Heyitsgary

I've been both fortunate and lucky to see a few types of racing.

Indy 500
F1 at Interlagos
NHRA at Englishtown
I've seen IRL, Speed GT, ALMS at MidOhio

I think I'm going to my first NASCAR experience this year. Planning on the Friday practice session at Dover. I'd like to check out a rally, but I'm thinking that once the cars go by, you're done - so you don't see a lot vs traditional American type racing. There isn't much at NJMP this year - which would be relatively close - they've had better schedules in past years.

tof

I used to get out to Gulfport Dragway most Wednesdays for bracket racing. Not the serious kind where you race heads up in a bracket that includes a range of ETs, just the kind where you post your dial in time (estimated ET) and get handicapped at the tree but lose if you run under your dial-in. Ran a supercharged Civic Si but it would only turn 14s with me at the wheel. I was slow but consistent, good off the tree and almost never broke out (ran under my dial-in) so lots of cheezy trophies and $50 checks. It helped that almost everyone else who ran imports was young and inexperienced. Rare to see the same car more than three or four different Wednesdays.

My wife bought an older Nissan pickup with a v6 and automatic. A few weeks later while she was visiting her folks in Orlando, I decided to take it to the track and run with trucks. The thing was slow...high 16s...but dead consistent. I ran within a couple hundredths of my every time. And I could just torque break and let off the break on the last yellow light to get within a couple hundredths of a perfect reaction time. This combination is gold in brackets so I ended up winning trucks that night. The guy in the Ford Lightning was kind of pissed when he couldn't quite catch me at the timing lights. I'd bet his trap speed was up around 110 while I was chugging along at around 75 or 80.

Also won a Mustang Club sponsored meet once...in an Accord! That was interesting.

It was all fun. But for fast times my son Rob's Mopar-upgraded Neon SRT was the bomb, regularly turning 11.90 on slicks. Not bad for a daily driver.



Yeah, that's right. I used to think I was bad.

dlq04

I saw my first NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway. It was a double header with IndyCars followed by NASCAR. NASCAR was so slow and boring by comparison I left before the race was over. But, having said that, I really enjoy watching them on road courses, such as the Glen but they hold no interest for me anywhere else. As for other series on road courses - I've seen them all, many times.

Morris

I have been to Sonoma Raceway several times, as I can get there in less than 30 minutes. I prefer to watch on TV. When you're in the stands you see the cars drive by, which is neat, then sit and drink beer for several minutes till they come by again. You only see one small snippet of the race.

Having said that, I have been out on the track when some S2000 drivers had a "day" there. I went out with a semi-pro driver with a couple other guys, in a 4 door sedan. He was showing us the track, and he drove that sedan like I wish I could have driven the S.

fltsfshr

One of my college roommates was Doug Walton. Walton AndersonHe was working on his masters in mechanical engineering at the U of M and worked for MOPAR's race team when not going to school. I believe he was the first drag racing team under 6 seconds in the quarter mile (AHRA)

One of the most modest and easy going people I've ever known and one of the big reasons I'm into cars.

fltsfshr

RMurphy

At autocross. I was slow. It was still fun.



More pics here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/10990...22994991191409

Morris

Murph, it looks like a blast.
What is that white car behind you? I love the front of it.

RMurphy

^^ You don't recognize the new Corvette?

RMurphy

Here's another pic that my friend Alan (who has talent with a camera, unlike myself) took...

Heyitsgary

Roseanne- It's a known fact that 12 lbs of blue painter tape slows down your times!

I tried AutoX a few times. Didn't like waiting all day for a few scattered 1 min runs, then doing cone duty. I find the track days I've done (Pocono North, Beaver Run and Watkins Glen) much more enjoyable and educational.

I think the excitement for me to see NASCAR if first, the experience of not having seen it before. Then, it's the close quarter contact and wrecks to be honest.