Camaro5 HPDE @ Gingerman Raceway! - July 19, 2013

[ssmike]

Great pics! Thanks! I was telling my wife that I wish I had a pic of me on the track and what do you know, it's the red one in those pics! Nice!

[ssmike]

Here's my vid. It's the full 20 minutes so please don't get bored! My favorite part is in the beginning when BeckyD walks by and gives me the !

[TLSTWIN]

Originally Posted by ssmike

Here's my vid. It's the full 20 minutes so please don't get bored! My favorite part is in the beginning when BeckyD walks by and gives me the !

Your video said I couldn't watch it becuase it was private.

[Mr. Wyndham]

So....I take it everyone had a good time?

And everyone would be game if we did this again, next year?

There's nothing quite like a good track day - especially for those that have never done it before. I think someone mentioned getting their car dirty and rained on and saying it was "liberating".....that's what I like to hear!!

I'm glad everyone came out - thank you for your support and contributions to this online Camaro community. Sincerely.

And thanks to CGI for their professionalism and flexibility in working with us to plan this event!! Definitely coming back to these guys, after all the rave reviews!

Originally Posted by ssmike

Wow! What a day! Probably the most fun I have had yet in the Camaro! I learned a few things too! My instructor was fantastic and I even got to ride with him in his Lotus for some incredible hot laps!

Thank you Mr. Wyndham, BeckyD, CGI, and everyone who put this event together! Thanks T. And Matt for all your advice, and Zeus for loaning me his GoPro! Now I have to figure out how to get all the chunks of rubber off the wheels! I don't think my Camaro has been this dirty since forever!

Great to hear it, Mike!!

Originally Posted by BeckyD@RodgersChevrolet

What a day!!! It was great to see everyone at the track. The CGI
instructors were great. You couldn't ask for better when you are
a beginner.

Thanks Mr Wyndham for putting this together. Maybe next time you'll
be able to participate.

Thanks Phil and Holly from CGI. You have a classy group of really nice
people. Hope we can run an event with you again soon. Holly - thanks
for the ride -amazing!!

I ran some lap times and will post it when I get to a computer that
can do it

:b urnrubber:

Woooo!!!!

I very much plan on participating next time, as well.

Originally Posted by marticus24

We are cooling off in the hotel after an awesome day! Thanks to everyone that had a hand in putting this event together. My instructor was great as well, I learned a ton and can't wait to do it again. It was awesome to meet everyone that I did from here as well. Lots of sweet rides.

I'll post pics and vids when I get home and on a more capable computer.

PS - My poor car has never been this dirty... and just got rained on for the second time on three years - kind of liberating

Now you know what it was really built for doing!! ...not just looking pretty...

Originally Posted by State Funded

Its rare that I get excited over some recreational activity, but what a freaking day. For those of us who didn't have any mechanical issues it was awesome. The rain held out, we got saved from the heat by the breeze, for the most part, and the time on the track with our cars was perfect. CGI was a great group all around from my instructor Mark, to all the others I had talked to. All of them were very patient, helpful and instructed from a professional perspective. I never imagined of pushing my car to the limit (and beyond in my case) and thinking it would take it. Driving this hard is something I would of never did without the instructor continuing to hone my driving style to get the most out of the track and car. The ride alongs with the pros in thier cars was a whole 'nother experience, Talk about perma-grin. I would definitely do this again and will probably go back in august when CGI puts on another event at Gingerman. I think I caught the bug. Good to see some familiar faces and nice to meet a couple new ones.

Awesome....awesome to hear.

The bold above is why we do this: to let everyone actually use their cars. Chevy and the Camaro team has done such a fantastic job building these cars to be fast and track-capable...that the only real place you can safely get a true appreciation for them is on a track. I'm glad to hear another set of opened eyes!

