- 17
If you haven't read the intruduction, click HERE.
Part 2
A couple days rest has me ready to go again. Between calls to my shop to check up and actually getting some decent sleep, I've been dreading Laguna Seca and loving these little cars. I'm also spending plenty of time talking with Marcus and telling the stores he begs me to tell the guys on the crew helping us. He seems to think I was the crazy one, opening the door for story after story and making these young guys stare in disbelief. I always thought HE was the loony one, but I'll let him have his fun for a while.
"Tell these guys about that time you took the track car out for a night on the town at Laguna."
"Jesus Marc. That was 1985. You'll never let me lie this down."
"Shut up. That was your crowning achievement. Now tell them."
"Fine! So, it's like, mid June and like, 85 degrees. I guess it was about 8:30 in the evening and we'd done just a BIT of drinking. Captain **** head here convinces me that I should take the race car out of the trailer and whip around the parking lot at this big bar. We're talking about a '63 Z06 race car. It had something like 600 horsepower and over 20 year old technology. So we rolled the heap out of the trailer and I fired it up. That thing came to life with a roar so loud, half the bar was in the parking lot befoe I had it warmed up."
"Wait. Isn't that the car you took into the wall at Laguna," asked Roger, a twenty-something mechanic that looked like a member of ZZ Top.
"Yeah. That was 2 years later. Anyway, I got that thing go and hot and just jumped it's **** right then and there. I was making circles around the lot covering cars in rubber and dust and just ripping the hell out of this car. IT just happened to be my like that a Monterey county sherrif's officer came along and saw me acting like a fool. In my INFINITE wisdom, I ducked out fo the lot and started ripping down the street, running from the cop. I had that antient heap of **** turing 110 down city streets. So I kept running east and switching from street to street. The sherrif was giving a good chase, but falling back. So I took advantage and dashed for an entrance to the 101. I got up on that interstate in Saturday night traffic and start slipping through gaps and ripping down the shoulder. I must have covered 20 miles in something like 12 minutes. I got all the wat to 68, so I doubled back and came down along the coast. I snunk into a gas station and called the bar. I got them to get Marcus on teh phone and I had him bring the trailer up and meet me. It took him almost an hour to get there, but he showed up and we tucked teh car into the trailer and made way back to the fort. I never did get caught, but the owner of the team got a letter requesting that he not bring whoever was driving abck into the county if he couldn't control them. He was a good old boy, so he just laughed it off and we went on with life."
"Marcus was right. You ARE nuts." remarked Roger, once again.
"You think so? I guess he's never mentioned HIS exploits."
"You shut the hell up. It's time to get on the road anyway." Marc shouted.
"Yeah yeah. I'll tell them sometime."
We loaded up in the trucks and headed north a ways. After about an hours drive, past San Francisco, we extited the highway and made our way east. After another 20 minutes, we pulled down a narrow graveled road and passed a sign reading:
"Autum Ring Team Entrance ONLY"
"I haven't been here in ages. They change it much?" I asked.
"Not really. Other than adding a little extra track to make a short version about 15 years ago."
"What are we running today?"
"The short verion. They call it Autum Ring Mini. Though lovingly so."
"Cute. Got a map?"
"We'll pick one up."
After the typical check-in routine and a short drive to the pit area, the cars were once again unloaded onto the solid earth. I looked over a track map and discovered that the short version basically eliminated anything in the way of a long straightaway and basically left nine turns and a few feet of straight track between them. It was deffinantly mini. But I could see why Marc chose this track. I would certainly give less advantage to the cars with brute muscle and reward the cars with the most controlable power. I knew today would be fun.
I was running the cars in the same order again today. So I'd start with the Celica, the drive the RX-7, Galant, Supra, 300 and finally, the Skyline. I figured that was best anyway. I could take my take and get used to each car with out reaching to far to fast and having trouble or running poor laps. The track was easy enough, but by going up with horsepower, I could formulate how much touble the bigger horse cars would have.
I got suited up and climbed into the little red Celica. The car was already warmed up and had been checked over to make sure everything was as it should be. Once I got the seat in the right spot, I took off out of the pits and made my way arounf some 32 pratice laps in the little car.
As I learned the car in the first few laps, I became intimate with its handleing charicteristics and flaws, which it really had few of. The car was reasonably tight and held the track well. With only moderate body roll, the suspention guided the 1350kg car around the track. It was here I really felt the 4wd layout was a deficit and a blessing. The car never got loose, even under full throttle. It would every so slightly slide toward the outside of a hard turn, but remained totaly predictable. It was a pleasure to drive on the little track. As I learned it, I learned the track and before lap 20, I was pretty much in the groove. I'd taken the car as hard as I felt I could and pretty much reached a stalemate in the 44.x second area. I was satisfied the car had no more in it and I came back to the pits to coll the car and put on fresh tires.
