Corvettes & 4 speeds

[Steven B.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

If speed doesn't bother you, then RPE or something like it belongs on your bucket list.

Me? I took pictures. Speed scares me.

Jim




Jim, if speed scares you---how much for the GS? We saw the video a couple months ago. Your wife did good!

Steve

[Jim L.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

Jim, if speed scares you---how much for the GS? We saw the video a couple months ago. Your wife did good!

Steve

Oooops. Busted.

My bride? She's fearless. She got her SCCA competition license at 60.

[Kenneth F.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

I was at Laguna Seca yesterday for the historic races. I was looking at a 1963 S/W Z06 that Paul Rinehart had raced, and later restored. It is really nice, looking good enough for judging. A middle aged lady came out of the rig her and her husband hauled their cars with, carrying the steering wheel. She climbed into the S/W, installed the wheel and went to the track to practice. She is a good driver. I still haven't recovered.

[Steven B.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

Oooops. Busted.

My bride? She's fearless. She got her SCCA competition license at 60.

That's great! What does she run?

[Jim L.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

That's great! What does she run?

Her ride? Well, for the three day SCCA licensing school, she drove my car:

But this is her usual set of wheels (taken her first time at Laguna Seca. I'm the passenger/coach teaching her "the line" which she just nailed):

To keep this sort of on topic, both cars have 4 speeds which she rows competently.

Jim

[John H.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

Young minds trapped in old bodies can be difficult, but there ARE solutions; I did the Petty thing twice - a 30-lapper at Disney in '98 (57th birthday present from my wife), and the 3-day 130-lapper at Charlotte in '99. In 2003, at 62, she thought it would be neat for me to renew my NHRA dragster license (which expired in 1962), so I spent three days at ATCO Dragway in New Jersey, made 14 runs, and did so - the most fun you can have with your shoes on!

[Steven B.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

I was at Laguna Seca yesterday for the historic races. I was looking at a 1963 S/W Z06 that Paul Rinehart had raced, and later restored. It is really nice, looking good enough for judging. A middle aged lady came out of the rig her and her husband hauled their cars with, carrying the steering wheel. She climbed into the S/W, installed the wheel and went to the track to practice. She is a good driver. I still haven't recovered.

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Armstrong

[William G.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

Temptation was on me big time yesterday when I did the Richard Petty Experience on the high banks of Daytona, thanks to my twin sons giving me the ride for my 70th birthday. I drove an old "Kevin Harvick" #29 Chevy. They have an instructor pace you and use a light system on the back of his car (one orange and one green) to advise you if you are too close or too far back (me). They tell you up front; no burn outs, no power shifts, and you must shift at 4000 rpm up to 4th gear as soon as you enter turn #1 from the pits. I admit, I'm not a circle track guy and I was intimidated by the high banks and the WALLs! I usually took a lower line than the pace car and failed to up throttle enough in the corners to stay up to the desired 4 car lengths, but in the back straight I'd get me a yellow light for closing in (old straight line dragger habit). I have a somewhat gimp right arm from an old injury so I found the steering input to be quite high in the corners, even with power steering. They give you eight (8) laps and a cool down where you drop down on the apron going into turn three (3), allow it to slow, then brake your way back into the pits - NO Downshifting! Those things were a little frustrating, but I guess I could live within the rules or be embarrassed in front of all my family by getting a red flag.

The cars they use are old "cars of yesterday" Gen I small blocks - no SB-2's. They do have plenty of power using a wild cam and aluminum heads, from what I could see/hear. The four speed has a long throw Hurst Shifter, just like the old days. They do limit you to 145 mph for "Rookies", which is only about 5500 rpm down the back stretch.

It was fun and quite an experience. If nothing else, I have a new found appreciation for the Athletic Drivers it takes to drive these cars in competition for 500 miles - Wow! I sweat up a storm in just 10 minutes!

I recommend the experience to all. There are discounted gift coupons on E-Bay all the time, and they are set up at tracks all over the country. I got me a real nice plaque and a DVD video of me driving (look of panic on face) and out the front window coming in about 3 weeks. Go for it!

Stu Fox

Stu,

I couldn't agree with you more - it's something everyone who has an appreciation for cars should do.

I've done it twice, once in Michigan top speed 148mph and then in Charlotte last summer top speed 153mph. You are right the rules are a little strict, it would have been cool downshifting coming into the pits.

Having done it in Charlotte, sure make next years nationals appealing especially if they are going to allow some parade laps around the speedway.

