RE: The Warning!

You certainly did Craig!! I hope I trimmed enough off -- and if not -- I still own all the tools to do it again! LOL



People warned me about Charlie having the "bird flew" too.... but I didn't pay attention then either...

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-M...Mpb8KQB-XL.jpg

I ran up a met Greg yesterday at Oregon Raceway Park (aka: The Farm) for the second of two track days he spent there. I hadn't planned on driving, my plan was tire, camera, and video bitch, but I was informed elsewise by Greg.

He had his new supercar (Miata) there so after I gave it a little TLC I was running laps on a track I know very well for a change. After a few sessions I was informed I was driving THE Mustang next. This made my body start doing strange things......nervous like a monkey that's just eaten a handful of fish hooks may be the best description.

I know the car's previous set up pretty well and partook in numerous pit sessions with Greg and Ron Sutton identifying the cars on track manners and Greg's objectives. I was with Greg when the car was dropped off at BMR for modifications and Ron gave us a thorough tour of BMR's exceptional facility.

I had a good idea of what the car was like on track previously, and I was supposed to drive the 'old' car the day the engine developed issues......thankfully I didn't, but wish I would have so know the before and after first hand.

I get belted in and fire it up and proceed to stall it twice backing it up in reverse.....obviously it's lacking power. :D :sieg: I'm heading to the staging area thinking: Haven't driven a Jerico trans before, or a locker rear, or anything with 580 hp.......:headspin:

One easy lap to acclimate to the controls and feedback of the car and I was really impressed with the manners and all fear was gone. By the second lap I was confident and trusted the car, by the third I'm losing rear grip in 3rd & 4th gear on the uphill straights. The rest of the laps were the best time I've had in a car on track - PERIOD! Never once did this car catch me off guard or surprise me in any way. Brakes are powerful and user friendly, turn in is precise, and the transition through the apex and exit are silky smooth. Did I mention the motor in this car is OMG good!? It pulls so strong and linear it's unbelievable, never a hit, just grin inducing traction compromising big league revving pull!

Ron Sutton's entire process is methodical, thorough and very impressive to observe, but I had no idea he'd deliver a package as user friendly as this car is - especially to a first time driver. The car is so much fun to drive it's hard to describe, it really needs to be experienced. Money well spent!

Job well done Mr. Sutton. :captain1:

Man... I bet that was a fun day!! Sounds great.

Did Greg keep the notebook up for you, checking the tire temps, rotor temps, and air pressures right as you came off the track? :D

Great to see you 2 old farts having fun :D

It was Lance, first time I'd had a car on Oregon Raceway Park and it's just as much fun if not more than a bike. I'd been hearing complaints from people that the track is too narrow but I never experienced that feeling.

Regarding data acquisition.......Uh No! :snapout:

I'm thinking this is the first time I've been tagged 'old fart'.......I can easily live with that......and I wish you'd have been copilot in my car for the trip over and back. :unibrow:

You really need to put some 245's on all four corners of your car and take it too the track. That is serious hoonigan fun!!!

On a serious note those 245's keep things in check because the Mustang with big tire grip and that motor would carry stupid fast speed which can end the FUN in a hurry.......especially for old farts.

I'll never forget how sweet that motor felt! :hail:

It's my "job"..... LOL



This was a private track day trip. Friday and Saturday... ALL DAY -- 7 cars - run on and off the track at will... no groups ... passing anywhere...

The track is made for small light cars like the Lotus 2 11... the straight is very short <relative> but if you had power you could haul some ass. 2.3 miles of twists and turns and ups and downs. I don't think I've ever had so much fun. Nor have I ever driven so much in two days. OMG. I was worn out. I took a full tank in the Mustang - and 41 gallons worth of 110 octane in jugs <don't like doing that!>.... and thank god Sieg showed up with some octane booster so I could buy some 92 and boost it and then mix that with the 110. I used it all up! So I went through 60+ gallons of race gas in two days.... EEEEEHHHHHAAAAA

Lance -- A buddy of mine has a Lotus 2 11 (I have one too) and I was his tire bitch all weekend... It's actually fun! I felt like a real pit crew dude. LOL

There were only 7 cars on this track event. So we got more driving than we could use.. it was a drive - then sit and rest and water up - and drive some more kind of a day(s).

You'll see the "loss of grip" on the tighter corners where you're back on the throttle... and there's a little nose bobble... LOL The car is super neutral - and predictable.. but there's way too much power to tire width ratio! Makes it fun as hell in my book! Very visceral!

Videos never capture the speed or the track IMHO.... There's so many blind corners and "areas" on this track. There are a couple places where I just couldn't quite remember "where I was" on the track. It would take a lot more miles there to get it down. In the driver meeting - they talk about how many people go out "thinking" they have it down - and there's a LEFT where they though was a RIGHT... OUCH! LOL

Millennials ain't havin that kinda fun...lol

I like that Big Orange Camaro is front and center and Old Yeller is in the background...I mean the Stang, not GW.


:D

Hahaha. Glad you had a blast. I would loved to have ridden shotgun, anything for a bit of fun.

Sounds like a few days at Bondurant.


Looked great.