dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Hello everybody- thought I'd start a new thread on our first track day of 2004. The '2004 HPDE question' thread served its' purpose about deciding between PMI and LaJunta. This will be a collaborative meet with Zs and BSpeed club members cordially invited to attend. At $35/car for the entire day, it's also the best bargain in the country! Now, let's fill in a few more details on the February 7th (Saturday) event.

THE MEET: We will meet at the same spot we started most of our 2003 track events from. Heading south from Denver on I-25, proceed through Castle Rock. There is a rest stop on I-25 just south of the Larkspur exit that serves the southbound lanes. We'll meet there between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m.

Please have a full tank of gas ready as we'll caravan south to Pueblo and then east on Route 50 to LaJunta. Get ready to speed up and slow down as we go through small towns with names like Avondale, Fowler and Swink. Anybody whose late can try to catch up, but just be careful in going through those towns on Rt. 50. The speed traps are infamous in that area!

THE TRACK: LaJunta Raceways is located in the airport complex north of town. Not many amenities, but the track manager says there is a porta-john on site (yea- just one!). The track is a classic airport racetrack with a blend of concrete and asphalt. I promised the manager that we'll stick to the concrete in performing our threshold braking and accident avoidence exercises in the morning.

Here's a map of the track layout:

http://coloradoscca.org/LaJunta.pdf

SYLABUS/AGENDA: After everybody gets signed in, pays their track fee and takes all non-essential stuff out of their cars, we'll meet on the front straight near the timing stand. Dennis and Gary have volunteered to help me go around and check on proper seating and wheel postioning for everybody who will be driving. The first exercise will be threshold braking and we'll set up an acceleration lane and cones to mark where to engage the brakes. The object will be to apply brakes smoothly, but quickly, and come to a controlled stop. After this we will be setting up both accident avoidence (braking and turning) and slalom exercises to help get everyone adapted towards high-performance driving. Most of these drills will be done at slow(er) speeds to help everybody acclimate.

We will introduce heel-and-toe downshifting (for those that need it- and I mean you, Allen!) and show how it helps smooth out driving and take some strain off the car. We'll also begin lapping the racetrack slowly and show how the 'racing line' can be both the SAFEST and FASTEST way around the track!

Since our time at the track will be limited, I suggest that we forgo a lunch break until we get done. Bring a power bar or snacks (and fluids) and we'll take a little break to talk. When we resume, we'll start out again with single-file lapping and the emphasis will be on how to settle the car down and accelerate cleanly off each turn. We will see some clearly extra-legal speeds by this point, so I'll just emphasize that everyone (drivers and passengers) need to be wearing helmets and be on their toes. We'll have the instructors riding along, behind and in front of everybody to help ensure everyone knows where the track goes.

Safety will be the key point during each of these sessions, so please follow our directions at each phase. If anyone has a mechanical problem or hiccup, please let your instructor know so we can address it. Also monitor your own energy level: driving can be fatiguing and you'll be getting a lot of it! If you feel tired, take a break and drink some water (bring it; there won't be any at the track) and maybe sit out a session. We haven't trashed any cars in any of the events in 2003, and we don't plan to start now!

AFTER THE DAY: I fully expect (weather permitting) that we'll use up all the daylight before we finish between 4:30 and 5 p.m. Let's plan on having a relaxing dnner in town (I'll try to get some reservations at a kick*** mex place) and then head back through
Pueblo and Colorado Springs together. Hopefully, everybody will see enough SPEED during the day that none of us make a contribution to the coffers of any town or random Highway Patrol units.

OK, that's it. Post here if you have any questions. I'll post more as that weekend draws nearer, but we also have the following Sunday (2/15/04) reserved as a make up date in the event of poor weather.

mattsfeir

Sounds great. I'm looking forward to it.

Cyclemut

I'm in.

I'm posting this wherever I can!

GaryM05

I'm really looking forward to the 7th...only 2 weeks to go. Hopefully we won't need the weather date, but it's nice to know that it's there if necessary.

