- Mar 25, 2006
- 795
Ok I just had an experience of a lifetime and I really want to share it with you guys and gals. I had the opportunity to go to Sonoma California and race 7 exotic cars at Infineon raceway with instructors.
The instructors where all race veterans including Pancho carter and John Paul JR.
My first car was the race car and I got to sit as a passenger (a Le Mans type Porsche)and learn the track. It was crazy! I really was not prepared for the speed we were doing on the track. I have to admit that after 3 laps I got out of that car a bit weak kneed. I had no time to recover as next up was the Viper.
VIPER
The Viper was probably the most difficult car to drive . It had tremendous horse power and torque but it was very twitchy in the turns. I smoked the tires quite a bit. I did not really drive it that well to be honest but I am sure going to look into getting one. It just looks mean as hell and is a beautiful sounding vehicle on the track .
BMW M3
Next was the BMW M3 . I did not like it that much as there seemed to be a delay with the paddle shift and the actual input. I drove it like crap to be honest. I probably just suck in the car because others really did well in it.
FERRARI 360
Next up was the Ferrari Modena 360!!!! WOW what a car!!! That car did everything I wanted it to do. It really boosted my confidence as I rocketed around the track. There was always an instructor in the passenger seat next to you when you were out on the track but you were allowed to go as fast as you wanted.
The instructor told me I was relaxed and very smoothed and was the best student so far in that car.
PORSCHE TURBO
Fresh off the confidence building Ferrari drive was the Porsche Turbo. My daily driver is a Turbo 996, just like that car was. I was very comfortable with the car and really pushed. I carried plenty of momentum in and out of the turns, did the chicanes well, got it into 4th when I had to (2nd was tricky). Overall my very best drive of the day in any car but it was expected.
FORD GT
I skipped and went out of turn because there were clouds building and I had to get in this drive or else. Even though I had purchased a car and was getting the mods done to it at Genaddi designs, I have never really gotten to drive it. I sure did this week. My instructor was John Paul JR. He is (as some of you know) a rather famous Indy car driver. He won the Michigan 500 at one point (reeling in none other than Mears). He was a great instructor. I had some trouble getting the car rolling from a dead stop , not really trouble but it did not feel comfortable to me. It either felt like I was going to stall it or I was applying to much throttle. In either case it was only momentary as I was quickly into 3rd gear and into a tight turn. This car was head and shoulders above any car I drove that day. It was stable, it was fast in and out of the turns, and it was a monster in the straight. It did everything the Ferrari did and more. I used up a lot of track and I never felt uncomfortable. It is truly a race car and belongs in this element for sure. I did not drive it as fast as I did the Porsche but it felt perfect and I really enjoyed it the most.
Corvette Z06
Ok this was my surprise of the day. I had a Vette as a daily driver (A C5 like this one) for a few years. I thought I was going to eat up the track at this point as it was the afternoon and I had gotten to learn a bit about the track. I thought I was driving good until I saw, you guessed it , the Ford GT right behind me. I could not believe I was going that slow in the Z06 and the GT had caught up (they staggered us pretty far apart). I really stared focusing and even the instructor told me to keep going and there was no reason yet to let the GT pass. I kept the GT behind me , safely, but I was disappointed in my performance overall, maybe it was the crab cakes and the long break for lunch (sure that was it). The instructor was great and really helped (BREAK, BREAK, BREAK! GO! GO! GO!). I was really impressed with how safe the event was.
LOTUS ELISE
Ok I am stocky and weigh 225 pounds. I barely got in and out of this car! It was basically a go kart on steroids. I felt a bit claustrophobic also. I did well in the drive but I really did not enjoy it all that much. I really do not feel like getting in another Lotus. I can see where this would be a perfect track car though. You can learn a lot about road racing driving this car but it just felt very cramped.
After the event a few of us were lucky enough to drive the cars back to the hotel! Yup I got to drive the Ford GT through the Napa for about 45 minutes in regular traffic!!!!! I was getting cheered at stop lights by passer bys. people went crazy when they saw this car.
BTW the BMW, VETTE, FERRARI all went down by the end of the day. The GT started smoking a bit from the engine once I got her back to the hotel ( it went hard from 9:00AM -5:00PM before that). I think it might have been oil . So the only cars in perfect working order at the end of the day were the Turbo, Viper and the Lotus. The instructors also got to take a lucky few on the track as passengers on hot laps. I did mine with John paul. After seeing him drive that car in person , inside the car, I know I will never be a race car driver. My friend Frank almost bought it in the Viper, the instructor put her sideways quite a few times and he said it felt death defying (I belive it).
It was the experience of a lifetime, here are some pictures. (I also have a 92MB movie of me as a passenger on several hot laps in the Ford GT with John Paul Driving, I'll see about posting it)
Here was my queue card
The raceway
Getting into the beast!!
The Turbo (The Lotus Elise in the background)
The Zo6 (As former Indy car driver Pancho Carter looks on)
My buddy in the Ferrari
Chilling at the hotel at the reception after the event, the GT was taken away at this time so I photo opped the Viper.
