[Sniady]

"It's time for the AROSC high performance driving school february 8 & 9, 2003"

So, who's going? I sure am. If you need an entry form I can e-mail it to you, or you can contact Doug Bender (AROSC Competition Director) at [email protected].

 

[AlfaRacer75]

Shannon and I will be there... not in Alfas though. She'll be driving her new SVT Focus and I'll be driving my WRX. We're both signed up for the Adv Time Trial class.

Which class did you sign up for Sniady?

I can't wait! I haven't been on the track since Laguna in November... and that's like an eternity!! I'm used to doing a track event at LEAST every other month, occasionally once a month (when finances allow)... and it's been 3 months now!

 

[Sniady]

I'm doing the street performance class. Does the intro class get a lot fo track time?

 

[AlfaRacer75]

All of the groups get equal track, skidpad and classroom time. You rotate positions every hour.

Being in street performance you'll most likely be in the classroom first for an hour, then skidpad, and finally an hour on the track. Time trial group will go to the skidpad first, then class, then track, adv time trial/race will go to track first, skidpad, and then class... etc. There are either 2 or 3 rotations each day... I can't remember exactly, it's been a while since my last school. Then Sunday afternoon they open up the WHOLE track (we only use a small 8 turn section of the track during the school) for all cars equipped with the proper safety equipment (harness & fire extinguisher).

Fun fun fun!

 

[Sniady]

So, is there more then enough track time for the groups? I want to come back home with bald tires!

 

[AlfaRacer75]

Not as much track time as a time trial, but you'll have plenty of opportunity to wear out those tires, especially on the skidpad!

 

[Sniady]

Cool, do they set up cones on the skidpad? I wanna do some drifting!

 

[AlfaRacer75]

They will set up all sorts of different activities on the skidpad like slolam, wet skidpad exersizes, etc.

 

[Sniady]

Sweet!

I just hope the intro group guys use there accelerators. I'm not a pro, but I like to go fast and push it!! I'll stick in the back of the line.

 

[AlfaRacer75]

You're doing the Street Performance group, right? Not the lunchtime intro group? I don't know if they do the lunchtime intro group at the schools (maybe... but its not mentioned in the flyer).

During the track time you can pass slower cars on the straight or pull back into the pits and have them let you out where there's no traffic.

 

[Sniady]

Yeah I'm doing the Street performance, I just call it the intro group, because Street Performance sounds a little to tuff for me.

You can pass on the straights! YES!!! Oh, it's going to be fun!

 

[AlfaRacer75]

Look out though... last time I did a school there were lots of FAST cars with SLOW drivers in Street performance... hopefully they'll let you pass on the straight Sorry, but it doesn't matter how fast you are on the rest of the track... there's no way you're gonna pass a Corvette Z06 or Viper on the straight unless they let off

Just kidding, people are usually curtious enough to let you by if they are slower.

 

[Sniady]

Yeah, hopefully they will let us pass on the straights. Oh, I'm not stressing any Z06's or Vipers. Please!!! I own a Alfa Romeo GTV. I can easily just pull in the pits and wait 10 seconds.

 

[argtv7]

Driving School

OK, first, our guest instructor will be John Morton. If you don't know who he is, just "google" him. He won the 12 hours of Sebring....3 years in a row. 2 time LeMans winner, 2 time Trans-Am champ (Datsun 510), etc, etc. Don't miss the dinner at the Chinese restaurant...probably a slide show of John's career!

It looks like we have a particularly large race school, so there is a posibility that we may do a double sized race group and move the advanced time trialers together with the intermediate guys. There is no "lunchtime" intro group. Us instructors get to go out and play at lunch. I hope to be driving one of Joel Quaids Ferrari 360GTs (he's bringing 2!!).

Extra credit....I hope to lead a walk around the track for anyone interested. We'll "probably" do it at about 7:15 Saturday morning. Very very informative! A big advantage. I may tell the racers that they have to do it. Let me know....

If you have a chance to put harnesses in your car, and a fire ext (if you don't already have them) it's worth it, because you can do the "lapping session" at the end of the day Sunday. It's the best part, but you need harnesses. Borrow them if you cant buy them.

