Since I work for Simpson Racing and we supply the school with harnesses, firesuits, and helmets, they hooked us up. I got to drive 50 laps of Irwindale Speedway in a stock car with about 450 hp (it's like 1g for a 20 lap school!). It's a half mile oval, so you don't go super fast, but you go around 100 on the straight's and like 80 around the corners. It took me quite a few laps to get used to how good these things corner! I finally said to myself, "ok this is a race car, with big Good Year slicks, just push it" and that thing pins you to the side of your seat. When you accelerate down the straights, it's so fast, the whole thing is just vibrating and loud. What a rush, can't wait to do it again. It also gave me alot more respect for Stock car racers, can't imagine being out there with 30 other cars.
You definitely don't want to crash, since before you get in, you either sign the no fee damage waiver, which means you pay for any damages you cause, or you pay $75 and limit yourself to the first 2500 in damage. We all opted for the no fee one, and said if we crash, we'll get Simpson to pay (yeah, right). It's also very hot in there, but it was certainly an incredible experience.
It's been my life's ambition to race. I may never get that far, but I work in the industry designing uniforms for top teams (and every one in between), so I'm close to the action and getting chances like this are priceless. I had to miss a 4 hour go-kart race we did as I was driving home from SEMA. That must have been cool too! Complete with pit-stops, oil changes, driver changes and gas! That will come again though, and next time, I'm there.
Here's me getting strapped in, and one of the cars at speed.
I did a Stock Car racing school!
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Falkdesigns
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elwesso
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Re: I did a Stock Car racing school! (Falkdesigns)
Very cool....
Be even cooler to take the Q around the track...
Be even cooler to take the Q around the track...
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Falkdesigns
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Re: I did a Stock Car racing school! (elwesso)
It would be cool to take the Q around the track, but the Q wouldn't be able to touch these cars . In the straights, under braking, or the corners.
You basically roll on throttle from mid corner, (you take a high line at this track because it's a momentum track), to full throttle just before the exit of the corner and it's full throttle to the marker about 50 ft before the corner, roll off throttle, brake pretty hard, coast, and begin to roll on the throttle again from mid corner. Our lap times were in the 21 second range, and during a race, the laps are around 18-19 seconds, so we did pretty good. We were the fastest group out there that day. I tell you what, it's amazing how well these cars corner. From what I know, stock cars corner between 2-3 G's.
They're going to be starting a drift school there. The big US vs. Japan event will be held there on Dec. 19 and several of the drift events have been held there so I guess it's only natural. Can't wait to try that out!
You basically roll on throttle from mid corner, (you take a high line at this track because it's a momentum track), to full throttle just before the exit of the corner and it's full throttle to the marker about 50 ft before the corner, roll off throttle, brake pretty hard, coast, and begin to roll on the throttle again from mid corner. Our lap times were in the 21 second range, and during a race, the laps are around 18-19 seconds, so we did pretty good. We were the fastest group out there that day. I tell you what, it's amazing how well these cars corner. From what I know, stock cars corner between 2-3 G's.
They're going to be starting a drift school there. The big US vs. Japan event will be held there on Dec. 19 and several of the drift events have been held there so I guess it's only natural. Can't wait to try that out!