Originally Posted by duffmobile

I had a blast at the event, thanks to CGI and everyone for hosting such a top notch event. I definitely had some issues in the afternoon when my serpentine belt snapped mid run and my car limped around the track. I literally thought I blew up my car and wanted to puke. Special thanks to Halo Supercars who literally went above and beyond to help me. They found out the belt part number, called around and drove an hour to bring it back to me. They installed it, told me to follow them to their shop so they could make sure I would make it home safe. Tom, Jody, and Brent are of the highest caliber guys.

Special thanks to Zeus for keeping me sane and making sure I made it home safe too.

Overall it was only $40 worth of damage and a busted up hood insulation piece. It's part of the game I guess!

Will definitely be back with 10 spare belts!

Ouch, man!! I'm sorry to hear that!

Glad you're ok, and there's no permanent damage to the car. Also awesome to hear Halo Super Cars stepped up! Awesome!!

[crangie]

Intermediate Session 4

[ssmike]

Hey crangie, were you the one who loaned me the iPhone charger cord? If so pm me your address so I can mail it to you!

[TLSTWIN]

Does anyone know or talk with aimless? I have seen any posts since the track day. Just wondering if he got home ok...

[StingraySS]

This was a Awesome day , even getting there late we got to catch most everyone running the course. Tom did a sweet spinout save like a real professional !! I got to see Becky from Rodgers Chevy putting her ZL1 to work , which really surprised me. touche' !

Zeus and duff , great to meet you guys and Glad we got to help you get home safe. Here's a few pics I took.
see yall at the fest !
Tommy

[Aimless]

Originally Posted by TLSTWIN

Does anyone know or talk with aimless? I have seen any posts since the track day. Just wondering if he got home ok...

Hey man could I bother you for a caliper bolt?

So, got back late Sat afternoon, relaxed and went to sleep. Woke up Sunday and proceeded to do nothing all day. Probably should've updated sooner.

So there I was, put-putting around Gingerman slower than what should be possible. I hear a faint tink from the undercarriage from what I assume to be a stray rock on the track. I finish the session even mustering the courage to break 125 mph on the back straight. Upon reentering the parking pattern I feel a slight vibration upon applying the brakes, followed by loud ka-tunk.

Turns out one of my front left caliper bolts had worked its way loose hence the tink I heard earlier. Thanks to the help of my insturctor ( whose name sadly escapes me atm...) and TLSTWIN who had a spare bolt ( I in my infinite genius had left my spare bolts at the house) I was able to make the next session, where I drove ever so slightly faster.

To be honest I was quite lucky the wheel didn't seize up and send me spinning/ rolling off the course. I was lucky no one else ran over my vagrant piece of hardware and had a blow out. And I'm lucky I had a commrade to bail me out after I had showed up to the track without the proper spares.

All in all quite the downer to an otherwise enjoyable day. The worst part is that I SWORE I had all of those bolts tightened to spec. Its 45 ft lbs plus a another 90* turn is it not?

I'll post pic later, assuming I still feel like it.

Originally Posted by StingraySS

This was a Awesome day , even getting there late we got to catch most everyone running the course. Tom did a sweet spinout save like a real professional !! I got to see Becky from Rodgers Chevy putting her ZL1 to work , which really surprised me. touche' !

Zeus and duff , great to meet you guys and Glad we got to help you get home safe. Here's a few pics I took.
see yall at the fest !
Tommy

Why didn't anyone tell me my left DRL was out ?

[ssmike]

Originally Posted by TLSTWIN

Your video said I couldn't watch it becuase it was private.

Fixed!

[TLSTWIN]

Originally Posted by Aimless

I'll post pic later, assuming I still feel like it.



Why didn't anyone tell me my left DRL was out ?

I bet u were exhausted. glad u got back ok.

Lol, if u feel like it, lol

As far as the drl......... never noticed

[TLSTWIN]

Originally Posted by ssmike

Fixed!

Nice runs, very consistent.

[ssmike]

Originally Posted by TLSTWIN

Nice runs, very consistent.

Thanks! That was session 4, by the last session I finally nailed most of the turns by getting closer to the cones! My instructor said I'm ready for intermediate class!

[TLSTWIN]

ok, not perfect, but much better runs.