How to survive the winter w/no track.

[Tony356993]

As if the end of the season is not depressing enough, I just came back from Dougherty's where my motor is completely apart. Cylinder #1 is cooked. There was a hole melted through cylinder that I could shove an M&M through....hock: Sharon is beating the death out of that car! I don't understand how that could have happen when the car only has had about 35 events (most with 2 drivers) in the last 3 seasons. Good news is that most of the motor just needs to be freshened up and we will be back on the track next year...........just a little lighter in the wallet. I hope there is some money left over for other mods.

Here is the question - What will you do to try and "survive" the winter w/o your high speed driving addiction?

PDE? - Some folks say the speeds @ PDE will put you alseep.

Skippy school in the south? - great idea but iffin I could get in da car, there is no chance I could be extracted.

In car track videos? - it always looks so slow compared to Larry/Leh

Read about driving techiniques? - A winter staple.

What will you do?

[Brian Minkin]

Well I knew I heard a compression leak when you restarted the car in the paddock. Question is what caused it to burn the hole.  Detonation? How do you prevent this from happening again?

Winter projects:

1.  Installing Renn-Shift spring loaded short throw shifter.  Hope this will make it easier to come back out of 5th gear so I can use it.

2. Brake upgrade? I was considering it but they worked well at summit so now this is questionable. 

3. Create a sculpture of used 30% Pagid Pads.

Feed the addiction with some go cart seat time.  Or maybe a January/february trip to Sebring.:dude:  Read Speed Secrets for the 4th time!  Practice car handling by doing donuts in the F250 in the snow.

[Wellardmac]

Hmmmm..... donuts! I like the sound of that on so many levels.

[Tony356993]

 

Create a sculpture of used 30% Pagid Pads.

I can donate a bunch


 

[Mike Andrews]

Brian touched on the secret..... go-karts!

Either at Arnolds or the track down in Wilmington.  Learning how to carry speed in a kart can very easily be adapted to carring speed in your car.

We spend a weekend a month at Arnolds a couple years back, but that was before the karts had been subjected to all of the beatings (to coin a phrase from Chris M.).  I drove the track down in Wilmington earlier this year and loved it.  You can rent the track for an hour and if you can get a good group to go together it's fairly affordable and enjoyable. 


As to winter projects, you can come paint my house

[Brian Minkin]

One winter activity that always seems to get me in trouble. Surfing Ebay keyword PORSCHE.

[Graham]

My suggestion; Playstation with Gran Tourismo 4.  Cheap, easy and hours of fun.  

Materials needed:  1 chair, one Force Feedback steering wheel, PS 2 (or 3), Grand Tourismo 4 A spec.

Have fun.

[Wellardmac]

Well, we're expecting Graham to be spending the Winter planning all the good ideas that he's going to be implementing as the new AX chair.

[APXD 30]

Don't forget skiing!   Carving a turn is very similar to turn-in, apex, and track out.   It requires inputs such as grip control and proper balance transfer.   Many of the great racers are skiers, one of the most accomplished being Emerson Fittipaldi.


The Bose system and heated seats allow for some quality time with the P-car over the winter while wondering if the neighborhood can hear me jamming out.
 

[Phokaioglaukos]

Karting in Delaware. I hope there is interest in going down in early December.

Skippy school? Did that at Laguna Seca last January. Got to see the track in the dry and the wet (pouring rain in an open seat car is not great), so I learned both lines.

Also need to wash the car, maybe replace front discs and pads, consider data acquisition and video and install the needle bearing shift parts and metal connector in place of the OEM plastic parts.

PS3 has been released, sort of, but GT HD for PS3 is not expected until some time in 2007. I took it off my Xmas list.