Mike Terry

How many of you have driven your C1 or C2 around a race track like the Indianapolis Motor Speed Way or Daytona or a track like that? Living in the Indianapolis area, I have been luck enough to drive several of my Corvettes around the Indy 500 track and will be doing it again this Sat. night before the race. What track have you driven your car on?

Plasticman

Not in a Corvette, but did drive around Indy with our Avanti in 1986. We had our 7 year old daughter with us, so we were not interested in beating a record.




Plasticman

INMYBLOOD

I wish!

Frankie the Fink

A previous owner took my '61 around the Daytona track and I drove it around the Sebring track. With the only upgrade from the stock suspension/steering being front disc brakes it was sure a handful.
I hit triple digit speeds on the back stretch briefly...

Bill32

We (the Corvette Corral) got a lap of Watkins Glen at the Formula 1 races in the '70's.

But it was boring.

jim lockwood

Too slow.

I've driven Indy, Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta, and Sears Point in these low speed parades. After doing this for several years.....

One lap of Thunderhill in Grand Sport #80

..... having to drive these tracks at conga line speeds is painful. So much so that I passed up the last opportunity to parade around Laguna.

Jim

cbernhardt

My wife drove her '62 around the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ten cars in a group, pace car, no passing, 10 laps. The one lap that I timed she averaged 132 mph, but she had this C5 in front of her that kept slowing down in the corners and speeding up on the straights.

Charles

Bill32

More than painful.


Nice lap Jim.
I have more laps at T-Hill than any other track (except Reno as an instructor), but Sears is even better.

jim lockwood

[QUOTE=Bill32;1580905567]

Thanks, but I've done a lot better. If you time that lap, it's somewhere around 2:23, about 14 seconds off my racing speeds. We were having "issues" that day.
Same here. I know that track so well, I can listen to just the audio of the whole session and, within a couple of turns, know exactly where on the track I am.

If by Reno you mean Fernley, you are a better man than I. I've played the role of terrified passenger at Fernley. That track is diabolical.

True story: I've seen cars launch off track in that banked 180 turn and come back with oil pan damage from having landed on boulders.

Never had much interest in racing there.

Jim

LB66383

I've done a lot of laps around many different tracks in a lot of different cars. As far as my C2 goes, I've done laps around Buttonwillow (north of L.A., west of Bakersfield) with it at near-the-limit speeds.

Sky65

Made a lap round Indy in the 65 on the Power Tour last year.

Bill32

[QUOTE=jim lockwood;1580905658] I've only been terrified twice by 2 idiots that wouldn't listen and that's with 10,000 miles there in the right seat, 13 years there as an instructor. been in a Z06 and a ZR1 going into the Esses on the front straignt at 135.

For someone to launch off in the bowl - they have to be doing something very,very wrong.

We have a 2 day event coming up for $225 for BOTH days.

Racing there - it's way behind Sears, T-Hill & Laguna.

Bill32

[QUOTE=jim lockwood;1580905658]That's me in turn 4 there in my avatar, broke into the 1:50's in that race.

MasterDave

Portland Raceway (Oregon) a few years back with my son. ALMS Corvette parade laps. Spirited, for me anyway....

[IMG][/IMG]

jim lockwood

Couldn't say. But I saw two different cars launch that day. I clearly remember one coming back to the pits with a prematurely ventilated oil pan.

In spite of that, I thumbed a ride in an old Alfa Romeo and in a Radical.
For Fernley, you'd have to pay me a lot more than that!

Jim

toddalin

I've had the '64 at the California Speedway both up on the banks and on the infield autocross track.

Have also raced the '64 at Willow Springs.

gbvette62

I've done parade laps at Dover in my 62 and a 74. At about 50 mph, it wasn't real exciting, but it was fun, because of the extreme banking of that track!

In the 80's, at Pocono during the summer SCCA Double Nationals weekend, the track had various car corrals. All of the cars in the corrals, were allowed to participate in "parade laps", during the lunch break each day. In different years, I did laps at Pocono in my 62, my 81, and the 74.

Since it was an SCCA race weekend, they were using the Pocono infield road course. Before going out, everyone had to sign a release saying they would not exceed 55 mph, would not pass, and would stay single file behind the pace car. The pace car driver was Oscar Koveleski, former Can-Am competitor, owner of the Auto World model car mail order company, and founder of PRDA the Polish Race Drivers Association. Over the years, his "pace cars" were such interesting vehicles as a yellow Rolls Corniche convertible and a Lamborghini Countach. Needless to say, with Oscar leading the parade, the 55 mph went right out the window. The Pocono parade laps ended up being in the 95-105 mph range, and were quite a bit of fun.

jim lockwood

[QUOTE=Bill32;1580907640]Turn 4.... I never would have guessed. I've never seen shots made from that camera position. I've been thinking it was turns 12 a & b.

I've been of the belief that my car, with the right driver, could get close to the 2:00 barrier. I'm not the right driver and 2:09-ish was the best I ever did.

Jim

427Hotrod

That sounds cool! I'm actually in Indy this weekend to attend the races for the first time. Should be a blast!!

JIM

ricks327

A few years back, Michigan NCRS had a regional and part of the weekend we were able to drive on the GM Proving Grounds. Did most of their facility and part of it included the 2 mile straight then a hairpin turn and then another 2 mile straight. We were instructed not to exceed 80 mph on any portion. Well, after the hairpin and entering the 2nd straight, the 572 coupe (member to remain anonymous) in front of me nails it, so I nail it and I look down at 115 when my buddy in his C6 goes by me like I'm standing still. Afterwards he admitted to being north of 140. So much for an 80mph speed limit.

Fun day!!!
Rick