24 miles of thrills at California Speedway

[Fiatdude]

I got my last Christmas gift today --- It was from my Wife and Daughter -- 12 laps in a sportsman car at CA Speedway ---- Holy Chit it was fun -- thought I'd post a couple of pictures and a little commentary.

Got there at a little before 11am -- got suited up and WHEW -- the suit hadn't been dry cleaned from the last sweaty bastard who had worn it -- and you know how us fat bastards sweat LOL --



sat through a 30 minutes indoc relearning everything I'd had forgotten about getting around a race track -- Then my group of 7 guys and one gal went out and got our car assignments -- -- I got the 24 car which was the nicest one of them all LMAO -- these cars had all been rode hard and put away wet too many times, except for mine which had just been wheeled out minutes before I got into it because some dumb ass had parked it into a wall a month earlier. SO I was the guinea pig for seeing if it went straight or turned at all -- thanks guys --

They shoehorned my big ass into the car, when I was lowering myself in, my knee hit the starter button  -- about 3 track workers shit themselves -- those bastards shouldn't of been so close damn it LOL -- -- -- I got settled in and this big guy (about my size) started helping me get belted up and my Hans device put on -- almost couldn't get the damn thing around my neck -- During all this wiggling and squirming around, I think I consummated our relationship -- with him being almost in the car with me and reaching for the belts -- got me hooked up to the radio -- It was receive only which was a good thing so nobody would hear my little bitch ass screaming as I went around the track.. .. ...

The word went out to 'start yer engines' and we were off -- except for the dumb ass in front of me who couldn't figure out how a manual transmission worked -- so I was directed to drive around him and off I went  :drivingskid: :crazydriver:

double-click this picture for the video
 

So we start coming up to speed I shift into third and WTF it is grinding -- finally figure the stops aren't setup right and I'm able to shift through third -- so I quit pushing on the lever and it stops grinding --The first lap was the forced passing exercise -- which immediately brought the asshats front and center because they couldn't follow the directions on the radio to 'move to the left and let off the gas'  and those cars following to 'step on it and pass' -- -- you would of thought we were making a rocket ship LMAO -- I wish the radio transmissions were on the long video, you guys would be laughing your asses off -- but any how, I make a few passes and finally get some clear track and bring the piece up to speed .. .. just as I geting up around 125-130 the backend start dancing around on me -- strange feeling -- like a high speed wobble in a car -- never experienced that before -- kind of unnerving getting that wobble just before you setting up to decelerate and go into the corner -- but I keep going -- on about the 5th-6th lap the flag man is signaling me to stay high and ZOOM this car goes screaming by me WTF -- here I am standing on the gas and this guy is blowing by me -- It turns out there are 3 cars setup for ride-alongs and they have a ton more HP and the full cup car spoilers on them and they make you feel like you are standing still when they rip by --- It seems just when I was about to make a lap without having to slow down behind a car the freaking checkered flag comes out and it was over and into the pits we go -- It was worse than watching a bunch nimrods park go-karts at the carnival -- I pass the dumb-asses and park the piece......

double-click again


It was a great time -- over way to soon -- I want to thank my wife and daughter for such a great Christmas present :kissass:



I've got a 22 minute in-car video they gave me -- but I can't get it to load up on photobucket or youtube damnit -- Maybe that is a good thing so you can't see how whoosie I was hitting the corners LMAO

[Fiatdude]

Ok -- Here are the videos -- thinking back on it now it would of been really cool to have started right behind the pace car just so I could of had a couple of laps of clear track with no slow weak-ass bastards to slow you down     

We were only allowed to pass after turns 2 and 4 and even then we had to have OK'd by the spotter before we could -- -- not that I would of had the balls to try to pass any of these guys on the corners    I mean I didn't know any of these people more or less to trust that they were gonna do the right thing as I came up next to them LOL Chit I didn't even trust them enough to run up on their butt going through the corners LOL

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/S27iUV454ic" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/S27iUV454ic</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y0W3SheGBik" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Y0W3SheGBik</a>

[kingsburgphil]

What a cool gift!  I really enjoyed the videos. I know watching ain't driving, but I kept finding myself wanting to push the pedal down.

Maybe I watch too much Nascar?  But then again there was a time when I called Rick Hendrick...Boss 

[mg]

ymmv...Here is a less than postive report about the Indy school at ACS...
http://www.trackhq.com/forums/f2/mario-andretti-racing-experience-acs-159-mph-not-4962/

[Fiatdude]

What a cool gift!  I really enjoyed the videos. I know watching ain't driving, but I kept finding myself wanting to push the pedal down.

Maybe I watch too much Nascar?  But then again there was a time when I called Rick Hendrick...Boss 

You the man Phil -- -- I guess I'm getting too old to really hammer the throttle, but I had a good friend that backed into the wall there in turn 1 and he was in a coma for 2 weeks and the lights were on, but nobody was home for another couple of months after that when the track first opened, that kept me pretty conservative (didn't touch the brake once while I was on the track) -- -- I think I was one of the faster cars in our group, I was only passed by the cup cars, so I guess I'm okay with that, at least I didn't need a 'clean-up' from skeering myself LMAO

[Eric Ellis (57HotrodVW)]

Cool deal!

I did something similar at Texas Motor Speedway with Team Texas a few years ago, as a surprise gift from my wife.

My drive was different in that I had an instructor in the passenger seat - without controls, so he couldn't do much except reach for the driver's wheel . They said that the cars were running ~155mph when on the limiter, which I got into going down the straights after a couple laps . The program that I was in was for 10 laps, and passing was allowed. It went by in no time, but like they say, "time flies when you're having fun".

Something else that I'd like to do is a sprint/midget car school. There are a few of them offered at dirt tracks near the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and I think it would be a blast to slide around the corners in a high HP, lightweight car.

[kingsburgphil]

Luv' em or hate them, the wives can surprise ya with some cool gifts. Like a two day driving school or a ride in Steve Hinton's P-51.

I guess thats why we look into the glass case and say...I think she'd like the one with the bigger diamonds  

Needless to say, they're memories that last a lifetime.

[mg]

P-51 ride would be awesome!
A little pricey but this school includes 3 days of instruction. 
Its 45 minutes north of Las Vegas in Pahrump.
Married guys prostitution is legal there so it’s technically not cheating, right? 
http://www.springmountainmotorsports.com/driving-schools/corvette-performance-driving-schools