With two transporters, we had all the tools we could need. With tire a tire machine, wheel balancer, various presses and worktables in the enclosed trailer, we could have run a shop anywhere we could plug in. The cars rode on a 6 car open carrier behind a pickup truck with a 5th wheel and the enclosed trailer was gooseneck. The three-quarter ton Ford trucks drug the cars around with the same ease as one would haul around a heavy backpack.
Before long, we were ready to make the 3 lap run for time and I got back into the little red car. I pulled out onto the track and made my way back to the start, warming up the fresh rubber. As I flew across the starting line, the timer was started and ran the car as well as I could on the cool rubber. My first lap was acceptable as I made the circle in 45.794 seconds. I pushed hard into my second lap and manged a 44.684. That was better and on par with my pratice laps. I then headed off into my third and final hot lap in the Celica. I came apart a bit and only manages a 45.125 second lap, but I felt like more of inconsistency was in the tires than myself and made my way around to the pits and a liesurely pace.
"Good laps. I hoped you get a pair of 44 and change laps in there."
"I tried, but I think the tires just wouldn't heat up enough, soft as they are."
"Probably so. You look really good out there. Keep it up and we'l have a good day."
"I plan to."
After that, I had a few drinks of water and cooled off as the RX-7 warmed its little rotary engine to operating temperature. I sat down into the car and got on my way for some more pratice to get to know the car's handleing around the snug little track. The car was just a bit sloppier around the corners than the Celica and I was certain that had everythign do with the car's being rear wheel drive rather than all wheel drive. The car cornered well and exibited little to no understeer. IT did walk a fine line between oversteer on the throttle, but rarely needed correction. You could simply factor the swing of the rear end into your approach and use it to keep the car's mementum more even. I did, however, feel like the car exibited a random tendency to oversteer OFF the throttle. It felt good, and was rather uncommon, but showed up and the wrong times, such as trying to scrub off a little speed through a corner by coasting. The rear of the car would start to loose grip as the weight transfered to the front again and you would begin to fell just a bit mroe oversteer than you expected. I figured this little condition was only costing a few hundreths of a second, but in this compairison, that would matter.
I poloted teh car for about 25 laps and felt like I'd found all the car's little quirks. I was ready for clean rubber and a cold drink. With learning the track out of the way, this pratice run, and each after it, was much shorter. I figured with six cars in all and the time to get everything setup between runs, I was in for a solid 8 hour day of driving.
With the car again ready for the track, I blew out onto the track and started my trip back to the line for my timed laps. I knew the car was faster than the Celica at this point. I guess the all-wheel drive was taking just a bit mroe power from the wheels than the tight feeling and efficiently geared RX-7's geabox and rear-drive layout. I pushed the car aound the track and crossed the starting line about about 78 miles an hour. I stuffed the car around the track and pulled off a 44.296 second first lap. I continued around and battled the car to the bottom of the first turn. I gutted the apex out of each following turn, chaining the last five turns into a single, smooth motion. I got a 44.112 second lap in return. The car had little or no more to give. I hoped for a 43.x second lap in my third trip, but lost a fraction of time, resulting in a 44.485 second final lap. The car still came out right at a full second faster on average. I was still pleased with my day so far. So was Marc and the crew.
I got back to the pits, relaxed and waited on the Galant to be ready to go again. This one should be interesting. I had found a new respect for the car after the first time I drove it. I looked like it was reasonably quick and proved to be worth its appearance. I was ready to rip the all-wheel drive sedan around the tiny track, and it was finally warm and ready for my abuse.
As I ran teh car around teh track, it was instantly clear this car was not at home in the close, tight corners of this small course. The car was slow to react, had significant and detrmental body roll and understeered though most corners when driven at much speed. The car felt like a brick on the track and couldn't be trusted to make the same lap time after time. Hell, for that matter, it was lucky to come though a corner the same twice in a row. The car was inconsistent at best. Even after 20 laps, the car was all over and showed no signs of improvement. I went back to the pits for tires and prepaired myself for what would probably be my worst looking run of the day.
Once the car was reshoed and ready to skate around the track, I was back under way and made my starting lap. I came out of the final corner before the start halfway into the grass and the rest followed suit. In the first full speed lap, it became clear the car was just to softly supported and was running out of suspention travel, especially under braking in the corners. I assume you could slip some stiffer spring and sway bars under the car and have a great time, but that wasn't the point of this compairison. I clicked off a 45.544 first lap. The second lap was uneventuful and ended after 45.144 second. Lap three was better. The car has found some magic grip entering the straight at the end of the second lap and had given me a bit better top speed into the first corner. It was through here I picked up some time and managed to keep it through the rest of the lap, which went as the others had. Lap three took 44.627 seconds to finish. The car, which had an additional almost 20 horsepower, had lost, by jsut shy of a second, to the RX-7 and only beaten the Celica by a fraction of a second in total. I wasn't impressed with the car on the course and wondered how it might do in the rest of its testing. I'm hoping a larger, more open, track will allow this car to shine a bit more. It's got silky smooth power and given a little more room to run, could be wuite a blast to drive. It's just to soft to be quick on this small track.
