varkwso

Yesterday was my last time at Roebling for 2007 and what a way to finish up the year on a track. Seat-Time had great participation - but not overwhelming numbers - split into 4 run groups. The track conditions were outstanding and the weather was clear and pretty cool. A lot of the "Roebling regulars" were there - Kate, Lynn, Tim, Khoi, Lisa, Joe, Ed, Kurt, Cory, Mike and many others. It was good to see Mike back out after his T12 incident in his ZO6 at Road Atlanta - he is now looking for replacement car. A Jacksonville Florida contingent was there in force also including 3 black C4s. All day the event was smooth flowing with no major track incidents. Three cars lost engines, but did not oil down the track or even really cause long delays. Having lost an engine in 2007 I can relate to the BMW M car, 300 ZX TT and C4 who now have to explain - to someone - how it is not that "big a deal".

Keith, of legendary One Lap fame, brought out his brother and his boss for the day. Tim instructed his brother in Keith's C4 and I ended up with his boss in his new C6 ZO6. Luckily for Keith's limited career his boss did great for his first track day ever in an awful lot of car. The C6 ZO6 went home with a little less brake pad and tire rubber but with a whole new understanding of what is was meant to do. I had a great time with them all.

Khoi is still having trouble with his dipstick it seems. It keeps on trying to leave its home when he puts a little pressure on his motor. He was also experimenting with the Team England standard of whatever pair of tires have the best rubber go on the car. I ran the SuGood combo (street tires) and the KuHo combo(track tires) at this event. Khoi's lifelong dream of me getting the blue flag for him was met first session of the day. Amazingly though, when I converted to track tires (apples to apples so to speak) he was nowhere to be found on track - except well behind me. Tim, Khoi, Ed and I did get in some fast times during the day. All I can say is Tim in his brand new 2008 C6 ZO6 did not ever lap me and I could see him for most of any lap. Honestly, I made up most of the time differential in the brake zone - if Tim had done his normal late braking I would have been hard pressed to stay with him. Cory in the Cup car was turning low teens all day - I just kept my arm out and stayed out of his way.

I did get to drive a new C6 ZO6 and a new Porsche GT3 RS virtually back to back thanks to really good friends. Let me tell everyone straight up and I have driven, ridden and been on the track with most everything street legal there is on a racetrack at one time or another and there is not a licensed "factory produced" new car that compares to either - especially for the money. The GT3 RS is the best $140,000 you can spend on anything automotive, period. It needs absolutely nothing to be blistering fast except someone with the "intestinal fortitude" to drive it. It is a scalpel to the C6 ZO6's razor sharp knife. Both cars well driven would be an exciting "event" to watch. I was very careful with both cars but far more comfortable in the ZO6 due to its family resemblance to my cars. It was fast, forgiving and comfortable to me. But as I drove the GT3 RS it was so precise as to be scary. It was way too easy to be hauling a$$ in someone else's very expensive car. I really noticed it as I braked at between the 1 and 2 markers on T1 (from ~140mph) and smoothly turned in at over 100 mph, rounded T3 well in excess of 100 mph and exited T8 at ~125mph while calmly telling the GT3 RS owner what a great car he had and how much I appreciated the chance to drive it. I did not even come close to what the car could do. Now if Tim had been out there on track I would have had to give him a beatdown though.

My C5 ZO6 did very well now that the alignment issue seems to be resolved. As I left the track I said hi to my friends with Chin as they entered Roebling - I wish I could have stayed for the weekend as well but I have "other obligations" and I waited too long to sign up.

I will be track testing the FRC at CMP on Dec 1 & 2 with Turn One and still waffling on running Sebring with Chin in Dec.....

Be safe out there....

SouthernSon

Khoi, are you gonna take that!!??

I sure hate I missed that event. Sounds like you guys had a blast. One of these days I have to retire from work!

mater

"125mph while calmly telling the GT3 RS owner what a great car he had and how much I appreciated the chance to drive it. " -------Jeff was it quieter that my bmw??? LOL!! I will never forget when at Rockingham no other instructor would get in my car"because of how loud and uncomfortable it was" except Jeff and he says "Don't worry about it follow my hand signals and I ended up have a great weekend and driving experiance . I"M Totally hooked on this sport now!! Thanks Jeff , Bill Michaluk IT"s not always peaches and cream!! Right Jeff!!!LOL

1lapRacer

The weather turned out to be just perfect for a great day out of the office. Barry with the C6 Z06 had a wonderful and safe time with Jeff's excellent instruction. It looked like the start of "trackday addiction" and he will surely be back for another fix. My brother had an excellent time thanks to Tim and his coaching giving him a much higher level of comfort on track and with the aged C4. Looks like the double stints on the C4 took the last bit of life out of the power steering pump.

Jeff, I believe their is a fine line between literary license and fiction and "Legendary one lap fame" is without a doubt is on the fiction side.

Kudos go to Jon K. and Seat-Time.com for running a safe, fun and very efficient event. The value for track time can not be beat and the compliments have nothing to do with my T4 spin, several new participants had the same thoughts.

