[DeTomaso] Asa Jay Passes Driving School

Mon Apr 5 01:17:31 EDT 2010

Asa Jay,

Congratulations, sounds like you had a blast.

So are you filling the position in TPR that will be vacated by the Dawg now he's going back to the sand box and god forbid, selling the Pantera?

Julian

> Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2010 21:08:50 -0700
> From: asajay at asajay.com
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: [DeTomaso] Asa Jay Passes Driving School
> 
> It wouldn't have been a good weekend without at least one good spin. 
> But two? Well, it was a nice way to finish the day anyway.
> 
> The story:
> I attended a BMW CCA Driving School held in Spokane, WA this weekend at 
> the Spokane County Raceway. Day one I was placed in group D, the very 
> beginners, novice, kiddie group. It was my very first on-track 
> experience and I wasn't going to try and fool anyone.
> 
> About 45 minutes of classroom then on the track with an instructor for 
> 25 minutes. They drove first, showed us the line for three or four laps 
> and then let us drive with them as passenger. Another 45 minutes of 
> classroom, another track session. Break for lunch, then two more 
> driving sessions. Sunday, only one classroom session, with four driving 
> sessions.
> 
> I came into the line for this track pretty early, so by session three on 
> Saturday we were working on brake points, downshifting and increasing 
> speed. Sunday I got a new instructor, more aggressive, someone who 
> really pushed both me -and- the car. He didn't drive it once either 
> (like the instructor the day before), he just sat in the passenger seat 
> and gave me pointers. In session three we we were really pushing the 
> limits. I didn't get into the brake hard enough at the right time for 
> turn 2, ended up a little tight with some trailing throttle oversteer 
> and I spun it on the track; both feet down (clutch and brake) and the 
> spin ended up a 180 safely stopped. Unfortunately that meant a 
> mandatory pit, but that was okay as it was pretty much the end of the 
> session.
> 
> About an hour later, the instructor comes to me at the end of the B 
> group. I'm just shooting the breeze with other beginners waiting for C 
> group to go out and then we'll get ready. He grabs a knife and cuts the 
> "D" off my window, replaces it with a "C," says you graduated, lets go. 
> ... So who's to argue? He's the instructor.
> 
> By this time I've been really burning up the track. In session 2 today 
> (Sunday), I passed everyone except the very last car to start, which was 
> a pretty quick Miata. Two other cars (Subaru wagon and a sedan I think) 
> I've passed -twice-. Session 3, I passed everyone and was rapidly 
> coming up on lapping the slow cars again. That's when I spun in session 
> 3, near the end after having lapped the pack. With the exception of 
> that one spin in session 3, I'm getting feedback that I'm doing really 
> well.
> 
> To follow along, take a look at the track:
> http://spokaneracewaypark.com/images/SRP-Aerial_big.jpg
> I'm reaching the end of the straight at about 130 on my speedo and 
> lifting for turn one. Turn 2 requires a firm brake just before entry, 
> feels tight but it's not, it's just really long, then back on the 
> throttle before the apex and I'm shifting back into fifth through the 
> soft turns 3 and 4 and approaching 5 at nearly 120. (5 is where it 
> kinks nearly 90 degrees right) Smooth and FIRM on the brakes just prior 
> to entry into turn 5, get into fourth and then get set up for another 
> hard brake and down into third for 6 and 7, then throttle up into fourth 
> and hard brake for 8, come around 9 and throttle back up through 10 and 
> hammer the straight again. Repeat.
> 
> So the instructor gets in the passenger seat of the Pantera after 
> upgrading me to C group. He has one knee folded up and the other barely 
> under the dash. At the beginning of the day we were working on turn 2, 
> and then 5-6-7. I've got 5-6-7 down by now and 2 has been coming along 
> well, except for my spin during the prior session.
> 
> We are the first and only car out for C group in session 4, and I'm not 
> about to baby it. Others joined the party late (they weren't lined up 
> behind me when we started). I'm probably three or four laps in and now 
> passing the pack that came in late. I've passed nearly everyone in the 
> C group and have a 2005 generation Mustang on my tail. It's a fast car 
> and I've committed to give him a point by in the next passing zone.
> 
> Oh, did I mention this school allowed passing? Yea.. I got to learn all 
> about that too, every session.
> 
> So I've passed the rest of the pack and it's me and the Mustang, I'm not 
> proud so I'm going to give him a point by in the next passing zone, but 
> I'm going to make him work for it until we get there. Well, that's when 
> it all unwound on me, or rather... I choked.
> 
> I came into turn 2 really hot and didn't get firm enough on the brakes, 
> lifting early and turning in I got classic understeer, the wheels just 
> kept going straight. So I backed off the throttle and made my 
> mistake... I tapped the brakes, and let me tell you it was nearly 
> instinctive that as fast as my foot hit that pedal I -knew- it was the 
> wrong thing to do and I even said as much to my instructor at the very 
> moment my foot hit the pedal. Then it was both feet down, the car went 
> wide and into the gravel. After the traffic passed, we drove right 
> out. The gravel isn't shallow except in a couple of spots, luckily I 
> found one and didn't have to be towed out.
> 
> So what happens when you hit gravel at nearly 70 miles an hour... sideways?
> This:
> http://www.teampanteraracing.com/index.php?option=com_g2bridge&view=gallery&Itemid=57&g2_itemId=3374
> 
> The wheels are now off the car and the air has been let out. I'll be 
> taking them in tomorrow and having them cleaned up by the same guy who 
> originally mounted them.
> 
> So let's recap.
> I just took a 36 year old Pantera,
> With stock Girling Brakes (Porterfield pads)
> Stock 351C engine (new valve stem seals/keepers, water pump)
> One extra quart of oil and the oil pressure was -great- exiting 
> turn 2 at nearly 100 MPH.
> Stock ZF transaxle (safety wired, new clutch)
> Fluidyne radiator with sucker fans
> Toyo Proxes R888 on Stock 7 & 8 Campy wheels
> and five point harnesses...
> 
> out to the RACE track and HAD A BLAST! For TWO DAYS!
> Feedback after it was all done indicated many instructors were impressed 
> with my performance, how much I learned and appeared to -retain- and put 
> to good use. They were very impressed with the performance of the 
> Pantera and said the guy driving it had really come a long way in just 
> two days.
> 
> I met two or three other folks there who either owned or knew of 
> neighbors with Panteras. I think this weekend was an eye-opener for 
> them. I think the Pantera got a lot of good press "in the flesh" this 
> weekend and I had a -great- time with everyone there, despite my little 
> mishap. :)
> 
> Now.... I need some sleep.
> 
> Asa Jay
> 
> Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
> & Shelley Marie
> Spokane, WA
> ******************************
> http://www.asajay.com *** http://www.teampanteraracing.com
> 
> 
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