My Year One adventure
 

I finally have 5 minutes to post about one of the top events that I have ever been a part. I have been going to the Year One show since they moved it Braselton/Commerce. This is the first year that I was able to participate in the show with a car.

The trip starts with me borrowing a trailer and a helment. It is friday morning, my car is clean and ready to go, I load up my Yukon and now I am ready to load my car. Pull out the ramps and they are super short. So short that there is no way my car is getting on that trailer. The angle is too steep and my car is too low.

Switch to plan B. Throw my bag and helment in the car, time for a road trip. Drove from Charlotte to the show about 250 miles. Pull into the show, register and park. Make a quick walk around and come back to the car to see Steve Rupp and Nick looking at my car. Spoke with them for a while and my friend Mark help hold the bounce cards for the engine shots they were shooting of Vinnie's car. (great car by the way!)

We leave to go eat and make our way over to the drag strip for the test and tune. Go through tech and getting ready to run and I am suppose to have long pants on. Leave the track and go pick up a set of race pants (blue jeans) from the outlet mall that is close.

Back at the track...it is slick. That combined with run flats pumped up to 35 psi equals no traction. Made 3 traction limited runs...leaving at idle, rolling on the throttle and lifting on every shift. Best I could do was a 13.07 at 112 with a scorching 2.44 60 ft. LOL Note to self...really need a set of drag radials on seperate set of rims.

Next day was autocrossing and parade laps around Road Atlanta. Again, the run flats are not the stickyest tires I have ever been on. Looking at changing the spring rate and shock package up front. So I am thinking that parade laps were just that, slow, no helment, etc. Wrong, I had the best time ever. I laid back a few times and ran over 100 mph in the straights and was moving at a pretty good clip through the corners. I am hooked. Looking to make a few changes and start doing track days. We were both giggling like a bunch of little kids the whole time.

Drove back Sunday and checked my mileage. 425 rwhp, 26 mpg running 1800 rpm at 75 mph. Got to love an LS motor.

Beat on the car all weekend with not one problem...life is good.

I got excited just reading about it. Sounds like a great time. :woot:

Sounds like a good time and a fun road trip.

Payton, that is great to here. Sounds like everybody involved had a good time at this event. :thumbsup:

Sounds like a great time and just think of the gas money you saved by not towing.

Very cool. I want to show some year. 26 mpg, wow. Got to love the LS motors, no offense to anyone, but why run anything else. Glad you are enjoying your car, any pics?

When you have an LS engine you're in heaven.

Glad you drove it like that Payton, did the same with mine last summer. Just with a big grin on the face all the time.

Just keep enjoying it and drive it hard. :thumbsup: :cheers:


Jan

Get your car all done so I can come shoot it for the magazine!!

I'm pissed you left on Saturday.. I wanted to get a few pics. Here's a couple I did snap :)

http://picsorban.com/upload/payton1.jpg

http://picsorban.com/upload/payton2.jpg

Payton the car looks great. I see your co-pilot is shooting video. Post up some video for us. Glad to hear the car is all put together and running strong.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


Chris

Great Pics Steve!! Car looks great Payton. Nice to see it getting used and your having fun :thumbsup: Props to you for putting if through it's paces.

Brent

I agree Stuart. The more & more I learn about those LS motors the more I'm impressed. I have talked to Scott about his recently and if I wasn't so deep into my Big Block set up I would drop an LS-7 in it.

Brent

That is a sweet lookin car Payton:hail:



Kurt

Thanks guys!
 

I really did have a good time. For the time that I was there My car did not sit in the show area for a total of 2 hours.

Steve,

I did not leave until Sunday morning. I did not realize you were trying to catch up with me. After the parade laps I went back over to the autocross. We left about 5:00 to go eat and to watch qualifing at the strip. I have a friend that runs the 10.5 outlaw class.

Great pics by the way, thanks!, really need to work on that front spring/shock package. I was looking for you too as I wanted to see if you wanted to drive my car in the autocross.

I have video of my drag strip run, Nick running off the autocross course with Steve's (twist machines)car and a few in car and out of car autocross runs. As soon as I figure out how to get those on my computer and post them up I will.

Stuart, please give me a call the next time you are in NC

It's no biggie.. the YO is so huge that it's easy to not find people... get your car done the way you want and we will come shoot it.

It seemed your car was leaning over, but your tires seemed to have good contact patches. PM me your addy and I will mail you a CD of all the pics I took of your car :)

Came out very nice.. and the engine bay looks sweet.

Payton, It was great to meet you! Your car is awesome. I like the pics Steve took. I wish I could of made it to the drag strip with you but I couldn't miss the oppertunitny with Steve. We should look into a track day at VIR, I heard the track is really cool and they do track days. Do you plan on attending any more events? We should see if we can get some people together. Let me know. Vinnie

Hurry up and get 9s so we can run that fact in the story :)

Oh, and don't forget to get me those drag shots.

Track day at VIR!!
 

I'd be in for that one!

Mark

Love the car Payton, I too giggled while reading you post. LOL, glad you had a great time out. Its nice to have the option of driving a car out....sound like someone eles needs an enclosed trailer.

Hey Mark, do you still own the blue or did you build something eles. I remember seeing it up for sale.

Still own it!!
 

Hate I didn't get on the track till Sunday morning. Was a great weekend, we'll difinitely be back next year lord willing. We're building a hemi Dodge Daytona along the same lines as my Camaro. Hope to have it done by fall!

Mark

I am still giggling
 

Steve I just wanted to tell you that is one awesome pic of my car...by far my favorite!

I figured out how to get the proportions right and it is now my screen saver.

Imagine going into your State Farm Insurance agent's office and seeing that as his screen saver. I have gotten more than a few comments. LOL

Vinnie, I have pretty much "broken the seal" so to speak on my car. I am very much up for any track days. VIR is about 2 hours from me and there is also a very nice track that is about an hour away from Charlotte in Kershaw, South Carolina. Don't forget they run about 5 times a year at Maxton,NC. That is a standing mile run for top speed...I am all over that one too.

So to answer your question, yea I am up for a planned trip to one or all of these places.

I am going to try and make it to RTTH at Pigeon Forge, TN in Sept. as well. My in-laws live in Knoxville so I know I have a place to stay.

I Was There!!
 

I saw you do the autocross. I shot some pics. Beautiful car. Pretty good shakedown for reliability of your build. Anyways congrats and I also hope to do more than spectate some day.