Finally did COTA in my 1LE.

[cornerspeed92]

So even though COTA is only 2 years old this has been a bucket list thing. This place is so amazing, even though there's no history yet...there's already history there. My main 2 events for the last 2 years were Miller and COTA, and i did both. I figure between the 2 events just south (including 2 sets of F1's)of $7K....GOOD GOD!!!!! This will be it for the foreseeable future i just cant afford to buy tires each time and everything else that goes along with tracking. The next few years im going to concentrate on running Silverstate, i really want to win this thing. Im thinking a TURBO as i want to run the 150 MPH class, those that dont know that's an average speed of 150 MPH, will run most of it at 156-158 MPH.

So on to COTA, so my boy and I leave southern Calif on our way for sure what is what to be is an unforgettable experience and one hell of a road trip, 3031 miles when i got back home. I drive for about the 1st 5 hrs then hand baby over to him just east of Phoenix in a town called Casa Grande. He had barley just got through adjusting mirrors when i hear oh *uck!!. I was actually on my phone on C5 responding to another thread, i looked in my mirror and saw red and blues. I asked Jason how fast he was going and he said 90. So the cop comes up and asked him does he know how fast he was going, and he said yeah 90, the cop said well he was doing 95 and couldn't catch him.

Although my boy will be 30 in June i felt really bad for him, and the Father in me wanted to try and protect my boy, so i leaned forward for the cop to see me and said, i know were getting a ticket, but would you please take into consideration this. I told him that he just got behind the wheel back at Casa Grande, and had only been behind the wheel for 8 miles or so. I said this car goes so fast so easy and you cant tell if your doing 70 or 100, i mean i was sitting right there i know how he was driving, by that i mean he was just driving not going crazy. I told him that he flew in from Salt Lake to help me drive, and even told him what and where we were going.

Not 3 min later, he walks up to my side(startled me)hands my registration Jason's license and say's you guy's have a safe tripwas my reaction. We just got out of a 95 MPH ticket, i said you are one cool dude!! We then talked about the car, my racing ETC. I told him i would be doing a write up on this event, and could i give him a shout out, so Sgt.M. White badge # 1612 Pinal County AZ you are one cool dude. He is a Sheriff not Highway patrol, if anyone knows this guy please let him know this is here.

We get to the hotel and start going thru everything and it turns out as with Miller, my new external MIC doesn't work. I checked it at home when i got my brand new GoPro, and it worked, but not when i needed it too. We get to the track Fri and it is just pouringIm thinking i spent all this money to watch it rain. After the drivers meeting i see a screw in my rear tire (my melt down didn't happen til Sat though) luckily i spent the money to have my sticker tires transported there, so i knew i wasn't *hit out of luck. I pulled the screw and thank God it was small and didn't penetrate the tire. I ran into a couple C5'rs, MtCobra, and KRich2587, they both just moved to Texas from Calif. I didn't get to run with Travis, but i did take Kirk for a session, he can he can confirm that i caught and passed a 2015 Hennessey prepared 650 HP Z/28. Obviously my car isn't faster then a Z/28.

Well 9:00 AM now and im up, and it's still raining I went out just to see the track though. It stopped raining shortly after and by my 2nd session there was starting to be a dry line, and the rest of the day was perfect, again what a bitchen place. So Sat night we hear thunder and wake up to rain...again, unlike Fri it stopped raining before session #1 I put the new sticker'd tires on and oh my God was it slippery, i couldn't put any power down, obviously. Ok so 2nd session it's dry and im ready...let's do this, new tires, i know the track, and im in the zone. Well i dont get 1 lap and they throw a red flag....insert beginning of meltdown.