The instructors where all race veterans including Pancho carter and John Paul JR.
My first car was the race car and I got to sit as a passenger (a Le Mans type Porsche)and learn the track. It was crazy! I really was not prepared for the speed we were doing on the track. I have to admit that after 3 laps I got out of that car a bit weak kneed. I had no time to recover as next up was the Viper.
VIPER
The Viper was probably the most difficult car to drive . It had tremendous horse power and torque but it was very twitchy in the turns. I smoked the tires quite a bit. I did not really drive it that well to be honest but I am sure going to look into getting one. It just looks mean as hell and is a beautiful sounding vehicle on the track .
BMW M3
Next was the BMW M3 . I did not like it that much as there seemed to be a delay with the paddle shift and the actual input. I drove it like crap to be honest. I probably just suck in the car because others really did well in it.
FERRARI 360
Next up was the Ferrari Modena 360!!!! WOW what a car!!! That car did everything I wanted it to do. It really boosted my confidence as I rocketed around the track. There was always an instructor in the passenger seat next to you when you were out on the track but you were allowed to go as fast as you wanted.
The instructor told me I was relaxed and very smoothed and was the best student so far in that car.
PORSCHE TURBO
Fresh off the confidence building Ferrari drive was the Porsche Turbo. My daily driver is a Turbo 996, just like that car was. I was very comfortable with the car and really pushed. I carried plenty of momentum in and out of the turns, did the chicanes well, got it into 4th when I had to (2nd was tricky). Overall my very best drive of the day in any car but it was expected.
FORD GT
I skipped and went out of turn because there were clouds building and I had to get in this drive or else. Even though I had purchased a car and was getting the mods done to it at Genaddi designs, I have never really gotten to drive it. I sure did this week. My instructor was John Paul JR. He is (as some of you know) a rather famous Indy car driver. He won the Michigan 500 at one point (reeling in none other than Mears). He was a great instructor. I had some trouble getting the car rolling from a dead stop , not really trouble but it did not feel comfortable to me. It either felt like I was going to stall it or I was applying to much throttle. In either case it was only momentary as I was quickly into 3rd gear and into a tight turn. This car was head and shoulders above any car I drove that day. It was stable, it was fast in and out of the turns, and it was a monster in the straight. It did everything the Ferrari did and more. I used up a lot of track and I never felt uncomfortable. It is truly a race car and belongs in this element for sure. I did not drive it as fast as I did the Porsche but it felt perfect and I really enjoyed it the most.
Corvette Z06
Ok this was my surprise of the day. I had a Vette as a daily driver (A C5 like this one) for a few years. I thought I was going to eat up the track at this point as it was the afternoon and I had gotten to learn a bit about the track. I thought I was driving good until I saw, you guessed it , the Ford GT right behind me. I could not believe I was going that slow in the Z06 and the GT had caught up (they staggered us pretty far apart). I really stared focusing and even the instructor told me to keep going and there was no reason yet to let the GT pass. I kept the GT behind me , safely, but I was disappointed in my performance overall, maybe it was the crab cakes and the long break for lunch (sure that was it). The instructor was great and really helped (BREAK, BREAK, BREAK! GO! GO! GO!). I was really impressed with how safe the event was.
LOTUS ELISE
Ok I am stocky and weigh 225 pounds. I barely got in and out of this car! It was basically a go kart on steroids. I felt a bit claustrophobic also. I did well in the drive but I really did not enjoy it all that much. I really do not feel like getting in another Lotus. I can see where this would be a perfect track car though. You can learn a lot about road racing driving this car but it just felt very cramped.
After the event a few of us were lucky enough to drive the cars back to the hotel! Yup I got to drive the Ford GT through the Napa for about 45 minutes in regular traffic!!!!! I was getting cheered at stop lights by passer bys. people went crazy when they saw this car.
BTW the BMW, VETTE, FERRARI all went down by the end of the day. The GT started smoking a bit from the engine once I got her back to the hotel ( it went hard from 9:00AM -5:00PM before that). I think it might have been oil . So the only cars in perfect working order at the end of the day were the Turbo, Viper and the Lotus. The instructors also got to take a lucky few on the track as passengers on hot laps. I did mine with John paul. After seeing him drive that car in person , inside the car, I know I will never be a race car driver. My friend Frank almost bought it in the Viper, the instructor put her sideways quite a few times and he said it felt death defying (I belive it).
It was the experience of a lifetime, here are some pictures. (I also have a 92MB movie of me as a passenger on several hot laps in the Ford GT with John Paul Driving, I'll see about posting it)
Here was my queue card
The raceway
Getting into the beast!!
The Turbo (The Lotus Elise in the background)
The Zo6 (As former Indy car driver Pancho Carter looks on)
My buddy in the Ferrari
Chilling at the hotel at the reception after the event, the GT was taken away at this time so I photo opped the Viper.
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