Chris L.

1. The help that is available on this board is second to NONE! Thanks guys.
2. Jerseybean provided to me the most wonderful gift I could have gotten this year...his 2005 GT3.
3. Having a good race shop (Synergy Racing for me) is INVALUABLE!
4. Open trailers, though lightweight, are a pain in the butt with all that "ramp on-ramp off" crap 4-6 times a weekend!
5. Speaking of trailers, I found it is always a good idea to make sure the car is either in gear, parking brake applied or both PRIOR to loosening the LAST front strap holding her on. The good Lord was with me as the car rolled perfectly down those ramps I mentioned above and came to a stop after missing the basketball goal. Did not even scrape the front lip spoiler. LIFE LESSON LEARNED!
6. Good friends are worth a million, even if they don't pay you for the pizza, and the new people I met this year (TD in DC, LV Dell and Jerseybean) I enjoyed adding to the list of good friends.
7. When you feel something "funny" at 155mph on the backstraight, believe it to be a tire and you stop on pit road to check it out only to have them tell you everything SEEMS good...take her into the paddock and check for yourself. They can only do so much for you in that situation. Today I had corded a left front and parked her before something bad happened.
8. Two days with David Murry instructing (along with video from a trailing car) are worth MORE than all the money I spent on the other crap this year.

That's enough. You guys have anything to add?

BrianKeithSmith

That's cold Chris! I offered at least 3 times to pay for my share of the pizza!
My Lesson Learned : Don't let Chris buy dinner, he'll hold it over you

Good to see you this weekend man!!! - and thanks for the pizza - I now owe you 3 slices.

Brian

Chris L.

I wondered whether it would be you or Jim who picked up on that first!

BrianKeithSmith

I think my big lesson for the year may be that when my air fuel gauge reads abnormally high, don't keep on driving, pit in and figure it out....

Also, I learned NOT to help build engines for my friends, who then use those engines to go out and make me look like a pansie out there on the track... A930Rocket smoked me this weekend....

A930Rocket

Brian beat me home by five hours. I didn't have a chance...

BTW. Thanks for the pizza again.

When you and your wife are in Chucktown, let me know, so we can go out to dinner.

A930Rocket

You should have learned from my lesson at VIR July 4th weekend. When your oil temps reach 250 degrees, pull in.

I wouldn't say smoked. We were close on the starights and I was hanging on when I had to make a turn.

tchandler

Great lessons, but I don't understand number 4. Why are you loading and unloading a car 4 to 6 times a weekend??

Chris L.

Street/track car so load at home, off at track, back on at track and unload at home.

Mark in Baltimore

I learned Lesson # 5 all too well, with my car, fortunately, coming out as unscathed as yours.

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/277927-runaway-car-or-there-must-be-something-in-the-water.html

analogmike

Nice post!

>> 7. When you feel something "funny" at 155mph on the backstraight, believe it to be a tire and you stop on pit road to check it out only to have them tell you everything SEEMS good...take her into the paddock and check for yourself. They can only do so much for you in that situation. Today I had corded a left front and parked her before something bad happened.<<

Good advice, which I would normally have followed except being 3rd overall in an enduro after an hour makes you want to stay out

If it were just some rubber pickup on the LR tire I would have been really pissed off if I had come in... but I'd now be $20,000 less broke as it turned out to be the LR tire delaminating.

Listen to his lessons and your tires.

RICHVIZZ951

Mark great post.. I was loading once, had the trailer on the ball, but Didnt lock the ball lever. Upon driving into trailer, it tipped up, than rolled foward, putting the tongue thru my tailgate. That was fun....

JimmiLew

I agree, Nice post! You learn quick, obe wan!

One time I only secured one tront tie down, as I was on my way to my house which is close to the shop, and it broke! My car rolled off the trailer with out the ramps in place! If fell partially off, and I needed a tow truck to get it back on the trailer. This was leaving the shop no less, and everyone in the shop saw this. How embarassing!

Lesson learned, always secure BOTH front tie downs!

Rock on!

TD in DC

Hey Chris, nice meeting you as well. Good tips.

I will add another . . . make sure the trailer is attached securely to the tow vehicle before loading the car.

This past year, my friend Eli K asked me to help him guide him as he loaded his car onto his trailer.

I assumed that the trailer was secured firmly on his tow vehicle.

In order to help him see me better, I stepped over the trailer tongue so that I was straddling it.

As he pulled the car up the ramps, the trailer tongue tilted up rapidly because it had merely been resting on the ball. . . . The trailer came about 1/2" away from taking out "the boys" . . . funny how an event like that can make you start sweating profusely so quickly despite the lack of actual contact. yeoaaaawwwww.

TD

P.S. I am very jealous of your GT3. Looks great . . .

Bigpinekey

Hey guys, it was good running with y'all when we could get together on track.

Brian, thanks for the tow around the track.

Jim, the tape quit before I could get us on video. I was disappointed with that since it was a good run.

You guys have a good holidays and I'll see you at a track next year.

A930Rocket

It was good to see you again. You were another one I was trying to hang onto...

It was probably good the video ran out. Nobody wants to see a train wreck about to happen. LOL

Happy holiday and see you next year.