As I am seriously missing my time at NFME this year (Event canceled for '07), I signed up for a performance driving school on Monday the 18th. They put me in the intermediate group, even though I've attended only three track events in the last ten years. (I've autocrossed five or six seasons, though and had the same car for seventeen years.)

It ought to be fun, but the car isn't "ready". I don't think it'll ever be completely "ready". At least the engine fuel and ignition maps are in good shape. I'll be under the car on Sunday making sure everything is tight to that nothing will fall off. I'll probably run the street tires the whole day since my track tires are like, ten years old.

Heh, the guy on the phone asked me what kind of car I was driving and I said "It's an '84 Trans Am". He paused and said "Even though it's an intermediate group, I think you'll be okay". I assume he was meaning that "Even though your car is SLOW and OLD, the intermediates will take it easy on you".

I didn't get the chance to tell him that I've logged 1.21 g at Gingerman before, and that there's now 381 RWHP under the hood. I might be sliding around the turns on greasy street tires but I hope to keep up in the straights.

This will be the first chance to try out the newly configured suspension with the decoupled torque arm.

--drb

That sounds cool. Do you mind me asking how much the school costs and how often they offer it?

www.cgimotorsports.com

..about $250 for the day. There's five twenty-minute lapping sessions in there, plus access to an instructor who can assist you with finding the fastest line. They have several dates left for this summer, but the 18th is sold out. I was the last one to squeak into the class. July 2nd is another date, I think. Check out their website. I might be going back to Gingerman on the 28th during an evening test & tune, depending on what I learn on Monday.

Is the test and tune June 28 or July 28? I think there is a 3balls event on July 27 that I can't make it too. Fiance scheduled camping that weekend and I still can't figure out a good way to get out of it withoug breaking off the engagement.

Hopefully the car will drive in a week or 2.

Pfft... plenty of fish in the sea

3balls is renting Grattan on July 28th.

I might get a chance to go there as well, but it depends on how the car behaves on Monday.

Six weeks might be just enough time to work out any suspension bugs that might be lurking in there. I havent really tested this suspension, or seriously taxed the brakes in several years.

Fresh fluid is present and accounted for, but I think I may have brake bias problems. I guess we'll know by Monday night!

I went to one of the CGI events at Gingerman about 3 years ago now. I thought it was run very well. I didn't use an instructor for the track, but drove in their group. Still have video of catching an instructor in an Integra GSR.

Most people don't think our cars are very good at running a road course, but make sure you show them what they're missing.

I'll certainly try. However I'm leaving the old RR tires home and just running my streets. One of them isn't holding air anymore.

...Guess that'll have to be on the program for next year.

Goodnight everyone