Steven Jacksons comments on his experience at Limerock last Monday prompted me
into this note on my "Open track day" at Watkins Glen, also last Monday.
For the last five years I have attended the local Shelby Mustang clubs track
day at the Glen. This event draws about ninety to a hundred cars of mostly Ford
products but this year there were two TVRs, my Vixen (V8) and an early 1500 cc
Grantura. Like the Lotus group Steven mentioned the Shelby club welcomes the
TVR and the people are very friendly and curious about this strange little car.
Monday was a perfect day, bright sun, cool temperatures and a contrast to the
rain the SCCA had to contend with the previous day.
The people/cars are broken into four run groups, Novice (first timers) group
two (some experience, street cars) group three (more experience higher
performance cars, including mine) and group four which was mostly the
instructors. They refer to it as a "'Performance Driving School" which means no
racing and no passing in the turns (well mostly as there was some cheating that
brought out the wrath of the organizers). The intent is to have fun driving
your toys at speed on a real race course with "minimal" risk. They provide
instructors, and as a novice you are required to use them, and all people are
recommended to use them as well. They also provide very good class room
instruction. I have not used an instructor for the last couple of years but
honestly I should since I have no claims to having any real skill. These events
are a humbling experience since most first timers view themselves as good
drivers and, of course, they have the fastest car. Well, the first time after
a few laps you find out you have little idea of what you are doing and the
"little bugs" your car may sometime have on the street become big problems when
the cars are running at high speeds and temperatures. This stress condition
opens up a whole different form of shipwrights disease. During our first run a
big block Shelby put 13 quarts of oil on the track and I went through it before
there was any warning flags, another new experience for me and a wait in the
pits while the track crew cleaned up the mess.
This was my first year to run the TVR with the V8 conversion in the dry (last
year we ran in the rain all day) and I quickly found the car is now limited by
its tires and brakes, plus the driver is even farther over his head! The first
three years I ran with the Shelby group I had been frustrated by catching these
big bangers through the corners and then not having the steam to pass them on
the straights. The V8 has taken care of that problem but it is still not a race
car. The brakes were smoking by the third lap, so much of the advantage I had
in previous years of going deeper into the corners than the big cars was gone
and I could easily overpower the 190 mm tires. I was pleased that car still has
its neutral handling and the engine only ran slightly hot when I forgot to turn
on the electric fan.
I recommend you try one of these open track days any time you get a chance.
This one was well run, cost 95 dollars and included a nice T shirt. I recorded
about a total of 85 miles on the track and a one point saw the speedometer well
past the last mark of 120 mph, all without ever putting the car in fifth gear.
It`s a great experience, you quickly learn you and your cars limitations and
it will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up!
John Forrester
70 TVR,55 MG,73 JH.86 V***e
Pittsford NY
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