GaryM05

The 21st works for me.

mattsfeir

I can't make this one, but I'm looking forward to the next one. Thanks for setting all this up.

bluz03

iTrader: (2)

I will see you Sat. Morning!

Mudd

iTrader: (2)

Still won't be able to make that date David. Sorry everyone.
I should be free towards the middle of March, when all this moving **** is behind me and my new job has settled down a bit.

Brian

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

To Brian and everybody else who posted regrets-

We're sure to miss you and that LeMans Sunset track at LaJunta. Good luck to you and Peterputter with the moving deals (we've all been there). With the unpredictable weather we've had, it may be after March before we get a large group going!

So far, I count Gary, Dennis and Joe as confirmed for Saturday. Bob Bell (publisher) and Allen (Cyclemut) may be joining us as well.

publisher

Joe's coming -- I'll pass.

I love this job.

Bob

BTW, the Spring 2004 issue will be in the mail around March 1st.

David, congratulations on becoming Sport Z's Motorsport Editor. You're not writing all the 350Z articles for summer -- Are You?

Bob

peterputter

Thanks for the well wishes and all... glad to finally get a garage!! The only downside is possibly missing a track day with ya'll... but it's a fair trade, don't cha think?

Thanks for setting all this up David!

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

David, congratulations on becoming Sport Z's Motorsport Editor. You're not writing all the 350Z articles for summer -- Are You?

Bob [/B][/QUOTE]

Thanks, Bob! I'm honored to be named as Sport Z's Motorsports Editor. That means I'll have a vast staff to do my bidding... What's that? I AM the vast staff?? Ah well, I hope to use my racing experience to bring some unique and entertaining stories for Sport Z readers. As for the summer '04 issue, I'm up to three to four articles thus far!

Back to LaJunta for a minute: I'm concerned about how much snow we're going to get Thursday evening. As much as I hate to say it, stay tuned! I'll be posting here Friday after we see what the road and track conditions are like. Trying to remain optimistic about our Saturday HPDE, but Mother Nature is messin' with us!

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

After checking the weather (cold morning, moving into the mid-40's by noon), the roads (wet and some icy spots over Monument Hill) and with LaJunta (it snowed, but is melting with the sunshine today), we are ready to go Saturday morning!

Please remember the following:

-Cars prepped, helmets ready and a snack w/drinks during the day.
-Full tank of gas (we won't be stopping unless there's a REAL emergency).
-Be at the Larkspur rest stop by 8 am.

It's that simple! I will have some written materials, including exerpts from 'Going Faster! Mastering the Art of Race Driving' by Carl Lopez (Bentley Publishers; 1997) on downshifting and heel-and-toe techniques. Lopez is the Director of Program Planning for Skip Barber Racing and I found his explanation and diagrams quite clear.

Finally, I must provide my standard disclaimer: While I will do everything I can to provide for a safe, fun and educational day, everyone should recognize that motorsports are an inherently risky endeavor. I assume no liability for any injuries or damage that may be incurred by any participant in this event.

Having said that, let's saddle up!

peterputter

Hey David,

Do you have a soft copy of those exerpts that you might email to those of us that can't make this trip? It would be awesome reading in preparation for the next one.

Thanks!

publisher

Me bad.

Forgot that I had to take care of my sister's Goldens for a week. Could pile them both in the S8 but I would be scared-to-death to let them out of the car. My sister would kill me if something went wrong.

Gotta pass -- dab-nab-it

Can't wait to start riding the Rockies again.

Bob

Cyclemut

I have to pass as well. One other member of BSpeed is planning on making it, as far as I know. I just can't change my plans.

Good luck to everyone going, be safe.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Our first track day in 2004 was quite successful for such a small group. Dennis (BluZ), Gary (GaryM05), Joe (Shogun) and Mike (Sentra Se-R) all joined me for a full day of driving at LaJunta Raceway.

The day started off well, and we made it to the track by 10:30 am on Saturday. After meeting with the track manager, signing the waiver and paying our exorbitant fees. We got underway with a threshold braking exercise which led to some accident avoidence and slalom practice. With such a small group, we were eager to get out to the track and did several slow laps of the 1.6 mile, 7-turn circuit. The track surface was in very good condition as we stopped by several key corners to discuss braking, entry, apex and exit points. As at PMI, it was wonderful to have the track to ourselves and be able to learn it quickly.

Dennis and Gary did this in short order and were soon blasting down the front straight and running flat out through the first two turns. Joe said looking for the grain silo in the distance (to help set yourself up for the entry to T3) was hard to do when you're trying to save your life! Mike's Se-R was running hard, but was having a tough time keeping up with the Z's. He acquitted himself well, however and showed good judgement in not overtaxing his car or abilities the first time out.