After another short break, it was on to my favorite car, and the last beiore lunch, the Supra. I'd enjoyed this car's sensation of power and matching aggressive look, especially when matched with the BBS supplied wheels. I had only one concern. The car had prove it was more powerful that it was sticky at the strip. How bad was this thing going to get in the corners? I had visions of great drifts in my head, but I needed to maintain traction to actually be fast. This was going to be a nightmare. And I was ready.
I moved the angry black car onto the track with some care before blasting the throttle to the floor and uncorking the car after the first corner. To my surprise, the car stayed in line the entire time. In fact, I took a wheel in the dirt or some e-brake to get the car loose enough to get it's ass out. It handled well and was the fastest car so far around the diminuitive track. I enjoyed my practice laps almost as much as I studied them. After 25 laps on the little track, I was ready to make my sprint. I headed to the pits and got fresh tires and a drink. It was warm today, and between keeping the air conditioning off and the windows up to extract maximum performance, I was soaking my fire suit as I drove. I was glad to be away on my final set of laps before a break for lunch.
As I fired up the car for the last time, I thought about taking these cars to Laguna. I still wasn't sure I was ready for that yet, if I'd ever be. Before I got nervous, I shook off the thought and got under way. I charged aroudn the track and got the tires warmed up as much as I could. I flew across the starting line and began my timed laps. As I leaned into the car, it maintained its composure and ran the track as well as expected. The first lap resulted in a new fast time for the day of 43.673 seconds. The car was right at its limits from what I could tell and it felt good there. It didn't seem to have any excessive understeer or oversteer, but I realized it did require just the slightest of early attack to actually put it where I wanted it in the corners. As I ended my second lap, another 43.638 seconds past. The car was staying consistant. More than I could really say for two of the three prior cars. It was lapping in similar fashion to the RX-7, but almost a full second faster. I ran out lap three with similar results and similar feel finishing with a 43.557 second fast lap of the day. I was pleased with the car and also please how the day was going. Despiste the variance in cars, the times were staying within a couple seconds of each other on the short course and that certianly impressed me.
As I tooled back into the pits and came to a stop, I could see the crew and Marcus stading together around a hot grill, prepairing to cool lunch. It was amusing to me to see a flaming barbecue grill in the pits of a race track, but whatever. I was hungy and hot and more than ready to relax for an hour or so. We all sat around and enjoyed our meal. It was beginning to feel like old times when Marcus and the old crew and I would sit around after a race, laughing and arguing about who had the better day. I really did need this time away from my shop. But less for the vacation and more for the reminder of what it was that made me happy. It felt right to be here, but what business does a 42 year old man have racing again? I'm not Paul Newman. I should just relax and run my shop and live to retirement. None the less, this all felt awefully good. It wasn't hard to walk away 22 years ago and having the responcibility of a business was still there today. I might not have a family, but I have things I should do. I say that, but it doesen't seem to matter. I want to get back into this full on, and I just might. If I really have my nerve back anyway.
Ater lunch, it was back to work and into the seat of the red Nissan 300ZX. This car is fast. It tops out just over 170 miles an hour and realyl doesen't waste too much time getting there. I don't need that kind of power now though. I have to hope the suspention is as well suited to corners as it was straightaways. As I motor out onto the track, I assume I'll find out one way or anther.
At first the car was aweful. I couldn't get it on a line around the corners. It wanted to go far wide and play in the grass and it took all I had to keep it off the walls a few times. Not so say it wasn't a close thing. This car was clearly meant for liesure and speed rather than true racing. It didn't feel like a race car. It didn't roll any more than the other cars. In fact, it was a bit stiffer, but it gave no feedback and little or no warning if it was going to track around a corner or simple head for the sand trap. I threw the car from corner to corner and it never smoothed out from exit to entry. It was a uncontrolable car in these quick, tight corners. I didn't like it much. I still managed to keep it faster than prior cars, or at least as fast as the Supra. It was a fast car, after all, but it was severly unrefined on the track. I beat on it for 20 laps and decided there was really no learnign this car here. I had to jsut drive it and expect it to do as it pleased. I returend to the pits to prepare.
