Camilo on track
- Thread starter Simon
- Start date
Iconic GT
GT Owner
Sweet. Thanks for sharing... Dana and i are headed to Utah for the Ford Performance driving school. Soon...
Indy GT
Yea, I got one...too
Actually this is a pretty good instructional video for those tracking their GTs, old or new. The GT350R owner Nick and his driver Austin tell us this is an advanced driver session. Both Camilo and Austin do a pretty good job of driving the Spring Mountain course and I applaud Camilo for putting his gorgeous looking GT out on the track. Austin may have a bit more driving skill than our buddy Camilo, but the FGT definitely has much superior performance than the R as is visibly seen when they encounter a straight and the GT easily pulls away. I am sure NJS could comment on the track attributes of each as he has considerable track experience in both. As I have said many times, it is all about driver experience both with the track layout and the car. Seat-time gentlemen.
And then there is the wallet factor. Always seems easier to drive someone else’s car to the limits than your own. (Ask Tugboat at R7 at NOLA) An $80K Mustang is certainly easier to replace/fix than that $500K machine you own and are responsible for if anything goes south. I know it makes a difference in my driving limits whether I am on the track in my GT or my Mustang.
I was lucky many years ago to be at this track as a passenger silently riding along with Mr. McGowan who had driven up that morning from Phoenix in a flat black Mustang 5.0 mule test car. Parenthetically Dr. Frank’s track weapon was a rental Flex. After the 5.5 hour trip up, on stock Pirelli street tires and in an advanced run group with helmets on and mid grid we took to the track. With two yellow Porsche GT3s leading our group, it was not long before Mark was all over their bumpers. I can only imagine what the GT3 owners thought being chased and then passed by this ugly looking Mustang….. But as we all know Mark is mostly in an “unobtanium” driving skill class.
In Camilo’s defense when you drive your GT on the track at any venue, others are going to want to pass you. You wear a target. The lure of passing a GT on the track for future bragging rights looms large. This is evident at the track entrance when Austin elects not to try to keep up with Camilo entering the track cause he is just gone. He waits until Camilo makes a circuit to pull out without an imposed timing gap. The guys mix it up nicely on the track, but I think Austin’s complaint (real or not) about Camilo not giving him a point by is a bit exaggerated. IMO, Austin did not really challenge Camilo for track position.
I would have liked to see the same video between a NGT/350R with NJS, Texas Mongral or Specracer at the GT helm. Me thinks the GT would be a disappearing spot on the horizon. And with Mark McGowan, Billy Johnson or Murray White commanding the GT, Austin would need a camera on the rear view mirror to see the GT quickly approaching from the rear like Steve McQueen did in Bullet. It’s all about seat time…..
And then there is the wallet factor. Always seems easier to drive someone else’s car to the limits than your own. (Ask Tugboat at R7 at NOLA) An $80K Mustang is certainly easier to replace/fix than that $500K machine you own and are responsible for if anything goes south. I know it makes a difference in my driving limits whether I am on the track in my GT or my Mustang.
I was lucky many years ago to be at this track as a passenger silently riding along with Mr. McGowan who had driven up that morning from Phoenix in a flat black Mustang 5.0 mule test car. Parenthetically Dr. Frank’s track weapon was a rental Flex. After the 5.5 hour trip up, on stock Pirelli street tires and in an advanced run group with helmets on and mid grid we took to the track. With two yellow Porsche GT3s leading our group, it was not long before Mark was all over their bumpers. I can only imagine what the GT3 owners thought being chased and then passed by this ugly looking Mustang….. But as we all know Mark is mostly in an “unobtanium” driving skill class.
In Camilo’s defense when you drive your GT on the track at any venue, others are going to want to pass you. You wear a target. The lure of passing a GT on the track for future bragging rights looms large. This is evident at the track entrance when Austin elects not to try to keep up with Camilo entering the track cause he is just gone. He waits until Camilo makes a circuit to pull out without an imposed timing gap. The guys mix it up nicely on the track, but I think Austin’s complaint (real or not) about Camilo not giving him a point by is a bit exaggerated. IMO, Austin did not really challenge Camilo for track position.
