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Running with the big boys: GTUs at Thunderhill!

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Old 01-27-03, 01:04 AM
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NA Powah, Every Hour!

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Running with the big boys: GTUs at Thunderhill!

Yo,


This was my second visit to Thunderhill Raceway in the GTUs. Here is the first:


https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...hreadid=104171


In this thread I am going to just quickly give you some impressions and a few pics.


#1. NA RX-7's kick ***. I'm sorry, but they do. Yeah, I pointed people by on the straights...oh, like FD's, Z06's, Porsche Turbos, WRXs. But the funniest thing happened when the track started to get twisty:

I could hang with them.

I **** you not. I got into a big gaggle of big boys and I totally hung with them. I had to hussle...but I could hang. It was pretty damn cool.

So my NA bruthas...don't let all the talk of what's fast and what's slow get you down. Our cars are not slow...not where it counts: in the turns.

#2. RX-7's kick ***. It was an open track day.

You know how many Supra's showed up?

One.

You know how many RX-7's showed up?

Like...11 or more. Lots...all generations. Lots of FCs...lots of FDs...It was sweet seeing them all in their element.

#3. DTSS Eliminators kick ***. Dude, I love the things. I swear I would have spun 3 or more times if I still had the DTSS. The rear end would have loaded up, then all that energy would spring back suddenly...and I would have spun. Instead, the rear end was catchable, controllable. Very nice.

#4. Spec Miata's kick ***. You know who I couldn't hang with? Little Spec Miata's just smoked me. Chick car? Don't think so...see ya! Passing me on some crazy turns.

#5. Alex kicks ***. Alex was the only person at the drift event that looked like he knew what he was doing. He totally was drifting a Lexus SC300 on and off the track. Fun to watch.

Okay...I'm tired so I'm gonna post some pics now.



Ready for some fun? Check out the manual window cranks and the Recaro-esque cloth seats.



No sunroof means extra helmet room. Sumo's turbo'ed CRX is in the background.



Ahh...A008R's. I took this at the dealership this morning. R-Compound tires own.



Peace to all my forum peeps! That's Todd next to me.

That's it for now...feel free to ask Q's...I'll try to answer 'em.

Kevin
1989 GTUs "Hard to drift on race tires..."
Old 01-27-03, 01:43 AM
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Dude, cool ****, I'd love to be able to get into that kind of stuff....no damn track's around here though...not that I know of
Old 01-27-03, 03:57 AM
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More pics!
Old 01-27-03, 04:45 AM
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who's alex? alex pfifer by any chance?

edit: oh and sweet pics . post more.

Last edited by bingoboy; 01-27-03 at 04:47 AM.
Old 01-27-03, 08:04 AM
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Sweet pictures, post some more
Old 01-27-03, 09:19 AM
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dude...you rule...

Erik
91 TII "in Japan, the seats really did have Recaro embroidery! but we don't"
Old 01-27-03, 09:23 AM
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kevin is right when it comes to turns power doesn't help anything except make you go off track
Old 01-27-03, 09:50 AM
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Originally posted by vosko
kevin is right when it comes to turns power doesn't help anything except make you go off track

Actually being fast it all about your exit speed.


I think power can help with that
Old 01-27-03, 09:54 AM
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there is a reason spec miata's are faster on a road course and they don't have more power. what i meant to say was the driver makes a bigger difference than more horsepower. the car is only as fast as the driver. i have only driven on a road course once with my old TII i had a great time but damn is road racing hard, you know taking turns correctly lol, i think i did "OK"
Old 01-27-03, 11:36 AM
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Yo,


Well guys, I hate to admit this...but I hardly took any pics. Why? I was too focused on making sure the car was ready for the next session, that /I/ was ready, etc. I was just too focused on driving the car fast and not wrecking it to wander around and snap photos of all the AE86's, S13, S14's, FDs, etc.

That being said...here are like my last 2 photos:



Note the mud on the sidewalls. 2 wheels off? Nah! Never! *wink* Gotta love the Ronal 5 spoke 15's!



Kind of an interesting shot...you can see how the Racing Beat upper strut bar works.

I might have more photo's of my car on the track, including some video possibly that was taken by a third party. I'll keep you guys updated...

Kevin
1989 GTUs "FD's pulled 2:15...I pulled 2:21."
Old 01-27-03, 12:10 PM
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sweet **** kebin
Old 01-27-03, 12:11 PM
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those ronals are super cool dude , did you look at the other thread with the times? your 2.21 vs carls 2.13 vs the k2rd its cars 2.07.

mike
Old 01-27-03, 12:31 PM
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Yo,


Mikey, yeah I remember pointing Carl past....Zoooom! I think I pulled some better times than 2:21...I'll check with Brian or Todd to see what we did when we battled. I'm still stoked on how well my car did given its relatively light state of tune.

