Putnam Park 08/27/2005 report:

[drudis]

Just got back from Putnam Park (40 miles outside of Indianapolis, IN) for SVT event. Great time for fri/sat/sun.

Left Friday morning at about 10:00am to get to Indianapolis by 4:00pm (Detroit time) with a caravan of 4 trailers stopping to eat. Waited 2 hours at Kenny Brown (kinda like a Saleen or Steeda or Roush) Mustang aftermarket guy, for barbeque to get started. We met other SVT owners, talked, listened to his upcoming products for 2005 Mustangs... Pretty nice gathering. About 60 cars/drivers were at the event. Left at 9:00pm for 1 hour drive to hotel.

Saturday, got up at 6:00am to get to track by 7:00 and unload trailer. Sucked no being able to drop it off night before, but go thru all that hassle unpacking that morning. Driver's meeting at 8:00 and first car off at 9:00am.

Weather was "fine" at 85'F muggy all 3 days. Saturday at 3:30pm, when it got really dark really fast. It thunderstormed (came fast, hit hard), rained till 4:30, but they already called the event, and everyone left for the banquet. Sunday was a nice sunny day.



Drive report:

Drove my Mustang hard, actually VERY HARD one session. Passed most every car out there in the fastest run group. Played bumper tag with a NASA American Iron Mustang, for 2 laps in front, and for 2 laps behind me... watching how each of us would attack the corner differently. Will have some great video to post eventually. A few weeks ago NASA AI pole position was 1:18.2 and was told we were running around 1:23's (I'll have to review video, and time it).

Kenny Brown had their 2005 Mustang and their "Froggy" Green 2002(?) Cobra factory car. Kenny was driving, and I was'a chasin'. That was fun, watching and following a professional builder/driver in their factory car... only to pass him a few laps later. SWEET!

Ford GT: Still didnt get to drive the Ford GT at that track. Last year they let the instructors drive it, but not this year. Oh well.

Other stories:
This was my very first time at the track. Looked at the map a few times, but nothing like going out there. Came down the front straight and on the 3rd lap opened it up... Hit the rev limiter in 4th (oops) and that is 130mph. Still had quite a bit longer yet to go before the corner. We all laughed at lunch, as all of us were saying the same thing... how our right foot got "light" (chickened out) going any faster/further before going into turn one.

Rob (friend) was driving his Mustang, and just going 110% (like he always does). He would get it up to 137mph in 5th, and SLAM on the brakes at the 200' mark going into turn one, and HOLD ON...... wiggling and fighting at threshold thru turn one. Bigger bawlz than I got. I would hit it at about the 250' mark, but I also lifted off the gas some 20 feet ago too. I was doing 135-ish myself, but started slowing down 50 feet sooner (i.e. try doing 135mph down your sidestreet, and only _start_ to hit your brakes 3 houses from the corner of your block, then turn!!!). He was faster _into_ turn one, and some other corners, but overall, I was faster per lap when I passed him. We got back to the pits, and he came up to me and said "When did you learn to drive so fast?". My reply: "Today!".

AWESOME day. I went thru complete front tire in one day! Drove the car VERY hard, and carried a LOT more speed thru the turns. Made it a point to not overslow the car (tooo cautious) for the turns. Just narrowed my "extra"margin of safety to "zero" margin of safety, and you better do this turn correctly or you are going off. I did. A few times!!! Not that I am taking any chances, but I am not overdoing the cautious part, and am letting it all hang out, and having fun (not reckless).



Going off #1 (yes, there are more):
Following Rob, just to see how/where he goes thru corners. I followed him off the track! DOH!!! He went wide, couldnt hold it on the track, and I said to myself, he's going off.... wait... I am following him. We just sort'a 4-wheel drifted off the end of turn 5, and straightened out and back on the track. We didnt even get Black-flagged and called in about it, no biggie. But smiling. It was just funny how I was following him so closely, and concentrating on HIM (not the road), that when he went off, I went off.

Went off again, following the Tone/Wilson NASA AIX and American V8 Sedan Series Mustang. I was following a wee bit too close, looking at car, not the road (like you're supposed to). We were going around a smoothe u-turn curve. He was finishing a turn, and he did an "off-throttle-rotation" (he lifted to get the weight to transfer to the front tires, and make the back end fishtail a bit) and finished the turn. I didnt do that there, but sooner in the turn, went wide, and got a wee bit airborn over a rumble-strip, but back on track in 40 feet, so again no harm done. In fact, I didnt even lift off the gas, and that helped me spit a LOT dirt in the air (roostertail) and helped me get on the track.

Will have to review some video footage I recorded, see what I recorded,as I (accidentally) rewound the tape and recorded over stuff.



p.s. Was sooooo tired driving a few hundred miles on the track, then get into car and drive 300 miles home, I just went to bed, and trailered my car to work today. Too tired to deal with it last night or this morning. A few co-workers stopped by saying they noticed.


Photos and video coming soon.