I would have liked to see the same video between a NGT/350R with NJS, Texas Mongral or Specracer at the GT helm. Me thinks the GT would be a disappearing spot on the horizon. And with Mark McGowan, Billy Johnson or Murray White commanding the GT, Austin would need a camera on the rear view mirror to see the GT quickly approaching from the rear like Steve McQueen did in Bullet. It’s all about seat time…..
Apollo
GT Owner
I pretty much agree with you here Bill. Camillo did a fine job. Austin was driving pretty hard to just keep up with Camillo, he never challenged him where there would have been a need for a point by. He was driving that GT350 hard just to stay close. Austin looks to be a pretty good driver, but he is far from being a pro. What I wonder about is if the owner of the GT350 minded how hard his car was being driven, he may have been. For him to say he needed a point by or post about faster cars was just ego and wanting to have video content proving his skills for You Tube. He could not have done a better lap time than he did if Camillo was not there. If that was not his car,
What really impressed me is how easily the GT walked away from the GT350R. These boogers are fast!
What really impressed me is how easily the GT walked away from the GT350R. These boogers are fast!
Speed Phenom
New member
- Feb 15, 2019
- 1
Hello.
I am only responding in order to clear a few things up.
Nick is not the owner of the GT350R featured in that video, I am (Speed Phenom YouTube). The goal of this video was to feature incredible footage of chasing a fantastic new Ford GT on track, which you don't come by very often online. As for the comments regarding ego, this is factually incorrect. This video was created to show the world the true incredible performance that these fast Fords deliver, as well as how a track day functions.
The driver of the Ford GT was not Camilo, it was the Shelby American Thrill/Test Driver (The individual giving hot laps).
As far as lap times and pushing cars, neither of us drivers were at or anywhere near close to 10/10s. Just for example, my normal lap times were roughly 6 seconds faster than these laps (2.2 mile track).
I love the new Ford GT, and in the video, Nick and I were aweing over it. This video was received with overwhelming positive support and feedback on YouTube, and the viewers loved seeing the new Ford GT and GT350R run together on track...
It was a super exciting experience, and it was a pleasure to meet Camilo.
I am only responding in order to clear a few things up.
Nick is not the owner of the GT350R featured in that video, I am (Speed Phenom YouTube). The goal of this video was to feature incredible footage of chasing a fantastic new Ford GT on track, which you don't come by very often online. As for the comments regarding ego, this is factually incorrect. This video was created to show the world the true incredible performance that these fast Fords deliver, as well as how a track day functions.
The driver of the Ford GT was not Camilo, it was the Shelby American Thrill/Test Driver (The individual giving hot laps).
As far as lap times and pushing cars, neither of us drivers were at or anywhere near close to 10/10s. Just for example, my normal lap times were roughly 6 seconds faster than these laps (2.2 mile track).
I love the new Ford GT, and in the video, Nick and I were aweing over it. This video was received with overwhelming positive support and feedback on YouTube, and the viewers loved seeing the new Ford GT and GT350R run together on track...
It was a super exciting experience, and it was a pleasure to meet Camilo.
"Mustang attempts to gap new Ford GT," a video that begins with scintillating driver's meeting footage (probably a YouTube first), fixated on the slow GT (a $500k car being driven by someone who doesn't own it in a venue where the owner doesn't have insurance) not giving you a point by.
I'm not trying to give you shit unduly, and I like your videos, but come on; this is the deep end of the pool filled with grown adults that own $600k cars, not YouTube. You know what the response is gonna be if you don't include that information. That's why the video wasn't called "Mustang does 6/10th track laps behind $500k GT also driven 6/10ths but not by its owner in an uninsured venue." The message above is incongruous with the video title and content.
I'm not trying to give you shit unduly, and I like your videos, but come on; this is the deep end of the pool filled with grown adults that own $600k cars, not YouTube. You know what the response is gonna be if you don't include that information. That's why the video wasn't called "Mustang does 6/10th track laps behind $500k GT also driven 6/10ths but not by its owner in an uninsured venue." The message above is incongruous with the video title and content.
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