Z06cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by varkwso
Amazingly though, when I converted to track tires (apples to apples so to speak) he was nowhere to be found on track - except well behind me. ...

Jeff's statement is "factual" but depends on perspective. He couldn't see me on the track because I was well behind or well ahead? You can't dance if you don't get to the party. We just didn't get a chance to see each other on track. The fact that I blew my dipstick (again) in the second session and ABS issues kept me dialed back. Kinda threw off my confidence a bit when I got almost sideways coming down from 150mph into T1 with brakes locking up.

Now I wanna know why he pulled up shop earlier when there's still another session to run. Some excuse about wanting to get something to eat with Jake. For the 4th session, I put on a taller tire in the rear which fixed my ABS issue but where's Jeff now?? Oh well, I still got to follow Tim around in his new Z while keeping an eye out for a montrously fast race-prepped Porsche and getting out of his way.

Was a lot of fun and thanks to Jon K. and crew again for a great event!!

Timz06

There's a new sheriff in town

Z06_BluByU

Tim,
Thanks for the ride in the Z06... It was one of the highlights of the day!!

Jeff,
It was great meeting you.. I love the GS scheme of your Z

Keith,
Sorry to hear about the pump... but .. I enjoyed the show you put on in T4..

What a great program and nice bunch of fellows at the track!!

oh and that 911 GT3RS was very

Was I correct in thinking there were just as many C4's in attendance as there was C5's?

varkwso

Looks to me like I am passing on the inside at T4....


Well I know I saw you behind me a few times after the first session...never saw you catch up though . Seriously, I know what it is like to have your car acting up on you...

I pulled up shop after 5 runs in my car, 1 run in a C6 ZO6, 1 run in a GT3 RS and 5 sessions with my student in a C6 ZO6. I am ready for those enduros...I came back from one session and Lynn was gone, Tim was gone, Joe was gone, Lisa was gone - I thought maybe I was being abandonded - but Khoi was there


You are a legend - don't go all modest on us now! Look at the demonstration of car control you presented in T4.....

It was great meeting all the "new" folks too...

Timz06

Look to the far right of the pic, you can just see the nose of a Blue car just coming into the picture

varkwso

Geez I cannot believe you showed the picture where I was chasing you down in T5 ......how embarrassing ...

trumper Z06

It's gonna be hard on poor ole "Fire Cracker"...

stuck on the sidelines,

now that you have a new TOY, Tim !!!

How does that Beast handle @ Roebing ???

Cya @ the track.

1lapRacer

The power steering pump has been going for a while, with 168K hard miles I have gotten my money out of it. It was nice not to be the only street legal C4 at an event for a change!

varkwso

Being street legal doesn't mean it cannot see a little dirt action though does it ? My advice is buy a Turn One pwr steering pump - I put on my Z28 (now it is on Tim's Z28) and the FRC (130,000 hard miles - pump still worked fine but since I was in there...) - they run much cooler.

There were 4 C5 ZO6s - but I am not sure Tim ever drove anything except his C6Z on the track.

There were 2 C6Z and 1 C6 Z51

There were 3 C4s I believe...

JDIllon

Hey Tim, congrats on the new car!!!!!! We will have to compare notes. Sorry I missed this one. Looks like you all had a great time as usual. Look forward to seeing you guys next year. JD

Timz06

This was a really good event..got 5 sessions in and called it a day at 4 with one session still left!
Got to meet some new people, as well as hang out with the regulars, and had a good student.

The new car is just awesome. The handling with the stock runflats is incredible,(was reading 1.1 on the g meter), I would say on par with the c5 z's out there with r compound tires. Having the big 325's on the rear makes the car a breeze to drive. The car will just push if you give it too much and is easy to control. I just gave the car enough throttle around the turns to keep the tires howling. The car would be capable of some insane lap times with r's on and some bigger tires on the front.

As everyone said, the brakes are the weak link - I took it easy on them braking way before the 5 marker at turn 1. You don't need much brake at Roebling anyway, so it wasn't a problem. If I were to track this car reguarly, I would probably go for the brembo's..

Z06_BluByU

With 2 of the 3 C4's being automatics...

waaaayyy to much fun... Anyone going to the PCA event up at RR in January?

C4TOMCAT

Hi All, well I was one of the unlucky C4's who lost an engine due to low oil in turns 4/5/6 as the day went on into the second lap sessions. Still had lots of good times and accept it as one of the possibilities of have that much fun. Guess I have some work to do for next year. Great to meet all the other C4's at the event. till next time...Tom

Z06_BluByU

John,
Out of curiosity, how many miles did that engine have on it??

C4TOMCAT

It has 50184 on it and all stock. guess if I still will use it on the RR course I will go with a canton rr oil pan. time will tell. tom

Beast350

Keith, thanks for intoducing me to a new addiction.

Jeff, you are a great instructor. I learned a lot and had a blast.

Why does my clutch fluid look like tar?

Barry