- 17
It's time again for me to make a post, so here's the third installment. Get your reading glasses ready!
Part 3
Marcus and I took a couple days, along with the crew, to go through the cars and make some repairs. The most common repairs being replacement of suspention stops and bent sway-bar end links. We also managed to masage the kink from the fender in the 300ZX. With oil changes and spark plugs for all car handled, we reloaded them onto the transporter and made our way north to Washington state. It's a few hour drive and I slept most of the way. Once we arrived, we found our hotel and a steakhouse with a bar to spend the evening relaxing. We were in Walla Walla, Washington and about 45 minutes from the track, Trial Mountain, or the mountain as it's called by the majority of teams. The track is quite a nice drive, but the scenery is rather deadly. 80% of the track is bounded on at least one side by the same stone it's cut into. The elevation isn't too friendly to the cars either. I've run the track a few dozen times in my carrear and I know it rather well. I've always enjoyed driving there and managed to put my fair share of marks on the walls the line it. Once, I even caught a sharp edge from a earlier crash and put a four inch wide gash into the passenger's side of a '81 Camaro. None the less, I hope to ahve fun in the next day.
After a good nights sleep and a good breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the track. We arrived at the gate about 20 minutes before 10:00am and got signed in. After making way to the pits, the cars were unloaded and I got dressed. I did a few stretches and got prepaired to rum my laps. Once everything was prepaired, I got into the Celica, as always, and started my pratice laps.
I ran the car around the rather long track uneventfully and I found the car relativly pleasent, though a challenge to drive fast. I made 12 laps and decided I had refreshed myself enough. The car was pleasently fast anddid rather well in my opinion. The only real challenging area was the final turn ebfore the tunnel entrance where, if going just a bit to fast, the car would drop two tires into the grass and the rear would slide out. I entered the tunnel turn in a drift more than once, but it didn't cost me much time on the track all in all. After 5 laps, I'd worked the first few curves into a smooth motion and knew right where to be.
With fresh tires and a bottle of water taken care of, I got back in the car and headed around to start my recorded laps. The first lap went well and was fast for cold tires. I made the loop in 1:49.315 seconds and stormed off, into my second lap. I made the first series of sweepers easily and came into the tunnel. I went in a bit hot and the tires broke grip just before the exit. The skidded up to the wall before glanceing off the first rock outcropping and sending my diagonally across the track and into the adjacent wall at about 30 miles an hour. After shaking it off, I knew I was fine. By the steam from the radiator and the sound of the engine drive belt grinding against it, I knew the car was done. I reached for my radio and called for Marcus to send the truck with the Sneaker Lift to come for me. I could tell by his tone he was less than pleased so I reminded him not to worry, I'll just pay him for the car later and we'll get on with the testing.
I made my ride back to the pits in the truck and I poked around for bruses. I got back in a couple minutes and I could tell Marcus had calmed down.
"You alright?" his tone much more concerned the before.
"Yeah, I'm good enough."
"Hurt anywhere?"
"My thighs ar sore where the lap part of the belt caught me and I either jammed or broke my finger on the radio when it slipped off the gear shift."
"Well which is it, jammed or broke?"
"I'm gonna go with jammed until further notice."
"Is the track messey?"
"No, we threw down absorber and swept and chunks of wall to the apron."
"Can you drive around the pile?"
"Yeah, it's well outside my line."
"Alright, good deal. Take a few if you need to and we'll get back to it."
"I'm good, let's getit done so we can get back and try and fix that thing."
"How bad do you think it is?"
"Bad, radiator, core-support, fenders, hood, bumper, bumper supports, inner fender on the driver's side and probably some **** on the front of the engine go shoved sideways. Probably need a new oil cooler or lines too."
"Great. That's just dandy. I doubt we'll find any parts before a month passes."
"Yeah, sorry. I'll go drive, at least that way I'll have a head start if you come after me."
"**** it. Accident's happen. Go have a good pratice run."
With that, I was back on the track in the RX-7. I headed out and started my pratice laps. Immediately I noticed the car could be manipulated even more here using its off throttle oversteer. The car was quick through the first few curves and somfortable through the first tunnel. The four corners before the long tunnel were easy enough and the long left after the tunnel was difficult, but more than possible. I ran the car for 15 laps and surrendered. I came back to the pits and got ready for my final three laps in the RX-7.
