The Z Car Club of Colorado (ZCCC) is having a track event on July 12th. It'll be held at the State Patrol training facility in Golden. As I understand it, the track looks like a tri-oval with at least one high speed corner that should prove quite entertaining!

Cost is reasonable at $65 for members and $75 for nonmembers for the entire day. Should be lots of track time and there should be four groups (beginners, novice, intermediate and expert) so no one is in over their head! To register, go to the ZCCC.org website, get more specific information and download the registration forms.

The last event I went to at SCR was fairly well run and I hope this one will be as well. Be a bit wary on those opening laps, as no one has been to that track in recent memory, so even the instructors will be feeling their way through!

Unfortunately, I've got a committment to play the State Open tennis tournament beginning on the 12th, so it looks like I'll be MIA. But I'd sure love to hear who else has signed up and what each of you think of the highway patrol training facility. Let's just say I've heard some stories...

...AND I'm expecting some better ones to come out of our 350Z group!

 

David............I am already registered and looking very foward to it.

Too bad you won't be making it out, but hopefully some other 350's will be there to partake in all the fun.

Brian

 

Brian-

Glad to hear you're ready to go! Let us know how this track is.

On a side note: I finished the installation of my Eibach Pro-kit and Nismo sway bars on my Redline track. Long story short, it was several hours of hard work and there are several stories behind the install itself. The bottom line is that the two mods really change the overall feel of the 350Z...for the better! As others have reported, the ride is a bit stiffer BUT very livable as a daily or long-distance ride.

Looking forward to trying it at the track in the future.

 

This is off topic but I thought I would post anyway.

I am going to be taking the Z down to Salida on Saturday for a nice little drive and to also attend the Colorado Brewers Rendevoux (spelling?). If anyone is interested in going as well, should be a nice drive........just let me know.

E-mail is beerbrewer@mindspring.com

Brian

 

I'm planning on attending the track day on the 12th. I'm not quite sure what to expect from such a high speed track, but it should be a good time.

David-sorry you won't be able to make it on the 12th. It would have been interesting to get your thoughts about the track. I'm glad to hear that the Eibachs and Nismo sways made such a positive change in the car. I guess this means that the next time I ride a few track laps with you it will be that much MORE thrilling!

Gary

 

Gary, David,

Can one of you maybe provide me with how to get to this track if you know where it's at. I know it's on top of Table Mtn, but what is the best way to get there. I know this city very well, but that is one area I am sorta unfamiliar with. Even just an address will do and I can find it from there.

Brian

 

Brian-

I've never been to the CSP track, so I can't provide any directions. I checked the ZCCC site and newsletters and no joy there, either. My best advise is to call the event organizer, Bob Bush. Bob is a local Z specialist, ZCCC VP and might have the best directions. Call him at his business (303) 798-9822 or home (303) 985-8464 and let the rest of us know what directions he gives!

David

 

David,

Thanks for checking onto everything. I also had checked their newsletter and website, but no dice.
I just found his e-mail address and went ahead and e-mailed him. I will foward on the info to everyone when I receive it.

Brian

 

Well I have e-mailed the contact for this event for the directions, but as of yet have gotten no response. I will let you all know as soon as I hear something.

Brian

 

I emailed Bob Bush a few days ago just to ask about registration, and I haven't heard anything yet, either. I'll try calling his shop later today to see if I can get more info. Brian, who did you contact for registration?

 

I just received an email from Gary Bracken with directions to the track. I would guess that everyone else just got it, too, but for the record, here are the directions to the track:

West on 6th Avenue Freeway to Indiana; North on Indiana to where it curves west and becomes Old Golden Road; Old Golden Road to Quaker Street; right on Quaker -- it's paved for a few blocks, then becomes a dirt road (it's in pretty good shape). The dirt road will take you to the track.

 

Let us know how many 350Zs (besides yourselves) show up. Also, if they have a speed gun, do tell what kind of speeds you're making after the Big Speed turn!

 

I also e-mailed Bob Bush and have had the same response.

As far as registering, I just mailed in the form that was in the club newsletter for this month with payment a few weeks ago.
Are you and I the only ones going Gary? If so I will see you there for a day of fun and sweating my *** off.

Thanks for posting the directions.

David..........Will certainely post how things go and what speeds we make in that turn if available.

Brian

 

It sounds like we may be the only people from here going, although there may be others going who don't check the website as often.

It'll definitely be a hot day tomorrow (I'll be bringing sunscreen and a cooler full of water) but it should be a lot of fun. Hopefully the heat won't be murder on brakes and tires, but I guess we'll see.

