Guys:

(I am appending this post from when I posted it on another message board--some of the smilies may not transfer, and I have to spread my 85 pics over a number of different posts. My apologies for any inconveniences. Enjoy )


I attended a 1-day High-Performance driving class at PIR put on by the local group Club Racing Arizona and Arizona Sports Racing Assoc. ( www.clubracingaz.com ).

Got (4) 20-minute sessions on the track, w/ an instructor in the car, plus 4 classroom sessions, all for $149 for the day. It was a great time and I'll definitely be back sometime this year.

I highly encourage the AZ Crew guys to do this--it's a blast.
We ran at PIR, using about 1/2 the NASCAR track + an infield road course, for a total of 1.6x miles. I was doing about 85-90 on the NASCAR curves, and just over 100mph on the long straight.

Here is a craptacular version of the track map:
We followed the RED route, in a counter-clockwise direction (as attempted to be indicated by the half-assed arrows).



There were many classes of vehicles there, ranging from beginner/street (my group) to Full Race.
My car is the Tungsten Mustang GT.
It is bone stock except for a full Ford Racing suspension package--handled GREAT on the track, and I was one of the fastest cars around the track in my group!

The Silver 350Z is my buddy's ride.
I am still trying to find the website of the track photographer who will have the action shots
On to the pics:







This group is the Intermediate group getting set up on the grid. New S4 even


This was my instructor's personal car...89 5.0 Mustang w/ a 'cage & SFC's, pushing 340 HP. He took me for a ride in one of his sessions and he was BLOWING by other cars. I've never seen a Fox Mustang go so fast















































...More pics to come in the next few posts...

 

Brake dust on my wheels after (3) sessions :hs: Notice the (3) finger marks I made down to the polished rim surface
















Instructor's car again. He's done for the day and switching out the race rubber for some street wheels/tires














Some ladies that were spectating for the ballermobile Porsche/BMW full-race sessions






















...Still more...

 

Final set of pics:

































Questions/comments/concerns?

 

Sweet !!!

So what suprised you most about the car, and after running the track, what is your next mod gonna be ???

 

Thx, gotta try to get up there. I had no idea!

 

What surprised me most...hmmm

Well the brakes actually held up through (4) sessions of about 5-6 laps each. That was a pleasant surprise.
Car & Driver always says the brakes on the GT suck and fail after about 2 laps.

The FRPP kit did the car well, I had (2) different instructors ride with me, and they were both impressed with the way the car handled.

Next mods:
I was planning on getting a CAI/Tune from Brenspeed early next year, but I am thinking about doing the GT-500 Brembo Brake upgrade instead. I'll do the CAI/Tune later on for sure though.
(Whoa before the go )
EDIT: Scratch that, the GT-500 brakes just got a lot more expensive. Maybe I'll do the StopTech Stage 2 kit from Brenspeed instead.

And I'm definitely getting a set of GT-500 wheels w/ some 285 rubber all-around in the spring of next year.

The G-Force TA KDWSs that came w/ the 18's are OK but at only 235mm and being all-weather is not optimal for track use. I may consider keeping the Fanblades at home and putting a set of 255 Toyo RA-1s on for track use only.

 

Here are a couple panorama shots I took that day as well:

View from the office observation deck:


View from the infield near turns 2 and 3 on the road course:

 

Really looks like a lot of fun. I wonder if they do anything similar at Virginia International Raceway. That'd be way more fun than drag racing.

You gotta tell us more about the Fox the instructor was driving!

 

It was an 89 I think he said. Had a Half-cage w/ 5-point harnesses. Upgraded the front brakes to Crown Vic police interceptor spec, ROH wheels w/ 245 Toyo RA-1s all around. Engine he said had a cam, long tube headers, Port/Polished GT-40 heads, and flowmaster mufflers. He also had SFCs.

Pretty unsuspecting looking, but he was faster than most of the people in the intermediate groups.

 

...still looking for track photographer's website...

 

Looks like you had a great time. Nice pics!