I suppose since I started this I might as well chime in as well.
As I said earlier, I have not been able to attend any track days with my
new engine. So all of my track experience has been with a Stock engine,
with enhanced breathing (K&N's and Twin Sports exhaust) and an improved
ignition system. The suspension mods were all in place before my first
track experience.
My first time on a track was very intimidating. I was amazed at how
busy I was behind the wheel. Driving your line, watching for braking and
turn in points, watching the Tach etc...
The more I did it though, the more used to it I became. All those things
were still happening, but your brain starts processing them quicker and
it seems like you slow down. The smoother you are the slower it seems. I
was at the track with a Mustang & Cobra Club. By the end of the day I
was putting down similar lap times to brand new modified Mustang GT's.
Guys who caught immediate flack from there counterparts for letting a
"relic" with only 100hp post similar times. This track was 1.7 miles
with 13 turns.
My fondest track memories were on the north runways of the old
Stapleton Airport in Denver. They had turned the runways and taxi ways
on the north side of I-70 into a very flat, reconfiguarable race track.
When I was there, right before it was closed to be developed into
housing and commercial property, the track was 2.3 miles with 7 turns
and two very long straights. One straight was slightly interrupted by a
chicane before it began a very long reducing radius corner that then
dumped into the tightest corner on the circuit.
On this particular day, there were quite a mix of cars. My 1972 TR6 was
the oldest car on the track. There were also several GTS Vipers, a few
Ferraris, a couple of Lotus Super Seven clones and some other highly
modified German machinery. Including several street driven and race
prepared 911's and some heavily modified Audi's and BMW's.
My class was the slow cars and the beginner class for the expensive
machinery. After a the only stock BMW ( an E46 M3 Sedan ) disappeared
from in front of me, I had a fine time dicing with two Lancia Scorpions.
How often do see even one of those, let alone two! Anyway, every
session, the Lancia's and I would scrap. I would eventually start to
pull away from them. If you can believe it, I actually had more top
speed on the straights than they did! This was also the fastest that I
have ever driven my TR6. The two Lancia drivers were great fellows and
we got along well off the track and had a blast playing with each other
on the track.
The only down side to the whole day was when the organizers were talked
into letting a Viper onto the track midway through our session. I was
unaware of this until he passed me on the back straight. As I was slowly
climbing past the ton mark. This Viper blasted by me at over 150mph. It
nearly scared the life out of me. When I turned onto the straight and
checked my mirror, I was alone. So when this thing barreled past me I
was completely shocked. After the session was over, myself and about 5
other cars drove past our pit areas and drove right to where the steward
was set up. Where we quickly let him know how displeased we were with
what had just happened. Evidently, the Viper driver was giving a ride to
someone and was told to do a few slow laps that would not interfere with
our session. He was asked to leave the track ten minutes later.
All said though, it was the best track experience I have had. Fun all
day long, good friendly people and many compliments on my driving and my
car. Made me feel good all over. I still had the smile on my face as I
replaced my trim rings, loaded up the trunk and passenger area with
tools and such. Strapped the gas cans onto the luggage rack and headed
for home, 65 miles away. I have only had a support vehicle on one
occasion, and then they just hauled my stuff. The car has been driven to
every track day, and so far, driven home as well.
Shawn Loseke
1972 TR6
Fort Collins, CO
http://www.loseke.net/shawn
On Wednesday, September 4, 2002, at 02:56 PM, Shane Ingate wrote:
> Shawn Loseke wrote:
>
>> How many of us have spent time on race tracks with their TR6's?
>
> I've run in a number of "baby" to intermediate classes in my
> nearly-stock
> TR6. That is, limited passing. I've done this at a number of club
> days at
> Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and the NASA track out at the old
> aerodrome at
> Holtville. Generally, I tend to run mid-field, amongst all sorts of
> cars,
> new and old, rice-boys, American iron, other Brit classics, exotics and
> dedicated racecars. Same comments apply to my runs in the parking-lot
> autoX. I am not a competitive racer.
>
> All I can say is that I have a lot of fun. The worn trailing arm
> bushings
> and stiction on the half-shaft splines do cause a little excitement at
> times, but I've never been in a car that I feel so comfortable steering
> with
> the throttle. I don9t ever seem to be able to go fast enough to really
> cook
> the brakes to the point of major fade. Some people at the side-lines
> are
> usually short of breath when I come in from a session, presumably from
> laughing hysterically. Rags used to roll and sway a bit with the worn
> original suspension, but never to the point that both feet get pushed
> to the
> floor. That what I love about this car; it just steers so beautifully
> and
> predictably.
>
> I'm looking forward to another 50 rwhp, stiffer chassis, and all the
> other
> stuff I have cooked in the ongoing rebuild.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Shane Ingate in Maryland
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