Gary

 

Perhaps this will make it a bit easier to find Old Golden Road.

North on Indiana past Colfax and then it will curve to the west.

I may make a cameo appearance if I wake up early enough.

Joe

 

Get out there Joe............I haven't seen you in awhile and would enjoy the chat.

Better yet..........I think you need to turn some laps in that old heap and actually start using those tires.

Brian

 

Good morning Gary and Brian-

I've been anxiously waiting for a report from this event! Was it fun? Was the CHP track very challenging and where there any unexpected or surprising elements to it? Did any other 350Zs show up and how did we compare, speed-wise, to the other cars (Zs and otherwise)? What were the fastest cars out there? Would you consider doing another event at that facility?


Let's hear from you!

 

In short, it was a BLAST! The track is a tri-oval with a chicane on one straight, and with one of the corners chopped to make 2 turns out of it. It's a high speed track (though not as fast as PMI) with quite a bit of elevation change from one end to the other, with a few sharp rises and dips (one of which gives a good roller-coaster effect...I took it flat once at 96 mph and I could swear that I felt my rear wheels come off the ground, so I gave it a lift after that.)

The 'big' turn has a blind entry in the direction that we were running, so it took a few laps to gain confidence on turn-in. After the turn-in, it's a long, wide, downhill left-hander. The fastest that I was able to take that turn was 68 mph at corner entry, although others may have been running faster. I'd definitely be interested in seeing the 'Vettes take that at 95. I suspect that you'd have to be on slicks or you'd have to be going the other direction to take it at 95.

Most of the other turns were off-camber, and a couple had high grass at the apex, which made it a challenge to look through the corner to properly judge the track-out point. Just because it's a modified tri-oval doesn't mean that it's a simple track to drive.

We had 4 350's on the track (Brian, Dennis, me, and a fourth whose name escapes me.) Overall turnout was quite a bit lower than at the Second Creek event, so we ended up with some smaller run groups after some trial and error. In my opinion, the quickest car there was the maroon WRX that was also at the SCR event. There was a quick 300 there, but he spun off the track twice, so it's hard to judge where his quickness might have come from (skill & handling or just pushing too hard.) I think our 350 group was faster than any of the other cars, though, and I think most of them noticed that throughout the day.

As for surprises, my biggest one was the fact that there were some deer running around the track early in the morning, although I didn't see any more after 9am (I'm assuming the noise scared them off.)

Overall, CSP is a fun track for some variety from SCR and PMI. It was a great track event, and I would run there again if the opportunity ever comes up. The heat definitely did a number on my tires and brakes, though, so I'm hoping that we'll have cooler weather for the next SCR event.

Sorry you couldn't make it, David. I'm curious to hear some of the stories that you've heard about the track, now that I've been there.

Gary

 

Now, how 'bout you, Brian and/or Dennis? Did you both get enough time in on the track? Was there enough runoff room if you made a mistake? Was it a BLAST?

And who was that mystery 350Z?

 

The mystery Z was John.....he's the other guy with a Blue Z.....he was with us on the Aspen drive.

As for my experience:

I had a BLAST as well, I had much more fun at this event compared with the SCR event. I think the fact that this track is so much more faster then SCR, it appeals to me more. I would love to try the PMI track, I only wish I could have made that event some months back.
My favorite part was the big sweeping turn Gary was talking about. I know that I was exiting that turn between 68-77 MPH, can't recall what speed I entered it at. Once you exit that turn you can hammer the throttle down to "The Jump" where I was keeping my hammer down which was a rush every time. I usually hit that around 90MPH and I swear if we were going any quicker we would take flight, after that you continue going straight, I was hitting 100 at the end of the straight and then brake for the turn.

Only mishap was going off track on one of the turns where the car was pushing so hard I had no choice, luckily it was just a little dirt and I quickly got back on course.

Quickest car was definately the WRX, from what I was told, that guy and his co-pilot are/were instructors at Sears Point Raceway. They definately had skills that I don't yet posess. I do think that we as a group, (Myself, Dennis & Gary) were the next quickest out there. John told me he was timing us and our lap times were all within 5 secs. of each other. I think that the Z club guys were impressed. I took Mike from the club for a ride and he said he was very impressed with the car. It was his first time in a 350 and he seemed very pleased.
I really think we need more events at this track. I only hope that it's not nearly as hot at the next one as it was Saturday. My tires are thrashed, chunks are missing and I just spent this evening cleaning all the pieces of melted rubber from my wheels. What a pain in the ***.

I wish you would have been there David, hopefully we can go there again. If you have any other questions or comments please post and we can discuss.

Brian