After a shor conversation and a few mintutes of relaxing in the shade, I jumped back into the 300 and began my way around to start the 3 lap trial. As I hit the straight and applied full power to start my first lap, the car and I clicked. I fell into a groove in the track and the car responded. As I got half way in my first lap, I started taking advantage of the twist and lean in the car to get the rear swung around and relied on off-throttle oversteer in the second, fourth and fifth turns to replace the turn-in the car seemed to lack. The car simply require a totally different approach. I had been trying to hard to drive the car and wasn't letting it tell me what it needed. Once I gave the car partial control, I whipped across the starting line 3 times in rapic succession with the most enjyable 3 laps yet. The first lap was again the fastest of the day as I clicked off 43.211 seconds. The whole first lap had gone completely without incident. I was deffinantly in the zone now. Just like the time prior, this car threw me into the daylight and woke me up. I stuffed the car half sideways threw the first corner and pulled almost effortlessly through the rest. I still missed the feedback in the wheel, but I'd found some in feeling the cars ass end through the corners. I waited to feel weight shift and interior panels creak as the chassis flexed. The car certainly was talking to me and I was finally speaking its language. At the starting line, I again bested the day with a 42.399 second lap. I'd droped nearly a full second's time this lap. The was feeling good and I pushed harder. In the second corner torque got the best of grip for a split second and smoke poured from the rear wheels. I knew I'd just lost time and I pushed even harder to get it back. Though the last five corners, the car screamed and I dove it into the pavement. Tires squealed and metal kinked as the right front tire made contact with the fender lip. I had three turns to make yet and I hope the tire wasn't cut. I stabbed the car into the wind and ran though the gate after 42.600 seconds passed. I was back and there was no doubting me. I was finally starting to get my feet under me. Todays last car, and the onces in following days, were going to be a deciding factor. If things went as they had today. I couldn't stay away from racing for long. I skidded into the pits and flew out of the car.
"That was ****ign GREAT!"
"Yeah Carl, you pulled some good laps. Why the big change from pratice?" Marcus asked.
"I hit the groove man. It's like magic when I get there, and you know that."
"So are you back? At least in spirit?"
"Most certianly in spirit and quite possibly in body. Let's see how the next few days go. Oh, and get a new bumpstop for that right front tire. I think I wrinkled the fender a bit with the tire."
"I'd say you did," Marc fires back as he walks around the car, "This tire is flat. How'd you finish the lap?"
"Lucky. I cut it 3 turns from the end and I guess it just held out for me."
"Well, either way, good run. You certianly beat the hell out of this car. You know it's not meant for this stuff really."
"I could tell. It was a pig at first, but I just chagned my methods and the car drive itself."
"Yeah. Coming from you, that's frightening. But then again, I know what you're capable of. Go drive the Skyline and let's get the hell ot of here. It's 3:00 and I'm ready for a drink."
As I headed onto the track in the second Nissan for the last run today, I thought back on the laps with the 300. It was clear I was getting my voodoo back and I was ready to use it. I was instantly more comfortable in the cars. I was back to wearing them. The car became part of me and I could feel it's every movement. Under braking, under throttle, burried in a corner, nothing required thought. I just sat there and pure reflex guided the wheel. The Skyline darted around the track and felt like a dream. The car was balanced. It didn't seem to slip or slid without intent. Together, the car and I made quick work of the track and it didn't go unnoticed. I glanced to the pits and I passed and all eyes were on the car and myself as I slamed through the first turn and out of view. I was absolutely in love with this feeling. It was intoxicating. As I dipped the car in and out of corners, I got faster with pratice. It was like I was teaching the car the track, and slowly letting it take over. So, I had run 15 laps and the last seven or eight were a total blur. I barreled up into the pits and got fresh tires. I didn't even get out of the car. I just sat there in a state of meaningful bliss. They dropped the car off the jackes and I point the steers toards the track and ripped up the pavement.
As I exploded back on the track for my final three laps of the day, everything was crystal clear to me. I felt so much better than I had onle four days ago, sitting in my shop office, not realizing the phone was about to ring and offer me escape. Enough of taht though, it was time to drive as I ripped the the little back car down the straight and across the starting line.
The first lap came together like something from a movie. The car pratically drove itself around the track. It felt as though I barely had to move to guide the car through the corners. I took the car from curb to curb, seemingly removing the apex from every curve. The car tore across the tarmac as though it were moving in a straight line. I scooped out the final corner and nearly set the straighaway on fire as a made my lap in 41.685 seconds. There were no errors on that lap. The next two weren't quite so perfect. The car was certianly nto to blame. It felt wonderful to push the car though to corners and it seemed too effortless. A few minor slip aside, laps two and three fell in 42.146 second and 42.037 seconds respectively. I blew through all three laps in less than two minutes and six seconds. I ran the car back around to the pits and parked near the trailer, where the other five cars were already loaded.
"Excelent drive my friend!" shouted Marcus from the top of the transporter as he finished tieing down the last car, "You really lit it up out there. I'm betting you're in love with the Skyline by now."
"You bet your ass. That thing was unbelieveable out there."
"You weren't bad yourself. If anything, you've improved since the old days."
"Maybe so. It certianly feels good being out there again."
"Glad to hear it Carl. Now, let's get the hell outta here and back to the office and go have that drink I've been waiting for all day."
"Sounds like a plan. What's next?"
"Tomorrow we'll head up to Washinton state and run the mountain."
"I love the mountain. It's been a while since I've even seen the place."
"Yeah. Nothing's changed. It's still a bit*h up there."
"I can't wait!"
Thus ends Part 2. Still fun? I hope so. I'll see if I have Part 3 in me before I go to sleep. Later...
