"SubiSanchez" (sanchez20)
08/12/2014 at 11:48 • Filed to: nascar scca subaru rally
14
52|
"SubiSanchez" (sanchez20)
08/12/2014 at 11:48 • Filed to: nascar scca subaru rally | 14
| 52 |
This weekend while NASCAR was at Watkins Glen for the 2nd of it's two road course races on it's calendar, I was far over on the West Coast having my own experience with stock cars on a road course. I was a hot, sunny afternoon at Portland International Raceway and I had gone to attend the Big Northwest Subaru meet. As a big Subaru fan I couldn't pass up the opportunity to check out one of the biggest Subaru meets on the West Coast. There was plenty to see from rally cars to time attack cars and everything else including crazy show cars with booming sounds systems.
The parking lot had been set up into an autocross course which had plenty of tire-screeching and traffic cone crushing action going on. I stayed for a bit watching as BRZs and WRXs tackled the course navigating through the maze of orange cones. Soon my attention shifted towards the activity going on at the other side of the track.
Across the track in the main paddock, the Cascade Sports Car Club was having it's annual Dash for Kids races to benefit a local children's hospital. The main paddock was filled with a great variety of cars from various SCCA classes getting ready to run. I decided to abandon the Subie fest and scurried over the pedestrian bridge over the front straight to the main paddock. There was everything from race prepped BMW E30s and spec Miatas to big GT1 cars and stock cars rumbling around.
I wandered around snapping pictures and admiring the different cars in the paddock till I came up the the pre grid where I noticed three rows of cars lined up at the end of pit lane. I also noticed a crowd of people standing around and anxiously waiting. Most of them with crash helmets on and a few with full racing overalls. Most of them seemed to be kids with a few teens and adults in the crowd. My curiosity grew and I walked closer. As I approached I noticed a sign that explained they were offering ride alongs in race cars and there were different options to choose from. My pulse suddenly got stronger. For $10 you could go for a few laps in a spec Miata or BMW E30. For $25 you could ride in a supercar which included a few Porsches, a Corvette C6, a pair of Ford GTs, a Nissan GT-R, and an Acura NSX you could choose from.
The final option was a ride in a full blown stock car race car from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (Great American Stockcar Series). These cars are a sort of a mix between a late model and a more serious stock car such as an ARCA or NASCAR K&N Pro car. These cars are designed to race on short tracks and road course and are actually manufactured locally by a fabrication company in Portland. I decided to go all out and shelled out $50 for a ride in one of these beasts. The fact that this was benefiting a children's hospital justified this unexpected expense in my mind. I was directed over to a tent where I was handed a firesuit, crash helmet, head sock, gloves, and even a HANS device. Things suddenly got a lot more serious. I slipped on my gear and zipped up my suit all the way. The temperature was just north of 80° F so I quickly started to get sweaty with my gear on. The nervousness from realizing what was about to happen certainly contributed to sweating too.
After waiting for about 10 minutes I looked over to see three stock cars thundering down the pitlane. One of them would be my ride. The cars squealed to a stop and killed the engines. crew members swarmed the cars and unlatched the safety nets and seat harnesses then helped the passengers climb out of the cars(stock cars don't have opening doors). As the passengers got out I saw the huge smiles on their faces. They had obviously just had felt an immense rush. Now it was my turn finally. A crew member signaled for me to come over and climb in. Now I had seen NASCAR drivers climb into their cars plenty of times on TV but it is a bit of a challenge especially with a bulky helmet on. I ungraciously managed to slide in the passenger seat and suddenly realize just how cramped it was inside a race car. The seat was mounted low in the car and surrounded you quite snugly. I got strapped in and tightened by one of the crew members. "If it ain't tight then it ain't right" he said as he finished the belts and latched on the window safety net. I shook hands and greeted my driver for this ride. Bob Moline, driver of the #90 Ford Fusion. The car is a Ford in name only as all cars are mechanically identical. I took comfort in finding out Bob has been racing for three years in this series and is actually a driving instructor for the series. He tells me that if at any time I feel the need to chicken out of this ride I can just waive my hands to have him slow down and return to the pits. I thought to myself "who would want to miss out on the ride of a lifetime?". I would quickly find out I was not as brave as I imagined.
A crew member standing in front of the car gives a thumbs up signal and Bob fires the engine up. The car literally shakes to life as I am reminded this is a purpose built racing machine and not a luxury car meant to be comfortable. Bob selects first gear and disengages the clutch as the car violently jolts forward. This is not meant to be a user friendly machine. All three cars leave the pits together. They will take us for two laps around the track following each other in a fast but controlled pace. Not passing will be allowed. As we reach the end of pit road Bob guns the throttle. The force of the 450hp V8 crate engine pushes me back into my seat but suddenly Bob is on the brakes for turn 1, a tight left-right chicane. Everything I thought I knew about stock cars and their "less than perfect" brakes and handling theory is suddenly invalidated. We blast out of the chicane and then go into turn 4, a long right hand sweeper. I get my first taste of lateral Gs as we sweep around and suddenly turn the other way for turn 6. My insides feel like they are sloshing around inside me. Perhaps I should have waited till after the ride for that polish dog and curly fries. It's too late for that though. We power down the back straight before braking for turns 9-10, a quick left-right and then right again around turns 11-12 and onto the dragstrip which doubles as the front straight. I can actually feel the car sliding a bit as Bob tries to carry as much speed through the last turn. Now were going down the front stretch and up ahead I see turn 1 quickly approaching. It is the tightest turn on the track but Bob shows no intention of slowing down as we approach. "There is no way we are gonna slow down in time to make turn 1" I think to myself. Just then Bob applies the brakes and the car quickly loses speed. He muscles the car onto the apex, through the chicane, and back on the power again.
