Sebring DE
05-11-2007, 09:18 AM
#2
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I'm going, can't wait to get there! 
The car has been loaded on the trailer sense Wed night. This will be my 2nd event and I'm much better prepared for this one. We're bring all of our own food to avoid the hotel restaurant... Now all I have to do is hope my wife doesn't have to work late so I can arrive in time to register tonight.
The car has been loaded on the trailer sense Wed night. This will be my 2nd event and I'm much better prepared for this one. We're bring all of our own food to avoid the hotel restaurant... Now all I have to do is hope my wife doesn't have to work late so I can arrive in time to register tonight.
05-11-2007, 10:18 AM
#3
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I'll be there....black '06 Carrera S Cab #33....be sure to say HI!
05-13-2007, 01:47 PM
#5
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Some photos from Sebring
I missed half my first session because my splitter came loose and I was "meatballed" (I scraped it bringing it off the trailer) However, my instructor Chip Valente helped me get it re-attached and I enjoyed the rest of the day.
This was my 11th DE day, and the first day I didn't wave a single driver by in my group (PCA blue group). The Evo pictured was the only car that hung with me a little bit, but he never got close enough for me to give a wave by. I credit that mostly to Chip. I wasn't trying to go faster than everyone; I was trying to follow Chip's instructions on being smoother and concentrating on the line he drives. Of course, having a 380 hp track beast like a 996 GT3 didn't hurt either! Also, it's totally aligned for track as that's where I drive it 90% of the time.
Here are a few pics I took in the paddock. Included are pics of Chip's silver GT3 which needed some impromptu repairs on the shifter linkage. Fortunately, Chip's mechanic happened to be there driving in the DE and was able to patch things back for him to finish out the day.
I also enjoyed meeting a couple RennListers including Tom who was surviving as an instructor in the 997 GT3 driven by a green student.
My car is the #88 996 GT3 pictured next to my Excursion tow rig. Sebring rocks baby!
This was my 11th DE day, and the first day I didn't wave a single driver by in my group (PCA blue group). The Evo pictured was the only car that hung with me a little bit, but he never got close enough for me to give a wave by. I credit that mostly to Chip. I wasn't trying to go faster than everyone; I was trying to follow Chip's instructions on being smoother and concentrating on the line he drives. Of course, having a 380 hp track beast like a 996 GT3 didn't hurt either! Also, it's totally aligned for track as that's where I drive it 90% of the time.
Here are a few pics I took in the paddock. Included are pics of Chip's silver GT3 which needed some impromptu repairs on the shifter linkage. Fortunately, Chip's mechanic happened to be there driving in the DE and was able to patch things back for him to finish out the day.
I also enjoyed meeting a couple RennListers including Tom who was surviving as an instructor in the 997 GT3 driven by a green student.
My car is the #88 996 GT3 pictured next to my Excursion tow rig. Sebring rocks baby!
05-13-2007, 01:56 PM
#6
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Mark, great to finally meet you in person!! You have an awesome car and were driving safely, smoothly, and FAST!!
Glad you kept that car it is beautiful. With other GT3 drivers like Chip instructing you, you will become an awesome driver..................yellow.............................instructor!!! !
I will be there in June for the Chin event, the NASA races the next weekend, and the PCA Goldcoast event the weekend after that!! Hope to see ya soon.
Oh yeah, PS.......congrats Mike on making it to the BLUE run group you drove great yesterday, good job!!!!
tom
Glad you kept that car it is beautiful. With other GT3 drivers like Chip instructing you, you will become an awesome driver..................yellow.............................instructor!!! !
I will be there in June for the Chin event, the NASA races the next weekend, and the PCA Goldcoast event the weekend after that!! Hope to see ya soon.
Oh yeah, PS.......congrats Mike on making it to the BLUE run group you drove great yesterday, good job!!!!
tom
05-13-2007, 02:01 PM
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Tom,
I wish we'd had more time to chat. I know you were very busy both with instructing and driving your own car. If I don't get Chip as my instuctor next time, I'd love to have you instructing me! I just signed up for the June 30 Sebring event with Suncoast PCA. See you there!
PS, Mike was the other Rennlister I was happy to meet. Embarrassed to say I forgot his name til Tom mentioned it. Sheez I'm bad with names.
I wish we'd had more time to chat. I know you were very busy both with instructing and driving your own car. If I don't get Chip as my instuctor next time, I'd love to have you instructing me! I just signed up for the June 30 Sebring event with Suncoast PCA. See you there!
PS, Mike was the other Rennlister I was happy to meet. Embarrassed to say I forgot his name til Tom mentioned it. Sheez I'm bad with names.
