0Randy@DRM

Well I finally got out of the office to have some fun. The local Corvette club has a school program that is both inexpensive and has a ton of track time. This club has been the main stay of MN for a long time and I was proud to run for my first offical roadrace laps with them. Thanks Rick Ohland for the classroom bright and early. They did the normal flag, corners, driving talk. My wife asked afterward why I went, well I'm not special and wanted to start from the start. We did a little threshold braking along pit lane. This was very easy for me but important none the less. I got a good safe test on the ABS of my new used car. It worked, but my lightweight clutch wasn't liking the stop and go. So I did my 30-0 up to 80-0 in one big jump. Car felt great and AP brakes at 80 is nothing.

Doug Rippie (my dad for those who don't know) Said jump in we are going for a ride. This is by far not my first ride, but @ 60mph we did the play by play of the track. Doug has maybe 2000 laps around BIR in the last 30 years, so I heard everything he had to say. Now for my first couple of laps Doug was my passenger. We did a couple laps at a very slow speed and everytime I got on it, "slow down and learn the line". Driving the line at a slow speed is kinda hard for me for some reason. Maybe because I don't know it that well

So Eric (AtomicZ) jumped in the passenger seat and he stepped up the pace. I started to figure this traction thing out. Not going sideways in a corner feels kinda weird for me. Well things started to go pretty smooth, which for a rookie is a good time to pull into the pits and think about it.

Doug told me to jump in the passenger seat for some "fast laps". So without question I did. Damn right out of the pits, gone. My old man can flat out drive He showed me how he likes to do suspension and brake testing. I damn near throw up I have been passenger with him a bunch of different times, but nothing like this before. He gave the car the thumbs up and that is what I needed....

So I grabbed Told (our wrench) to get in the car with me. Todd is a layed back guy looking for a roller coaster ride when ever he can. I started to really drive the car hard about a lap into it. Very comfortable, very easy to drive car. I got 8 down finally, brake hard let off (smoother thanks Eric) gas pedal to the floor and point the car, close your eyes a bit seemed to help also!

Packed up for the day and went home. My wife came along to take some pictures. She made the comment as we pulled into the house "our house is a bargin compared to the last 24 hours" So she was kinda kidding around.

It was great to see some old-new faces and cars.
A huge thank you to my family, My dad, Mom, brother, wife, dog, and many others, that said "it's about time."

Thank you Eric for everything, you truely are a damn nice guy.

AJ it was great seeing you out there, your car sounds very nice out of 10.

Tony, I'm liking the new wheels!

And a whole bunch of more people, Bill Carlson, Rick Ohland, Sean, Aaron, Dan and son, and all the rest. To the guy with the nice caged GTR, we will invite you over to our table for fruit loops next time

Ok now for some pictures and a video or two.






The power plant


Doug brought Jack out to play

dvandentop

Sweet randy I am sure you are hooked even worse not that you have a car, looks pretty sweet! I will have to make it up to one of the events this summer to run with you guys!

How many sessisons did you get in?

Git Er Dun

Nice Randy. My Dad said your car is very nice. Looks fast just looking at it. Nice wing! My buddy Tyler in Mike Miller's old car had a ton of fun. Do you by chance have any pictures of what my Dad brought up?

97C5inSD

Looks good randy congrats on makeing it out i know it was a rat race the last few days to get everything in order but it looks like it turned out well.

96CollectorSport

Good to see the car back on the track again, I know how many hours you must have spent getting the car back in shape. Hope to see you down in my neck of the woods soon. I'll have to make sure I get the T1 car that weekend to give you a moving pylon out there.
Joel

SDF

Looking Good Randy!!

BrianCunningham

Nice!

Never seen that intake before

0Randy@DRM

I don't know about all that. I'm sure Geff with that T1 car is pretty damn fast

0Randy@DRM

My wife has been fired from picture taking. I told her to take some pictures of cars, people and track things. Well that didn't happen. Too many pictures of birds in the woods, and me I did see the new rig looking damn nice!!! You have to get your butt back here for some of your moms cookies

Randy

0Randy@DRM

It was one that we had built back in about 98 or so. The guy that built this one is no longer alive and this is a 1 of 1 build. Doug told his wife that we would put it to good use someday. I'm honored to be running it and showing it off. Of course they didn't make 90mm t-bodies back then so some mods have been done to update it. Once I get the engine happy then I will repowder coat it.

Randy

Git Er Dun

Ah that's fine. My Dad snapped a few of the rig. Thing looks nice. Yeah I need some cookies again lol. Cool that you are using that intake. See you around. -Eric

Lawdogg

Randy, your car looks good and from what I've heard everyone had a blast. So when should be put the watch on you?

0Randy@DRM

The hell with the watch. One more hpde thingy and I would like to go racing!!! Racing is about position and lap times don't even matter that much. I wasn't giving her hell this first time out, I hate having a passenger during flat out driving.

See ya up there sometime this summer!

Randy
PS Aaron and I will be in our Borat style bikini @ noon next event

96CollectorSport

What makes you think Geff would be driving it???

gkmccready

Looking good, Randy!

1 BAD BURB

Randy,
the car was simply awesome!!! i love the engineering behind it and it was driving solid the whole day! Sounded absolutely wicked too!

I def had a blast with my car. I REALLY need a set of slicks and some upgraded brakes, but i was on regular street tires and stock brakes, i still did well for the turns though. On the straight, i got up to about 163-165mph everytime. some of the modded Z06's were hitting 170 ish so im not far away. not bad for a old car with a built 427ci!

It was also VERY cool to watch that Nissan GTR built by Stillen just whoop *** on the course! holy **** that thing moved and sounded absolutely wild! it had a Stillen exhaust, the tips were about 5", all 4 of them!!! he was running about 20psi boost with new, larger turbos. it had a boost controller in it and the interior was full gutted. also had a 6pt roll cage installed. just nuts!

and you got my car and tow rig in the pic!! im the pewter C5 and the black suburban and trailer... yeah!!!

0Randy@DRM

0Randy@DRM

[QUOTE=1 BAD BURB;1570319448]Randy,
the car was simply awesome!!! i love the engineering behind it and it was driving solid the whole day! Sounded absolutely wicked too!

I def had a blast with my car. I REALLY need a set of slicks and some upgraded brakes, but i was on regular street tires and stock brakes, i still did well for the turns though. On the straight, i got up to about 163-165mph everytime. some of the modded Z06's were hitting 170 ish so im not far away. not bad for a old car with a built 427ci!

It was also VERY cool to watch that Nissan GTR built by Stillen just whoop *** on the course! holy **** that thing moved and sounded absolutely wild! it had a Stillen exhaust, the tips were about 5", all 4 of them!!! he was running about 20psi boost with new, larger turbos. it had a boost controller in it and the interior was full gutted. also had a 6pt roll cage installed. just nuts!

and you got my car and tow rig in the pic!! im the pewter C5 and the black suburban and trailer... yeah!!!


The GTR guy was right next to us in the paddock. Super nice guy but he gave me some crap because I didn't invite him over to our "corvette" table for fruit loops

PS Your car is hauling the mail down the straights

Painrace

GREAT post, Randy. I can attest, your dad can drive the hell out of a car!

Keep having fun.

Jim

1 BAD BURB

you know that guy has a new M3 and a new 997 turbo porsche... talk about $$$. but he was way cool so that is awesome!

thanks...yes, i do haul mail occasionally...