FCA at The Glen

[backtotintops]

I had a great weekend with Empire State Ferrari at Watkins Glen. Many people came over to our pits to see her including 3 Ferrari Challenge drivers and half a dozen crew guys from various teams. Many of the mechanics are closet GM fans and they told me so…many thumbs up seeing the car out doing what it was built for.

I began at a 2:14 and got down to a low 2:12 on Saturday. My vette friend was a low 2:11 in her and I was using his base lap in the Traqmate to find more time. As we were talking together, another Ferrari guy came over to inquire about the car…we got to talking and he said he drifted Camaros…I was a bit skeptical until he pulled out his phone and showed me a video of him in an 800hp Formula Drift Camaro with a 200shot. We discussed his experience at the Glen and he then showed another video laying down a 1:58 lap there in a 458 Challenge….sold! He was excited and I was excited. I asked him to go 85% and he promised me he would bring her home.

We jumped in right after lunch and I stupidly kept telling him the tires need to come in as we rocketed up the esses. He immediately caught a train of traffic and proceeded to breeze through...point bys do not apply to pros I guess This was the instructor group at least.

WOW! I have many many years driving and instructing at the Glen and not many of the corners we did the same. He was early almost everywhere…it was stunning to feel the lateral Gs the car really had in it.

He was coaching and needed to spot for the race in the next session so we only got a few laps. He said he was in it on the turns but left a lot on the table in braking for safety sake. I got great coaching and a fast base data lap that will take a while to get to. Thanks Conrad!!!



73 degrees, dry, sunny, PTM5, original tires at good temps, 291 oil , 229 coolant, 220 lbs fat ballast (me)

The Z can hang with the older Challenge cars but not the 458’s…REMEMBER…it’s a factory delivered totally stock street Camaro!...that happens to be wicked on the track >>>

[Spoolin]

That's pretty awesome!! So his fastest lap was a 2:08.050 in the few laps he did while left alot on the table in the breaks?

Thanks for sharing and congrats on your beautiful car!

[Harryoz]

looks great

[Zenthusiast]

OP, thanks for posting. Driver is smooth and makes it looks effortless. The car looks composed everywhere, particularly through the bus stop. Love the 4th gear pull through the esses, and up the hill after the toe. Sub 2:10's in a stock street car on street tires without harnesses ain't shabby at the Glen (or VIR).

[Wilbur]

Originally Posted by backtotintops

I had a great weekend with Empire State Ferrari at Watkins Glen. Many people came over to our pits to see her including 3 Ferrari Challenge drivers and half a dozen crew guys from various teams. Many of the mechanics are closet GM fans and they told me so…many thumbs up seeing the car out doing what it was built for.

I began at a 2:14 and got down to a low 2:12 on Saturday. My vette friend was a low 2:11 in her and I was using his base lap in the Traqmate to find more time. As we were talking together, another Ferrari guy came over to inquire about the car…we got to talking and he said he drifted Camaros…I was a bit skeptical until he pulled out his phone and showed me a video of him in an 800hp Formula Drift Camaro with a 200shot. We discussed his experience at the Glen and he then showed another video laying down a 1:58 lap there in a 458 Challenge….sold! He was excited and I was excited. I asked him to go 85% and he promised me he would bring her home.

We jumped in right after lunch and I stupidly kept telling him the tires need to come in as we rocketed up the esses. He immediately caught a train of traffic and proceeded to breeze through...point bys do not apply to pros I guess This was the instructor group at least.

WOW! I have many many years driving and instructing at the Glen and not many of the corners we did the same. He was early almost everywhere…it was stunning to feel the lateral Gs the car really had in it.

He was coaching and needed to spot for the race in the next session so we only got a few laps. He said he was in it on the turns but left a lot on the table in braking for safety sake. I got great coaching and a fast base data lap that will take a while to get to. Thanks Conrad!!!



73 degrees, dry, sunny, PTM5, original tires at good temps, 291 oil , 229 coolant, 220 lbs fat ballast (me)

The Z can hang with the older Challenge cars but not the 458’s…REMEMBER…it’s a factory delivered totally stock street Camaro!...that happens to be wicked on the track >>>

Wow, too cool, I cant wait to do that. Great video, thanks!!

[MJanowich]

Dude, Conrad Grunewald drove your Z/28??? That's nuts. He's been doing Formula Drift in a Camaro for several years and even made a guest appearance drifting with Tanner Foust on Top Gear USA a few months back. He's a talented driver.

[tw78911sc]

Car is awesome, to turn those laps while really not pressing it is very impressive, he was lifting way early going into the bus stop, I bet your car has another 10mph in it there alone. Very jealous. Stock tires from the factory?

[backtotintops]

he was raving about the car in the first lap then I got some real coaching out of him...he is so cool and laid back if you watch he actually takes both hands off the wheel a few times at over 100mph with jestures as he is talking to me and never misses anything. I bet he could have gotten it down to maybe a 2:04 which is not far from where the z/28.r runs...for me a 2:08 is my next quest. Yes the trofeo street tires and one was corded before his run...he said he's confident the car can do flat out from turn 1 to the bus stop but he noticed the corded left front and didn't want to do it. I got really lucky with this.