Happy to answer any other driving school questions...been instructing at them since 1993. I'll be teaching the race school, as usual.

Brad

 

[AlfaRacer75]

Hey Brad,

Thanks for the info...

I think if someone offered me to drive thier F360GT on the track I'd be jumping up and down with excitement for weeks!!

I have a question regarding harnesses:

I need to install a harness in Shannon's SVT Focus for the Adv TT school, and had a question about mounting points. Usually I would replace the rear seatbelt mount bolts with eyebolts and clip the shoulder harness into that, but her car has clip-in points for a child seat (I think thats what it's for) and ithey're bolted into the rear belt mounts on each seatbelt position. Can I just clip the shoulder harness to these or should I go ahead and replace the bolts with eyebolts? The child seat attachment points look to be very strong and seem to me that they would be just as good as eye bolts. One other question.. anti-sub belt... does it have to mounted with a bolt through the floor or can it attach to the seat mount (underneath the seat there is a nice thick steel bar running left-to-right that is part of the seat slider on the floor side, and it seems like it would be perfect to attach the 5th belt to).

One last question... do you know how long the Sunday afternoon lapping session will be? I think it's usually an hour (last time I did a school we went CCW for 30 min and CW for another 30min) but I can't remember exactly. Actually if you know the schedule for the event it would be great if you could post it.

Thanks!

 

[argtv7]

Harnesses

Without seeing the saftey seat hooks you are talking about, I couldn't tell you. It sounds like they should be fine, so see if it passes tech. The sub belt really should be bolted to the floor, but if this is a one-shot deal for the harnesses, you "might" be able to get away with hooking it up to the seat for the school. No guarantees, and definately a no-no for a regular time trial. Ask Paul Ellis or Paul Blankenship. They are both listed on all of our literature.
You will want to get your car teched ahead of time. It saves so much headache, and lets you focus on what you came to the school to do--drive. There is nothing worse than scrambling thru late-tech at the track (which also costs a lot) when you could be either walking the track, or riding with an instructor slowly (all you have to do is ask-but nobody ever does). It's called a "station wagon tour" and is another huge advantage.

You are right, the lapping session is usually a half hour. I am not telling which way around the track we will be going, or which configuration, either........The racers used the whole track (including the new "back loop") and went the oppisite direction last school.

Oh, and if Joel lets me drive the 360GT, it will be the 4th time I have driven it. I drove it for 2 full practice sessions at the last time trial. Paddle shifters were impressive, as were the 450 ponies. And the brakes....and the sound....and the.........1:27 laps!
Joel has been doing the Ferrari Challenge series, and did quite well last season. 2nd place in his first race! He even went to the championships in Italy last year, and finished in the lead pack. He was my Intro Group student 5 years ago. He invited me to drive it again at Sears Point on Tues -Wed following the school, where Ferrari Challenge will be having an open test session. Can't wait!! I live 3 miles from Sears Point.

Brad

 

[Sniady]

oooooo, I need to get a set of harnesses before I go.

Any recommendations for good quality and priced harnesses?

Where can I buy a fire ext? Or I can take one from a apartment building but those are huge.

 

[argtv7]

Harnesses

http://www.deist.com/

These guys are in LA, and they are great. Simpson does not re-web, but Diest does. That's important. Do yourself a favor and get the 3 inch shoulder harnesses (they also offer 2 inch). Some clubs require 3 inch, and you need 3 inch for race group. They are more comfortable, too.

Brad

 

[AlfaRacer75]

Re: Harnesses

You will want to get your car teched ahead of time. It saves so much headache,

The racers used the whole track (including the new "back loop") and went the oppisite direction last school.

We will definitely tech before hand, I'm very happy that you guys finally got some new tech people down here. For a while after Gerry Lehman stopped doing tech there wasn't any place down here close enough... but now there are a couple.

We ran the back loop in the lapping session last time and it was great! The banking was a lot of fun, the only bad part was that the sun was so low by the time we got out there it was very hard to see in a lot of places.

Good luck with that Ferrari you lucky, lucky man!

 

[Sniady]

Thanks Brad, I'll see you up at Willow.