BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

Water polo cancelled after horses drown in overfilled swimming pool.

Also, dinner service will be moved to the swimming complex.

Quote from Mazz4200 :

Seriously though, i dunno if it's the same Stateside, but over here your insurance premiums are gonna go through the roof. By way of comparison there's a well know singer over here who's paying $40,000 for a years insurance on an Enzo, and that's only for road use. No telling how much it'd be for track use, but my guess it'd be twice as much.

Easy. Most insurance companies won't cover you on a race track. Mine won't cover me even though the car is street legal, instructors are present, and there are classroom sessions each day. Sorta takes care of the issue in a round about way. However, there are companies that specialize in race cars and racing events that can help you out.

I'm down here in Hershey.

The Fords in the group are Taurus SHOs in various states of track prep. My father and I have stripped and caged cars, and there are a couple other more street applicable versions. The Chevy that will be with us in a couple weeks is a Z-06 owned by a former SHO owner.

The VW would be fine on the track for your first outing. My SHO has less than 250hp, yet has no trouble at all in the advanced group (it's all weight and tires with this stuff). There's still time to sign up for Pocono in October.

www.motorsportsreg.com - Best place to look for track events

Last edited by PAracer, Wed 6 Aug 2008, 02:55.

What is your tow setup? I just bought a 2004 Land Rover to handle the track car. I'll be looking for an aluminum trailer and brake package shortly.

Oh. check out www.trackpedia.com

I and a few friends and family members do HPDE events with the local BMW club (we own Fords and Chebbys). April at Summit Point. July at Watkins Glen, August at NJMP, and October at Pocono. www.delvalbmwcca.org

With this club, you will start in a novice group with a competent instructor. Once you progress in skill, your instructor may give you the option of driving alone.

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

Quote from Gil07 :

Do USAers use the metric system?

I wish I didn't have to say that I do, but we use it at work. Funny thing is that all of out drawings use 3.18, 6.35, 12.7, 19.53, 25.4mm. Nothing like subverting a standard operating proceedures with simple math.

I much prefer fractions.

15cm is roughly 6". Or 0.33 cubits.

Quote from Linsen :

First time I'm seeing a race like this.

It's amazing and somehow very cute that it's soo low-tech. They've got like 5-stud wheels and are going to attach the windscreen wipers when and if it starts to rain. lol

Also, the rain tyres they're using were supposedly manufactured in 2001! Seriously, some people wouldn't drive their Opel to the grocery's on tyres that old.

Nascar hasn't had a rain situation in years. They've never actually used them before in a race condition.

This is turning into a fun race to watch. Mind you, I just turned it on and I'm watching caution laps in pouring rain. JV and Joey Logano have just run into stuff due to poor visibility. I'll keep watching untill the shenanigans stop.

Quote from Damo74 :

Thanks for posting that.

i was never an Ambrose fan whilst he was in the V8 Supercars, but am following him as close as i can while in the states. Ambrose definately craps all over Montoya as shown last year (yet Montoya gets a full time Sprint cup drive - go figure).

My magic crystal ball says Marcos will drive for Stewart Haas racing for the 2009 season.

Anyway. He's proven his ability, and people like him. That's a great way to pick up a full time ride.

Quote from Stefani24 :

Auto shifting on Ford is REALLY slow from what ive heard. but ford....

Ehh... I don't exactly praise the Mazda 5 speed that replaced it.

Without the track abuse, that trans would have been fine. I was certainly putting more power through it than the engineers were counting on.

My first two track events were with an automatic transmission. It was still fun, but not as much. I would always have to pull off the track early when the trans temp guage would peg. This was about the time that shifting would get reeeaaallll ssssllloooowwww. Then again, maybe it was just a product of an abused Ford.

It's all in the design of run-off areas, pit entrances and such. I got to run Jefferson Circuit at Summit Point in both directions this Spring. It was a great learning experience since the track was built with decreasing radius corners. The whole dynamic of the track was reversed on the second day.

Quote from Forbin :

I don't see a silver Mustang in any of those pics. You know who I'm talking about.

I saw her try a Yamaha R6 on for size. She's quite tiny.

'Fraid not. I've only known a couple female Mustang drivers. One's not tiny any more. The other is a hair over 6' tall.

Is she cute?

Quote from Forbin :

I'm planning on being there September 27-28 on my bike.

And I'm planning to run my car there in late August. Planning= paid for before paving began on the course.

Be sure to book a hotel room early, since there isn't much available nearby. You might end up staying in Atlantic City if you're not on the ball.