Part 2
A couple days rest has me ready to go again. Between calls to my shop to check up and actually getting some decent sleep, I've been dreading Laguna Seca and loving these little cars. I'm also spending plenty of time talking with Marcus and telling the stores he begs me to tell the guys on the crew helping us. He seems to think I was the crazy one, opening the door for story after story and making these young guys stare in disbelief. I always thought HE was the loony one, but I'll let him have his fun for a while.
"Tell these guys about that time you took the track car out for a night on the town at Laguna."
"Jesus Marc. That was 1985. You'll never let me lie this down."
"Shut up. That was your crowning achievement. Now tell them."
"Fine! So, it's like, mid June and like, 85 degrees. I guess it was about 8:30 in the evening and we'd done just a BIT of drinking. Captain **** head here convinces me that I should take the race car out of the trailer and whip around the parking lot at this big bar. We're talking about a '63 Z06 race car. It had something like 600 horsepower and over 20 year old technology. So we rolled the heap out of the trailer and I fired it up. That thing came to life with a roar so loud, half the bar was in the parking lot befoe I had it warmed up."
"Wait. Isn't that the car you took into the wall at Laguna," asked Roger, a twenty-something mechanic that looked like a member of ZZ Top.
"Yeah. That was 2 years later. Anyway, I got that thing go and hot and just jumped it's **** right then and there. I was making circles around the lot covering cars in rubber and dust and just ripping the hell out of this car. IT just happened to be my like that a Monterey county sherrif's officer came along and saw me acting like a fool. In my INFINITE wisdom, I ducked out fo the lot and started ripping down the street, running from the cop. I had that antient heap of **** turing 110 down city streets. So I kept running east and switching from street to street. The sherrif was giving a good chase, but falling back. So I took advantage and dashed for an entrance to the 101. I got up on that interstate in Saturday night traffic and start slipping through gaps and ripping down the shoulder. I must have covered 20 miles in something like 12 minutes. I got all the wat to 68, so I doubled back and came down along the coast. I snunk into a gas station and called the bar. I got them to get Marcus on teh phone and I had him bring the trailer up and meet me. It took him almost an hour to get there, but he showed up and we tucked teh car into the trailer and made way back to the fort. I never did get caught, but the owner of the team got a letter requesting that he not bring whoever was driving abck into the county if he couldn't control them. He was a good old boy, so he just laughed it off and we went on with life."
"Marcus was right. You ARE nuts." remarked Roger, once again.
"You think so? I guess he's never mentioned HIS exploits."
"You shut the hell up. It's time to get on the road anyway." Marc shouted.
"Yeah yeah. I'll tell them sometime."
We loaded up in the trucks and headed north a ways. After about an hours drive, past San Francisco, we extited the highway and made our way east. After another 20 minutes, we pulled down a narrow graveled road and passed a sign reading:
"Autum Ring Team Entrance ONLY"
"I haven't been here in ages. They change it much?" I asked.
"Not really. Other than adding a little extra track to make a short version about 15 years ago."
"What are we running today?"
"The short verion. They call it Autum Ring Mini. Though lovingly so."
"Cute. Got a map?"
"We'll pick one up."
After the typical check-in routine and a short drive to the pit area, the cars were once again unloaded onto the solid earth. I looked over a track map and discovered that the short version basically eliminated anything in the way of a long straightaway and basically left nine turns and a few feet of straight track between them. It was deffinantly mini. But I could see why Marc chose this track. I would certainly give less advantage to the cars with brute muscle and reward the cars with the most controlable power. I knew today would be fun.
I was running the cars in the same order again today. So I'd start with the Celica, the drive the RX-7, Galant, Supra, 300 and finally, the Skyline. I figured that was best anyway. I could take my take and get used to each car with out reaching to far to fast and having trouble or running poor laps. The track was easy enough, but by going up with horsepower, I could formulate how much touble the bigger horse cars would have.
I got suited up and climbed into the little red Celica. The car was already warmed up and had been checked over to make sure everything was as it should be. Once I got the seat in the right spot, I took off out of the pits and made my way arounf some 32 pratice laps in the little car.
As I learned the car in the first few laps, I became intimate with its handleing charicteristics and flaws, which it really had few of. The car was reasonably tight and held the track well. With only moderate body roll, the suspention guided the 1350kg car around the track. It was here I really felt the 4wd layout was a deficit and a blessing. The car never got loose, even under full throttle. It would every so slightly slide toward the outside of a hard turn, but remained totaly predictable. It was a pleasure to drive on the little track. As I learned it, I learned the track and before lap 20, I was pretty much in the groove. I'd taken the car as hard as I felt I could and pretty much reached a stalemate in the 44.x second area. I was satisfied the car had no more in it and I came back to the pits to coll the car and put on fresh tires.