Once the car was ready, I returned to the track and start wipping my way around. I ran all three laps without major event. The car was a little slower than some of my pratice laps, but marginally so, do to cold tires. my first lap was done in 1:48.062. My second lap was exactly half a second slower at 1:48.562 thanks to a less than ideal turn out of the long left after the back straight. My final lap was done in 1:48.702 and, though it looked fine, had a few points where I over-braked the car and lost time. THe car stayed in line and did pretty well, but I think I slacked off a bit.
I relaxed and got ready to drive the Galant VR-4 around the track next. I didn't really want to as the car was less than snug on Autum Ring Mini and I didn't think it would do any better here. After completeing 8 laps, the car was faster than the RX-7 and I was rather impressed. I can only guess that the larger track and longer corners allowed me to make better use of the cars bad habbits when I could. This car also exibits under steer when off-throttle if you recall and on the mountain, some of the corners allowed for this to be a great advantage on entry. By coming in wide and letting the car cost, the car would turn in quicker and I could get to full throttle faster. This allowed for exit speeds into the long tunnel of nearly 80 miles per hour.
Once I was happy with my pratice laps, I came in to prepare for the real thing. About 10 minutes later, I was back in the car and heaind around the track. As with my pratice laps, the car was faster. My first lap wasn't entirely clean, as I went wide into the grass before the first tunnel, but I managed a 1:46.078 time. My second lap was clean, but I lost some time in the first right-hander after the first tunnel and couldn't get setup as well on the next two turns. I lost a little over a half second and took 1:46.624 to make the loop. The third lap was also clean, but I spent more time skidding around than in the prior laps and added over a full second for a 1:47.984 lap. To some degree, the time differences were my own fault and some could be attributed to the somewhat difficult and inconsistent nature of the car's handling. I was still pleased in the little sedan's showing on this track ad it proved that, given room to run, the car could do much better. Also, the tall and complaint suspention did well to stabilize the car on some of the areas where I had to use the curbs. All in all, this car would probably be best suited to a set of dirt tires and a rally course. I motored back to the pits and we took a break for lunch.
Lunch was chatty as usual. We got lucky and there was a pizza stand a few miles from the course. We passed it on the way to the track and saw they'd be open during the day. I assume race day is the only thing that keeps them alive, but there must be some daily customers that make being open worth while. During lunch, we all talked a bit and I asked about the Celica's condition.
"Terminal I'm afraid." responded Roger, the young crew member, now missing his beard, "The radiator core support is destroyed, the left frame member is back and right of home and the alternator got shoved into the cam gear which broke the nose off the cam."
"And I assume the cam journal in the head is scared up too." I replied.
"Yeah, it's cracked and the retaining cap bolt is busted off flush. It'll need at least a new head an cam to even run and after that, it'll probably never align right again."
"I used to do body work, I'll take a look at it in the shop where we can strip the nsoe off of it, and see if I can masage the sub-frame back."
"Good luck."
After some small talk, we got back to work and I got into the Supra. This car has been fun, even if it wasn't the fastest, and I was eager to drive it here. I started pratice and was pleased with how well the car stuck in place. It showed a bit more understeer this time around, but still was quick through corners. I ran 11 laps and quit so I could get started on what should be a good set of recorded laps. With tires and a short trip to the bathroom, I returned to the track and went for the best lap I could.
I rolled through my first lap with no apparent errors. The car felt good and it was in a groove. I was able to settle into the line with the SUpra and run it like it was on rails. Y first lap passed in 1:44.487. The second lap was even better. I picked up some extra speed though the chicane beofre the straight and manages to grap a few tenths. I final time for lap two came to 1:44.090. Lap there was clean and solid until the final corner on the chicane entering the straight. I clipped just a bit too much of the inner curn and with the car's less compliant suspention to blame in part, I skided the width of the car away from my line. I the end, it was still a fast lap giving away just a handful of time. MY final lap resulted in a 1:44.673. The car drove well and shoed its abilities. I was really getting interestedin seeing what the 300ZX could do on this track since it's handling was certainly more suitable to a larger track. I pulled into the pits and the 300 was ready and waiting. I drank some water to help stay cool and went right back to work.
