Sears Point November 29th, 2004
Sears Point 11/29/2004 NCRC Event
Prepping my Car for Track
Same old, Same old. car is pretty much still ready from last time, nothing broke and tires are still in good shape. Still we check for leaks, brake pads, fluids, tires, wheels, tire pressures, and torquing the lugs.
I called Erik and Shane wusses for weeks, but I still couldn't convince them to show up to Sears. I think they didn't want to break anything. Sears has a bad reputation for eating cars. I figure if I could drive it in the pissing rain during a Race (Open Track Challenge) then in the dry should be no problem. With this track only being an hour from home and me being on my own I figured I only needed to bring a small air compressor and a torque wrench. Besides help is only an hour away.
The Pits
Fast Cars: I see that a Compe Coupe has come out to show everyone how to go around the track as well as a regular GTS
Mmmm Compe coupe hotness
Sweet GTS
Hitting the track: It's a nice brisk morning and there is hay, grass see, and fertilizer all over the track. Mmmm slippy. I go out the first session and slide around a little. The line gets cleaned up pretty quickly but the track is still cold. One or two spins but nothing serious.
Second Session: Things are warmed up the track is feeling good and I have the advanced coach in the car to show me all my mistakes. It's a good twenty minute session I'm making less mistakes and picking up speed. Oh yeah, I'm ready for the time trial.
Time Trial!: It's on. I'm ready to tear this track up. I go out and warm up for one lap. I crank out a 1:51 my first hot lap. A new personal best for me. So I start up the 2nd lap and catch up to a Corvette. As I catch up to him he puts the hammer down and I try to keep up. I do a pretty decent job of it though I am following his line and making the same or worse mistakes than the vette driver. Newbie Mistake. I early apex turn 3a and go outside, it starts to come around on me and I have no chance to recover.
I go spinning back across the track with both feet in. I stare at the softest thing to hit which is a little ditch. BAM. So 2 laps out and I'm actually dug into this ditch, the car is stuck. I get my bearings and think for a second. Duh, this thing is a Subaru, all wheel drive. I drop the adjustable center diff to full lock mode and do a big reverse rooster tail burner. Dirt is flying everywhere. I'm not budging. The car stalls. Rinse, Lather, Repeat. I do it a third time and I see that they are black flagging the session. Crap. They are gonna have to tow me out...
Never give up, never surrender! Fourth time is the charm as the last car on the track goes past me to leave the track I manage to get out the ditch. The beauty of all wheel drive indeed. I give the corner worker a thumbs up and drive myself to the hot pits where they point me to the regular pits.
Yes, I got it on tape.
Looks like you got some front damage. 35MB
Crap.
So, that is the end of my latest Sears Point run. I buy $30 worth of Sears Point Race Shop Zip Ties and limp my sorry butt back home. The extent of the damage is pretty much the bumper clips are destroyed and apparently a hole the size of a golf ball in my intercooler endtank which was to remained undiscovered for a couple weeeks.