With two transporters, we had all the tools we could need. With tire a tire machine, wheel balancer, various presses and worktables in the enclosed trailer, we could have run a shop anywhere we could plug in. The cars rode on a 6 car open carrier behind a pickup truck with a 5th wheel and the enclosed trailer was gooseneck. The three-quarter ton Ford trucks drug the cars around with the same ease as one would haul around a heavy backpack.
Before long, we were ready to make the 3 lap run for time and I got back into the little red car. I pulled out onto the track and made my way back to the start, warming up the fresh rubber. As I flew across the starting line, the timer was started and ran the car as well as I could on the cool rubber. My first lap was acceptable as I made the circle in 45.794 seconds. I pushed hard into my second lap and manged a 44.684. That was better and on par with my pratice laps. I then headed off into my third and final hot lap in the Celica. I came apart a bit and only manages a 45.125 second lap, but I felt like more of inconsistency was in the tires than myself and made my way around to the pits and a liesurely pace.
"Good laps. I hoped you get a pair of 44 and change laps in there."
"I tried, but I think the tires just wouldn't heat up enough, soft as they are."
"Probably so. You look really good out there. Keep it up and we'l have a good day."
"I plan to."
After that, I had a few drinks of water and cooled off as the RX-7 warmed its little rotary engine to operating temperature. I sat down into the car and got on my way for some more pratice to get to know the car's handleing around the snug little track. The car was just a bit sloppier around the corners than the Celica and I was certain that had everythign do with the car's being rear wheel drive rather than all wheel drive. The car cornered well and exibited little to no understeer. IT did walk a fine line between oversteer on the throttle, but rarely needed correction. You could simply factor the swing of the rear end into your approach and use it to keep the car's mementum more even. I did, however, feel like the car exibited a random tendency to oversteer OFF the throttle. It felt good, and was rather uncommon, but showed up and the wrong times, such as trying to scrub off a little speed through a corner by coasting. The rear of the car would start to loose grip as the weight transfered to the front again and you would begin to fell just a bit mroe oversteer than you expected. I figured this little condition was only costing a few hundreths of a second, but in this compairison, that would matter.
I poloted teh car for about 25 laps and felt like I'd found all the car's little quirks. I was ready for clean rubber and a cold drink. With learning the track out of the way, this pratice run, and each after it, was much shorter. I figured with six cars in all and the time to get everything setup between runs, I was in for a solid 8 hour day of driving.
With the car again ready for the track, I blew out onto the track and started my trip back to the line for my timed laps. I knew the car was faster than the Celica at this point. I guess the all-wheel drive was taking just a bit mroe power from the wheels than the tight feeling and efficiently geared RX-7's geabox and rear-drive layout. I pushed the car aound the track and crossed the starting line about about 78 miles an hour. I stuffed the car around the track and pulled off a 44.296 second first lap. I continued around and battled the car to the bottom of the first turn. I gutted the apex out of each following turn, chaining the last five turns into a single, smooth motion. I got a 44.112 second lap in return. The car had little or no more to give. I hoped for a 43.x second lap in my third trip, but lost a fraction of time, resulting in a 44.485 second final lap. The car still came out right at a full second faster on average. I was still pleased with my day so far. So was Marc and the crew.
I got back to the pits, relaxed and waited on the Galant to be ready to go again. This one should be interesting. I had found a new respect for the car after the first time I drove it. I looked like it was reasonably quick and proved to be worth its appearance. I was ready to rip the all-wheel drive sedan around the tiny track, and it was finally warm and ready for my abuse.
As I ran teh car around teh track, it was instantly clear this car was not at home in the close, tight corners of this small course. The car was slow to react, had significant and detrmental body roll and understeered though most corners when driven at much speed. The car felt like a brick on the track and couldn't be trusted to make the same lap time after time. Hell, for that matter, it was lucky to come though a corner the same twice in a row. The car was inconsistent at best. Even after 20 laps, the car was all over and showed no signs of improvement. I went back to the pits for tires and prepaired myself for what would probably be my worst looking run of the day.
Once the car was reshoed and ready to skate around the track, I was back under way and made my starting lap. I came out of the final corner before the start halfway into the grass and the rest followed suit. In the first full speed lap, it became clear the car was just to softly supported and was running out of suspention travel, especially under braking in the corners. I assume you could slip some stiffer spring and sway bars under the car and have a great time, but that wasn't the point of this compairison. I clicked off a 45.544 first lap. The second lap was uneventuful and ended after 45.144 second. Lap three was better. The car has found some magic grip entering the straight at the end of the second lap and had given me a bit better top speed into the first corner. It was through here I picked up some time and managed to keep it through the rest of the lap, which went as the others had. Lap three took 44.627 seconds to finish. The car, which had an additional almost 20 horsepower, had lost, by jsut shy of a second, to the RX-7 and only beaten the Celica by a fraction of a second in total. I wasn't impressed with the car on the course and wondered how it might do in the rest of its testing. I'm hoping a larger, more open, track will allow this car to shine a bit more. It's got silky smooth power and given a little more room to run, could be wuite a blast to drive. It's just to soft to be quick on this small track.
