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OK, just a warning, this is a fairly long writeup with lots of hi-res pics...read the whole thing! There's lotsa cool pics, interesting stories and good info! OK, I just got back from my driver's school at Watkins Glen. Let me tell you, this was probably the most fun I have ever had in a car. I can't wait to go to my next one. High speed lapping is the absolute tops! If you ever get a chance to go, jump on it! The format of the school was: morning driver's meeting, then 4 rotations of 30 min. classroom, 45 min. track session, 15 min. break, and repeat (each day). There was 1 instructor for every 2 students, with 3 run groups [open track/instructor, B (advanced), and C (novice)]. Here are a few pics of the track that I took on our track walk. From what I understand the track is very different from most other tracks in that there are very few turns with a run-off. The majority of the track is lined with guardrails and walls so there is not a lot of room for error. 
We were only allowed to pass on the straights and only with point-bys. I never realized just how perfect road racers have to be in order to win. Example: 1 session I bascially spent the entire session playing with a ~93 Mustang which was totally built, R tires, etc. The car was definitely faster than me, he pulled about a carlength on the straights, but he wasn't that great of a driver. I was all over him in the turns, and in fact, despite me being BEHIND him, I could hear I was getting on the throttle sooner, meaning I was taking better lines. I also walked a 99 Camaro SS on the straights, at low boost too! However, a 98 Viper GTS (see pics below) passed me like I was stopped on the front straight. In my defense, I did lift as I gave him the point-by, and I could hear he was at full throttle coming out of the turn anticipating the pass. He was also running 17" CCW wheels with R tires (335mm wide!), so he easily caught me through the turns and lapped me on at least 2 sessions. Also he had dual K&N and a Borla exhaust, claimed 470 flywheel HP. Pretty nice guy too, talked about how the Z06s are dogs and he east them for breakfast. I also heard he posted the 3rd fastest lap time at the NE Viper Days competition, so he's pretty capable. The other times though I would point him by and keep on the throttle, he passed me but it took the entire front straight (again, I was only running .95bar).
Anyway here's 2 pics of me. We weren't allowed anywhere on the track to take pictures but they had a company using some REAL nice equipment taking pics, that's what these are: 
If you're wondering, I was running my street tires (Firehawk SZ50) at 44psi all around. I checked with a pyrometer and temps were even all the way across so the pressure was good. The tires were really impressive. Also my suspension felt damn near perfect, the car was set up really well. I was able to keep up with nearly all the cars running R compound tires! Also the Brembo brakes absolutely rock! I was coming down the back straight at 120 mph and hit the brakes at 400 ft, and turn in to the chicane at 200 ft no problem, and I wasn't even really pushing the brakes' limits! Also after almost 150 miles of track time, the brake pads were maybe 1/3 worn. I was only running .95 bar because some of the turns I was taking full throttle in 3rd gear, up near 6000rpm and barely able to keep the car on the track. I was afraid 1.2 bar would have sent me flying off. However I could have used it in the straights, the car wasn't pulling hard above 5500 in 3rd and 4th. BTW I ran the whole course in 3rd and 4th, most of the tDBD::ODBC::db prepare failed: (DBD: st_prepare/SQLAllocStmt err=-2) at incl_db.pm line 314.
ime above 4500rpm. For those who I have spoken with regarding my boost levels (CarlDBD::ODBC::db prepare failed: (DBD: st_prepare/SQLAllocStmt err=-2) at incl_db.pm line 314.
os et al.), the AVCR is in self learn now, and seems to hold it where I set it altho it spikes pretty high. Set at .95, it spikes around 1.05 but then holds at .95. I was playing around on the thruway on the way home and set at 1.2 it spikes at 1.4 but then holds around 1.18, which is pretty good, considering. For some reason (maybe my SoloII experience, maybe my line of work experience) I was put in the advanced run group. Not only that, after the first day I got signed off to run solo! *Pat myself on the back* There were guys there who had 3 previous schools at WGI and still ran in novice, with an instructor constantly. Here's a few of the other cars in attendance, which included half dozen 911s and Vettes, 2 Vipers, 2 NSXs, numerous M3s in various trims, S4, Ferrari, 2 MR2s, 2 Panteras, numerous Rustangs and Camaros. BTW only 1 other Z there, but what a Z iT was! 240Z, built in 1969, #8!!!!! I only spoke with the owner briefly, guy named Tom something in Rochester, said the car was one of the original Nissan show cars which was later converted into a factory racer (same condition it is now). I don't know what he's got under the hood, it said Nissan on the motor and it looked fairly stock, but he was passing people on the straight like no tomorrow. He'll be at the convention next month. 
Here's the Viper that kicked my ass:
 Others:
 
Hope you enjoyed this post! Phew, I never knew how much work it is for a long writeup like this LOL. Comments/Questions welcome!
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Z at the Glen!!! - 
