I just sent my entry in and reserved my hotel. http://www.lsrpca.com/DE/DE.html The 355 C is all ready... only 3-4 heat cycle tires on now, a weekend of pads left, rotors in great shape, changed oil after last track day, and bled brakes. I can't wait, just hopefully it doesn't rain as I don't have rain tires yet.
I'm all set. Will be leaving Friday after work. I have to take the instructors clinic before I can instruct and run the instructors group, but they put me in the fastest non-instructors group. Should be a blast, I've never run the C at TWS. I think it may even be clockwise on the 2.9, which I've never done before. I couldn't get spare pads in time, so hopefully what I have left will last the weekend. If anyone is out there I would be happy to give them a ride. I'll only be running 9/10ths though. That should be about 1:55-:57 on the 2.9 ccw.
Have fun Rob. I can't make it. Have to fly up to Boston to retrieve my daughter from Yankee land. Just remember, the shinny side is supposed to stay up! Dale
rob,good luck on your racing. think postiv about the wether.bad wether pop the top and sae who's your daddy.
LOL - No rain tires yet, so I'll be a wimp and not run if it rains. I should have a set of rains by early next year.
Rob, I'll be sure to come introduce myself. I did my first PCA DE last much and had a blast. Nick Johns
Oh, I forgot, in the Enduro Greg hit at least one other car and had a few offs in my #6. Nothing major, but we'll need to bring it in before March. I'm running the #12 in January and it's in good shape so far. On the #6 they took it to a frame shop and by the time they got done the stripes on the bumper were 4 inches off the stripes on the hood. We might repaint the stripes on the bumper so it lines up.
Please do. Be sure to introduce yourself and remind me you're from FC. I tend to have lurkers all day long and sometimes I just have to put my head down and get work done unless I know you.
I'll be there with our transporter Friday night. And if I can get it fixed enough to track, (get it running, it's been in a barn for several years and then in a storage unit, so iit needs a lot of work), I'll be bringing my 84 Euro 308 GTB QV David
Just me and Dana with the 355 challenge and a 2 liter vintage Porsche racer. Just a way for us to take a break and have some fun at the track. It's a long time before the season opener in Florida at Daytona. D
Cool. What run group are they sticking you in? Since I'm driving too, maybe we can run together at speed....I asked to be placed in the instructors or red group or whatever the most advanced group is on the track. d
They told me I couldn't run the instructors group because I hadn't gone through the instructors clinic before. I think they put me in white, which is the fastest non-instructors group. But I really don't know, I've never done a PCA DE before. I know I'll have to be careful and not forget it's just a DE. With only passing on the straight aways I get frustrated with everyone that can drive fast only in a straight line. Otherwise my best passes would be diving down into 1/2 or any of the corners for that matter. I might have heard we're running clockwise. That would be tricky on the 2.9, I've only run the 1.8 CW before. Not as safe either.
Clockwise on the 2.9 is a BLAST! Much faster than counterclockwise, and it flows better, too, IMO. YOu are on the power all the way from the exit of 3 thru 2 & 1 and down the loooonnnnng straight before entry into 15. Plus, the 8-9 complex is easier & safer, IMO, and the 5-6 complex is one long arc--very fast & fun. Only dangerous spot is exit of 4, since there is a tire wall there. Also, braking zone into 3 is rough pavement. I actually prefer TWS 2.9 clockwise, especially in the 550!!! Have fun, guys.
NOT ME. It may be more fun down the front straight away. However, my personal and professional opinioin is it's a bad idea. The track is laid out for CW direction. Thus, not only the design but how the track "wears in" for run off, track out, rubber laid down, visual markers, etc. is all jacked up. Being a mountain bike racer as well as a race car driver and having experienced the change in direction puts great perspective on what's a much tighter race line and less forgiving for the speeds at hand. Going the opposite way usually has terrible track out grip as well as initial braking point into turn from marbles, etc. Usually causes me to change tires to get better grip. I'd think lack of rubber down in the proper areas as well as marbles would not be favorable. But you know, we live in the United States, and we don't have to agree on everything. I probably won't drive much if at all if they run the opposite direction. I think that's pretty much why no other track (at least serious tracks) do it. Adds another element of danger in an already dangerous sport.