Now whoever is under the impression that stock cars can't handle on a road course should know that these machines have plenty of stopping and turning capabilities. Yes they may get a hard time for not stopping or turning as good as a GT car and being a few decades behind in technology but these are proper racing machines. We finish up the second lap and pull into the pits. The car comes to a stop and the crew members quickly get to undoing the window net and unstrapping me from the seat. There are more riders waiting and time is limited. As I climb out of the car I notice I'm panting as if I had just sprinted up a flight of stairs. I realized the strain that sustained G forces put on your body and I had only done 2 laps. This goes to show that a certain level of fitness is needed to drive a race car. I headed back over the pit wall and gave back my safety gear(they didn't want the head sock back) as another lucky rider got strapped in. As I walked back down the paddock towards the pedestrian bridge the cars came around again on the track. I watched them thunder down the straight this time with new appreciation for speed. It certainly had been a great day for this car nut.
HammerheadFistpunch
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 11:50 |
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"Oh you own an STI, have you installed your hella horns yet?"
is the first thing you should always ask upon meeting an STI owner.
Coty
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 11:55 |
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Damn nas car ya gut right thur.
$kaycog
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 11:56 |
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Ford GTX1..............awesome! "A pair of Ford GTs"...........more awesome.
55_mercury
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 11:58 |
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NASCAR car... c-c-c-carrrrr
OPPOsaurus WRX
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/12/2014 at 11:59 |
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yea why is this? I saw one over the weekend with them. I thought maybe it was stock but no?
ScreenShot
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:00 |
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' brakes ' dammit...not ' breaks' - you're writing for a car website for cripe's sake.
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HammerheadFistpunch
> OPPOsaurus WRX
08/12/2014 at 12:00 |
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no, but it may as well be. Search "hella horn STI" and be overwhelmed.
STIKleinWagon
> OPPOsaurus WRX
08/12/2014 at 12:01 |
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Because the stock horn is kinda wimpy and the hella supertones are hella loud...
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STIKleinWagon
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/12/2014 at 12:01 |
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Most order the horns before the car...
StalePhish
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:02 |
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Wow, got battle scars?
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OPPOsaurus WRX
> STIKleinWagon
08/12/2014 at 12:03 |
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is it a different horn than the WRX? I dont mind what came with mine.
The Transporter
> ScreenShot
08/12/2014 at 12:05 |
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Spelling? We don't need no stinkin' spelling!
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SubiSanchez
> ScreenShot
08/12/2014 at 12:07 |
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My bad. Writing this at 2am after a full day of work and school will do that to you. Perhaps I need a brake errr I mean break.
My X-type is too a real Jaguar
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:08 |
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Mad Max approves of this modification
smallblockelky
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/12/2014 at 12:10 |
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As someone who had a WRX, not an STI, and who installed Hella Supertones immediately....
You'd be dumb not to do this. Look awesome. Sound awesome. I swear my dad almost crapped his pants.
daender
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:11 |
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Not just a Ford GT, but a rarer GTX-1!
Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:12 |
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I was there, but I was too busy running auto x to catch much else.
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STIKleinWagon
> OPPOsaurus WRX
08/12/2014 at 12:13 |
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It's the same as the horn on the WRX. STI doesn't get a special horn. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr…
HateBox
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:25 |
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This looks like my dream monster. Where can I find more info on this build?
All Motor Is Best Motor
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:29 |
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This looks like a Ford GTX-1. They didn't make regular GT's as a convertible, if I'm not mistaken.
Matsayz
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/12/2014 at 12:33 |
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As with most stock horns, they sounds like a bike horn. $50 and you've got Suburban level "I'm in this lane and no you can't take it while I'm in it"
MotoArigato
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:34 |
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Awesome write-up man! I almost went out out for the SCCA races but as you said it was hot as hell so I wimped out, I really wish I had gone now. No idea they offered the track laps, will be on the list next time!
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SubiSanchez
> All Motor Is Best Motor
08/12/2014 at 12:35 |
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Yes it is a GTX-1. I didn't realize it at the time but thankfully I snapped some pics of it otherwise I would have not forgiven myself.
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SubiSanchez
> $kaycog
08/12/2014 at 12:37 |
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I feel somewhat ashamed to admit I didn't realize this was a GTX-1. Thankfully I took pictures of it.
