2006 "the Run": PMI HPDE/track day
 

It's been a busy fall. After extensively working the phones, I've been able to reserve a exclusive day for us at Pueblo Motorsports Park on Saturday, November 25th. This will be THE High Performance Driving Experience/track day that many Z pilots have been clamoring for on other threads. No more being bored after Thanksgiving and facing a long winter without your need for speed being satisfied one last time!

Track rental fees will be $100 per car for the entire day (8 am to 4 pm). Still the lowest in North America! We need a minimum of ten confirmed entries to make this a go. The HPDE part of the program will cost you NOTHING and will include exercises in threshold braking, accident avoidence, slalom manuevering and learning the proper line around PMI.

Depending on the interest in this thread, we may have to open it up to other marques and cars, but my initial preference is to offer it to all Z owners first. As the date gets closer, I'll be posting and handing out a syllibus of what our program for serious speed will be. I've already talked with GaryM05 and he's agreed to help instruct this day and again, depending on interest we have, may draft a few more experienced instructors so we have low student-to-instructor ratios.

Now for the call-outs: I mean YOU bamyi, funkymonkey1111, rjg and youngZ33! This is the opportunity you've been clamoring for (and without any club dues or other costs). How about all the experienced drivers who've sampled the delights of past HPDE/track days: bottom, jgray, resolute (this so focking DOESN'T SUCK), robert k, mattsfeir and zznotop. And that's just a small sampling of the Z pilots on this board who now have the opportunity to take their Zs to a 2.2 mile road course with a structured program that would usually cost THOUSANDS to partake of anywhere else.

As I post this on November 2nd, there are essentially three weeks to make arrangements, get your car ready (remember: brakes are usually the limiting factor in how much fun you can have over the course of the day) and shop around for that SA-rated helmet purchase. Don't miss out on this again! We don't know what 2007 will bring, but rumor is that insurance regs and liability concerns will be more restrictive at PMI and LaJunta. This could very well be the last of these type of events for Colorado.

So if you have any questions about "The Run" to Pueblo, please post 'em up. I'll answer any and all, as well as offer what assistance I can in getting folks ready to go.

David Muramoto
Senior Editor
Nissan Sport Magazine

Sounds good to me!

Might take the skirt off too. ;)

EDIT: I will double check that date with the wife and confirm shortly. I'm definitely in unless something else is scheduled already.

great price, i might even be tempted to drive out there from SD.

:+1: on checking the date with the wife but it looks like my parents will be in town. Maybe I can have them tag along for the experience. Also still need to purchase a helmet. :o

BTW, I know a EVO9 guy who might want to join us. Is this a Z only gig, or are we open to other less beautiful cars? ;)

EDIT: sorry, missed this part... ' but my initial preference is to offer it to all Z owners first.'

Keep us posted, I'll hold off mentioning this to other non-z guys.

To start with, let's keep it to an all-Nissan event.

You can count me in Id like to go!

Please do! You'll find the 2.2 mile PMI course is well worth the drive, with turns of every shape and speed, as well as elevation changes that add to the challenge. The HPDE will help hone your driving skills and once you learn the line, your Z will see triple digit speeds lap-after-lap.

Great to hear you're in Kevin! I'd love seeing more FI Zs exercise ALL their capabilities at the track.

I've had my Gsxr 1K there 2or3 times, never the car tho, looking forward to it.

Ok, I've gotten the green light. I'm in as well.

thanks,
rjg

LOL, that's funny.
I've got my old R4 pads for up front, and RedStuff rear pads. You think I'll have some serious issues using them together? I've got a nearly bald set of ADVAN's still, and my rotors are worn below the min thickness. Oh, and I still haven't replaced the rear caliper piston boot that I blew out and caught on fire at Second Creek. So, yeah.. I'M IN!!!!!
Will

If Will & Kevin is in I have to convience the parents to go. :D

I just picked up my 350Z and was wondering how well the stock Brembos and OEM pads hold up? I've done open track days with other cars and I would normally swap the pads out for track pads and use DOT4 fluid. Does the same hold true with the Z?

:( After talking with the wife I'm gonna have to pass. If I had Sat & Sun off I would be there but working 24 on/off I need to spend as much time with the family as I can. :)

he's whipped.

Not a matter of being whipped but the fact that my parents will be in town that weekend and I plan on going back to Iraq for a year tour this time. Trust me!!! I want to go.

Certainly does. But with the cooler weather at this time of year, you can expect brake temperatures will be lower. As a track model owner, I'd suggest upgrading the Brembo front pads and brake fluid to DOT 4 to make sure your Z can run the entire day.

hey dkmura. thank the lord it isnt on the 24th ! i have to work on black friday .

but im so going to ask my boss off for that day.
could you give me recommendations on what i need to do , to get my car ready? brake pads / oil and such

thanks a bunch
Dan

I can't wait! Thanks to David for putting together another of his famous educational track days; what could quite possibly be the LAST ONE of these that we're able to do, thanks to the changing liability climate, after almost 4 years of these events.

For what it's worth, I highly encourage anyone who is on the fence about a track day to come out. Even if you don't have the time to change your brake pads or swap your fluid and you're only able to take part in the early part of the day, where we'll do the car control exercises that David mentioned, it will still be easily worth the drive down and the track fees (plus you get to hang out with your fellow Z-er's!) This is the part of the event that can save your ass if you ever get into a sticky situation on the street...the track time itself is almost gravy.