Quote from SidiousX :

lol I hate tony as well XD

Tony is our generation's AJ Foyt. Some might hate him, but he's still better than you.

The TA03 was cool, and would have been a fine choice around here if the hobby shops supported Tamiya. I do recall a meathod of turning those Tamiya cars into twin motor rockets. I think it was a combination of TA02-03 parts As long as the local shop had parts in stock, you were in good shape. For me, this meant Associated, HPI, and Traxxas. Losi too, untill they changed distributers.

Those were some fun days. Bashing with an old XXT and Traxxas Rustler. Later racing a RC10 TC3. That was a cool machine, bought it as soon as it was released, then replaced with a factory team version. I got out right about the same time that the T-Maxx was getting popular.

Rappa Z- You should plan on visiting NJ Motorsports Park this Fall. It's an awesome facility owned by the same group that rehabed VIR a few years ago. The weekend of September 26-28. $65 for all three days. http://www.njmotorsportspark.com/events.html

The stereo from my car weighed 25 lbs as it hit the trash pile. No use in hauling around unnecessary crap. The old setup was mostly stock anyway. Four standard JBL speakers, Sony CD head unit, and stock wiring.

Science and reason sure does take the fun out stuff.

For the sake of realism for weekend racers, it's a bit different. Someone picks up doughnuts early in the morning. Coffee, water, and Gatorade throughout the day. The grill is fired up around noon for burgers and dogs. Eat untill stuffed, especially true for the driver (makes early afternoon track sessions interesting). As soon as the car comes off the track at the end of the day, the beer makes its appearance from the cooler tucked in the back of the hauler (seems like magic after a long day). Dinner is usually pizza delivered to the motel, chased by a few more rounds of beer. rinse and repeat on day 2.

And people wonder why wrecks tend to occure most often on the last session of the last day...

This is true for us over here. If we have to take off of work to go racing, we'll make it count as a vacation. For most of us, it is our only time away from work.

Quote from Becky Rose :

So the girl spins it out in a busy pitlane, a grevious error that should have her reprimanded - but in the same race two guys crash UNDER SAFETY CAR. Did I read that right? And the OP says women cant drive...

I think we need a me versus you, looser pays, day at the races - sunshine.

I've had plenty of fast women (drivers) around me for a long time. A couple of the instructors at the driver's school that I just got home from were of the female persuasion. Although... I did 200 miles at Watkins Glen between today and yesterday. Zero offs.

I'm well aware that women can in fact drive race cars. However, I'll play to the stereotypes like any other red-blooded American. We're all ****s.

"but in the same race two guys crash UNDER SAFETY CAR"
Yeah, that happened while I was typing. Selective editing, if you will.

I'd love to take you up on your offer. I'm quite sure I'll get my ass handed to me. For now, I'll just continue to bench race untill me throat is sore.

Quote from xaotik :

It's an open-wheel fetish we can never hope to understand.

At least they didn't have the little antenna on the nose cone at that time.

'Problem you guys have over there is that you don't have guns. Bangy bangy, knife problem goes away. Okay, that was a bit of a rouse, nobody should have to fear for their safety while walking down the street. Frankly, I don't leave the house without my knife. I use it multiple times every day. However, I get just as much use out of the scissors as the blade.

Most states over here have laws concerning they types of knives that may be carried, as well as blade length. I think a knife is thought of more as a tool than a weapon over here (at least in the sensible areas of the country). Though I think people in the city would question a guy wearing a six inch hunting blade on his hip. Counterpoint is that I don't even bat an eye (friendly wave, okay) to the person in full camo with a rifle walking down the road in the Stat Game Lands. Everything has a time and place.

Perhaps those hoods should have to face a choice of straigthening out, jail. I don't know, I don't really claim to know since I don't face the same issues that you guys to.

Shortly after Danica's booboo, Milka Duno had a nice brainfart under a safety car period.

Am I right or am I right?illepall

This is an IRL at Watkins Glen topic

Quote from lizardfolk :

TBH I think Dario's lack of success is due to a poor car. Sure he's run worse than David Stremme before him, but Stremme also had a long series of 30- finishes as well. Stremme's record is over Franchitti was purely due to Stremme's experience over Franchitti's inexperience. Personally, the 40 car needs serious work. Even Sterling Marlin was struggling with it before he moved on as well.

Not going to dispute the first bit, but Sterling was headed for a championship before he got hurt. The man really hasn't been the same since then, either.