"Slow4o" (Slow4o)
07/16/2014 at 10:46 • Filed to: None
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"Slow4o" (Slow4o)
07/16/2014 at 10:46 • Filed to: None | 2
| 10 |
So last Saturday I ran a track day at Texas World Speedway with their Performance Driving School. A good time was had by all.
I want to preface this by saying that I sprained my ankle on the 4th, and had basically been on crutches the entire week up until Friday. So I apologize for the lack of car porn, because I basically tried to prop my leg up when I wasn't driving. For those of you don't know, TWS is an old NASCAR track in College Station, TX. The road course track goes through the infield and incorporates part of the banking. Here is a track map:
So I got there bright and early, and swapped over to my slicks and my brand new Carbotech RP2 front brake pads. I ran through a set of Hawk HP+ track pads in 2 events on my slicks, so I would suggest to anyone looking for a dedicated track pad to look at something more aggressive. The Carbotechs had excellent bite with no brake fade in 100 degree weather, and still looked brand new when I swapped them out. After tech and orientation with the green group (since this was my first time on the track), I was ready to head out for our first session, which was unfortunately under yellow (booooo). I say that, but it did allow me to learn the track pretty damn fast taking it at such slow speeds.
So the second session was our first green session, so I got to really start finding out what this track was about. Lo and behold, my fat, underpowered car was not as good on this track like it was at NOLA Motorsports 2 weekends before. Just waaaay too many straights, which caused a lot of me catching up to cars in the turns, then them blasting away from me. I was approaching red line in 4th coming to the end of the banking, so I must've been doing around 120ish, which is fast for a 210 whp 3500 lb car. The first session I got held up by a Challenger SRT8 for a while, but only towards the end. The third session was much, much faster, and I got a lot of clean laps in, a lot of which involved a ZL1 and me trading spots and chasing each other down. I also discovered that my gearing was just about wrong for this track. I either had to downshift 2-3 times a lap and bog down some coming out of turns, or downshift 5-6 times a lap along with upshifting again to get some power coming onto the straights. O well, it allowed me to practice my downshifting. My instructor wanted me to try something strange though: rev match downshifting BEFORE braking. He said it helped him drop lap times, but it was such a weird concept to me, I just couldn't process with my brain how to do it while trying to figure out my lines as well. I just stuck with heel-toeing.
After my last session, I swapped my tires and brake pads back in 95+ degrees of heat with a hobbled ankle, so that sucked. But that is what I have to do until I get a trailer! Overall I had a great time besides for my messed up ankle and the scorching weather. My instructor was good, the track is pretty fun and really close to me, and I will probably be trying to go back for another round or two before the end of the year and the possible closure of the track.
Beautiful C63 Black series that was at the track.
Twin Pantera's that had a race trailer/RV set up that would make most pro teams jealous. Like their rig and trailer had to cost over 1 million bucks.
Potato picture of me going down the banking in front of the logo.
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Slow4o
> Slow4o
07/16/2014 at 10:53 |
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Also this is what my ankle looked like the Sunday after I sprained it and walked around on it all day Saturday.
EL_ULY
> Slow4o
07/16/2014 at 11:24 |
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Oh man I should of gone with you!!!!! Dang life crap, let's race!!!
StingrayJake
> Slow4o
07/16/2014 at 12:51 |
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TWS is still open? Last I heard the grandstand was condemned and the rest of the operation was two steps from going bankrupt.
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Slow4o
> StingrayJake
07/16/2014 at 13:05 |
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Yea that was a while ago. They have been under new ownership for a bit now, but now the new ownership wants to turn it into a housing development, but people are fighting it.
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Slow4o
> EL_ULY
07/16/2014 at 13:05 |
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Haha sorry you missed out man.
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StingrayJake
> Slow4o
07/16/2014 at 16:38 |
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Good luck with that fight. I swear College Station gains a few thousand people a day. Gotta figure it'll hit peak population soon but until then it just keeps growing.
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Slow4o
> StingrayJake
07/16/2014 at 16:50 |
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Those aggies multiply like rats. But seriously, you think with all the space out there, a former race track that has had oil and gas and god knows what dumped in the area for the past 50 years would not be your ideal place to build a residential area. But maybe I am assuming cleaning up the area is a lot more expensive than it is.
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StingrayJake
> Slow4o
07/16/2014 at 18:08 |
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Hey, easy with the Aggie hate. But I gotta agree with you there. That place has to be an environmental mess if you want to make it residential.
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Slow4o
> StingrayJake
07/17/2014 at 07:26 |
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Hey now that y'all Aggies are in the big leagues, you got to be ready to talk like you are! But I can't hate them too much. My best friend went there and my wife's grandpa is a former yell leader. But it doesn't mean I can't remind them how they have yet to beat us since entering the SEC. That should give you a clue to who I pull for haha.
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StingrayJake
> Slow4o
07/17/2014 at 11:20 |
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Oh I know dem Tigers had dat Johnny Foosball figured out