TGPR October 25th

[zukitek]

Yeah I went back and looked and noticed that there were more than a few of us representing the 80's.

Yeah, Porsche's are pretty cool...I had a friend who's family use to do club racing with them...

I also like the qoute from Randy, Evan. Pobst is the man...

-Vincent.

AHEM Evan....please clear the record ....Pobst did not say that which is in your sig Quote.Twas I !!!!!!!Tis 100% true also !!!


Ricky-

[chuck schultz]

Just a few more snapshots, all Novice 1, I think - http://www.flickr.com/photos/k4cay/s...7608398630435/

[EWaugh]

Two wheels off....ha! I made a couter-clockwise (or anti-clockwise for you german drivers) 360, then a clockwise 180 in the grass exiting T1. There is a reason that people tell you to warm up the tires before pushing it, and at TGPR it takes more than an out-lap.

I'm very happy for the late rush of registerreessssss we had. I've guestamated that we at least came close to breaking even. Even with the late start I didn't I never heard complaints. I did take a little advise. From what I saw everything went smoothly. We had two flaggers that made the trip from the Mississippi coast, Ken, and one that stepped up at the drivers meeting after a no-show. Everything went well with Mr. Upchurch. Everyone got all the time that they and/or their cars could handle.

Thanks to all

[Chuck Baader]

Wow!! After a suckey Friday, Saturday was perfect weather for a race track. Thoroughly enjoyed the event. Evan and John did a great job of organizing and running a smooth, laid back track day.

Thanks to all those who made the trip and participated. Chuck

[VroomGrrl]

It was a great day! Gorgeous weather. The drive from Tuscaloosa was pretty treacherous with fog for the first 20 miles or so, and frankly, most of what came after that white-knuckle drive was "downhill." Except that one spot where I allllmost put 2 wheels off

Thanks to all the workers who made everything...work! Thanks to the instructors, especially those who are willing to get into a car with a newbie like me. How brave and patient you are! Thanks to all the drivers in my group for your patience, too. And thanks to everybody there for your encouragement! It was great to meet so many of you.

I've posted some still pictures HERE.

So I reorganized all my track stuff from two cars to one, and I'm ready to head out in the morning for a bit of autocross-style fun. Assuming I can drag my azz outta bed!

[chuck schultz]

Near-perfect weather, a great group of participants, and no catastrophes (except for one expired battery.)

Thanks to the volunteers who made this event possible, especially the "draftees." Great job, all.

We need to do this more often!

[VroomGrrl]

Yeah I went back and looked and noticed that there were more than a few of us representing the 80's.

Yeah, Porsche's are pretty cool...I had a friend who's family use to do club racing with them...

I also like the qoute from Randy, Evan. Pobst is the man...

-Vincent.

Well the 80's well be well represented after all. As for the Porsche marque? I will do my best!

[87RX7RACER]

Yeah I went back and looked and noticed that there were more than a few of us representing the 80's.

Yeah, Porsche's are pretty cool...I had a friend who's family use to do club racing with them...

I also like the qoute from Randy, Evan. Pobst is the man...

-Vincent.

[X-RAT]

one of the few people that will be there representing the 80's. I think there are only three cars there from the 80's. Yours, mine, and a Beamer? -Vincent.

Don't count out the RAT.

(And the VW and the other 2 BMWs)

[VroomGrrl]

"Right heroes?" Love that. I sure felt like a doggone hero when I kept up enough speed to make the tires sing through my first "done right" turn.

But I think I like your sig line even better!

[EWaugh]

As far as your Porsche goes, the best advice that I can give you is "slow in, fast out". Porsche's are known to have oversteer issues because of all of the weight over the rear tires and can get a little tail happy on corner exits. I would imagine that this would be especially true if your car is a turbo. From what I understand, we've got some great instructors at this event, and I'm sure they'll have you navigating the course like a pro in no time!

-Vincent.

"Speed comes from using every bit of the available grip of you tires, at all times. This means blending maximum braking, dead straight, into pure cornering at the extreme, and then full circle into flat-out acceleration. Filling the friction circle. These transitions are very dilicate at the absolute limit, which is where we live - right heroes?"
-Randy Pobst

[VroomGrrl]

This will be my first track event (been doing the solo 2 for a couple of months). So yea, you won't be the only newbie

On a side note this was a great reason for me to buy a new helmet. I finally got a snell 2005 (kbc) and upgraded from the old school plain white one.

See you guy's Saturday at the Track and Sunday at the SOLO 2.

