I got 320 miles on the track yesterday. The track drying up great. Unfortunately I ran out of gas on the backstretch but made it back around. Paying extra for the Road Course is well worth the money.

 

yes it was fun and igot to know my car alittle better than i knew her before.

 

The track was killer! I'm happy that it dried up enough to really be able to get on it (enough with a cold track anyway). To anyone who I was in front of...sorry about the smoke screen. Time for a much needed rebuild.

My ignition cut out on me going into turn one. Talk about sucky situations. Went really hot into and out of turn five on what ended up being my last lap. Thought I was dead that time but got out scott free.

Can't wait til next year. Better motor, more boost, stickier tires and maybe better suspension. Oh yeah.

 

rob (gold first gen) was tearing it up

 

YAAAAY!!! lapping 3rd gens in my 160 hp fb was a lot of fun
(first time ever on track for me, which made it ever more fun)

mixing it up with my instructors in their spec miatas in that last session was a blast

 

Not all of them. We just weren't running in the same sessions that's all.

But you did have a sweet 1st gen.

 

thanks for the nice comment........that was probably the funnest thing i have done in my entire life

 

I was instructing someone in the car behind you when that happened. Your car blew a 3 foot flame that lasted for at least 10 seconds. I believe we have it on video. Amazing!

I had a great time instructing at the event. I didn't get to run my car because I am still tuning on the new motor, but it's my home track, so I'll get plenty of chances this year. Plus, I didn't want to embarras any of my rotary brethren out there

 

Railgun, I've got about half of your fireball on tape, then you fell out of view. Glad that wasn't the end of your day.

I'm Brody (silver C5) btw. Had a great time doing battle with ya out there.

 

Big congrats to the three students I had, you all made excellent progress...

Spencer, sorry you had to leave early, riding in your FD was like being launched out of a cannon on the straights! Bleed those brakes and make sure you catch up with me next year!

Neit, good job with picking up the track quickly and eliminating the few bad habits you had (keep both hands on the wheel unless you are shifting!), no question you were picking it up when I switched students with Chuck... he's a good instructor and I'm sure you learned a lot from him as well. The only reason I switched with him is because his student, Rob with the gold FB, was pretty advanced and Chuck felt he had gone as far as he could with him.

And Rob, man, you got it down... from the first few laps, I could tell you are about 90% of the way there, a little adjustment to your lines here and there and you were really cooking. All that's left is seat time, you're ready to race my friend, ITA awaits! Let me know if you need any help setting up the suspension.. or anything else... on that critter. Consider yourself sponsored.

Tom Harleman also gets a thumbs up for his *****-to-the-walls driving in his first road course event. I didn't get to ride with you (wished I could have!) but it sure looked like you were putting the screws to her... more evidence that auto-x guys make good road course drivers.

Floorjack, good job my man, you were tearing it up out there too... not too shabby for street tires. Gotta get that race rubber on there! And Chuck the Vag, once you get that seat fixed we should work on your line hehehe...

To everyone else on the track, good job, and hope you got enough of a taste to do it again sometime. Track driving is as addicting as crack... and more expensive

Also, thanks for letting me run the Spec Miata with you guys... and not blowing me too much crap about racing a boinger/chick car :P It was a much-needed shakedown, as we will be racing at IRP next weekend!

Oh yeah, and don't complain about the weather... three weeks ago at our first event at Mid-Ohio, we had eight inches of snow!

Shane
www.aimtuning.com

 

I'll be taking this to PM,
but in my defence, Consider a car with 1.5* of toe-out, a 26mm front sway bar and a massive matching rear sway bar on 5 year-old FREE take-off race tires... and a rear-roll center that is about 3 feet too high. the car was so beautiful at the autoX (what it was set-up for) I am afraid to **** with it for track events. I may just build another car for that.

I assure you that car couldn't have gone much faster. there is no need to work on lines. my lines were much much better than many of the people out there, the problem was making the car stick where I wanted it to.. There are literally a hundred places where i wanted the car to be.

I am real frustrated to know that i was limited by the prep level of my car. we can all use more seat-time... but there are other factors here.

 

so chuck when are you gonna piece together another first gen like i did mine so you can keep up then???? hahaha

 

shane, thanks again for the pointers. you and chuck were excelent instructors...and also fun trying to keep up with later in the day!! i'll have to see if i can make it down to the race at IRP in a couple of weeks and check out how things go down and also find out what all i have to do to finish getting the car properly prepped to race. if not i'll have to give you a ring i have a few questions about that alignment stuff we were talking about at the shop.

chuck, now you know i am never gonna let you live it down that i lapped you several times in my FIRST track day in a full bodied car.

 

Shane, that spec Miata screams. I thought I was pretty quick until you showed up behind me on turn 8.

 

Heh...Miata's are awesome cars, just not in the power department. But you really don't need to do much since the're so damn light.

I've come to the conclusion that my car is possible fubared, but not to worry. If I can patch it up, we'll have to get on the track again for more battle.

 

Rob stop being an *** with a big head. The thing that sucks for you is you have very little room to make your car go any faster than it already is. You have more money in your rear suspension than Chuck does in his entire car. You were running on race tires and Chuck had 5 year old free tires he got from Kern. Also, how many hours of driving do you have in your car and how many did Chuck have in his?

 

I'm going to sue your *** for inhalation poisoning after watching the video of us doing battle. I'm downloading it right now from my camera.

If I had a dime for every time I thought you blew the engine Sunday....

 

Thanks man!

 

My little contribution to global warming.

Well, once my motor's in better condition, it won't be so bad. At least it wasn't bad enough to prevent you from seeing where you were going. If it was, I wouldn't have run anyway. Saftey saftey saftey.

 

And that's all I really ask for.

 

geez dayna i guess you guys can't take a joke?? and by the way i don't have that much money in my rear suspension...it's all in the front.

 

Sorry Rob, I guess I can't tell a joke on the internet But Chuck did help you a lot with that car. Not neccesarily with assembly, but what to buy for it. Just try to be a little more humble about "owning" people who've helped you a great deal with your setup

 

Aaw come on guys, lighten up! It's just a gentle ribbing!

After you do this for a while, you'll find we all like to bust each others' ***** (or lack thereof should that be the case) heheh... it's all tongue in cheek! The smack talk is all in good fun

So Chuck, relax my wound-up friend, I saw your tires at the end of the day and I know what that's all about! You can keep making up excuses if you like, just remember who you're talking to heheh! Grin and bear it!

S

 

Thanks for the kind comments on the Spec Miata, it really does hustle. Totally a momentum machine, it's dog *** slow in a straight line but corners better than just about any car you care to name. With the new asphalt in turn 1, I bet we break into the 1:52's this year at IRP...

I have a turbo Miata called The Fish that is truly an animal (RAdkins, didn't I take you for a ride in it last year?) with all the cornering of a Spec Miata, but with an 8.0:1 power to weight ratio.. for reference a stock FD is 10.1:1. It weighs 2000 lbs wet and has about 250 RWHP. Guys in V8 Stangs, Camaros, etc don't quite know what to make of it when you pass them sideways in 3rd gear with a big grin on your face after spotting them a few lengths Chick car, indeed!

BUT... as much fun as The Fish is, I'm thinking it's about time for a transplant... how about a turbo rotary Miata as an ultimate track car? Hmmm, I like that idea heheh...

S