First track event / drivers ed, Spent Monday at Thunderhill Options

[RoadGlue]

Spent the past few months building a fresh 2056, got it running early last week, got it running correctly on Saturday and then took it up to Thunderhill Raceway in Willows CA (about a 2.5 hour drive from Santa Rosa) on Sunday for a drivers ed with the Volvo Club of America on Monday.

The VCOA put on a 1st rate event. I learned quickly on to get out to the grid first so I could be in the front of the pack, vs. getting stuck in the traffic jams of slower cars that were in the novice class. My instructors were great and really helped me to nail down the line. I felt VERY comfortable out there and have always felt at home pushing the 914 to and past its limits. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

For the first half of the day we ran the front half of the course and then the full course after lunch. I'm running Azenis rt-615 tires and I have to give them a big thumbs up for mixed street/track use. They held up really well and gave great feedback. It's true that they do tend to get a little slippery when hot, but the feedback was still there. I did spin out once on turn 11 (oops!) do to braking late and coming in way too hot. I kept it on the course, but it got me black flagged. That didn't really matter though, as it was on the last lap of the session.

My brakes faded on that same lap. I'm a bit surprised, as I'm running Porterfield R-4 pads in the front (only) and DOT 5 fluid. I'm only running DOT 5 because that's what the car had in it when I bought it and haven't had the inclination to rebuilt the calipers and replace the master cylinder. Soon though, as I'm upgrading to the 5-lug setup I have on the shelf. That includes S-calipers as well. Thinking back I really don't think I was over-braking. I was flying around the course and had to brake hard to make some of the tighter turns. I think I have a sticky piston up front as well, so that could have been part of the problem. The rears weren't hot, so they weren't the problem. We had a pyrometer with us which proved to be VERY useful.

I'd do this again in a heart beat and would love to run Infineon and Laguna Seca as well. This event cost $195 for the day, which seemed like a total bargain. What's the best way to keep track of who's running where and how a bloke like me can get in on similarly priced events?

Coming down the main straight:
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One of my instructors and I:
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Coming down the back side of the Eagles Nest:
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Also coming down of the Eagles Nest:
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