Track Day Report - Season Finale
10-15-2008, 08:11 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,692
Track Day Report - Season Finale
Well I just got back from my final track day of the season. It was held at Toronto Motorsports Park http://www.torontomotorsportspark.co...cuit_info.html on their 1.8 mile road circuit. The track also has a 1/4 mile strip. The event was a customer appreciation day put on by DaSilve Racing and was free. The weather was really nice and sunny.
Most folks were on the 1/4 mile but about 15 of us were on the road circuit. The track has no elevation changes with about 13 corners and takes some getting used to. I was fortunate enough to get a couple of laps riding with the track owner in his 944 so that helped me learn the right line. This included running on the left and right hand curbs going through the chicane.
Everything was going fine and my times went from erratic 1:36s down to fairly consistent 1:32s. Then I had a really good dice with a Fox Body on R comps. He was running about 1:30s so I waved him past and had a good chase going. On some parts he was faster through the corners and on others I was right on his tail. Using the proper line I came through the chicane and got the left curb nicely and then went too far over the right and dropped into a rut with a bang. Everything seemed OK so the chase resumed.
About a lap later there was a loud pop and suddenly the steering got squirrely. I pulled off the track and found the right front was flat. After a slow run back to the pits on the grass it turned out there was a 3 inch slice in the inside sidewall of the right front. The rim looks OK.
After putting the right rear on the right front and the spare on the right rear I was able to drive home at 50 MPH.
Now it is definitely time to put the Blizzaks on.
PS - I also passed a Ferrari but it doesn't count as he was also passed by a Dodge 4x4 truck!
Most folks were on the 1/4 mile but about 15 of us were on the road circuit. The track has no elevation changes with about 13 corners and takes some getting used to. I was fortunate enough to get a couple of laps riding with the track owner in his 944 so that helped me learn the right line. This included running on the left and right hand curbs going through the chicane.
Everything was going fine and my times went from erratic 1:36s down to fairly consistent 1:32s. Then I had a really good dice with a Fox Body on R comps. He was running about 1:30s so I waved him past and had a good chase going. On some parts he was faster through the corners and on others I was right on his tail. Using the proper line I came through the chicane and got the left curb nicely and then went too far over the right and dropped into a rut with a bang. Everything seemed OK so the chase resumed.
About a lap later there was a loud pop and suddenly the steering got squirrely. I pulled off the track and found the right front was flat. After a slow run back to the pits on the grass it turned out there was a 3 inch slice in the inside sidewall of the right front. The rim looks OK.
After putting the right rear on the right front and the spare on the right rear I was able to drive home at 50 MPH.
Now it is definitely time to put the Blizzaks on.
PS - I also passed a Ferrari but it doesn't count as he was also passed by a Dodge 4x4 truck!
10-16-2008, 07:26 AM
#3
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Harrisburg PA
Posts: 1,778
A free customer appreciation day - thats a sweet deal. Even better - only 15 guys on the track. That web site shows 3 courses, were you on the long course?
Last time I was at Summit Point a Corvette right in front of me dropped a tire over the curb and flattened it. He safely stopped thank goodness because I was close behind. Just gives you another reason to buy new tires for next season.
So thats it, tracks are closing up north? We still have about a month to go down here in PA.
A Dodge 4x4?
Last time I was at Summit Point a Corvette right in front of me dropped a tire over the curb and flattened it. He safely stopped thank goodness because I was close behind. Just gives you another reason to buy new tires for next season.
So thats it, tracks are closing up north? We still have about a month to go down here in PA.
A Dodge 4x4?
10-16-2008, 05:35 PM
#4
4th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,692
A free customer appreciation day - thats a sweet deal. Even better - only 15 guys on the track. That web site shows 3 courses, were you on the long course?
Last time I was at Summit Point a Corvette right in front of me dropped a tire over the curb and flattened it. He safely stopped thank goodness because I was close behind. Just gives you another reason to buy new tires for next season.
So thats it, tracks are closing up north? We still have about a month to go down here in PA.
A Dodge 4x4?
Last time I was at Summit Point a Corvette right in front of me dropped a tire over the curb and flattened it. He safely stopped thank goodness because I was close behind. Just gives you another reason to buy new tires for next season.
So thats it, tracks are closing up north? We still have about a month to go down here in PA.
A Dodge 4x4?
I guess I was lucky in that I went a half lap from the point i damges the tire until it blew on a slow corner. That half lap included the main straight on which I was hitting about 110/120 MPH. Blowing a tire at that speed could have been really exciting!
I went in today and had the winter tires installed on the rims and the rim on the one that blew was shot as well. Fortunately i had a spare rim.
There are a few more days up to the end of October but that is it for me for this year.
The Dodge 4x4 belonged to a friend of the track owner and he was helping out so got to take the truck out.
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