Oh, thanks for letting me ride shotgun in your car when Todd Ho drifted it. I'll never forget him yelling:

"Dude how much do you weigh?!"

"Damn fat white boys!!"

*snicker*

I guess he wasn't used to the extra ballast over on the passenger side. I told him a /real/ drifter could adapt to any situation...heh.

Kevin
1989 GTUs "I need harnesses!"
Old 01-27-03, 12:37 PM
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Hey Man , I have that same style ronal rims, but mine are black and 16's.
Old 01-27-03, 12:41 PM
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Glad to see someone not scared to take it to the track...as always nice car/pics man
Old 01-27-03, 12:43 PM
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that is one clean gtus......
it looks emmaculate.....
i guess its just the good paint job...(as compared to mine....which isn't so kosher)
the interior is also REAL clean...
your props are in the mail, dude.....Yeah FEDEX
=-dustin
Old 01-27-03, 12:46 PM
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With all the DTSS bashing lately, I seem to remember you had your old / worn DTSS in before right?

Same experience here with the curves on my TII. I had coilovers & tokico's & nobody passed me except a heavily modified rotary miata. On the TII you have to feather the throttle allot on the stock tires. I'd imagine better grip could have helped me put all the power down around the curves. But just keep the TII in 3rd gear & off you go
Old 01-27-03, 12:56 PM
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Originally posted by Rotorific
Glad to see someone not scared to take it to the track...as always nice car/pics man
Team GTUs is a hard core group . It's all about the street, and we use the track to increase our skills . Hahaha yes I am Ryousuke Takahashi "The White Star" .

Glad you could represent out there Kev. It was such a nice day and I was stuck in class for 6 hours (was going back to school a good idea?). Hey on your pictures (or lack there of). I would rather have you focused on racing than taking pic's and spinning. GTUs’s always have to look good on and off the track, and denting them up would keep that goal from happening. Glad those mods I put on help.

Team GTUs "keeping the stage of street alive"
Old 01-27-03, 01:04 PM
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I've got the exact same HJC helmet for autocross, same color too.
Old 01-27-03, 01:13 PM
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Yo,


Yeah, I just recently replaced the DTSS bushings. Don't get me wrong, DTSS probably saved my *** many times while I learned how to drive a RWD car. Now that I have a pretty good handle on the RWD dynamics, I thought it would be a good time to put in the eliminators...and my buddy has a press in his garage.

That being said, I would recommend leaving the DTSS bushings in for at least a year or so until you feel confident in your driving abilities...

Kevin
1989 GTUs "I still need some Schroth harnesses."
Old 01-27-03, 02:01 PM
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Looks like loads of fun

1-change clutch,
2-eliminate the DTSS bushings,
3-head out to the track,
4-get someone to take lots of pics.

I'm I forgetting anything ?
Old 01-27-03, 02:22 PM
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Question

UM, Who said K2RD posted 2:07s? That would put them in the winners circle at nearly every SCCA ITS race at T'Hill last year. Props to them if this is so, but they were running in an intermediate group with lots of cars, and limited passing. Not that I am overly competitive or anything, but we were carrying nearly 130mph down the front straight, I can't see an NA car putting down those numbers, in traffic, unable to pass except on the straights. I'm not saying whoever was driving is not skilled enough to do this , but the race winning fastest lap ITS cars last year were in the 2:08-2:10 range. Who timed their car? K2RD, great job hope to see you in the advanced group next time so you can show me how its done. BTW if I am offbase on this my apologies, I'm just very impressed, and a little sceptical. Best regards, Carl Byck (hot lap timer on the way)
Old 01-27-03, 03:02 PM
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Originally posted by in2twins
UM, Who said K2RD posted 2:07s? That would put them in the winners circle at nearly every SCCA ITS race at T'Hill last year. Props to them if this is so, but they were running in an intermediate group with lots of cars, and limited passing. Not that I am overly competitive or anything, but we were carrying nearly 130mph down the front straight, I can't see an NA car putting down those numbers, in traffic, unable to pass except on the straights. I'm not saying whoever was driving is not skilled enough to do this , but the race winning fastest lap ITS cars last year were in the 2:08-2:10 range. Who timed their car? K2RD, great job hope to see you in the advanced group next time so you can show me how its done. BTW if I am offbase on this my apologies, I'm just very impressed, and a little sceptical. Best regards, Carl Byck (hot lap timer on the way)
alex is crazy, they have run a 2.07 in that car. we all had fun though, and thats the important part, right?

mike

Last edited by j9fd3s; 01-27-03 at 03:07 PM.
Old 01-27-03, 03:08 PM
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Your car is freaking pristine man! By the way I'm loving the super sexy and stealthy shift **** you've got in there...care to tell me what kind it is and where to get one? As for the almightly N/A FC...amen brother amen indeed.
Old 01-27-03, 03:20 PM
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great job then, Carl


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