Tron (///M)

Before we start please excuse the spelling and the grammar. Watch out for the new English_TTeacher on the forum. All I can say is "WOW". At first I was really scared about hitting cones with my car, spinning out and getting chips all over, and last but not least about thrasing my tires. Total of about 40 students and 12 instructors. Each instructor having 3 to 4 novice racer wanna be's like myself. Larry was our instructor. Of course one of the only couple of instructors that had experience with AWD cars. Our group consisted of Doug (RDROCKTT), myself, guy with a GS-R integra, and Spencer with a 4 door Cutlass Supreme. The session began with walking the course, a bit boring you might think but it helped out a lot. Listening to Larry we walked the course in the position we'd be driving the car. Doug and I were visualizing ourselves in the TT taking tight turns through the slalom. Larry was telling us about braking points and where not brake but let up on the gas. We walked the course a second time and were off in our cars. The first pass was halarious. I was pounding on the car, my hands all over the place. I was thinking damn this 180 is too slow and before I knew it we were at the end of the course. Larry's only comments "calmly turn the steering, don't toss the car left and right, braking too much, get use to the course, the last turn was awesome, why can't you drive the course like the last turn." Keeping all of Lar's comments in mind we went again. Stupid me went from 1st gear to 4th, OOOOPPPPS, back to second very hard. Finished listened to Larry's comments; "better but still more room for improvement, great last turn." Third run = Intructor's turn in your car. Wow the calmness of Lar in car was amazing. Great ride, no tossing of car just nice smooth turns with as minimal tire screach. Larry: "no that's how its suppose to be done." Last to runs for the practice session we did by ourselves. These went great as I almost knocked down a cone but managed to correct it and save the car. Break for lunch and we get to drive the car 3 times by ourselves, but these runs are timed. Jump in our cars. Doug (rdrocktt) scores a time of 42.4xx. Larry gets out of car and says "Well the bar has been set Vishal. Your turn to kill Doug's time." So hear I go to the start line. Car is angled for the first cone in the slalom. "GO". 1st, 2nd and before I knew it I was done with a 41.9. Boom baby there it was. Nicely done, were Larry's words. Doug goes back up posts another time with ESP off this time. I think his time was 41.9 or something but he hit a cone. I don't recall. My second time. "GO" 1st, 2nd, few turns before the last turn. WOW ran the car wide, lost a few seconds and almost missed the cone. Second run time 42.2xx. Doug back up for third run. He finishes with a 40.9, the bar has been raised. My turn "GO", 1st, 2nd....a few turns later...and back at the finish line....41.5. Here I am thinking not to bad for a 180TT. Quattro rules baby. BTW Doug's car is much much much faster but still great driving by him. Not too bad for us two beginner wanna be racers. John (mcengineer26) got some great runs in as well, he was whopping S2K's and Civics, Mustangs... You name John killed em. Not too bad with his Maxima. I tell you kid has some skills. He even had a pit crew changing his tires.. All I suggest taking a lesson from the pros. Its well worth the $40 we paid and they fed us a lunch too. Plus you can't beat a Pro's advice on how you should a car. BTW larry and Art (TTop_gun) drove my car and doug's car. They beat them to the ground. I think I need a new clutch. Just kidding. It was great. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks to all. :-)

Larrytt

You did a great job! You forgot that one of my other students was a Toyota All_trac! That car is a blast! The Olds was relaly weird! It has the Quad4 engine in it with "your father's suspension"! lol

When i first entered the slalom with that Quad4 it never turned in! lol My second run in that car was much better.

Vishal did a great job once he calmed himself down a bit. If we indexed the times as they would be in a real event, then Vishal would have beaten Doug!

Looking forward to seeing all of you guys out there at the next event.