BG

[Stuart F.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

John H.;

The photo of you in the RPE car must have been taken before the use of the HANS device as I noticed you are able to look at the camera. The same shot on my plaque looks like I am straining to look at the camera - which I was. My right cheek is all puffed into the helmet as I am trying to turn my head, but that device sure limits your head movement. I should have popped for the extra 8 laps @ $199.00 just to get up a little more courage and drift out toward the wall more. I could have worked the speed up some more, I'm sure.

Stu Fox

[Joe C.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

In May 1988 I took a High Performance driving course given at Mosport Racetrack in Ontario. It was a three day course run by John Powell, and we drove specially prepared replicas of the Challenge Series race cars. Each was equipped with Dymag wheels, full roll cage, 6 point harness and 2 way radio. My car was medium blue #13 (which I picked, specially for the occasion). Among the modifications, the cars were prepped so that the ABS brakes could be disabled. We drove the cars with ABS enabled on the first day, and disabled for the next 2. Unfortunately, the weather was rainy, which limited our speeds, but I learned some excellent driving, shifting, and road racing techniques, most of which I have been using ever since.

One noteworthy experience I had was while traveling around a wet track with the car "balanced" around a constant radius turn. The limit of adhesion had been reached in the front tires, as the steering got "light". I purposely and suddenly (without prompting from the instructor) gave the steering some more "lock", and, as I thought would happen, the car continued around the turn with no consequence other than to experience an additional measure of understeer.

The course cost 950 US 1988 dollars!

And then, of course, there was a lonely stretch of "open range" highway about 15 miles north of the northern boundary of the Nevada Test Site (NV 6 heading east, somewhere between Tonopah and Warm Springs) in western Nevada where I gave the ole '85 a chance to stretch her legs on the way back home from the 2009 National in San Josie. I gave it four good tries, but the speed stopped climbing sooner than I expected. I snapped these photos from the drivers' seat:





It must have been the heat, low relative humidity and the altitude, because I had a tough time getting the car to duplicate her previous top speed of 148 MPH.

Joe

[Paul J.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

YOU PASSED ON A 67 CHEVELLE?????????????????
MY GOD, YOU'RE INSANE--------------or pu$$^ whipped!
To me, next to a killer BB 70, the 67 is the ultimate of the earlier bodies!
I don't care if it's a triple cheap 300 base model, that was an awsome body style---------------the epitome of the earlier muscle car image!

If you saw the cars sitting in my back yard, you would know that I am not pu$$^ whipped ( maybe just a little hen pecked). The car was a 300 base model, all original. It was not road worthy. I passed because you could stick your finger in the rust hole in the left front fender and walk all the way around the back of the car to the right front fender without removing your finger. I've seen rust before, and I even own a bunch. But I've never seen anything like this. I was really concerned about what I'd find behind it. The floor pan was gone, as expected. Not to mention that the grill, bumper, right front fender and hood were wrinkled. A good project car but not for $4,500.

Paul

[Stuart F.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

Joe:

I too did the Navada experience back in 63 when my Vette (and I) were much younger. They had no speed limits then other than to qualify that by saying "a safe speed", I suppose a subjective judgement based on the car you were driving. I, and a buddy, flogged my 63 up to a speedo indicated 150 mph, but the tach reading of 6300 rpm is probably a more accurate indicator of the speed pulling a 3.36 final. The 63, as we all know. makes a great wing and likes to at least dance all over the road. This was back in the day on U.S. Royal 6.70x15's (crazy, hey?). Cruising along at about 120 on our return from Vegas to White sands it began to look like rain so I popped open the headlights and learned something about aero as the front end became more stable.

I thought my high speed experiences from my youth would prepare me for this RPE run at Daytona, but not much. It scared the crap outa me! Like I noted; those walls are very intimidating. Then too, I never felt comfortible in all the constraints. Others have compared it to an F-18 on the ground, which sounds about right. My sons will be trying it soon as well, and they have at least have flown T-38's thru the sound barrier (is that Mach 1?).

Stu Fox

[Martin M.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

And then, of course, there was a lonely stretch of "open range" highway in western Nevada where I gave the ole '85 a chance to stretch her legs on the way back home from the 2009 National in San Josie. I gave it four good tries, but the speed stopped climbing sooner than I expected. It must have been the heat, low relative humidity and the altitude, because I had a tough time getting the car to duplicate her previous top speed of 148 MPH. Joe

What are you doing in my driveway??

If you want to go fast legally try the races at www.sscc.us/ All you and your car can handle here!

Marty
Pahrump, NV

[Joe C.]

Re: Corvettes & 4 speeds

What are you doing in my driveway??

If you want to go fast legally try the races at www.sscc.us/ All you and your car can handle here!

Marty
Pahrump, NV

Who said anything about "legally"?
Speaking of which, is that why some folks would rather live in Pahrump rather than in Vegas?
But it's more fun in Vegas.