeper that necks down into a single exit. The camaro sits on the outside line which is faster. The 360 is committed to the inside line and somehow cranks the turn, puts on the gas and blows past the camaro. OMG! I want a 360... I hate the way the 360 sounds like a toyota camary but geez those things are the fastest things on any track I have been on with street or converted street racecars. We all get home safely and I get an invite to "track" with the Internationl Motorsport guys. I'll be hanging with some new friends. When I post another trackday I hope some of you others will come join the fun.

 

Yes...Costa, I would love to join you. So far I have missed each of your outings . This time I'm on a ski trip. Next time I hope to make it out with you guys. Keep us up to date on Fchat of your events. I will be at Laguna Seca in March with AROSC and again in august with FCA. I have a fishing trip in May and June. Other than that my track schedule is open!

Keep the shiny side up!