The 300ZX was a blast to drive and it was able to extract a greater benifit from its power on this track. The extra horsepower and torque allowed the 300 to carry even its full weight up hill while accelerating in every gear. The suspention was very consistent through the corners and I was able to maintaint a rather smooth line. MY first lap out, I drifted the car through the right-hander after the first tunnel. The car was fun loose and still rather quick. However, by cleaning up the lines and keeping the tires in more intimate contact, I was able to shave another second off the loop.
I came in for rubber and remained in the car while I waited. I wanted to just lay bak in the set and relax for a few minutes. Once the car was ready, I got bac into position and back to work. The first recorded lap was Slow for my liking. It was difficult keeping the car fast in the first few curves without it getting loopy, so I tried to be gentle with it. Lap one was over after 1:43.386. Lap two was also less than I'd hoped for. The long right after the tunel and hill was a comedy of errors. With too much speed into the corner, I ended up nearly knocking a mirror off on the rocks that line the track and lost another tenth for a 1:43.486 trip. Rather than getting hot about my poor driving, I shook it off and tried to clear my head as I finished lap two and started lap 3. I was able to keep my speed up until the first tunnel and I came through the next section clean. I erased the corner after the lone tunnel and drew a straight line through it. I shiot through the chicane at the entry to the straight and corrsed the line at the 1:41.315 mark. This lap pleased me and I felt far better as I made my way back to the pits to drive the last car of the day.
Marcus wandered over as I exited the 300ZX.
"Quite a change on that last lap there, bud."
"Yeah, I wasn't getting into like I should have been at first."
"Is the car that inconsistent?"
"No. The tires werent helping, but mostly I just wasn't setting up right for the cornes."
"Well, good laps, none the less."
"Yeah. Let's get the over with, I'm beat. And I starting to get sore from my little mishap this morning."
"Alright. Go drive."
The car was fast and tight. It quickly proved to me it was capable of 1:3x.xxx laps if I was able to get it there. I was deffinantly comfortable in the car. It was difficult to get the car loose on the pavement and only occationally did it slide out of line. Typically, the car maintained enough grip to allow for corrections to poor setup as I drove through the corner with very minimal loss of time. The also felt like it was gear perfectly for this very track. It seemed as though the car was right in the power band on almost ever corner exit and it was able to pull hard and smooth to redline. After beating on the car for 10 laps, I returned to the pit and got ready for my recorded laps to begin.
With the car and myself ready to go, I made my way around to the starting line. My first lap was good, and bordered on great. The car was runng great even on cold tires and I stuffed it as ahrd as I could in the corners. Keeping a steady line through the first three curves in the track made for a great start but it was all foiled by a bad exit on the left-hander before the final chicane. The first lap took 1:40.175. The second lap sufered from a lower speed across the starting line, thanks to the less than perfect run for entry speeds from lap one. I drove the car ahrder to make up and it got a bit loose in a corner. I braked to save the car and lost a few more fractions. The rest of the lap went well and I manages to cross the starting line at 122 miles per hour and set myself up for lap three. Lap two had a recorded time of 1:40.919. With all my advantages gatherd up and the planets aligned, I started lap three on pace to set the fasted lap of the day. I made the first 3 curves cleanly and as clsoe to perfect as one coudl expect. The the frist tunnel and following 3 quck turns fell in rapid fire soccesion and each was as well executed as I could manage. I threw the car from the far left of the track to thefar right of the track, braked and kicked the car into some off throttle understeer to get the turn-in I needed for the entry to the long tunnel. I held the turn out well longer than normal. By holding the curve long and kicking the all-wheel drive car sideways a bit on entry, I took advantage of physics and the car's grip to make that corver run out like a straigh line. I counted 8 lights before I straightened the wheel and settleed into the line at 90 miles an hour. I climebed the hill and dropped onto the big left-hander at the bottom. Coming from the top of the track to the bottom, I clipped the apex around 67 miles an hour and throttled out to the far right again before slipping left to setup for the chicane before the last hard right on the track. By comeing from the absolute left, I could set the car up to exit the first curve of the chicane on a straight path to the hard right allowing stable, straight-line braking and the solid line therough the turns apex. I exited the right-hander and nearly clipped the rock wall before riding out onto the curb with the left two wheels. I throttled down the small hill and jumped to the oposite side curbing to make entry to the left-hander. From curb to curb and abck out on the other side, I used every legal inch of track to make my turn and ran out onto the widened section of pavement at the far end of the corner. I shot the car down the short straight and hugged the outside wall as close as I could to get the line on the last chicane. From the outsdie, I dove down and used the entire wide apron as a lane before cutting back and running up the curb on the inside of the chicane exit. I entered the straightway almost, if not, on two wheels and narroly missed the pit wall before crossing the starting line. My hear stoped until I herd the time. I'd made the lap in 1:39.500. In my final lap in the final car, I'd extracted every last drop of performance and time. I don't think a faster lap exsisted in the car. At least, not in my hands, and probably not in the hands of most mortals. High on my success, I loafed the car around and caosted into the pits.