We did have some drama and it involved the fearless leader. After lunch I was reveling in the power, speed and bulletproof Brembo brakes when I picked up a puncture in my LR tire. Tried to limp it into town, but succeeded only in cording a very worn tire. Next, Shogun very graciously allowed me to drive his beautiful PP White Enthusiast Z (with Mike aboard). The bad news is that the tire shop hadn't torqued his rear wheels and I spent several laps making 100+ MPH runs until I felt a small vibration. It seemed to go away, but came back in a hurry when two wheel lugs sheared! The GOOD news is that I caught it in time; came off the throttle and carassed the brake before easing it off the track. Managed to get it back to the pits and we all shook our heads at the barely averted disaster. Let this be a lesson to us all: anything that you feel through the steering wheel or seat of your pants is reason enough to bring the car in or even park it off the course. If you must stop off course, the rule of thumb is to try to limp the car to the inside of a turn and away from the fast line and danger!

Needless to say, that last bit ended our day at about 4 pm and after assessing the damage, our little caravan was ready to leave about 45 minutes later. I still think we all got a lot of track time in and as I drove home (space saver holding up one corner) I was grateful that we had such a great, supportive and level-headed group to share such an adventure. We stopped off for dinner in Pueblo (thanks again for the meal, guys) at the Cactus Flower and headed on home. I must mention that the weekend traffic home was a bit dicey at times. Trying not to exceed the 60 MPH recommendation on the space saver tire went out the window when a 10 ton bus began riding my A$# at 70! That's why I accelerated up and away from that lunkhead until he could pass from the left lane.

Well, that's about it. Missed at least a few bullets on this one, but after several of these HPDE events, our record remains clean. Not a mark on those beautiful Z's (or Sentra Se-R's for that matter, eh Mike?) and we even avoided any, uh, confrontations with the law after hundreds of miles on the road. That's says something about everybody's skill and judgement over the past year. It is something to celebrate and strive for in the future!

wannaSE-R

Very well put David...thanks again for putting together such an awesome day! Everyone who missed out, try to make it next time!

Working on getting the pictures up, but I only get a limited amount of space on my CU domain. Image Station took a dump about a week ago, so I need to find a reliable place to host those pictures. They came out quite good and I think you'll all enjoy them. Lots of pics of the Z's screamin' around the track, a few of my 92, and some ones that show the track layout. The videos are pretty big, but they show the whole track and will give everyone a good idea of what to expect when we (hopefully) head down again.

-Mike

peterputter

I'm sure I speak for everyone in the groug that didn't go... we are happy that you all had fun and returned safely.

Can't wait for the pics!!!

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Didn't want to forget your request for the heel-toe article I handed out for the LaJunta trip. I don't have a scanner, so why don't you give me a call and I'll give you a hard copy. Any comments from the participants on the hand out itself? Did you like the description? I'll also be working on a piece for Sport Z's summer issue on heel-toe technique in the Z car.

David
(303) 752-9777

wannaSE-R

Ok, I resized the images and made some cuts to get the whole deal to 5.5mb. Its on my school account, and I hope I don't get this taken down due to bandwidth reasons.

56k guys, this will take awhile, just have patience.

I'm working on getting the videos hosted. Enjoy the pics though!

CLICKY HERE FOR PICS

Shogun

Thanks for the pics Mike. It appears that you're kinda partial to the white car. So am I.

The LR wheel took a beating on it's little wriggle on the track under David's skilled hands. All of the lug holes were taken out of round and the wheel will be replaced by the good people at the Big-O facility on south Havana. Sunday morning they replaced the five studs involved in case any of the remaining three were compromised due to the extreme stress they were most probably subjected to.

I might encourage any and all out there to give Matt Henderson at Big-O a shot at earning your tire business. He sold me a pair of Yokohamas at $12.00 over the the listed price at tire rack installed plus tax. If you think I'm crazy to refer them, all I can say is that mistakes occur and they are a stand-up organization. They are a new business (just over a year) to the neighborhood and I've witnessed their going above and beyond in customer service to prove their worthiness.

David, thanks again for yet another great day regardless of the sloooooooow ride home.

It's nice to be able to post again after finally dealing with some viral issues on my pc. Can you say format c drive?

Joe

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Great pics, Mike! They give some perspective on the track and really show off the lines of the Z 'at speed'. Thanks for the work in getting them hosted.

BTW- were your folks relieved (or amazed) to see you walk in the door on Saturday night? Nobody could tell that you took the first step in becoming a better driver that day!

peterputter

Mike, I'm sooOOOO disappointed... I thought for sure that you would have one of David driving his Redline Track with a donut!!!

ROFLMFAO!!!!