First trip trip to Mid Ohio and First event in the GT3...
10-19-2011 | 10:41 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: Summerfield, NC
First trip trip to Mid Ohio and First event in the GT3...
Hello, I picked up an 05 6GT3 back in September, I drove it straight home from Denver to WV. 1360 miles in 18 hours. Love the Car!!!
I am coming from a Stage 3 B5 S4 so with no boost leaks, over boost, IC hoses blowing off, overheating temps, and worrying when the Turbo lady would arrive next, all there was left to do was drive the car and hang out between sessions!! After taking the Stage 3 to the track for the last 4 years I have finally seen the light. In my S4 I missed almost as many sessions as I ran and the weekend was never without some good car drama. I know many of you have moved on, some sooner than later, and some are still tracking their S4.
I loved my S4 on the track and when she ran well was a ton of fun to terrorize the P Cars with. She did however have to be thrown around to get her to move and loved rotors, brakes, and tires. (XP 12 carbotech pads will smoldier the grass when you lose an IC hose out of turn 1). I was very hesitant to get a non turbo car as I love the torque and highway pulls but I am here to tell you that I couldn't be happier!
Day 1- High of 58 and 15-25mph wind!
The GT3 is a scalpel on the track. I was rewarded with being smooth and easy on and off the throttle. It was my first event in the GT3 as well as my first event at Mid Ohio. I had a very good but conservative instructor who had an 81 SC but a great guy and 18 years of instructing. I took the first session out very slow and focused on burning the track to my memory. I started to get the track down in the 2nd session and picked up the pace. He soloed me off after 2 sessions and I progressively had the car moving around more and more and got faster and faster.
I finished up day 1 and was very happy with the GT3 and my learning progression with the rear engine/rwd. I was still wondering if I was faster in my S4?? We had some high gravity beers at 5 pm at the track then headed to dinner. Best steakhouse in Belleville Ohio, can't remember the name. Texas steakhouse knockoff, decent at best, but steaks were big and we were hungry.... In bed by 11, sorry no Rock Star award...... (although I tried for 5 minutes to open a Coors Light at the carwash with the mat clip before I realized it was a twist off.) King of the Dip****s for sure!! Sorry I am a beer snob, double/imperial IPAs all the way.
Day 2- Rained for one session then dried up, high of 60. Got nice in the afternoon.
Started lining up in the front behind a guy in an Orange GT3-RS. I had a lot of fun chasing him around. We moved around the track passing anything that we came up on in lap traffic. The GT3 is an unbelievable car and once you get comfortable in it extremely fast and easy to drive on the track. We passed 996 Turbos, lots of vettes, (no new Z06) 944 turbos, bimmers, EVOs (sorry Anthony) old 240 race cars, it didn't matter!! Once I caught the next car I was one straight away from a pass sign. I did get passed by a GTR on our wet session but the track dried out and I quickly reeled him in. (prob a noob because I would have never caught my buddy John in his GTR.)
The Orange RS was a father/ son combo and they drove the wheels off the car. They have put 7000 miles on it of almost all track miles since this Feb! Caution if you are buying this car:-O Anyway they were both nice guys and I went for a ride with the father. He was unbelievably smooth and fast on the track. He ran several 1:40 laps on Pilot Super Sports when he had an open lap. He was in 2nd coming out of Keyhole and Carousle and was putting the power down much earlier and flying out if the corners! He has 24 days in this summer and it showed!! He said he was only 1 second faster on Hoosiers...Wish they made Pilot Super Sports in an 18" in my size. He made me realize how I need to steer the car with the throttle not the steering wheel once I make my initial turn in. It will come with time.
Next session out I lined up behind his son an after 2 laps he pointed me by and I stayed out in front of him. We worked our way through traffic but lap after lap I would put time on him out of those 2 turns. He came over after the session and couldn't believe it. I told him I used his dads 2nd gear trick:-) I got down to a 1:44 lap during that session but we rarely had an open track. My buddy with the tuned GTR ran a few 1:42 laps, he was cooking!!
I was excited I could keep and pass a GT3 RS in my slightly underpowered less $$ GT3. No it doesn't look as Nasty but my pimp status isn't that high yet. It is great to just change brake pads and wheels/tires and flog your car to 8200rpm all weekend and drive her home. I really feel other than the full blown race cars with some more experience the 996 GT3 will run with about anything at the track!!! Did i mention how fun it was to drive!!
Notables from the track:
-TT-RS did great on the track and with some stickies will be fast!!
