STi Files - Chapter 2: Thunderhill January 18, 19 2004

Thunderhill January 18, 19 2004

Shane's Account of the Weekend
Friday/Saturday
Ahhh what a great weekend I had. Got a call Friday night from David Ray as I was leaving work from Hooked On Driving. David wanted the STi in the video shoot Monday at Thunderhill for the video he was making for his new race organization. As I spoke more and more to him he was saying how it was not really open track Monday BUT they were having a SCCA school Sunday that I could come up and join since they had openings. So at 7PM that night myself and the other hoodlums from the STi files decided, lets go racing! So the quest began....Plans and check lists were made during dinner. I needed a radio for the drive up, so off to good guys we went. I bought a stereo brought it home and proceeded to install stereo in my STi. Meanwhile Erik and Justin began fixing the stereo installs in their cars that circuity city messed up pretty bad discovering the process they damaged Justin's speakers badly. We finished all this at 4am. Slept for a few hours woke up and headed to Frey racing for brake fluid, driving gloves and other must haves, including some roll bar padding for my miata. Proceed then to cycle gear to pick up a helmet since I still dont have one, then eat, get my hair cut etc. Get back to Erik's and start working on cars, cleaning them out, bleeding the brakes in Justin's STi since it had not been done since his last track event. We then pack our stuff and get ready to leave, it is now 10pm. Head up to willows and stay the night in the golden pheasant. I am utterly exhausted but am still unable to fall asleep and only get about 2 hours sleep.

Sunday
Get up early head to track, clean out cars, register, tape up our lights. Proceed out in our different run groups. I ran group A since I was a "newbie". I get out on the track and proceed to have some fun learning the lines of the track and all that other fun stuff. I get the same instructor the whole day it was a complete blast he was teaching me a lot and was really impressed with how I did. I got straight A's on my little report card and he recommended I could do C group after one more day or if I felt comfortable enough to run with C the next time out after I spoke with the other instructors who were also in our run group that day. Overall tha day was a blast, there was another modded STi in my run group I was playing with. He was not taking the best lines and was starting to push his luck when I was behind him so my instructor Ed Thomas had me back off and we discussed my performance so far. I poked around the course and for 1/2 lap and let him get out of sight then proceeded to get back on it and by end of session I had caught up again hehehe. Day was a complete blast!!

Monday
Wake up head to the track, have a GT3 Porsche pull behind me with a pack of other sweet cars. I realize today is going to rock. Get to the track hang out with all kinds of cool kats, most are SCCA racers at the pro level or just local open track geeks with cool cars. The one guy in the viper was a pro Trans Am champion. We proceed to drive around track at speeds that made my fast laps from the day before look like a geo going around the track. I learned allot from these guys, they all buddied up with me and showed me some awesome lines around the track so you wouldnt scrub speed on the off camber turns and also gave me lots of good advice and driving techniques. I can not thank all these individuals enough, I know I forgot all your names but you know who you are. As the day goes on we get faster and faster around the track. As we progress the director wants us as close together so we can now that we are use to driving together all of us are a car length or so off each others bumpers driving like mad men around the course. I was engaging full ABS on a lot of the turns with the GT3 just feet in front of me, talk about fun! I can say this RE070 tires suck on the stock STi!!!! and the stock subbie alignment sucks too. I need go fast parts for the STi. The crack pipe strikes once again. I do not think I will ever have a real "daily driver"........

Erik's Account of the Weekend

Justin's Account of the Weekend
Sunday
Got up early. Fortunately my wife (Mary) got all of us reservations at the last minute so we didn't have to drive from San Jose at 3am to make it up there. I am not a morning person. We went to the track and got signed in. They tossed me right into the advanced group. As well they should have. :) The street school is fun but a little annoying with the chicanes. I had to get my fix though, so I went along. I didn't bother getting lap times since they had chicanes setup at turns 1,3, and 8. It is too hard on the brakes and you can't turn fast lap times. I had a great time though and passed lots of people. I got passed a few times too though. All in all a good day at the track. Especially since nobody crashed.