I think that's a good decision to not leave the track for lunch. A mid-day break at a local restaurant is great at a closer track like SCR or PMI; but after the long drive down to La Junta, I think we'll all want to get as much on-track time as possible!

I'm looking forward to meeting the new members of our track-driving group. And as always, I'm happy to do whatever I can to help out.

Gary

peterputter

Oh boy... I can hardly wait! I've been looking forward to doing this with my BY Track ever since I got her. Count me there!!!

kohlersc

I would really like to go as well but I don't think I will get a chance to switch my snow tires off in time and I really don't want to race in snow tires.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Well, it's T minus seven days to go. Just checked weather.com and the forcast for the next week. Looks like a chance of snow coming in on Wednesday, but then a "warmup" (I use the term loosely) through Saturday! However, there is snow in the forecast for Sunday the 8th, so everybody cross your fingers!

Hope everyone is using this weekend to check brakes/cars, get helmets and getting their stuff together for the 7th. We're lookin' GOOD so far...

Cyclemut

Well, I'll be emailing everyone in the club for verification as well tomorrow evening. We've already got a great response from around the 'web', so it should be great, either way.

wannaSE-R

Ok, looks like this thread has the most responses. I am going, but I REALLY need to find a helmet to wear. If anyone knows where I can buy/rent one or knows of one I can borrow, please let me know.

Thanks guys!

Mike

Cyclemut

David, if you read this before Tuesday evening, I need to know if the track has rental helmets or not. Some guys have ordered their helmets, but some may not show up until afterwards.

If you could find out for us, that would be great, and I'll let everyone know.

Looking forwards to this. Twittering with anticipation!

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Alan (and everybody else)-

There will be no helmets for rent at the track. I will bring my spare SA-90 display helmet, but everyone will need to make arrangements...

...and stop that twittering!

funkymonkey1111

Is it possible to go to this as a spectator? I would love to participate, but I've only got about 500 miles on my Z, and my guess is that track driving might exceed the "break-in" parameters.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Spectators are welcome! You'll still have to sign the track waiver, however...

GaryM05

It looks like the weather is hit-or-miss between now and Saturday for La Junta and the areas we'll have to travel through to get there. Here's hoping it works out for us.

For those who still need to buy a helmet, I would suggest trying Morten's Motorsport Supply (aka Peterson Fluid Systems) in Commerce City, Autosport Werks in Broomfield, or AAI Speed Equipment in Arvada. All of these shops have knowledgeable staff who can answer questions and help you find a good helmet. Good luck!

Gary

Mudd

iTrader: (2)

On the helmet topic...........

I purchased my helmet from Helmetcity.com.................saved $80.00 and received free shipping from the prices I found from some of the local stores. I also needed to order mine from any of the local stores I shopped anyway due to my fat head so the delay didn't matter.

Brian

peterputter

I got mine on eBay... $225 for a $399 helmet... hehe!!!

wannaSE-R

Damn this snow! Anyone know what its like in La Junta? I know its warmer and dryer there, but this is a pretty big storm...

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

I know this will disappoint some folks, but there is no other way around it. The trip down would be difficult enough, but the clincher was my conversation with the track manager today. The snow storm was wide enough that snow has piled up on and near the track. The city crew that would clear the track has been reassigned to keeping LaJunta's streets open. Finally, any undulations on the track surface may collect water and freeze! We want to learn how to drive fast and well- not how to recover from spins into snowbanks...

Nope, we won't do this unless the conditions are right! I confirmed that our backup date, Sunday February 15th, is still reserved. It is. I'll again monitor conditions down south and post here next week to let everyone know how we're doing.

So don't anybody lose their cool (pun intended), keep your helmets on (I can't help myself) and think warm thoughts for next weekend!

GaryM05

Thanks for following up, David. I agree that it's best to wait for better weather and less risk.

Good thing we've already got the 15th scheduled. One more week won't kill anyone (well, maybe just a little.)

Gary

wannaSE-R

So then for sure we're not going on Saturday? I've got plans to cancel/re-instate if it is for sure cancelled.