My video from FCA Track Event @ VIR - 11/06

Better late than never, I hope! Enjoy the sounds.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6150899256368757276

Sorry for the huge delay in posting. Despite my effort to edit the video, I had forgotten to post this until now. We were just discussing the events at VIR on another thread when I remembered I have this.

I had a situation during that track day. It was just two weeks after I got my Ferrari (I got it delivered the morning I returned from Brasil from seeing Schumacher's last race) and I decided to drive up from Atlanta overnight with a couple friends to track it at VIR with the FCA NC chapter.

On about my 4th session, I started to gain lots of confidence. I was figuring out the line and passing some cars, fun! This is what Ferrari is all about! But then, it went sour. On the straight after Oak Tree, I was accelerating hard. I shifted from 4th to 5th at redline when suddenly I lost all power and my engine bay started bellowing thick smoke. My worst nightmare! I was looking for orange haze to see if there was fire. There was not, so I moved off line and maintained my momentum to coast back to the pits. I made it to the pits. The motor would run, but the car would not engage any gear (only displayed 'N').

I thought my F1 pump had blown and I panicked! After the scare, it got worse. Two mechanics came by and said that I need a new F1 pump, and that it would be 14k + labor. I would have to fly back to Atlanta, have my car towed two hours to their shop, then fly back up in a couple weeks and pay lots of money. I was planning on driving my car back to Atlanta that evening!

Then Peter Krause stepped in and helped me out in the best way possible. He had his personal mechanic drive up to the track to give his diagnosis. He looked at it for about two minutes, tightened the clutch bleeder valve, and told me to buy some transmission fluid. We put the fluid in, turned on the car, tried selecting a gear, and like magic, it went into first! Problem solved! *PHEW* I went on the track for two more sessions, uh... to make sure everything was fine It was. The car hit an indicated 160 on the back straight. I had to shift from 5th to 6th at redline before the braking zone. After that, we stopped for barbeque, met some local girls, then drove back to Atlanta that night. Talk about a crazy 24 hours.

I put a special message for Peter Krause (lolaman) at the end of the video. Please fast forward to the end if you want to see it. He helped me out of quite a bind, and I want to thank him and recommend him to all of you.

BTW, My 360 is the 2nd car out in the video (the yellow one). Compare the sound to Corvettes behind it, and the Ford GT later in the video. The red/yellow 355 was the best sounding car there.
There was also an ORIGINAL (real) Shelby Cobra and a 288 GTO, both on the track that day!

 

Thanks, Tom! Cool video! Hope to see you again soon at VIR.

 

Everyone knows Peter is the best!

What's that business with a red 360 getting eaten up by a 328? The 328 must have had an F1 motor in it or something...

 

Hahaha!

On the 328, two words, Brian. Ones that you well know and preach even better than I!

Seat time, seat time, seat time...

 

LOLLLLZZZZ

Hey, I'm gonna be in your neck of the woods a couple times this season, it seems. There's some NASA enduro in February I've been invited to participate in.