Yay! More noooobs!

This will be my first ANYTHING event as a driver, and I'm psyched! I am thinking about also doing the Solo thing on Sunday. We'll see how ready for another "first" I am after my first DE on Saturday.

I was a total geek and got my helmet the week after I got my car! but mostly so I could be ready-on-the-spot as a track worker to hop into cars for ride-alongs without having to scramble for a helmet to fit my fat head.

See you Saturday & maybe Sunday!

[VroomGrrl]

As far as your Porsche goes, the best advice that I can give you is "slow in, fast out". Porsche's are known to have oversteer issues because of all of the weight over the rear tires and can get a little tail happy on corner exits. I would imagine that this would be especially true if your car is a turbo. From what I understand, we've got some great instructors at this event, and I'm sure they'll have you navigating the course like a pro in no time!

-Vincent.

Thanks, Vincent! No turbo here, just your basic stock 3.2 with G50 tranny. The only mods are spacers in the rear wheels and an anti-sway bar in front (that takes up all the potentially usable space in my "trunk"). Well, and a totally cheesy stereo (Kenwood 10 disc changer) with big speakers (Boston Acoustics) cut into the back and holdling the rear seats in permanent folded-down position (but man, the stereo kicks azz!). And the window tint (HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE!).

The whole "rear end stepping out" is the one caution I have heard repeatedly, and I'm looking forward to learning how to deal with it. I got to run some laps with my coach at TGPR a few weeks ago and it was great to finally get out there and JUST DO IT. Racing books and smack talk only go so far I had a great first outing, and have done some cornering drills since then, but not in my car. I'm really looking forward to working through the challenges and finding out what my car and I can do.

I have my DE Checklist here and I just finished collecting some of the stuff out in the garage so that I can quickly pack up the car tomorrow night. Are you doing the Solo thing on Sunday also?

[87RX7RACER]

As far as your Porsche goes, the best advice that I can give you is "slow in, fast out". Porsche's are known to have oversteer issues because of all of the weight over the rear tires and can get a little tail happy on corner exits. I would imagine that this would be especially true if your car is a turbo. From what I understand, we've got some great instructors at this event, and I'm sure they'll have you navigating the course like a pro in no time!

-Vincent.

[87RX7RACER]

I have been looking, and noting the driver lists at stuff I attend, and I don't think I have seen one other participant list Tuscaloosa as their hometown. So maybe we are it. Whaddya know!

My office is in Bham and Bill Mitchell's shop (Porsche specialists) is about 4 blocks from there so it's been real convenient thus far. I have not had any problems to speak of - I lucked out and got an old car with high miles that was very well maintained by its previous owners. And it's not my daily driver. I'm afraid my commute would sent it to an early grave. I leave that to the Honda! I've only had this car since July, and so far I have only had routine maintenance done on it.

You are kind to offer a hand, and when the time comes, you can be sure I will take you up on it - Especially because I am one of those people who can't tell the difference between a sway bar and a strut bar I'm eager to change that, and I am working on setting up my garage, but I haven't gotten very far with this end of things. I got it started, but now we have this house on the market & are looking for a new place in Bham, so pimping out the garage is on the back burner till we move.

I'll get there. My entire Christmas list is garage stuff

Haha, I understand completely. I had to practically build my car from the ground up so to speak...lol. I bought it for 150 dollars and the fuel tank was rusted on the inside and sitting in the passenger seat. All of the tires were flat and it was sitting in the woods! We literally dragged it out of the woods with a chain and pulled it up on a trailer and got it home. This was around Nov of last year. The car had 276,000 miles on it and had been maintained by Rotary Performance of Texas. So once I got it running, I realized that the motor was very strong and that all the car really needed was a clutch. So I put a factory Exedy clutch in the car and replaced the factory brake calipers and master cylinder and got it going. So at first it was still just a stock, 5-speed base model RX-7 with working A/C and everything.

Then after a few months of driving I kinda got bored with the car and thought about selling it. But then when I realized I could turn it into a nice track car, I decided to go in that direction. Now with LOTS of stuff that has been done to the car, it has really turned out into something special. I even bought a parts car so that I could use some of the newer S5 stuff on my car to make it even better. So now it is basically an ITS car, minus the cage, one piece drivers seat, racing slicks, 5.12 rear end, and gutted interior.

Has it sits right now, the car is still streetable-but rather loud and bumpy...lol.

Okay, enough bragging about my car!

-Vincent.