The SCCA Precision Driving Experience held at Gateway Speedway (St. Louis) last weekend was my first trial on a real track. This was a driving school type set-up with an instructor riding along for all but my last run. I think there were about 50 total cars running in 4 separate groups based on prior experience. The runs lasted about 20 minutes each and we got 5-6 during the day. It was incredible fun learning to push this car to its limits and seeing all of the other cars set up and killing it at speeds from 40-160 mph. By the end of the day, I was able to hold off lots of the far more powerful cars before eventually giving them the signal to pass. Nothing was timed and it wasn't considered a "race". Most of the advanced class guys used this as a testing day for the races coming up.

I learned that the G on street tires is reliable and powerful enough to get me started, but is no match for anything with R-compound tires. The brakes start to fade at the end of each run and better swaybars would help. My car is lowered on 350Z springs with a plenum spacer as the only mods.

The instruction was good and really built on what I learned at the autocross school I attended there last July. I HIGHLY recommend taking part if you ever get the chance. Enough talk, here are the pics-

The Paddock














The ultimate set-up









My little G that could



Action shots were limited due to the walls and fencing.

 

 

 

Good times. Loved the Cougar, you don't see too many of those around.

 

That ^was one of the instructor's rides. It amazed me how heavy or low-powered cars could just fly around that track with the right driver.

 

nice pics, all those cars and all i care about is the GTR, i think i have the skyline fever...

 

hope that gtr didnt turn off the VDC lol u guys kno what im talkin bout

 

awesome pics...How many laps did you get to do?


I love the ultimate setup pic...couple extra Porsche motors just waiting for work.

 

sweet

 

That GTR was at the track (other side) drag racing at the last Midnight Madness at Gateway.

Great pics. I'm sorry I missed it.

 

looks like a helluvalot of fun!

 

Each run lasted 20 minutes and we got 5 or 6 runs total. The number of laps depended directly on how fast you could get around. I'm not sure how many laps I got duriing each run -(6 laps at least).

The track set-up was 1.7 miles long (I think) and consisted of about 10 turns and short straights on the infield, then one banked turn on the Nascar oval followed by the long Nascar straight that most of the track pics were taken of. I could get up to 75 mph on the banked turn before I would start to slide up towards the wall, then flooring it to hit 95 mph on the straight and SLAMMING on the brakes for the first turn. Real track tires are the key. The GTR and other faster cars were hitting 150 or more on the long straight. It really is a much more beautiful car in person than pics show.

I can't wait to go back.

 

Wow dude... I'm super jealous. That looks like a great time!

 

nice pics