Well, I guess I am ready..........

[pballance]

I finished up the car prep yesterday and while it isn't perfect, it should get me through RR next week. Hope to see you there.


[attachmentid=798]

[JeffYoung]

Car looks great, good luck at Savannah.

(from another IT dinosaur driver).

[rob22]

You should have a ball. I raced Z cars in ITS and EP for ten years and they were fast, fun, and forgiving to drive. Also did my first school at Roebling and it was a great experience. Good Luck.

"Bosco" Logsdon

[jmark]

Car looks really good. Got a friend getting his license at RR this week as well. What races in the SE you planning on doing?

[pballance]

I hope to be at Barber in July. It's just to close not to go to. Maybe RA in the fall. Memphis maybe and maybe even a trip back to Roebling. I am in a wait and see kind of deal. I hope to do a couple of Time Trials at TGPR and Nashville and if at all possible the Crow Mountain Hillclimb. (it's only 20 minutes from my house)

You can view details of Crow Mountain @ www.crowmountainhillclimb.org. I have worked it the last two years and think it is time to run (especially having driven it in my street car a number of times).

Thanks for the comments and help. It wouldn't have happened if not for Katman, Dspillrat, and Phils Tire!

[kthomas]

Well seeing as how I work for a big government defense contractor, consider any email response during working hours as getting a tax refund.

This was my driving career:
Go to school. Get second school waived. Race once. Let license expire. Repeat several times until kids get old enough to play sports (and hence need coaching).

With your experience you'll do great. My advice to others for their first school is always "Winning the school races on Sunday afternoon mean nothing, stay save and on the track. If you're ever scared you're driving way too fast for your ability."

Of course I always won my school races, but I was driving cars I built so even a monkey could have won. Now pardon me while I dislocate my shoulder patting myself on the back...

[jmark]

If you listen to Keith & David your Z should be in good shape. Be safe & good luck at the RR school. My friend is renewing his license in a Spec Miata.

[240zdave]

Another yellow Z-car! Good luck at school. I'll look for you at Barber and Roebling.

[JeffYoung]

David and K-Man have been a tremendous help to me here on the board and on the track. Thanks to them, and great to see another ITS Z car back out there.

Let us know how Roebling goes.

[lateapex911]

I love the Z cars! Long live the Z!

[x-ring]

I love the Z cars! Long live the Z!
[/b]

Couldn't agree more.

But then, I'm a guy with an ITS Z.

And a daily driver Z.
And a 'really nice' Z for weekends.
And a few (!) in the back yard.

Oh yeah, and a couple stored at a buddy's place...

[JeffYoung]

Ty, I zink you have zee problem.

Whoa. That was bad.

[pballance]

But then, I'm a guy with an ITS Z.

.....

Oh yeah, and a couple stored at a buddy's place...


[/b]

I think I found another parts source

[jmark]

I love the Z cars! Long live the Z!
[/b]

Word!

[Tom Donnelly]

Just try to remember this at the school. Winning there doesn't mean a thing. You're just there to get a license. Too many people wreck their cars at driving school and you don't want to total it there.

Roebling can be real unforgiving coming out of the last turn before the long straight. Sand gets kicked up onto the track and its real easy to have an off-track excursion there. And if you do go off there, don't try to turn back onto the track right away, slow it down first. The grass is planted in sand and its really likely to hit a pothole and snap spin backwards back onto the track and hit the wall in front of everybody.

At least one person does it per school. 3 when I was there. Yep, I was one of them. Bent my brand new race car's bumper too.

2 fellas rolled their cars at my school there and one formula ford caught fire.

Just get your license, and race more years that way.

Tom

[pballance]

Thanks Tom, I have been around long enough to know that I need to get through the weekend. I am also old enough that I don't need to prove myself to anyone. Still it is sound advice and taken to heart.

I am paddocked and I guess ready for registration in the am. Weather still says 30% chance of rain but Sat and Sun look good. Now the fun begins

[Tom Donnelly]

Well, so how did you do?

[abreakey]

I saw his car out there a bunch this weekend. He and I were in the same run group - although the ITS car was a bit too fast for me to keep up with.

I never did find his paddock spot, so the only time I saw him was when we were on the track. Sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself.

adamb

[jmark]

Yea how did the Z do?

[pballance]

I wish I could report something profound and exciting but I can't.

Overall things went well. I had some major carb problems during Fridays practice sessions. Thanks to Don Ahrens and some resetting of float levels the car was running well enough by the last session that I started to feel better about the car.

Saturday morning found my group as the first one on track for the day. We had drying conditions as it had started raining during the last session on Friday and continued until late that night. I was working on going deeper into 1, harder into 3 and finally was able to get into 4th between 7-8. I still wasn't flat out before I apexed 8 but was getting better.

But then I just lost my nerve and will to continue. I had turned a 1:34 lap during the last morning session with the full depth Toyo's but I was not comfortable. I had lost my confidence in the car. This was my very first time at speed in this car and I just wasn't sure how it would react at the edge and I second guessed my prep of the car. I kept asking myself what did I miss and what will it make the car do when it lets go. It was a hard decision but I think it was best for me at that point in time. I decided to drop out aftter the Saturday lunch break.

Will I go back, I sure hope so. My plans are to get some more seat time and increase my comfort level with the car doing some Solo 1's in SEDIV. After gaining some confidence in the car I think I can go back but only time will tell.

I did get to see Adams car but really didn't get a chance to meet too many people. I still hope to be able to associate faces with their screen names. a HUGE thank you to Chris Newberry. He was not only an excellent instructor he truly cared about his students. For that I am grateful and it made my decision to walk away even tougher. I will be back............at least I hope so. In the mean time I still need to work on the nut behind the wheel as that is where the most cost effective improvement will be anyway.

Thanks for asking and for the help. I sure hope to meet you guys at the track in the future.

Paul