"Excelent! Just ****ing excelent! I've never seen you run better than that!" screamed Marcus as he nearly jerked me from the car.
"Yeah, it was on edge the whole way. I don't think I could pick up another tenth of a second. Maybe a couple hundredths on the first few curves, but that's it."
"You did great. I didn't even think that car was that fast."
"Well, Skylines are susposed to be the cat's ass. I guess this one is at least. I can't imagine a newer one with the better technology and improved power."
"Yeah, would be a fun race. Let's go get some drinks and relax, you've earned it out there."
"Yeah, but I'm buying this time. I DID nearly, if not, total the Celica after all."
"**** that. I'm still buying. You can fix the car to repay me. Let's get drunk."
"Let's do JUST that!."
Part 3 ends. Sorry I'm off pace. Been busy and tired. I also had another post readt to go, sort of a behind the sceens with specs for the cars and pictures, but like a dick, I closed the wrong tab and erased 45 minutes work. I managed not to commit homicide, but it was a close thing. I'll try to get part 4 up tonight and follow it with a final run-down of all the car's lap times and picture, both still and action. I wish I could do video too, but I'm too broke for the toys to do that right now. Have fun, and I hope you enjoyed this installment of Late '80s Fun.
Part 3
Marcus and I took a couple days, along with the crew, to go through the cars and make some repairs. The most common repairs being replacement of suspention stops and bent sway-bar end links. We also managed to masage the kink from the fender in the 300ZX. With oil changes and spark plugs for all car handled, we reloaded them onto the transporter and made our way north to Washington state. It's a few hour drive and I slept most of the way. Once we arrived, we found our hotel and a steakhouse with a bar to spend the evening relaxing. We were in Walla Walla, Washington and about 45 minutes from the track, Trial Mountain, or the mountain as it's called by the majority of teams. The track is quite a nice drive, but the scenery is rather deadly. 80% of the track is bounded on at least one side by the same stone it's cut into. The elevation isn't too friendly to the cars either. I've run the track a few dozen times in my carrear and I know it rather well. I've always enjoyed driving there and managed to put my fair share of marks on the walls the line it. Once, I even caught a sharp edge from a earlier crash and put a four inch wide gash into the passenger's side of a '81 Camaro. None the less, I hope to ahve fun in the next day.
After a good nights sleep and a good breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the track. We arrived at the gate about 20 minutes before 10:00am and got signed in. After making way to the pits, the cars were unloaded and I got dressed. I did a few stretches and got prepaired to rum my laps. Once everything was prepaired, I got into the Celica, as always, and started my pratice laps.
I ran the car around the rather long track uneventfully and I found the car relativly pleasent, though a challenge to drive fast. I made 12 laps and decided I had refreshed myself enough. The car was pleasently fast anddid rather well in my opinion. The only real challenging area was the final turn ebfore the tunnel entrance where, if going just a bit to fast, the car would drop two tires into the grass and the rear would slide out. I entered the tunnel turn in a drift more than once, but it didn't cost me much time on the track all in all. After 5 laps, I'd worked the first few curves into a smooth motion and knew right where to be.
