The road to Optima Challenge 2021

[Red_Kitty]

I've got all that so I'll for sure use it. I can see it already, here's a really little guy in a slow car with a fire suit and a HANS to go out there and get lapped by all the Corvette guys wearing gold chains.

I put my gold chains in the passenger door pocket on track days, to balance out the L/R weight distribution ....

[SuperBuickGuy]

I put my gold chains in the passenger door pocket on track days, to balance out the L/R weight distribution ....

I'm still looking for New Balance driving shoes that meet fire standards

[pdub]

I put my gold chains in the passenger door pocket on track days, to balance out the L/R weight distribution ....

Andy you can do that and get away with it in the paddock area because your front hood is more elite than all of Mister T's gold chains. Just sayin. I hugely enjoyed standing there in Arkansas and seeing all the car guys slobbering on the ground looking at it. It was kinda like, "Hey little guy, where's YOUR car (20 feet away)?" My answer would have been Uhhhh I don't have one, I live here in Blytheville and heard about all of this so I walked all the way out here to watch.

[Red_Kitty]

Andy you can do that and get away with it in the paddock area because your front hood is more elite than all of Mister T's gold chains. Just sayin. I hugely enjoyed standing there in Arkansas and seeing all the car guys slobbering on the ground looking at it.

The hood is "bling" but it's functional - it weighs 12 lbs. The underside is laquered bare carbon fiber. It was a factory option for 2011-13 Corvette Z06's, and standard on the 427 convertibles.

[SuperBuickGuy]

The hood is "bling" but it's functional - it weighs 12 lbs. The underside is laquered bare carbon fiber. It was a factory option for 2011-13 Corvette Z06's, and standard on the 427 convertibles.

"Oh this little thing? it's just a used hood I picked up from a street urchin, couldn't even afford to paint all of it, just the top".... racers, so polite, never put on airs I feel so bad not contributing to his gofundme....

[SuperBuickGuy]

In other news, Buick gets to stay home with mom while dad is out adventuring. Mom was going to be out-of-the-area as well but got a better offer to stay in the area. I'm hoping that when UMC happens, she can come with then we'll be one, big, happy, racing-with-dogs family.

[SuperBuickGuy]

motorhomes at the track? what do I need to know?

[pdub]

motorhomes at the track? what do I need to know?

They are big and slow and will greatly hinder your lap times if you get behind one.

If you want to take one most of the driver track packages include information about motorhome areas and any available hookup services. Most of the bigger spectator tracks have a designated area where electrical hookup is available. Septic dump ports are more rare as most tracks are not in the campground business often enough to get serious about it.

[Captain]

They are big and slow and will greatly hinder your lap times if you get behind one..

BlaaHaaHa !!!!

Seriously, I do love when they Do end up in Areas they DON"T Belong....
And that "Lost in the Clouds Stare" Well Ethel.....Where are We ?!!!!
Ethel, Get Out and ASK......Is this the Seniors Only Camping ??

[SuperBuickGuy]

They are big and slow and will greatly hinder your lap times if you get behind one.

so you say, Richard Hammond has the counter-argument

[pdub]

^^^I LOVED that video!

The next question is, do the Optima folks run in the rain? If they do then you've got to consider tires.

All of the outfits I've run with keep going rain or shine but they note in Florida that they may call a pause if a really "bad" storm is coming through. I've always said I wanted the track to myself and one time I had it. It was raining but then it got into a torrential downpour. I was sitting there on the grid by myself at Road Atlanta.

The starter said to watch out, water ponds between the esses and Turn 5. I said I know, I've been here before and I've seen it. And he must have never seen it himself because it doesn't pond, it flows a river across the track right there. I pulled out of the pit road and learned right away you can't get much of a track rhythm going when you can't see past the hood with the wipers on high. Plus it's sort of a bummer to be sloshing around in that with the windows rolled down. I drove around the track at about 30 mph and pulled back into the pits. That was my only solo run ever on a race track.

[SuperBuickGuy]

^^^I LOVED that video!

The next question is, do the Optima folks run in the rain? If they do then you've got to consider tires.

All of the outfits I've run with keep going rain or shine but they note in Florida that they may call a pause if a really "bad" storm is coming through. I've always said I wanted the track to myself and one time I had it. It was raining but then it got into a torrential downpour. I was sitting there on the grid by myself at Road Atlanta.

The starter said to watch out, water ponds between the esses and Turn 5. I said I know, I've been here before and I've seen it. And he must have never seen it himself because it doesn't pond, it flows a river across the track right there. I pulled out of the pit road and learned right away you can't get much of a track rhythm going when you can't see past the hood with the wipers on high. Plus it's sort of a bummer to be sloshing around in that with the windows rolled down. I drove around the track at about 30 mph and pulled back into the pits. That was my only solo run ever on a race track.

They do run in the rain, but I'm pretty sure the rain total for Willow Springs California is less then an inch a year. Salt Lake City is probably about the same.

I accept that I am a Novice and that there is no tire that will change that. I bought tires that should last this year and are rain-rated. They're not the 'wink wink, nod nod' 200 tread wear that the ones who place are running... they're a 320 tread wear (though there is an allegation that tread wear ratings are done by the manufacturer and aren't worth the rubber their cast into)...

That said, next year, some custom HRE wheels and 200 tread wear (wink, wink) tires are on my Christmas wish list.

[SuperBuickGuy]

okay, checked.... 4/10ths in May, 2/10ths in June for Willow Springs.... Average temp though is 76 for may 86 for june.
For Salt Lake City. 6/10ths for July and average temps of 90 degrees during the day (ugh)


so that's quite unlikely I'll wash away, but quite likely that I'll melt. Keep in mind that the average temps for this area is 60s for May, 70s for July.

[SuperBuickGuy]

who knew? the most important tool for racing is a tailor's tape measure?

[SuperBuickGuy]

"safety stuff"

now with hooks