After another short break, it was on to my favorite car, and the last beiore lunch, the Supra. I'd enjoyed this car's sensation of power and matching aggressive look, especially when matched with the BBS supplied wheels. I had only one concern. The car had prove it was more powerful that it was sticky at the strip. How bad was this thing going to get in the corners? I had visions of great drifts in my head, but I needed to maintain traction to actually be fast. This was going to be a nightmare. And I was ready.
I moved the angry black car onto the track with some care before blasting the throttle to the floor and uncorking the car after the first corner. To my surprise, the car stayed in line the entire time. In fact, I took a wheel in the dirt or some e-brake to get the car loose enough to get it's ass out. It handled well and was the fastest car so far around the diminuitive track. I enjoyed my practice laps almost as much as I studied them. After 25 laps on the little track, I was ready to make my sprint. I headed to the pits and got fresh tires and a drink. It was warm today, and between keeping the air conditioning off and the windows up to extract maximum performance, I was soaking my fire suit as I drove. I was glad to be away on my final set of laps before a break for lunch.
As I fired up the car for the last time, I thought about taking these cars to Laguna. I still wasn't sure I was ready for that yet, if I'd ever be. Before I got nervous, I shook off the thought and got under way. I charged aroudn the track and got the tires warmed up as much as I could. I flew across the starting line and began my timed laps. As I leaned into the car, it maintained its composure and ran the track as well as expected. The first lap resulted in a new fast time for the day of 43.673 seconds. The car was right at its limits from what I could tell and it felt good there. It didn't seem to have any excessive understeer or oversteer, but I realized it did require just the slightest of early attack to actually put it where I wanted it in the corners. As I ended my second lap, another 43.638 seconds past. The car was staying consistant. More than I could really say for two of the three prior cars. It was lapping in similar fashion to the RX-7, but almost a full second faster. I ran out lap three with similar results and similar feel finishing with a 43.557 second fast lap of the day. I was pleased with the car and also please how the day was going. Despiste the variance in cars, the times were staying within a couple seconds of each other on the short course and that certianly impressed me.
As I tooled back into the pits and came to a stop, I could see the crew and Marcus stading together around a hot grill, prepairing to cool lunch. It was amusing to me to see a flaming barbecue grill in the pits of a race track, but whatever. I was hungy and hot and more than ready to relax for an hour or so. We all sat around and enjoyed our meal. It was beginning to feel like old times when Marcus and the old crew and I would sit around after a race, laughing and arguing about who had the better day. I really did need this time away from my shop. But less for the vacation and more for the reminder of what it was that made me happy. It felt right to be here, but what business does a 42 year old man have racing again? I'm not Paul Newman. I should just relax and run my shop and live to retirement. None the less, this all felt awefully good. It wasn't hard to walk away 22 years ago and having the responcibility of a business was still there today. I might not have a family, but I have things I should do. I say that, but it doesen't seem to matter. I want to get back into this full on, and I just might. If I really have my nerve back anyway.
Ater lunch, it was back to work and into the seat of the red Nissan 300ZX. This car is fast. It tops out just over 170 miles an hour and realyl doesen't waste too much time getting there. I don't need that kind of power now though. I have to hope the suspention is as well suited to corners as it was straightaways. As I motor out onto the track, I assume I'll find out one way or anther.
At first the car was aweful. I couldn't get it on a line around the corners. It wanted to go far wide and play in the grass and it took all I had to keep it off the walls a few times. Not so say it wasn't a close thing. This car was clearly meant for liesure and speed rather than true racing. It didn't feel like a race car. It didn't roll any more than the other cars. In fact, it was a bit stiffer, but it gave no feedback and little or no warning if it was going to track around a corner or simple head for the sand trap. I threw the car from corner to corner and it never smoothed out from exit to entry. It was a uncontrolable car in these quick, tight corners. I didn't like it much. I still managed to keep it faster than prior cars, or at least as fast as the Supra. It was a fast car, after all, but it was severly unrefined on the track. I beat on it for 20 laps and decided there was really no learnign this car here. I had to jsut drive it and expect it to do as it pleased. I returend to the pits to prepare.
