Hello all,
Wow, what a thrill. I had no point-bys, and got some compliments on my car. A gentleman w/ a brand new BMW 535xi was surprised I passed him twice considering as he said "I thought Camaros were straight line cars" I told him some of you guys have better rides than this. It was great to get in "a zone" and hustle the car. Car felt really good. It started understeering real bad after the front tires got real hot (275 NT555) near the end of a session. Brakes (TrackBrackets/ZO6 brakes/Severn ducts/HT10s) worked fantastic and I think I didn`t use them to their fullest.
Ambients were in the low 90s w/ high humidity. Oil temps got to 270* late in the last/3rd session, because I was really reving it to my 6400 redline. Mobil 1 5/40 / OE Oil cooler/ straight water/Water Wetter. Water temps slowly crept up to 200* or so. My last three laps I did notice a puff of smoke at the top of 3rd gear starting down the front stretch. It`s running fine though.
Turns 1-4 are really fun. My instructor, Graham, a British fella, kept pushing me to go thru 2,3 full throttle. I`m glad he was a "pusher". I met a guy in a 95 `Vette and his instructor was holding him back.
7-10 were great also. 7, being a blind apex was a blast. Graham pushed me to do 8 & 9 full throttle (4th gear). Full throttle thru 9 then not much time to slow down for 10. I was practicing some heel-toe too.
While I have 382 RWHP, the straights are no problem, but I could run with the other cars in my group thru the turns. WRX, Lotus Elise, RX8.
Maybe they weren`t pushing their cars as hard as I was?
In the other group there was a Ferrari 360 Strasdale Challenge. He spun it in turn 7. I bet he`s glad that`s all he did was just a spin! Super nice car.
There was a 600HP C6 ZO6, Exige, some old Porsches, lotsa Minis (one was Grahams) and Chris Gleason (from Johnstown) had his Grand Am Cup/Koni Challenge M3 out for a corporate event giving rides to his guests.

I tended to apex a little too early, and brake too early.

I want to thank all of you for giving much info here at FRRAX to help us road race virgins!
-Chad

Welcome to our addiction.

One more who took a hit off the go fast crack pipe

Good time's!

There is no way my camaro is faster through the turns than these.

The slippery slope just got a blast of Teflon.

Sweet, I ran there in the end of May (same, 90's and high humidity) and it was a blast.

FWIW, I have found that lightly tapping the brakes before 9 and then flooring it again lets you brake alot later for 10 since you can wait until the car is straight before you need to start braking for 10. ...helped my lap times ...

My instructor had me Flat footing it through there. I know I did a session as a ride along and he was flying.... I just follwed his lead. As soon as the car got staight nail the brakes. But I know Keith has been there a time or too!!!! . Might have to try slowing down a bit to go faster. It might just work...

I too lost my cherry at that track. Its been a blast even though I have not had a chance to get back there. Its one of my favorite tracks.

John

Yeah, braking for turn 10 comes up on you real fast. Not much time to set the car straight for 10. I really enjoy 9 and 10 though. I have HT10`s on the front and HP+`s the rears and it was a thrill to whoa the car down there. I`m real happy how my car worked, it was very stable, especially under that braking.
I`ll remember that tip Keith! Thanks!
Guys, how about WOT from exit of 1 thru 3? My instructor pushed me to do it there too. That`s fun too because of the elevation change off of 2 to 4.

I`m definitely going again, next year. This winter I`ll do an oil cooler, maybe up the rear bar a touch.

Yes. I find that once I get the car to set coming out of one, it is a constant arc from the exit of one to the braking point for four.

This requires the correct apex at turn one and you need to be mindful of how you exit turn three to be able to brake in a straight line for turn four. I have found that every time I go there, I need a couple of laps to get my bearings again and then work back up to that based on the grip level through there.

You DO realize that there are probably at least 5 lapping days per month at BR during the spring, summer and fall?

Next year?

I predict you will begin Jones-ing sometime mid September ....

Hell, I`d do one every week!!
I`d love to do some more this year, but between my 3 boys and working on getting a new job (interview on Wed.), among others, I`d rather not push the issue. My wife is a stay at home mom too, so that limits my funds for this expensive hobby. The possible new job would help that big time Maybe an opportunity will open up for another this year.
Wish me luck!

Good luck... Maybe we can get together the next time you come out.

That sounds good, Keith. Where in the `Burgh are you from?

...I moved to Beaver last year... Proximity to the track was actually a factor - about 12-15 minutes to the new house.

Man, I`m almost 100 miles to BeaveRun..............

Hey Im only 500 miles... I does suck driving back in the snow.. A Sports car and snow don't get along. It was the only time my car ever saw snow or salt.......

John

I`ll walk before I attempt an F-body in the snow! The rain is bad enough.

BTW, I got the job......... oil cooler, bigger rear bar, sticky tires...........

Congratulations on both counts.

Thanks

My '89 Formula was my daily driver, snow and all. And I spent 5 years with my 2002 Z28 as my daily driver, snow and all. It never missed a beat and I had no issues with it. I'd do it again.

Me too, I drive mine in the snow every year with no trouble... ok, some trouble, but that's why we're drivers and not passengers, right?

...make that three of us driving f-bodies in the snow... Snow tires make a world of a difference (thanks, Trackbird!). I think my F-body is better in the snow that my previous-previous-previous snow car - 1983 Monte Carlo SS.

No problem Keith. I ran Goodyear Eagle RSA's the first year (they came on the car) and I only had trouble twice. Once I was turning through a snow bank where they had plowed and I got stuck (I'd have probably been stuck on snow rubber too) and once my driveway froze into a huge sheet of ice and I couldn't get up it until I chipped some of it off. Those were both on the Eagle RSA's. Once I switched to dedicated winter rubber, I never got stuck again. This includes backing out into my alley when it had 4" of ice frozen in it and someone had driven a jeep down it before it froze, so it had huge ruts. I managed to get out, get into the ruts and motor along. My neighbors just stared at me.