We had a fantastic day at Heartland Park, the weather was perfect - clear blue skys and a light cool breeze - I even got a little sunburn despite putting on SP-Million sun block!
When we arrived at the track there was a pretty good line to the registrations window to get credentials, and I was suprised to see how many race rigs there were - pick-ups towing enclosed trailers - I guess the first track day of the year is a good sorting-out time before the race season starts.
There was a much larger than normal advanced group too, with all sorts of interesting cars - the usual newer Mustangs and Corvettes as well as Z cars, S2000's, a few M cars including a new M6 convertible, no Vipers that I could see but our resident celebrity was there again with his new ride - a bright orange McLaren MP4 -12C!
Our first run was a complete disaster - not in the sense of anyone wrecking - but it was complete chaos in the run group. I don't know if some Novices got in there by mistake or what, but there were no point bys and the group kept bunching up at all the corners, finally they black flagged the problem child and once he went to the pits the group sorted itself out and things went a little smoother. I have Vid of that session but as I was getting pretty frustrated - let's just say it's not work safe.....for language!
The next two run sessions we changed our strategy and gridded at the front instead of the back - we usually grid to the back to let the faster Corvettes and such run on ahead so we don't have to point them by - this time WE went first, and as you'll see, only two cars passed us, the rest were no where in sight!
No one had any mechanical problems, no one had any "offs" and all in all it was a great day at the track! For our last session we traded leaders, first Boxer led for a couple, then Dimini in the P'up (which ran great all day, and was fast as heck!) then at the end I led a couple. It was fun to see the different approaches and lines some of us take (
) and a good way to learn the fast way around the track.
Once again, for those who insist that a manual transmission is a must have for a fun car, please note that not only was I able to easily keep up with the other cars in my group, but also put most of them well behind me - in my bone-stock Clubman
Automatic running all season tires! You do not
need mods, special brakes or tires or a lowered suspension to go fast and have a fun day at Heartland Park!
Hagar and Kabootist ran with us all day as well, but due to the vagaries of the grid and traffic I don't think I have any vid of them except the aformentioned "blue" version noted above.....
Here are a couple of pics and a link to the vid on You Tube - sorry about the sound quality - I still have to figure out how to blunt the wind noise better in my vids - I had two layers of race car tape over the mic opening, but even so you can clearly hear me giving the slo pokes in front of me directions on where to go and what to do, so again - sorry - that vid will not be shown today!
This vid is of our last run of the day, with me, Boxer and Dimini swapping the lead.....this would be a ton of fun to do with more MINIs BTW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md4MN8Np ... ature=plcp
BTW, straight up on my speedo is 80mph, and the next number is 100! If you want to see how good stock MINI brakes are, watch the speedo needle as I come up on Dimini at the end of the first straight and brake from over 100mph to 50 or so in an eye blink....both of their cars are a little quicker out of the corners but I always catch them at the end of the faster bits.