After a shor conversation and a few mintutes of relaxing in the shade, I jumped back into the 300 and began my way around to start the 3 lap trial. As I hit the straight and applied full power to start my first lap, the car and I clicked. I fell into a groove in the track and the car responded. As I got half way in my first lap, I started taking advantage of the twist and lean in the car to get the rear swung around and relied on off-throttle oversteer in the second, fourth and fifth turns to replace the turn-in the car seemed to lack. The car simply require a totally different approach. I had been trying to hard to drive the car and wasn't letting it tell me what it needed. Once I gave the car partial control, I whipped across the starting line 3 times in rapic succession with the most enjyable 3 laps yet. The first lap was again the fastest of the day as I clicked off 43.211 seconds. The whole first lap had gone completely without incident. I was deffinantly in the zone now. Just like the time prior, this car threw me into the daylight and woke me up. I stuffed the car half sideways threw the first corner and pulled almost effortlessly through the rest. I still missed the feedback in the wheel, but I'd found some in feeling the cars ass end through the corners. I waited to feel weight shift and interior panels creak as the chassis flexed. The car certainly was talking to me and I was finally speaking its language. At the starting line, I again bested the day with a 42.399 second lap. I'd droped nearly a full second's time this lap. The was feeling good and I pushed harder. In the second corner torque got the best of grip for a split second and smoke poured from the rear wheels. I knew I'd just lost time and I pushed even harder to get it back. Though the last five corners, the car screamed and I dove it into the pavement. Tires squealed and metal kinked as the right front tire made contact with the fender lip. I had three turns to make yet and I hope the tire wasn't cut. I stabbed the car into the wind and ran though the gate after 42.600 seconds passed. I was back and there was no doubting me. I was finally starting to get my feet under me. Todays last car, and the onces in following days, were going to be a deciding factor. If things went as they had today. I couldn't stay away from racing for long. I skidded into the pits and flew out of the car.
"That was ****ign GREAT!"
"Yeah Carl, you pulled some good laps. Why the big change from pratice?" Marcus asked.
"I hit the groove man. It's like magic when I get there, and you know that."
"So are you back? At least in spirit?"
"Most certianly in spirit and quite possibly in body. Let's see how the next few days go. Oh, and get a new bumpstop for that right front tire. I think I wrinkled the fender a bit with the tire."
"I'd say you did," Marc fires back as he walks around the car, "This tire is flat. How'd you finish the lap?"
"Lucky. I cut it 3 turns from the end and I guess it just held out for me."
"Well, either way, good run. You certianly beat the hell out of this car. You know it's not meant for this stuff really."
"I could tell. It was a pig at first, but I just chagned my methods and the car drive itself."
"Yeah. Coming from you, that's frightening. But then again, I know what you're capable of. Go drive the Skyline and let's get the hell ot of here. It's 3:00 and I'm ready for a drink."
As I headed onto the track in the second Nissan for the last run today, I thought back on the laps with the 300. It was clear I was getting my voodoo back and I was ready to use it. I was instantly more comfortable in the cars. I was back to wearing them. The car became part of me and I could feel it's every movement. Under braking, under throttle, burried in a corner, nothing required thought. I just sat there and pure reflex guided the wheel. The Skyline darted around the track and felt like a dream. The car was balanced. It didn't seem to slip or slid without intent. Together, the car and I made quick work of the track and it didn't go unnoticed. I glanced to the pits and I passed and all eyes were on the car and myself as I slamed through the first turn and out of view. I was absolutely in love with this feeling. It was intoxicating. As I dipped the car in and out of corners, I got faster with pratice. It was like I was teaching the car the track, and slowly letting it take over. So, I had run 15 laps and the last seven or eight were a total blur. I barreled up into the pits and got fresh tires. I didn't even get out of the car. I just sat there in a state of meaningful bliss. They dropped the car off the jackes and I point the steers toards the track and ripped up the pavement.
As I exploded back on the track for my final three laps of the day, everything was crystal clear to me. I felt so much better than I had onle four days ago, sitting in my shop office, not realizing the phone was about to ring and offer me escape. Enough of taht though, it was time to drive as I ripped the the little back car down the straight and across the starting line.
The first lap came together like something from a movie. The car pratically drove itself around the track. It felt as though I barely had to move to guide the car through the corners. I took the car from curb to curb, seemingly removing the apex from every curve. The car tore across the tarmac as though it were moving in a straight line. I scooped out the final corner and nearly set the straighaway on fire as a made my lap in 41.685 seconds. There were no errors on that lap. The next two weren't quite so perfect. The car was certianly nto to blame. It felt wonderful to push the car though to corners and it seemed too effortless. A few minor slip aside, laps two and three fell in 42.146 second and 42.037 seconds respectively. I blew through all three laps in less than two minutes and six seconds. I ran the car back around to the pits and parked near the trailer, where the other five cars were already loaded.
"Excelent drive my friend!" shouted Marcus from the top of the transporter as he finished tieing down the last car, "You really lit it up out there. I'm betting you're in love with the Skyline by now."
"You bet your ass. That thing was unbelieveable out there."
"You weren't bad yourself. If anything, you've improved since the old days."
"Maybe so. It certianly feels good being out there again."
"Glad to hear it Carl. Now, let's get the hell outta here and back to the office and go have that drink I've been waiting for all day."
"Sounds like a plan. What's next?"
"Tomorrow we'll head up to Washinton state and run the mountain."
"I love the mountain. It's been a while since I've even seen the place."
"Yeah. Nothing's changed. It's still a bit*h up there."
"I can't wait!"
Thus ends Part 2. Still fun? I hope so. I'll see if I have Part 3 in me before I go to sleep. Later...