So we'll back up to Fri first. In one session there was this prick in a Porsche GTR3, superior speed to me, but i was all over him where it mattered, he got 2 blue flags in one session for holding me up, and of course my brand new GoPro let me down and got too hot (which i dont understand) and turned off with this interaction with this prick, but he's behind me now. Ok so back to 2nd session Sat, it turns out the reason for the red flag was stupid ass crashed in turn # 3 on cold tires shutting down the track for over an hour while they replaced the safer barrier which he has to pay for. Probably $50K damage to his ride, as well as his hospital visit

Luckily im well liked by Speedventures and was able to run in a different group as to not lose my session. I have a few videos, but the ones from my boy's phone which is linked up with Harry's lap timer wont play for some reason. If you want to see them just go to my Utube channel cornerspeed92 and you can view them, it's super cool watching the G-meter going through the Esses, they were so bitchen.
This 1st video is with Harry's, but probably wont work, i have more pic's too, but they wont load either.



In this video that's a McLaren in front of me, there were two there.

I beat the hell out of my new MONSTER clutch, and it performed perfectly, thanks again Steve.

[cornerspeed92]

Disclaimer...haha! so Harry's worked, and my 3 min lap is the 1st session on Sat, with a wet track and new tires.

[Mark T]

Might be that you hit the site (speed)limit on video's.

[Ragnar]

That is frikin awesome, glad that ya'll had a good trip and ran across a cool Sheriff! Cool video's and pictures with a lifetime experience! Thanks for sharing!!!!

[Front Runner]

Awesome story and pics!!!! Thanks for sharing.

[cornerspeed92]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

That is frikin awesome, glad that ya'll had a good trip and ran across a cool Sheriff! Cool video's and pictures with a lifetime experience! Thanks for sharing!!!!

Originally Posted by Front Runner

Awesome story and pics!!!! Thanks for sharing.

Glad you guy's liked, got this one up and running.

[tw78911sc]

great stuff. track looks awesome with good bite. Did you ever get to use 5th gear? Surprised how tight some of those corners are, the fast rhythm section is great, nice lap. Just when you think you are fast a full down force race car on slicks weighing 1800 lbs goes by like you are standing still. Good job keep eyes in the mirror, the closure rate with those cars is amazing, you look one time they are 1000 yds behind, 3 seconds later they are on you, 3 more seconds and they are gone.

[cdb95z28]

Great story and great vids/pics!

[KRich2587]

Thanks again MArk for the ride!!!! I believe I'll be able to take beast (thats what i'm sticking to calling her now) this fall to COTA can't wait it was great to see you and hopefully we can catch up in Cali at some point i'm sure i'll come back to visit

[cornerspeed92]

Originally Posted by tw78911sc

great stuff. track looks awesome with good bite. Did you ever get to use 5th gear? Surprised how tight some of those corners are, the fast rhythm section is great, nice lap. Just when you think you are fast a full down force race car on slicks weighing 1800 lbs goes by like you are standing still. Good job keep eyes in the mirror, the closure rate with those cars is amazing, you look one time they are 1000 yds behind, 3 seconds later they are on you, 3 more seconds and they are gone.

Thank you, and yes there were some fast runners there for sure. No i never got into 5th, i almost topped out in 4th, but then it was time ti hit the brakes...and hard :-)

Originally Posted by cdb95z28

Great story and great vids/pics!

Thanks, it was a great time.

Originally Posted by KRich2587

Thanks again MArk for the ride!!!! I believe I'll be able to take beast (thats what i'm sticking to calling her now) this fall to COTA can't wait it was great to see you and hopefully we can catch up in Cali at some point i'm sure i'll come back to visit

Yes my friend it was good seeing you as well, glad you were able to stop by and go for a ride, hope you enjoyed it. The "BEAST" is appropriate for your ride. The best i could get down the back stretch was 137, i expect you will see 155MPH. I have video of our pursuit and pass of that 650HP Hennessey prepared Z/28 but it wont upload. Jason did all the overlay and posted them to Utube for me (Thanks Jason) but there marked private so they wont load. He's real busy right now so check back from time to time and they should be here.

[cornerspeed92]

Looks like there working, this is the video of Kirk and I catching and passing that Z/28.The last one is just a drive by. And after the pass, yes that is one of the McLaren's that were there.

[KRich2587]

goota love my "yeah baby" after we pass the Z lol

[cornerspeed92]

Originally Posted by KRich2587

goota love my "yeah baby" after we pass the Z lol

[cajun1le]

Looks like you and your son had a great time! Thanks for sharing!