After looking at my financial situation a few weeks ago, I had resigned myself to not running any more track events this year (except, of course, at Summit Point, where I'm instructing). But a couple of days ago I looked at the Performance Drivers' Association event at Pocono for next weekend, and decided to throw caution to the wind and just do it. (If my creditors start coming after me, at least I have a fast car to run away from them in!)

They'll be running two long courses that use parts of the big NASCAR banked oval(!) and the various infield track sections. Different tracks on different days, and clockwise one day and counter-clockwise the other! Up to two hours track time per day, four 25-30 minute sessions.

It's not cheap, slightly under $500 for both days, but it looks fun and interesting. PDA's Web site

I'm staying at the Comfort Inn in White Haven, about 20 minutes from the track. (It has a hot tub, and I loooove soaking in the hot tub after a day on track.) I plan to stay Sunday night and drive an hour up to Scranton to visit Steamtown (a steam railroad museum) on Monday before coming home.

Last I heard, there's still room in all run groups. Anyone else? PDA told me some other 350Zs are registered. Anyone here?

 

I ran the North course about 2 weeks ago. It was a TON of FUN. (Plenty of run off room, EXCEPT turn 5, where you'll be into the concrete wall...) You should see speeds of 115+ before turn one into the infield. I'll most likely be back again with the Corvair Club. (They have room left, and invited other auto enthusiasts...)

If you're looking for a "good time" while in White Haven, check out "The Notorious Pleaseure Dome." It's BYOB... After driving all day, and soaking in the hot tub, a trip there will REALLY finish off your Saturday night!

 

I'm just back from Pocono.

Man, what a great weekend! I'm really sorry no my350Z.com buddies were there. I had a blast, and the weather was absolutely perfect! Mid-60s to mid-70s the whole time. Mostly blue skies with big puffy white clouds. I've never had better weather for a track weekend. And it was August!!!

Unlike most other HPDE events at Pocono, which run on short (about 1.5 miles) road courses in the infield that include small sections of the big NASCAR tri-oval, these sessions were long courses that used major portions of the big banked track. Here's a map of the track.

Saturday we ran the (clockwise) Double Infield course, which starts on the front straight, runs through the North course (#3 on the map), out onto the big track around NASCAR Turn 2, down into the South Course (#2 on map), and finally back onto the front straight. Although it's 3.3 miles, it doesn't feel that long, because you're running flat out for the long straight between NASCAR turns 2 and 1.

Sunday we evened out the wear on our tires by running counter-clockwise on the Single Infield course. Starting on the front straight we power through NASCAR Turn 1, down the back straight through NASCAR 2, and then through the North Course (opposite the way we'd done it the day before), and back out onto the front straight.

Saturday was interesting but not very much different from the other road courses I've done. But Sunday was unique because 1) I was running counter-clockwise for the first time ever, 2) going down the long back straight I was able to reach the highest speeds I've ever done (138 on the gauge, which means a true 133, because I'm using undersized tires), and 3) taking the big banked Turn 1 is SIMPLY AMAZING. I have a whole new respect for NASCAR drivers. You enter the turn at 125, turn hard left and just hang on white-knuckled while keeping it at 105 to 110 as you drift out toward the wall. I did it about 40 times on Sunday, and it never got routine or boring.

I'd never run with Performance Drivers Association before, but they ran a good show. Professional, safe, and well organized. The only odd thing that happened was that I was black flagged because some course workers claimed there was a funny smell coming from my car. (I'm not making this up.) As far as I knew, nothing was wrong, and the pit marshall couldn't smell anything either, so I promised to take a shower the next day, and they let me go back out.

There were at least four other 350Zs there, a Brickyard that didn't go out on track (and whose owner I never met), a black roadster driven by a guy named Morris, a Silverstone track trailered in by Tyler, and a Chrome Silver with a Vortech supercharger owned by Jim. He was fast! And I met some other nice guys in their Ferarris, Vipers, Mustangs, and Vettes.

I'm just sorry none of you guys could be there with me. Maybe next year.

Tomorrow I'll post some pix.

 

Sounds like you had fun!

Have you changed your diff fluid? The "funny smell" could have been you puking diff fluid on to the exhaust, or simply burning it from heat.

 

John,

After reading about your experience at VIR, I should have thought of that. I haven't changed the diff fluid since this time last year. I'm undoubtedly due. I'll go out and check it today, but I don't think that was it. At least I hope not, because I ran for the rest of the day, the next day, and drove home 200 miles afterward. I think I would have noticed something.

Has anybody changed the diff fluid? Is it easy to do yourself?

I was running new RA-1s on the front and my old ones on the back, and still getting plenty of understeer. I'm thinking I need to put on sway bars. Which ones do you have John? Would you go with them again?

Here are a couple of pictures: The first half of NASCAR Turn 1. I didn't have a long lens, but the banking is a lot steeper than it looks here, and the drop from the top of the outside at the turn in to the inside of the apex feels like the Grand Canyon when you're running over 100 mph. (Get a load of the beautiful clouds. It was like that all day on Sunday, and much of Saturday.)

 

Here's Jim in his supercharged Z:

 

Nobody watching us in the stands, but it was still pretty cool to be on this big track.

 

I didn't take any pix of my own car, but there was a pro photographer taking shots of all of us, and if any of them are any good, I may buy them and post them later on.