With fresh tires and a bottle of water taken care of, I got back in the car and headed around to start my recorded laps. The first lap went well and was fast for cold tires. I made the loop in 1:49.315 seconds and stormed off, into my second lap. I made the first series of sweepers easily and came into the tunnel. I went in a bit hot and the tires broke grip just before the exit. The skidded up to the wall before glanceing off the first rock outcropping and sending my diagonally across the track and into the adjacent wall at about 30 miles an hour. After shaking it off, I knew I was fine. By the steam from the radiator and the sound of the engine drive belt grinding against it, I knew the car was done. I reached for my radio and called for Marcus to send the truck with the Sneaker Lift to come for me. I could tell by his tone he was less than pleased so I reminded him not to worry, I'll just pay him for the car later and we'll get on with the testing.
I made my ride back to the pits in the truck and I poked around for bruses. I got back in a couple minutes and I could tell Marcus had calmed down.
"You alright?" his tone much more concerned the before.
"Yeah, I'm good enough."
"Hurt anywhere?"
"My thighs ar sore where the lap part of the belt caught me and I either jammed or broke my finger on the radio when it slipped off the gear shift."
"Well which is it, jammed or broke?"
"I'm gonna go with jammed until further notice."
"Is the track messey?"
"No, we threw down absorber and swept and chunks of wall to the apron."
"Can you drive around the pile?"
"Yeah, it's well outside my line."
"Alright, good deal. Take a few if you need to and we'll get back to it."
"I'm good, let's getit done so we can get back and try and fix that thing."
"How bad do you think it is?"
"Bad, radiator, core-support, fenders, hood, bumper, bumper supports, inner fender on the driver's side and probably some **** on the front of the engine go shoved sideways. Probably need a new oil cooler or lines too."
"Great. That's just dandy. I doubt we'll find any parts before a month passes."
"Yeah, sorry. I'll go drive, at least that way I'll have a head start if you come after me."
"**** it. Accident's happen. Go have a good pratice run."
With that, I was back on the track in the RX-7. I headed out and started my pratice laps. Immediately I noticed the car could be manipulated even more here using its off throttle oversteer. The car was quick through the first few curves and somfortable through the first tunnel. The four corners before the long tunnel were easy enough and the long left after the tunnel was difficult, but more than possible. I ran the car for 15 laps and surrendered. I came back to the pits and got ready for my final three laps in the RX-7.
Once the car was ready, I returned to the track and start wipping my way around. I ran all three laps without major event. The car was a little slower than some of my pratice laps, but marginally so, do to cold tires. my first lap was done in 1:48.062. My second lap was exactly half a second slower at 1:48.562 thanks to a less than ideal turn out of the long left after the back straight. My final lap was done in 1:48.702 and, though it looked fine, had a few points where I over-braked the car and lost time. THe car stayed in line and did pretty well, but I think I slacked off a bit.
I relaxed and got ready to drive the Galant VR-4 around the track next. I didn't really want to as the car was less than snug on Autum Ring Mini and I didn't think it would do any better here. After completeing 8 laps, the car was faster than the RX-7 and I was rather impressed. I can only guess that the larger track and longer corners allowed me to make better use of the cars bad habbits when I could. This car also exibits under steer when off-throttle if you recall and on the mountain, some of the corners allowed for this to be a great advantage on entry. By coming in wide and letting the car cost, the car would turn in quicker and I could get to full throttle faster. This allowed for exit speeds into the long tunnel of nearly 80 miles per hour.
Once I was happy with my pratice laps, I came in to prepare for the real thing. About 10 minutes later, I was back in the car and heaind around the track. As with my pratice laps, the car was faster. My first lap wasn't entirely clean, as I went wide into the grass before the first tunnel, but I managed a 1:46.078 time. My second lap was clean, but I lost some time in the first right-hander after the first tunnel and couldn't get setup as well on the next two turns. I lost a little over a half second and took 1:46.624 to make the loop. The third lap was also clean, but I spent more time skidding around than in the prior laps and added over a full second for a 1:47.984 lap. To some degree, the time differences were my own fault and some could be attributed to the somewhat difficult and inconsistent nature of the car's handling. I was still pleased in the little sedan's showing on this track ad it proved that, given room to run, the car could do much better. Also, the tall and complaint suspention did well to stabilize the car on some of the areas where I had to use the curbs. All in all, this car would probably be best suited to a set of dirt tires and a rally course. I motored back to the pits and we took a break for lunch.