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05-13-2007, 08:24 PM
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Mark,
I wish you would have come over to really say hi. You were gracious enough to take a picture of my red 996 parked just a few feet from you. Next time, I'll sell you Mitch's 997 GT3.
Bob
I wish you would have come over to really say hi. You were gracious enough to take a picture of my red 996 parked just a few feet from you. Next time, I'll sell you Mitch's 997 GT3.
Bob
05-13-2007, 09:03 PM
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It was a great event. This was my second DE and I felt like I progressed by leaps and bounds from my first.
I had Ugo for my instructor. He is quite a character. He was on my a$$ the whole time making sure I was doing it the right way. He helped with hand position and trying to slow me down and be smoother, which I did in the second session. I started off the third session fairly well, but started to make a few mistakes toward the end as I tried to regain some speed. I was really lost in my first DE in Nov in turn 17. I referred to it as "No Mans Land". Ugo quickly fixed my problem in 17 and now it's one of my favorites. Just brake hard coming into 17, look for the white line. Haul a$$ to the cone, turn right just about as hard as I can, floor it and dive to the inside to where the cone used to be, all the while the car is bouncing all over the track and begin to track out to the wall, get waved by a couple of cars and listen to the 3.2 resonate off the paddock building and head for turn 1... Damm, it was fun. Only got passed 3 or 4 times all day and none (that I can remember) in the last session. Some guy in a blue Subaru blasted by in on the back stretch and I never saw him again... When I got out of the car at the end of the day, I was very happy with the progress I made, thanks to Ugo. The other part of the day I really enjoyed was the way the car performed. For an almost 20 year old car to run flawlessly is just amazing. I do all my own maintenance and it's really gratifying to be able to leave the track at the end of the day knowing everything ran well.
I tried to keep track of rpm and what gear I was using at various parts of the track. In my Bentleys manual, on page 300.2 (I think) is a graf of speed and rpm. According to that grafI I was reaching about 125 mph before breaking into 17 and ditto turn 1! Does this seem about right to you guys? That was the top of 4 gear @ 6500 rpm in both cases. I did actually shift in 5th a couple to times headed into 17 but only for a short time, and I usually just left it in 4th.
Thanks to everyone who work hard to make it such a well run program.
BTW, my wife was SWOONING over that Ferrari!
I had Ugo for my instructor. He is quite a character. He was on my a$$ the whole time making sure I was doing it the right way. He helped with hand position and trying to slow me down and be smoother, which I did in the second session. I started off the third session fairly well, but started to make a few mistakes toward the end as I tried to regain some speed. I was really lost in my first DE in Nov in turn 17. I referred to it as "No Mans Land". Ugo quickly fixed my problem in 17 and now it's one of my favorites. Just brake hard coming into 17, look for the white line. Haul a$$ to the cone, turn right just about as hard as I can, floor it and dive to the inside to where the cone used to be, all the while the car is bouncing all over the track and begin to track out to the wall, get waved by a couple of cars and listen to the 3.2 resonate off the paddock building and head for turn 1... Damm, it was fun. Only got passed 3 or 4 times all day and none (that I can remember) in the last session. Some guy in a blue Subaru blasted by in on the back stretch and I never saw him again... When I got out of the car at the end of the day, I was very happy with the progress I made, thanks to Ugo. The other part of the day I really enjoyed was the way the car performed. For an almost 20 year old car to run flawlessly is just amazing. I do all my own maintenance and it's really gratifying to be able to leave the track at the end of the day knowing everything ran well.
I tried to keep track of rpm and what gear I was using at various parts of the track. In my Bentleys manual, on page 300.2 (I think) is a graf of speed and rpm. According to that grafI I was reaching about 125 mph before breaking into 17 and ditto turn 1! Does this seem about right to you guys? That was the top of 4 gear @ 6500 rpm in both cases. I did actually shift in 5th a couple to times headed into 17 but only for a short time, and I usually just left it in 4th.
Thanks to everyone who work hard to make it such a well run program.
BTW, my wife was SWOONING over that Ferrari!
05-13-2007, 09:48 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by agio
Mark,
I wish you would have come over to really say hi. You were gracious enough to take a picture of my red 996 parked just a few feet from you. Next time, I'll sell you Mitch's 997 GT3.
Bob
I wish you would have come over to really say hi. You were gracious enough to take a picture of my red 996 parked just a few feet from you. Next time, I'll sell you Mitch's 997 GT3.
Bob
So you were the one I talked to when I offered ya'll to trade my GT3 for that beautiful 997 GT3 and even offered to kick in $5k! I got a charge out of you saying you'd sell it to me right now if I had the $5k cash! Of course you'd take my $5k because it wasn't your car. LOLWe need to have Rennlist caps or tags or something so we can recognize each other at these events!