-GT3 is scary in the rain but it was a good learning session (almost lost it 3 times while going slower than I thought possible)
-Rocking out to Clutch while driving is always a good way to go
- 38psi is too greasy on pilot cups
-Ohio Valley region PCA are much cooler/laid back than the Potomac chapter
- Another GT3 lost a coolant hose in Madness causing 5 cars to go off and 1 hit another in a sand trap totaling his new $30K engine:-(
-My car can brake much later than I was.
-waiting for the RS to get through traffic Messing around in 2nd gear through Carousel will lead to an Agricultural Excursion
-guys in tuned Neon SRT-4 love to pull up on the interstate and flex their BOV at you
-My buddies Viper is fast but will take while to learn how to drive
-A weekend at the Track is a great way to recharge the batteries of your soul and get away from the daily grind.
All in all a wonderful weekend at the track minus my buddy with the Evo X blowing his motor while in cruise at 55mph. Hope the warranty covers it!
Keep the shiny side up-
Go Pro Footage from the Car. 3rd session out so still learning the car....
http://youtu.be/F1S-QgXSXS8
I am coming from a Stage 3 B5 S4 so with no boost leaks, over boost, IC hoses blowing off, overheating temps, and worrying when the Turbo lady would arrive next, all there was left to do was drive the car and hang out between sessions!! After taking the Stage 3 to the track for the last 4 years I have finally seen the light. In my S4 I missed almost as many sessions as I ran and the weekend was never without some good car drama. I know many of you have moved on, some sooner than later, and some are still tracking their S4.
I loved my S4 on the track and when she ran well was a ton of fun to terrorize the P Cars with. She did however have to be thrown around to get her to move and loved rotors, brakes, and tires. (XP 12 carbotech pads will smoldier the grass when you lose an IC hose out of turn 1). I was very hesitant to get a non turbo car as I love the torque and highway pulls but I am here to tell you that I couldn't be happier!
Day 1- High of 58 and 15-25mph wind!
The GT3 is a scalpel on the track. I was rewarded with being smooth and easy on and off the throttle. It was my first event in the GT3 as well as my first event at Mid Ohio. I had a very good but conservative instructor who had an 81 SC but a great guy and 18 years of instructing. I took the first session out very slow and focused on burning the track to my memory. I started to get the track down in the 2nd session and picked up the pace. He soloed me off after 2 sessions and I progressively had the car moving around more and more and got faster and faster.
I finished up day 1 and was very happy with the GT3 and my learning progression with the rear engine/rwd. I was still wondering if I was faster in my S4?? We had some high gravity beers at 5 pm at the track then headed to dinner. Best steakhouse in Belleville Ohio, can't remember the name. Texas steakhouse knockoff, decent at best, but steaks were big and we were hungry.... In bed by 11, sorry no Rock Star award...... (although I tried for 5 minutes to open a Coors Light at the carwash with the mat clip before I realized it was a twist off.) King of the Dip****s for sure!! Sorry I am a beer snob, double/imperial IPAs all the way.
Day 2- Rained for one session then dried up, high of 60. Got nice in the afternoon.
Started lining up in the front behind a guy in an Orange GT3-RS. I had a lot of fun chasing him around. We moved around the track passing anything that we came up on in lap traffic. The GT3 is an unbelievable car and once you get comfortable in it extremely fast and easy to drive on the track. We passed 996 Turbos, lots of vettes, (no new Z06) 944 turbos, bimmers, EVOs (sorry Anthony) old 240 race cars, it didn't matter!! Once I caught the next car I was one straight away from a pass sign. I did get passed by a GTR on our wet session but the track dried out and I quickly reeled him in. (prob a noob because I would have never caught my buddy John in his GTR.)
The Orange RS was a father/ son combo and they drove the wheels off the car. They have put 7000 miles on it of almost all track miles since this Feb! Caution if you are buying this car:-O Anyway they were both nice guys and I went for a ride with the father. He was unbelievably smooth and fast on the track. He ran several 1:40 laps on Pilot Super Sports when he had an open lap. He was in 2nd coming out of Keyhole and Carousle and was putting the power down much earlier and flying out if the corners! He has 24 days in this summer and it showed!! He said he was only 1 second faster on Hoosiers...Wish they made Pilot Super Sports in an 18" in my size. He made me realize how I need to steer the car with the throttle not the steering wheel once I make my initial turn in. It will come with time.
Next session out I lined up behind his son an after 2 laps he pointed me by and I stayed out in front of him. We worked our way through traffic but lap after lap I would put time on him out of those 2 turns. He came over after the session and couldn't believe it. I told him I used his dads 2nd gear trick:-) I got down to a 1:44 lap during that session but we rarely had an open track. My buddy with the tuned GTR ran a few 1:42 laps, he was cooking!!
