I am going up to Hallett Ok from DFW on Sept. 8th and 9th. The event is sponsored by the Z (Datsun) car club of Texas. This is a DE event and I encourage all who have never participated in a DE to give this one a try. Cost is $174 for the two days.
I don't want to be the only Z06 out there having fun running with the Z's.
Give me an E-mail or respond to this post and I can get you the details to register. I am not in anyway connected with the Z car club of Texas.
8th & 9th ??? That's a Sunday and a Monday; kind of strange. I hope to make it to Hallett yet this year, but I will be running Heartland Park Topeka Sept. 6, 7 & 8.
Originally posted by jknight 8th & 9th ??? That's a Sunday and a Monday; kind of strange.
Have fun at Hallett
7th, 8th, 9th, 10th one of those days. It is a Saturday and Sunday event. Must have looked at the wrong calender. Better change my hotel reservation.
You have fun at Heartland.
I wish more Z06 drivers where interested in understanding what their cars can do in the real world, rather then talk about them. But as my wise Mother would say each to their own. I guess those of us spend time on the road courses in our cars are in our own world. And Man what a fun and exciting one it is!
I guess I meant fast to mean "let us get to the top of 2nd gear".
I'd love to do 140 on the track, but I need a helmet and nomex first
In most DE's all you need is a Helmet and cotton shirt and pants.
At TWS (Texas World Speedway) I see up to 145 on the HUD before I am tapping on the brakes and heading into the first turn. And in about 2 minutes I am ready to do this again then again and then again.
So you can see way alot of us get involved in DE's. Also when you drive at these speeds you have to have a good understanding of what the car is going to do to be safe, which it relative at these. Having the car up to 140 once or twice or more on the freeway really does not give you the full understanding.
Having done it over and over on a track and with an instructor sitting beside you makes you a much better driver. Also as you participate in DE's you find yourself driving by yourself when the instructor become confident in your abilities not to hurt yourself or damage others. This will take a few DE's.
I hope at sometime in your future you will get and take the chance to drive in a DE or two. I would like hear your comments. I know they will be enthusiastic.
Well, I've done the Auto-X thing twice now. The first time I barely used 2nd gear, it kinda sucked. Fun, but still not as fun as it could be. Last weekend I was at a different course, and they set it up fairly open, so I was closing in on 3rd (probably hitting 6k rpm in 2nd).
Tomorrow I'm back at the same location to play with the local Porsche club... I hear they set up their courses _REALLY_ open.
Its basically a short road course that the sheriff's department uses for training.
But yes, I do want to get out on a real road course someday soon.
I missed the three day class that bondurant gave here at sandia motorsports park in april. Rumor is they're coming back later this year, if that happens, I'll be the first in line.
Why pay Bondurant? I bet you can find a organization in your area that puts on a DE a month. I would talk to the Porsche guys as they would know. The instructors are good and you use your car.
What is sad and I hope other Z06 drivers besides yourself read this. Is the Porsche and BMW guys have a lot of local club sponsored DE's at the road courses here in Texas. I have been to both a BMW and Porsche event. Still waiting for a Corvette DE event. I can tell your from experience it is not fun to be in a run group that the BMW guys have been on that course 4 or 5 times more then you have. Not fun in a Z06 giving them the passing signal. Then as you get the experience it changes.
So here is my point and it is a hard pill to swallow follow owners.
We own a fantastic track car. One that is faster then most BMW's and Porsches, yet at the events I go to most BMW and Porsches drivers can drive the pants off a Z06 driver because they have more track experience. This experience is probably going to transfer to the street. So if you get in a race with a Porsche or BMW on a road that has lot of curves, chances are he or she can drive. You may have just bitten off more then you can chew.
Now when you get the same track experience it changes to I wish I owned a Vette. They are then giving you the passing flag.
My wife has said I have turn into a track Nazi. I think she is right! But what a rush to slow down from 120 to 30 and go sideways around a corner. Then do that again and again.
Yep, I got beat by dudes in old 911s, no big deal, they ahve more seat time than I do. But - I keep getting faster with every run, and the car has a lot more in her.
I'll get em soon. The next DE I can see is in novemember some time. I need to get a helmet now.
I'm getting addicted. I need some race tires so I don't kill my F1s
A set of Hawk Plus or Performance friction brake pads.
Flush the brake system and put in Motul RBF 600.
Hardbar Harness Bar.
6 point Harness
Corbeau Forza seat
Doug Rippie Radiator with oil cooler.
CCW Wheels with Kumho's
Watch going to sticky tires to soon. They have limits that are well beyond yours at the moment. I would go to more of a stock tire and learn on those, then progress to a sticker tire. I have known folks who jumped right into sticky tires and it took them a long time to learn on them. Many of these folks are currently instructing.
The seat is needed as with the stock seat you will be sliding around and have to use the "grip of death" to hang on. This will make your steering inputs jerky and results in poor handling.
Everything that I have done was out of necessity. I am an Aeronautical Engineer so that is how I am going to approach things. I don't believe in the latest greatest hyped up junked. I stick to what makes physical and logical sense and works for the given situation. Just like the design of aircraft.
Hey Dave! Man you are on a roll! Keep talking it up!!!
I love teaching fellow Vette owners!!! Enough to where I had to order a Z06 for my own (as you know :-)
FYI, A typical DE track event is anywhere from $200 - $300 for a full weekend of fun.
As you know, I usually instruct for www.thedriversedge.net which is not affiliated with any clubs. I have also instructed for Porsche and Beemer clubs and they are a blast also!
http://www.thedriversedge.net/ has an event @ MSR on Sept. 7th & 8th and also an event @ TWS on Oct. 12th & 13th. This group is great for both advanced drivers and beginners.
It would be great to see more Z06's at the track.
There's nothing like open track events.
I just purchased my very first Chevrolet and it's a new silver '02 Z06 and I will be attending the Oct. event for the first time in the Z06.
I've ran my mustang at a lot of different event over the years and got my first opportunity to drive a friends '01 Z06 at Hallett. That day I swore I would have one a Z06 very soon.
The car has 600 miles now and by Oct. I should have that many more.
Dave,
This sounds like my kind of time. I experienced two days at Freddie Spencer's motorcycle school last fall. What a complete rush.
I bought my Z last month mainly due to it's brawny power that I'm only getting to enjoy from the stoplights. Your post is awakening me however to that track experience I had in Las Vegas.
Can a bone stock car go out for a weekend without a trans cooler or other mods? I'd love to experience this, but wouldn't be so interested if I had lots of prep work to do prior (or repair work after). I believe I understand the risk of crashing. I just am concerned about hurting the car without the proper prep.
I've got too busy a schedule to dedicate the time to prep right now. I'm sure time would be found after the race bug bites.
I've got plans that weekend (Sept 7-8). When and where is the next gathering?
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