Thanks for doing it for those of us who couldn't be there!
daveS
----- Original Message -----
From: <CalSpeed@aol.com>
To: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>; <wai@ix.netcom.com>;
<livseym@wellsfargo.com>; <Kmasa@aol.com>; <tony@slpcpa.com>
Cc: <Sou1Knight@aol.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2000 3:04 PM
Subject: Time Trails with my SRL
> Hello...
>
> Well, I finally had a successful day at the track! Its been about
two years
> since I had a trouble free day racing my 67.5 2000. Most of you
will
> remember my off road excursion at Thunderhill Raceway which broke a
wheel,
> ripped an exhaust system out, trashed a steering box... etc. Then
there was
> the loss of brakes at Laguna Seca. And last but not least the loss
of
> compression in #1 cylinder which turned out to be a back valve seat.
>
> Well, a new set of wheels and tires, suspension pieces, a brake
master
> cylinder, slave cylinders, pistons and calipers and a rebuilt
cylinder
> head... My Roadster kicked some serious "dust" at Sears Point
Raceway.
>
> Early in the day the track was slicker then ice. No exaggeration.
I was on
> the front straight in 3rd gear revving at 3400rpm and the rear
wheels were
> spinning. Thanks to the very foggy conditions of the Wine Country
the track
> stayed slick until about 10am. But by time my second run session
started the
> track was dry and the weather was a beautiful sunny 65 degrees.
Awesome
> dude...!
>
> The car ran wonderful with power all the way up to 7000rpm in 3rd
gear. That
> was good for about 95mph. A shift into fourth gave me about 110
before I had
> to brake and dump it into 2nd gear. Sears Point is a great track
that isn't
> an all-out high horsepower course like Laguna Seca. S.P. has lots
of esses
> and medium long straights. (Was able to take advantage of the new
3.90
> rearend) Brake fade was predicable but the Roadster was always very
> stoppable. The tires were awesome! As Dan Rather might say, "...
they stuck
> to the track like chewing gum to a hot N.Y.City sidewalk". I highly
> recommend the Yoko A032R's.
>
> The best part of the day was of course the other cars. Oh... let
correct
> that statement. Passing the other cars. Forget about the hi-po
Mini Cooper.
> He was in my dust easily. I rode the bumpers of late model
Porsches, BMW's,
> Integras, Vipors... and even a Ferrari 960. All of which I
evenually caught
> up to and passed. Yes, even the Year 2000 960! They were all not
to pleased
> to see a Fairlady riding their bumper from turn to turn only to pull
away for
> alittle while when they had a straight. Eventually they were
flagged to let
> me pass and once I did I waved, "Thanks", (actually it was more of a
> sarcastic thanks) and pulled away. They got to see the rear of my
car and
> video camera disappear at the next set of curves! Yes! It is all
on video!
> Of course there were the cars that did show me a thing about modern
> equipment. I think the fastest cars were the well driven Miatas.
Yeah...
> they are great cars when prepped correctly. In stock form...? See
ya!
>
> Of course all of those high power cars would easily blow me away
with a good
> driver. But it is sure fun to smash their "high dollar" ego into
the
> asphalt. But for that particular day my Fairlady had bigger "rocks"
then
> those exotic racers.
>
> Thanks again to Dave Pina and son of the Roadster List for coming
along to
> check out the racing and photgraph me at speed. Also thanks to Sony
for the
> great video footage! ;>) I hope that others will be able to join
me in 2001.
>
> Michael "Calspeed" Carion
> 67.5 SRL311-000248 Solex
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