05-13-2007, 09:51 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by MDL
It was a great event. This was my second DE and I felt like I progressed by leaps and bounds from my first.
I had Ugo for my instructor. He is quite a character. He was on my a$$ the whole time making sure I was doing it the right way. He helped with hand position and trying to slow me down and be smoother, which I did in the second session. I started off the third session fairly well, but started to make a few mistakes toward the end as I tried to regain some speed. I was really lost in my first DE in Nov in turn 17. I referred to it as "No Mans Land". Ugo quickly fixed my problem in 17 and now it's one of my favorites. Just brake hard coming into 17, look for the white line. Haul a$$ to the cone, turn right just about as hard as I can, floor it and dive to the inside to where the cone used to be, all the while the car is bouncing all over the track and begin to track out to the wall, get waved by a couple of cars and listen to the 3.2 resonate off the paddock building and head for turn 1... Damm, it was fun. Only got passed 3 or 4 times all day and none (that I can remember) in the last session. Some guy in a blue Subaru blasted by in on the back stretch and I never saw him again... When I got out of the car at the end of the day, I was very happy with the progress I made, thanks to Ugo. The other part of the day I really enjoyed was the way the car performed. For an almost 20 year old car to run flawlessly is just amazing. I do all my own maintenance and it's really gratifying to be able to leave the track at the end of the day knowing everything ran well.
I tried to keep track of rpm and what gear I was using at various parts of the track. In my Bentleys manual, on page 300.2 (I think) is a graf of speed and rpm. According to that grafI I was reaching about 125 mph before breaking into 17 and ditto turn 1! Does this seem about right to you guys? That was the top of 4 gear @ 6500 rpm in both cases. I did actually shift in 5th a couple to times headed into 17 but only for a short time, and I usually just left it in 4th.
Thanks to everyone who work hard to make it such a well run program.
BTW, my wife was SWOONING over that Ferrari!
I had Ugo for my instructor. He is quite a character. He was on my a$$ the whole time making sure I was doing it the right way. He helped with hand position and trying to slow me down and be smoother, which I did in the second session. I started off the third session fairly well, but started to make a few mistakes toward the end as I tried to regain some speed. I was really lost in my first DE in Nov in turn 17. I referred to it as "No Mans Land". Ugo quickly fixed my problem in 17 and now it's one of my favorites. Just brake hard coming into 17, look for the white line. Haul a$$ to the cone, turn right just about as hard as I can, floor it and dive to the inside to where the cone used to be, all the while the car is bouncing all over the track and begin to track out to the wall, get waved by a couple of cars and listen to the 3.2 resonate off the paddock building and head for turn 1... Damm, it was fun. Only got passed 3 or 4 times all day and none (that I can remember) in the last session. Some guy in a blue Subaru blasted by in on the back stretch and I never saw him again... When I got out of the car at the end of the day, I was very happy with the progress I made, thanks to Ugo. The other part of the day I really enjoyed was the way the car performed. For an almost 20 year old car to run flawlessly is just amazing. I do all my own maintenance and it's really gratifying to be able to leave the track at the end of the day knowing everything ran well.
I tried to keep track of rpm and what gear I was using at various parts of the track. In my Bentleys manual, on page 300.2 (I think) is a graf of speed and rpm. According to that grafI I was reaching about 125 mph before breaking into 17 and ditto turn 1! Does this seem about right to you guys? That was the top of 4 gear @ 6500 rpm in both cases. I did actually shift in 5th a couple to times headed into 17 but only for a short time, and I usually just left it in 4th.
Thanks to everyone who work hard to make it such a well run program.
BTW, my wife was SWOONING over that Ferrari!
As for the Ferrari, yup it's a beauty, but believe it or not if I had the $$ to buy either car, I'd probably take that beautiful red 997 GT3 with the black wheels. That car is sooo hot looking! Of course, if I was on the lookout for a woman, and didn't have such impressive personal attributes (yea right-LOL), the Ferrari might be better as evidenced by your wife's reaction!
05-14-2007, 09:55 AM
#13
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Originally Posted by tkerrmd
...I will be there in June for the Chin event, the NASA races the next weekend, and the PCA Goldcoast event the weekend after that!! Hope to see ya soon...
I tried to check from Goldcoast's website but that there's nothing there. What's going on with Goldcoast's website? Last time it was updated was in January.
05-14-2007, 10:26 AM
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Wish I could go. I was there not to long ago and I loved it. What a fast, open and great flowing track. I will say that between the heat and the high speeds it was the hardest I have ever been on my brakes. Of course your all saying, "Use less brakes!" I know, your all right too.