Coochas

I spent Monday and Tuesday at the relatively new facility, the Monticello Motor Club. I went with one of the local groups called COM: nice bunch of people and an interesting mix of cars. This is the club that I actually did my first track days with back in the late 70s early 80s.

From a post I had in the DE forum I learned alot from various people's comments about Monticello as well as RonCT's comments and video.

Monticello was supposed to be the inaugural voyage of my Spec Boxster but the brand new S-oil cooler my builder put in (Kenny Conway) had a leak in it! Uggggggggh! To salvage the situation, I decided to run my 997TT and to 'be good.'

Overall I had a great time running at the facility. Others have noted that there is not much room for error at this track: the guardrails are close to the road surface and there are no gravel traps (yet?). The facility will be very nice once it is completed.

I was running with stock Bridgestone RE050s which I don't care for! Despite this I think I did a decent job driving. My low times were 2:42 and I ran a 2:43 in the time trial which got me 2nd place (SSU class). A GT-R ran an impressive 2:39 and the two Z06s were far off from my pace. The nice guy driving the GT-R is no doubt a better driver than I am and he was running R888s. We ran neck and neck for MANY laps occasionally giving each other point bys. We had a great time talking afterwards in the pits. The 7-GT3 there ran a 2:42 in his class (SSGT). Kenny Conway, my SPBOX builder, ran a 2:43 in his 964 cup. I believe the FTD was around 2:34 in some sort of formula car. I'm sure my next time there I would be able to get below 2:40 and certainly if I ran some R-compounds.

Although I was by no means driving my DD at the limit, once I got the line down I was consistently hitting the rev limiter in 5th gear on the long straight flat out through the kink (?about 155-160 I think) before braking down to about 50 for the chicane. If I was 'going for it' I would early shift into 6th to get a few more mph. I'm assuming this is where my heart rate was highest per lap.

The rest of the track has a large variety of turn types and elevation changes. There are two turns 2 and 12-14 which are fairly slow. I think the 12-14 chicane should be reconfigured. Even for an Auto-X it would be a tight turn! Turn 16 is really unsettling and I had to tap the brakes before entering. With some male enhancement I think I could go flat out into it.

First time back on track in 2010.....man it's good to be back in action!

If you have a chance to drive this course, I highly recommend it. Just be careful because there is NO room for errors resulting in off track excursions.

Tomorrow I'm going to NHMS. Wife will be driving her Mini and I'll be in my Spec Boxster for the first time! I'm PUMPED....I just hope there are no major problems since the car was totally reworked this winter.

And now for some gratuitous pics....


The track:


ROAD TRIP!!!!!



Pensive before going on the track for the first time. This is from inside of Kenny's trailer.



The Super Pumpkin next to Kenny's 964 Cup




Do not commit a RULE 4 VIOLATION !!!! This was at the pool at the hotel. Do you really need to tell people not to **** in the pool?




There was some wild weather which fortunately came right at the conclusion of the event!

MLindgren

Thanks for sharing Dave, that is one bad *** ride.

Coochas

Thanks! It's a real keeper for me.

cello

Hmmm, I looked over at the R & DE Forum too, but didn't find the track vid or the turn-by-turn description ....

Great facility.

Sounds like you guys had fun!

Nugget

I love that orange. Every time you post pics of your TT I'm reminded that we should buy our cars for us and spec them how we want. Any day on track with a Porsche is a good day, but it sure sounds like you had a particularly great one.

Coochas

Fun, fun, fun.
BTW, for anyone bringing a guest, there's some nice hilly biking in the area. My wife took two long rides while I was on the track. At least that's what she told me.
Agreed on all counts!

cello

M-u-s-t

s-t-a-y

c-i-v-i-l .....

Is the Spa facility now open ?? Thought if it were, it might be a way to get the wife to head up the next time we go ..

Glad you guys had a great time. Should be even more fun next time with the SPBX as the Armco wont look quite as near ..

buckwheat987

Nice write up Dave and thanks for the pixs.

Coochas

Sorry man, no spa! The town of Monticello is actually quite depressed and most of the store fronts are vacant. The area seems like it was probably a summer destination back in the 50s or 60s.

But there are a few Stewart's stores. Man I love that root beer!

cello

The Spa was originally supposed to be at the track in the main Clubhouse - I guess the economy ..

OT, but a bud of mine wked at a Stewart's in HS. The root beer wld be in these big vats that had aeration. In the summer months, when the bugs are blooming, bees, esp yellow jackets, wld get in there by the hundreds. Secret part of the recipe .. , and yeah I like it too.

996toomey

Nice job Coochie!

Are you going to be satisfied driving the Spec Boxster after feeling the raw HP of the Turbo?

I might be able to find you a 2011 RS allocation or maybe a used GT2 if you need a track car with more ponies.

StanThePorscheFan

918 spider is comong soon for a LITLE more

RonCT

Dave,

Reading your experience for some reason had me thinking about just how much shifting there is going on at that track. 150+ on the long straight down to 4 to 3 to 2 for that hair-pin zig/zag. What a pain! What is cool about that transition is just how late you can brake because of the uphill. Threshold braking with heel and toe as you climb and transition right - it is something.

We going to see you at LRP June 3 or maybe Monticello again early August with CVR?

DJ23

Thanks for the story Dave. PM me if you come down to Lime Rock this year. I'm signing up for a DE on July 10th. Hope I can see you there. In any event I can just imagine how great it would be to try the PDK out on this track. I just can't imagine 150-160 down the front straight. Must have been something. Keep enjoying the car. It was your inspiration that prompted me to get my own TT.

Jay

PHDX2

Awesome orange!!!!!