If you can go flat from 3 (using CCW numbering) all the way into the straight then you are amazing in a 550. I can barely do that in a SM and rarely in an FM with wings & slicks! Having gone off in 1 and then up the banking toward the wall, it requires some bravery to stay flat from the exit of 3!
LOL Keith, amen to that. In the SRX7 I swore I was going flat through Turn 2/1, but then watching the video later I realized I was lifting every single time. Talk about major pucker factor. Here's a video of me in the SRX7 on the 1.8 CW... http://www.spec7.org/videos/TWS1_8cc_1_23_1.mpg
Enjoyed your video. Thanks for sharing. The car sounds not bad, too. Is 355 much different from this car, handling, sound, and your feel? Enjoy your time at TWS. If I were there, I would definitely asked for the ride..... Yoshi Ace
Actually, that's why I'm worried, I think they might do the long course backwards. Yes, I heard that and the Porsche club and SCCA got it going again, I'm glad as the 2.9 is my favorite of any course I've done before. Yoshi, I haven't had the 355 at TWS yet. So far I think it's very easy to drive vs. the SRX7. You blink wrong in the SRX7 and it will loop on you. I've purposely () tried to spin the 355 C before and can't. With a real race suspension, setup, slicks, and such great balance and feel you can take it to 99.9% and know it. So far the car has exceeded my expectations. I've driven it 5-6 days and the pads still have about 30% left and the rotors look great. I can buy Dunlop tires from the Grand Am series with only 1-2 heat cycles on them for $80 a tire and those will last me 2-4 days. I change the oil every other outing and that's about 12 quarts of Mobil one, two copper crush washers, and one oil filter. I bleed the brakes every outing and that just takes about 15 minutes and $3 worth of Ford HP Brake Fluid. The car starts up every time (except if the battery is down) and is easy to load and unload on the trailer. I never dreamed it would be this easy to own and maintain a Ferrari race car. It also tends to get a little attention. & Long term I will probably get the engine rebuilt every 4-5 years or maybe even longer as the engine really is stock, just used much harder when it is running vs. a street 355. I will also start carrying spare clutch which should be very easy to change at the track from what I've heard.
Keith, I'm not flat ALL the way. Here's what I did: Flat on exit from 3 all down that straight;shift from 3rd to 4th; get ALL the way left at turn in to 2, onto the yellow curbing, and tap brakes; stay in 4th; back on power thru apex of 2 & build throttle so that I am 100% flat just before where the yellow box is painted on the track (on the left in this direction); shift to 5th around 1/3 of way down straightaway at 7,000 RPM; and flat all the way until the end of the grandstand, where I stand on the brakes & shift to 4th; on maintenance throttle down the banking; once on the flat on approach to 15, I brake hard again & downshift to 3rd. If I do this right beginning at the turn 3 exit, I will hit 160 mph (yes, I have looked) when I brake at the end of the grandstand!! Like I said: I though I'd hate CW, but REALLY loved it! And Dave, I found plenty of grip & no marbles on line going this direction (albeit in a 4000+ pound understeering car with street tires...).
Hmm, makes me feel a little better. No way I'll have my QV out there, it needs more help than anticipated. I finally got it running, but quickly discovered it needed water pump, cambelts, cam seals, clutch, fuel distributor, one of the digiplex's, axles, brakes, etc, etc. Then there is a host of other rescue mission items of cosmetics, lights, interior. It sat for a looong time. It's amazing the progress I've made in the evenings. Can't work on it in the day as we are so busy at the shop....customers first. I hate to admit, but I'd rather stay home this weekend and work on the 308 rather than go to the track........now that's a change. D