Lunch was chatty as usual. We got lucky and there was a pizza stand a few miles from the course. We passed it on the way to the track and saw they'd be open during the day. I assume race day is the only thing that keeps them alive, but there must be some daily customers that make being open worth while. During lunch, we all talked a bit and I asked about the Celica's condition.
"Terminal I'm afraid." responded Roger, the young crew member, now missing his beard, "The radiator core support is destroyed, the left frame member is back and right of home and the alternator got shoved into the cam gear which broke the nose off the cam."
"And I assume the cam journal in the head is scared up too." I replied.
"Yeah, it's cracked and the retaining cap bolt is busted off flush. It'll need at least a new head an cam to even run and after that, it'll probably never align right again."
"I used to do body work, I'll take a look at it in the shop where we can strip the nsoe off of it, and see if I can masage the sub-frame back."
"Good luck."
After some small talk, we got back to work and I got into the Supra. This car has been fun, even if it wasn't the fastest, and I was eager to drive it here. I started pratice and was pleased with how well the car stuck in place. It showed a bit more understeer this time around, but still was quick through corners. I ran 11 laps and quit so I could get started on what should be a good set of recorded laps. With tires and a short trip to the bathroom, I returned to the track and went for the best lap I could.
I rolled through my first lap with no apparent errors. The car felt good and it was in a groove. I was able to settle into the line with the SUpra and run it like it was on rails. Y first lap passed in 1:44.487. The second lap was even better. I picked up some extra speed though the chicane beofre the straight and manages to grap a few tenths. I final time for lap two came to 1:44.090. Lap there was clean and solid until the final corner on the chicane entering the straight. I clipped just a bit too much of the inner curn and with the car's less compliant suspention to blame in part, I skided the width of the car away from my line. I the end, it was still a fast lap giving away just a handful of time. MY final lap resulted in a 1:44.673. The car drove well and shoed its abilities. I was really getting interestedin seeing what the 300ZX could do on this track since it's handling was certainly more suitable to a larger track. I pulled into the pits and the 300 was ready and waiting. I drank some water to help stay cool and went right back to work.
The 300ZX was a blast to drive and it was able to extract a greater benifit from its power on this track. The extra horsepower and torque allowed the 300 to carry even its full weight up hill while accelerating in every gear. The suspention was very consistent through the corners and I was able to maintaint a rather smooth line. MY first lap out, I drifted the car through the right-hander after the first tunnel. The car was fun loose and still rather quick. However, by cleaning up the lines and keeping the tires in more intimate contact, I was able to shave another second off the loop.
I came in for rubber and remained in the car while I waited. I wanted to just lay bak in the set and relax for a few minutes. Once the car was ready, I got bac into position and back to work. The first recorded lap was Slow for my liking. It was difficult keeping the car fast in the first few curves without it getting loopy, so I tried to be gentle with it. Lap one was over after 1:43.386. Lap two was also less than I'd hoped for. The long right after the tunel and hill was a comedy of errors. With too much speed into the corner, I ended up nearly knocking a mirror off on the rocks that line the track and lost another tenth for a 1:43.486 trip. Rather than getting hot about my poor driving, I shook it off and tried to clear my head as I finished lap two and started lap 3. I was able to keep my speed up until the first tunnel and I came through the next section clean. I erased the corner after the lone tunnel and drew a straight line through it. I shiot through the chicane at the entry to the straight and corrsed the line at the 1:41.315 mark. This lap pleased me and I felt far better as I made my way back to the pits to drive the last car of the day.
Marcus wandered over as I exited the 300ZX.
"Quite a change on that last lap there, bud."
"Yeah, I wasn't getting into like I should have been at first."
"Is the car that inconsistent?"
"No. The tires werent helping, but mostly I just wasn't setting up right for the cornes."
"Well, good laps, none the less."
"Yeah. Let's get the over with, I'm beat. And I starting to get sore from my little mishap this morning."
"Alright. Go drive."
