[DeTomaso] Asa Jay Passes Driving School

Mon Apr 5 09:51:11 EDT 2010

Oh believe me, I could barely fill one of those shoes.  If I can manage 
to keep up appearances, I'll at least try to keep the idea alive.

Asa Jay

Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
&  Shelley Marie
Spokane, WA
******************************
http://www.asajay.com   ***   http://www.teampanteraracing.com

On 4/4/2010 10:17 PM, Julian Kift wrote:
> 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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