I was excited I could keep and pass a GT3 RS in my slightly underpowered less $$ GT3. No it doesn't look as Nasty but my pimp status isn't that high yet. It is great to just change brake pads and wheels/tires and flog your car to 8200rpm all weekend and drive her home. I really feel other than the full blown race cars with some more experience the 996 GT3 will run with about anything at the track!!! Did i mention how fun it was to drive!!
Notables from the track:
-TT-RS did great on the track and with some stickies will be fast!!
-GT3 is scary in the rain but it was a good learning session (almost lost it 3 times while going slower than I thought possible)
-Rocking out to Clutch while driving is always a good way to go
- 38psi is too greasy on pilot cups
-Ohio Valley region PCA are much cooler/laid back than the Potomac chapter
- Another GT3 lost a coolant hose in Madness causing 5 cars to go off and 1 hit another in a sand trap totaling his new $30K engine:-(
-My car can brake much later than I was.
-waiting for the RS to get through traffic Messing around in 2nd gear through Carousel will lead to an Agricultural Excursion
-guys in tuned Neon SRT-4 love to pull up on the interstate and flex their BOV at you
-My buddies Viper is fast but will take while to learn how to drive
-A weekend at the Track is a great way to recharge the batteries of your soul and get away from the daily grind.
All in all a wonderful weekend at the track minus my buddy with the Evo X blowing his motor while in cruise at 55mph. Hope the warranty covers it!
Keep the shiny side up-
Go Pro Footage from the Car. 3rd session out so still learning the car....
http://youtu.be/F1S-QgXSXS8
10-20-2011 | 10:32 AM
#4
Race Car
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,511
Likes: 49
From: Columbus OH
Glad to hear you had a good time, sounds like you got your self acquainted with everything pretty quickly.
I'm suprised you were able to even get heat in your cup's last weekend, Saturday was brutal with the wind.
Andy
I'm suprised you were able to even get heat in your cup's last weekend, Saturday was brutal with the wind.
Andy
10-20-2011 | 12:08 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: Summerfield, NC
It took some work to get them hot. Glad to see a couple mid Ohio guys.
Andy Who? I thought the Orange RS owner was Tom and his son was John.
Look forward to meeting you guys at an event. What other groups do you run with there?
Andy Who? I thought the Orange RS owner was Tom and his son was John.
Look forward to meeting you guys at an event. What other groups do you run with there?
10-20-2011 | 12:18 PM
#7
Race Car
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,511
Likes: 49
From: Columbus OH
I should have clarified, I wasn't there, I live about 40 min south of the track and was outside detailing cars Saturday morning, not trying to put heat in pilot sport cup's though the later would have been much more fun. I was there a couple weeks ago and had problems getting heat in my cups in the morning sessions.
There are tons of Mid Ohio dates every year. Probably 6-10 PCA events between the various chapters, BMW Club, Audi Club has a great event every 4th of July weekend, NASA had 3-4 dates a year and SCCA has a few as well. Lots of opportunities to get out there.
Andy
There are tons of Mid Ohio dates every year. Probably 6-10 PCA events between the various chapters, BMW Club, Audi Club has a great event every 4th of July weekend, NASA had 3-4 dates a year and SCCA has a few as well. Lots of opportunities to get out there.
Andy
Last edited by AudiOn19s; 10-20-2011 at 03:24 PM.
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10-20-2011 | 12:34 PM
#8
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,049
Likes: 0
From: Cary NC
Great write up. Sucks to hear about another coolant fitting issue; glad you were spared!
I've really enjoyed the last almost 2 years learning my GT3. Smooth really is the trick; she'll bite you if you **** her off!.
I've really enjoyed the last almost 2 years learning my GT3. Smooth really is the trick; she'll bite you if you **** her off!.
10-20-2011 | 10:46 PM
#12
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: Summerfield, NC
Yeah the coolant hose was a bummer. I actually lost mine a couple weeks ago on the interstate. It was the one behind the radiator so I was able to drill and tap and re glue it without dropping the engine. When I drop my engine I will fix the others.... Really can't believe there hasn't been a class action lawsuit yet. Guy that was behind the GT3 and went off and hit an older 911 that just spent $30K on motor. Car is trashed....
Bummer!
Bummer!
10-21-2011 | 01:01 PM
#15
Rennlist Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 14,167
Likes: 263
From: san francisco
Yeah the coolant hose was a bummer. I actually lost mine a couple weeks ago on the interstate. It was the one behind the radiator so I was able to drill and tap and re glue it without dropping the engine. When I drop my engine I will fix the others.... Really can't believe there hasn't been a class action lawsuit yet. Guy that was behind the GT3 and went off and hit an older 911 that just spent $30K on motor. Car is trashed....
Bummer!
Bummer!