The car was fast and tight. It quickly proved to me it was capable of 1:3x.xxx laps if I was able to get it there. I was deffinantly comfortable in the car. It was difficult to get the car loose on the pavement and only occationally did it slide out of line. Typically, the car maintained enough grip to allow for corrections to poor setup as I drove through the corner with very minimal loss of time. The also felt like it was gear perfectly for this very track. It seemed as though the car was right in the power band on almost ever corner exit and it was able to pull hard and smooth to redline. After beating on the car for 10 laps, I returned to the pit and got ready for my recorded laps to begin.
With the car and myself ready to go, I made my way around to the starting line. My first lap was good, and bordered on great. The car was runng great even on cold tires and I stuffed it as ahrd as I could in the corners. Keeping a steady line through the first three curves in the track made for a great start but it was all foiled by a bad exit on the left-hander before the final chicane. The first lap took 1:40.175. The second lap sufered from a lower speed across the starting line, thanks to the less than perfect run for entry speeds from lap one. I drove the car ahrder to make up and it got a bit loose in a corner. I braked to save the car and lost a few more fractions. The rest of the lap went well and I manages to cross the starting line at 122 miles per hour and set myself up for lap three. Lap two had a recorded time of 1:40.919. With all my advantages gatherd up and the planets aligned, I started lap three on pace to set the fasted lap of the day. I made the first 3 curves cleanly and as clsoe to perfect as one coudl expect. The the frist tunnel and following 3 quck turns fell in rapid fire soccesion and each was as well executed as I could manage. I threw the car from the far left of the track to thefar right of the track, braked and kicked the car into some off throttle understeer to get the turn-in I needed for the entry to the long tunnel. I held the turn out well longer than normal. By holding the curve long and kicking the all-wheel drive car sideways a bit on entry, I took advantage of physics and the car's grip to make that corver run out like a straigh line. I counted 8 lights before I straightened the wheel and settleed into the line at 90 miles an hour. I climebed the hill and dropped onto the big left-hander at the bottom. Coming from the top of the track to the bottom, I clipped the apex around 67 miles an hour and throttled out to the far right again before slipping left to setup for the chicane before the last hard right on the track. By comeing from the absolute left, I could set the car up to exit the first curve of the chicane on a straight path to the hard right allowing stable, straight-line braking and the solid line therough the turns apex. I exited the right-hander and nearly clipped the rock wall before riding out onto the curb with the left two wheels. I throttled down the small hill and jumped to the oposite side curbing to make entry to the left-hander. From curb to curb and abck out on the other side, I used every legal inch of track to make my turn and ran out onto the widened section of pavement at the far end of the corner. I shot the car down the short straight and hugged the outside wall as close as I could to get the line on the last chicane. From the outsdie, I dove down and used the entire wide apron as a lane before cutting back and running up the curb on the inside of the chicane exit. I entered the straightway almost, if not, on two wheels and narroly missed the pit wall before crossing the starting line. My hear stoped until I herd the time. I'd made the lap in 1:39.500. In my final lap in the final car, I'd extracted every last drop of performance and time. I don't think a faster lap exsisted in the car. At least, not in my hands, and probably not in the hands of most mortals. High on my success, I loafed the car around and caosted into the pits.
"Excelent! Just ****ing excelent! I've never seen you run better than that!" screamed Marcus as he nearly jerked me from the car.
"Yeah, it was on edge the whole way. I don't think I could pick up another tenth of a second. Maybe a couple hundredths on the first few curves, but that's it."
"You did great. I didn't even think that car was that fast."
"Well, Skylines are susposed to be the cat's ass. I guess this one is at least. I can't imagine a newer one with the better technology and improved power."
"Yeah, would be a fun race. Let's go get some drinks and relax, you've earned it out there."
"Yeah, but I'm buying this time. I DID nearly, if not, total the Celica after all."
"**** that. I'm still buying. You can fix the car to repay me. Let's get drunk."
"Let's do JUST that!."
Part 3 ends. Sorry I'm off pace. Been busy and tired. I also had another post readt to go, sort of a behind the sceens with specs for the cars and pictures, but like a dick, I closed the wrong tab and erased 45 minutes work. I managed not to commit homicide, but it was a close thing. I'll try to get part 4 up tonight and follow it with a final run-down of all the car's lap times and picture, both still and action. I wish I could do video too, but I'm too broke for the toys to do that right now. Have fun, and I hope you enjoyed this installment of Late '80s Fun.