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$kaycog
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:38 |
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No biggie. I'm just glad you took pictures! :D
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DarylAWarthen
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:47 |
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Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, go to tech tab for work detail
wrxkwndo
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/12/2014 at 12:48 |
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I'm on my third WRX/STi, if you count my wife's WRX, and I've never fully understood the Hella horn craze. They are certainly louder than stock, but I think they're hideous. My wife insisted that I install them on her car because she drives in city traffic a lot more than I do and tends to need them. I painted them flat black so they can't be seen behind the grill without really looking for them. My first WRX didn't and my STi will not have them.
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HammerheadFistpunch
> wrxkwndo
08/12/2014 at 12:50 |
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I had a forester xt (05) and I didn't have a problem with my horn. No its not "manly" or whatever...but it worked fine. My cruiser has a pathetic horn too and if I were touring African or south America or something I may considering getting a better horn...but why? it does the job. Im convinced most people do it for the looks.
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wrxkwndo
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/12/2014 at 12:54 |
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I'm sure you're right. Which is why I don't understand it. They're hideous.
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All Motor Is Best Motor
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 12:55 |
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It's a very rare and unique car. Has more HP and a louder exhaust than the regular GT.
mrjason
> wrxkwndo
08/12/2014 at 13:05 |
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Im with you on that one. My STI will never see a set of those.
31ModelA
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/12/2014 at 13:20 |
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wait - this is a thing? replacing the stock horn with a different sounding horn?
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HammerheadFistpunch
> 31ModelA
08/12/2014 at 13:21 |
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yes, very much a thing.
Dusty Ventures
> ScreenShot
08/12/2014 at 13:25 |
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This is an Oppositelock post. He's not a paid writer, nor am I or anyone else here in Oppo. Writing is not our job, it's just something we do for fun to share our thoughts, stories, and adventures.
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ScreenShot
> Dusty Ventures
08/12/2014 at 13:26 |
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Thanks for explaining the recent celebration of fun mediocrity.
Vina J. Powell
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 13:48 |
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Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, go to tech tab for work detail
==================================
apexassasin
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 13:57 |
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thats me!
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apexassasin
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 13:59 |
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Hey that's me!
Andrew T. Maness
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 13:59 |
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Having gone for a ride along with Patrik Sandell on a GRC course and with Ken Block on a Gymkahana course I am looking to cross NASCAR ride along off my list ASAP.
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E30Pro3
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 14:12 |
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Hey my car made a Jalopnik post! Glad you had a good time. Man was it HOT!
RVAFTW
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 15:26 |
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Forget the Nascar, I want that truck in the background with the mailbox sticking out of the hood.
endusone
> wrxkwndo
08/12/2014 at 15:31 |
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Have you ever actually honked the stock horn? If so...how can you possibly not understand the craze?
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wrxkwndo
> endusone
08/12/2014 at 15:47 |
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I have, but I also don't make a habit of driving with the horn either. 80% of my daily driving is on the highway. Even if I needed the functionality, I'd go out of my way to make them disappear, which is what I did with my wife's car. The craze I don't understand is the guys that buy them for looks and paint them bright colors. It's just tacky.
doubleshotpower
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 16:46 |
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If you have a WRX (mine is a 2004), then you need to go the classy route with some VDO gauges.
Shit— how do I attach my picture???
DomEOD
> 31ModelA
08/12/2014 at 16:58 |
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Welcome to the world of modifying cars.
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RacingFamily
> MotoArigato
08/12/2014 at 18:02 |
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They allow the track laps like that just once a year at the CSCC PIR race in August. 100% of proceeds go to children's charities. If you are interested, they also have various driver training schools throughout the year (you provide your own car). Check out http://www.cascadesportscarclub.org/ for more details.
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RacingFamily
> MotoArigato
08/12/2014 at 18:02 |
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They allow the track laps like that just once a year at the CSCC PIR race in August. 100% of proceeds go to children's charities. If you are interested, they also have various driver training schools throughout the year (you provide your own car). Check out http://www.cascadesportscarclub.org/ for more details.
Jared
> OPPOsaurus WRX
08/12/2014 at 20:10 |
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It's just one of those mods we love to do for some reason. They look nice sitting in the grill, and my god are they loud. I have mine (06 WRX wagon) installed on a switch so I can turn them off and on.
It's part aesthetic and also one of the easier mods to do on a car that most people try to work on on their own. So that may be a part of it—once you put the turboback in, and maybe throw some sway bars on, it's a great intro to the basics of the electronic system in the car and a mod that can realistically be done in a few hours for under $100.
Does that help?
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OPPOsaurus WRX
> Jared
08/12/2014 at 21:32 |
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yea, i never really knew this was a thing.
Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/12/2014 at 21:34 |
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Don't forget all the bros who install train horns in their lifted trucks as if they need another obnoxious signal that they are riding your ass
Dsscats
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 23:49 |
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YES. SO MUCH YES
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Dsscats
> SubiSanchez
08/12/2014 at 23:50 |
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Stig!? Is that you!?!?!?