MiniMadMan

This was my fourth event, so I know the deal by now (i now know how addicted I am).. This event however was great.. There were a whole lot a nice people there (fellow drivers) and the instructors were really cool.. During the day I had a chance to walk around the pits and talk with the fellow drivers and got to learn about their cars (honda S2000 is very cool)... I also had the chance to talk with the proud owner of a 400hp S4 (and no turbo upgrade.. YET) I was also lucky enough to see the car on the highway, all i have to say is I have a new found respect for the S4.. His car is not only insanely fast, but it also looks great(awesome mods).. At the end of the day I also got the chance to get a ride in the most intriguing car at the school. A ford Focus wagon. Yep, a FFW.. The first time I saw this car was back when larry introduced me to autocross and ironically I remember saying if this guy can run a station wagon then it ain't so bad im in a maxima.. well, after he beat up on some M3's (just about all of em) I found another car I am very found of.. At the end of the day I had to ask the million dollar question, "you think I can get a ride?".. The answer was of course, get in.. Well, not only was that ride sick but it lead to rides in the other instructors cars .. After that I jumped into a Nissan 240ZX with kumho 700's.. Got two laps b.c the first was a test run to understand the car (the amount of traction that you get with slicks is insane).. Then the instructor goes to me, " you wanna a get a really fun ride?"/.. Hell yeah.. Then we jump in his miata.. OMG.. RWD is where its at. Mann, was that a fun ride.. He tossed the rear end around like it was a go-cart.. Oh, after lunch I asked art if he would be willing to give a bunch of the students a ride in my car.. Sure, lets go.. well at first it was supposed to be a slow drive.. BUt then they tell us we need helmets, so I asked art to really drive the car.. Keep in mind there was 5 people in the car (my maxima).. well the guy at the line gives us the go.. art spins the tires and takes off.. he took it a lil too easy in the slalom, but right after that I asked if thats all hes got.. nope.. and he gunned it.. vishal is screaming in the back holy ****.. Im getting the biggest smile and the middle passenger is getting sandwiched on turns.. Well, we get to the end of the course and look at the clock.. we see 44.8, I scream "DAMM and that was with five people" (pretty fast).. then laugh b.c he beat about 50% of the crowd with that run.. Well, I knew I was good to go.. So I throw everyone out of my car and jump in the drivers seat.. well I ended up running a 43.8X then I take another run and pull a 43.010 (i was very happy with that)... If I had a couple more runs I think I could have gotten in the low 42s but with my car (the suspension setup) ill take a 43.0 any day especially when integras are running in the 44's and the pros are running the TT in the low 40's.. Another thing I want to add is that the TT is a GREAT track car.. Well, that and Vishal and Doug are amazing drivers.. Both were turning times that had people going holy ****.. One time a teacher mistaken doug for art.. Yep, he told art he should take it easy on the students cars and that 2 hard runs isn't right (meanwhile it was doug on one of those runs).. Oh well.. Just wanted to share my day with everyone considering Auto-X.. Personally i think if driving hard interests you I say TRY auto-X.. doing it once won't hurt you at all, just don't do something stupid.. Oh another thing.. One thing that has helped me a great deal is when driving on the street.. I feel a lot more comfortable when driving in narrow narrow lanes and I now take turns a hella lot faster b.c I learned about looking ahead.. I would also like to thank Vishal, Eric, LArry, and art for the rides in their cars and for all their help.. thanks guys but Im sorry to say, Vishal is now my official head crew chief..

MiniMadMan

ah ha.. but I would have beaten them both.. lol.. maybe?

Gnowknayme

Does this TT belong to anyone here? He says it "was pullin' some sweet stuff."

<img src="http://laer.nu/tt/scca-tt.jpg">

AizazBlack//S4

ARGGGH.. It sucks man. i was gonna go today, but i had to work on my finals

Larrytt

we got the TTs into the 39's!

Larrytt

not at our event. somewhere else. we were on Long Island, NY

RDROCKTT aka Stealth

CORRECTION!!!!! MY third time with Mcengineer in the car was a 40.0XX!!!!!! Punk!!

Lone Starr (Ivan)

use a few carriage returns in your posts! LOL!

I'll try to re-read these again post-coffee!