Please check out this link. I'm trying to get some new people out as an introduction to the sport. Let me know if you have any questions.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....0&pagenumber=1

 

Normally I'd be there but I have to move that weekend. I'll catch you at the next one.

 

I just read your link. I never understood either why more people aren't tracking these cars. Right from the factory the z is quite trackworthy. I bought my Z with the intention of tracking her. In fact, I completed my breakin miles on the way to Thunderhill.

 

J,

Are you going to the SpeedVenture meet or the NASA meet the following weekend. I run with NASA and Speedtrialusa which is probably why out paths have yet to cross. I'm out there at least once a month tooling around. I actually sea 2 other Z's at the last NASA event at Willowsprings. Good stuff but we do need more!

 

i ran with NASA once in fontana.....talk about late starts and tons of races+hpde i think they need to plan their track days better

 

yea me too we were both representing. But you missed the last run...we had to wait for a ambulance for a couple of hours before the last runs could be run. Ditto on the late starts and poor planning but it was a fun track at least the oval part

 

hey steve,

too bad my RT cats blew out that day i dont think i got into the "track" feel that whole day, constantly looking at my flashing SES light

 

Sorry. We will be racing in Pahrump. See you next time???

 

What exactly caused your RT cats to go out?

 

i dont know, but it was the driver side

 

I had many of the same complaints with nasa up here in the norcal chapter. Sometimes I felt like I was on the 101 because it was so crowded. They are trying to make some organizational changes though. They made all of us instructors get re-certified a few weeks back and 20 or so out of 80 were not reinstated. The last day I did with them was going so well until the last session when people were driving without using their brains. I don't think I got one clean lap in without seeing a yellow flag. One guy spun right in front of me and gave me a nice rock chip in my windshield.

 

Just completed a day with this group at THunderhill. They are very organized and very safty concious as well as oriented to feedback. There is a debreif (optional) after the first three sessions in Low Intermediate. It is here you can discuss problems with driving and course handeling and line or even problems with the race organization.

They stayed on time all day. This is the second time I have run with them and both were a pleasure.

They had no more than 20 cars in each session and lots of track time. I got 100 miles on the track and two hours of time possible. I skipped th last session. I am an old got and got tired.

 

The event was great! I was only there Suday, got to meet JRitt and Alpine the only two other Z's there... heard there where more earlier in the weekend? Also was surprised there where no G35's?

Track was great, I was struggling with my setup and had poorly mismatched tires but was able to make the most of it and saw a good 2-3 second improvement between runs (it probably didn't help that I was drifting the whole east loop hahaha).

Hope to see more Z's out at future events!

 

We'll be out at Buttonwillow this weekend with NASA. I'll get to see what kind of improvement my new coilovers make since my last trip out there.

 

Just thought I would stop in.

Buttonwillow, configuration #13, counter clockwise, was ok.

Not one of my better days on the track, went off track 3 times, no problems though, only 1 was entirely my fault. The other 2 were in the same session, and feel the tires let me down in both of those cases as it was completely unexpected.

Nitto 555 275's street compound though. They just kept heating up and seemed to get a little greasy. Not as bad as falkens, but greasy anyways.

This configuration pointed out more of the weaknesses of the sotck suspension than I had experienced at BigWillow and Streets.

My best time was 2:25, I believe I should have been able to get into the 2:15-2:20 group.

I had the stock tires and the nitto's on both streets and big willow, the nittos seemed to hold up very well on both. The didn't hold at all at Buttonwillow.

This was my first day out with the new Kinetix Cats and Stillen Dual Exhaust. They ran great, good combo IMO if you are looking for perofrmance without the noise or 100" tips.

Did see that 03z33 already mentioned we met, and I did speak with J. Ritt from stoptech for a couple.

O3z33 did some nice drifts through the last turn for us after the hair pin.

J. Ritt/Stoptech had the best runs out there with great times to boot. Nice to see/hear a Z running well on track as well as on street. I don't know what times he had Sunday, but I guess Saturday he ended up with a 2:06 (excellent) and some "racer" was able to get his car down to 2:01! (wow).

Speedventures, ran a good event, the first session was way too crowded and there were a few horrible drivers out there in the intermediate group, a couple were just short of wreckless.

I had 2 cars that would not get off my ***, 1 mustang went off at turn 1 behind me, after pissing me off pre-last turn and during the straight. He didn't have enough power to pass me in the straight, so I guess he figured he'd brake late and pass me in the 1st turn? sure...

The 2nd car, I don' recall what it was but it went off track in the last turn, hairpin.... Where I went off the first time after



One of "wreckless crew" ended up putting his Honda Super Suped S2k into the wall, most likely totaled. He was running in the red group, with the majority of the porches, and they were discussing how they were "not surprised" they still felt bad for him, but they saw it coming.

There was a brand new Wrx that also hit the same wall, with moderate body damage down the driver side.

Apparently the previous day, a car had a fuel leakage, and burned up.

That's it for now, looking forward to the next track event.

 

alpine, It was nice meeting you again... I feel you on the times... I was finally able to get my times below 2:20 on the last 3 sessions after you left, but never felt fully comfortable with the setup, my best time ended up around 2:18.xxx I think, speedventures still have me down as driving a Boxster hahaha.

have you ever been to California Speedway? They are running there on Dec. 17... I might go. Let us know if there are any other events coming up, like the redline group.

 

Hey again.

You got your car down to 2:18, the way it was running or did you change it up again?

As far as redline goes, he's looking at throwing a Z day together so I'll check in with him and see what's on the list. It'd be a Big Willow day most likely, although he does run some events on Streets, which does NOT interest me.

I'll keep "us" updated on that if I get anything concrete.

Boxster? (no comment)

I don't think I'd be able to do much in December, I've got year end, my clients got year end, etc..etc..

I'll see ya round.

 

I stayed with the same tire stagger... those sticky fronts are just too much fun in the sweeper I was going into that thing in the top of third and the car felt like it had infinite grip... I was bouncing off the limiter before corner exit!

Also the Toyos got much better as they wore in, that's the problem with brand new tires, they need some time before they start gripping. In future I will run same tire front and rear at bigger high speed tracks... I'm sure both of us would have been much quicker with good tires all around.

 

What were you running in the front again? Maybe I need to consider those all around on my next trip out. My tire shop is looking into getting me some abandoned track edition rays wheels for whatever race tire I pick.

let me know,

Joe

 

They aren't really available in the US... Bridgestone RE540S in 255/40/17.

Next I will try the new Dunlop "R" Compound which is only about $130 each at www.tirerack.com can't beat that!