Well, wish me luck... Im off to the Skip Barber Racing School~

[Guest carlsbadrolex]

Since I had to cancel my school session last month due to my ex wifes antics, I have been patiently waiting for this day to come. Tonight I leave for the Skip Barber Racing School at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA. I was enrolled in the 1 day combo course by my boss as a Christmas gift.

After over 6 months of waiting, Im finally ready to do it.

I will be taking along a couple watches. Most likely wearing the GMT IIc and taking a few others. I will take pics as possible of the watches and the cars.

The last half of the day we are allowed to drive the Formula Skip Barber open wheel race cars on the track, so that should be worthy of a couple pics!

Everyone play nice, and take it easy on each other!

T

[hiker01]

Since I had to cancel my school session last month due to my ex wifes antics, I have been patiently waiting for this day to come. Tonight I leave for the Skip Barber Racing School at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA. I was enrolled in the 1 day combo course by my boss as a Christmas gift.

After over 6 months of waiting, Im finally ready to do it.

I will be taking along a couple watches. Most likely wearing the GMT IIc and taking a few others. I will take pics as possible of the watches and the cars.

The last half of the day we are allowed to drive the Formula Skip Barber open wheel race cars on the track, so that should be worthy of a couple pics!

Everyone play nice, and take it easy on each other!

T

Damn! Lucky you, dawg!!!!! Good luck and please be carefull out there! We want to see those pictures, but not your ass on a sling!!!!

Hike~!

[Pugwash]

I need a pic of a watch in front of the Corkscrew.

[Triodus]

Dude, That is freakin awsome! be sure to post photos when you get done. Good Luck!

"SOF"

[P4GTR]

Nice. Soak it in.

I'll be thinking of beating you under that California sun next time i'm doing a couple laps in Forza2.

[slai]

Awesome! Now let me give you a piece of advice I was given my first time driving on track.

Leave.

Leave now, while you still can.

I didn't heed this piece of advice, and I'm now addicted to this escalating and never-ending process of converting money into heat and noise.

[LordRasta]

Have a good time dude. slai! how the hell have you been Master at Arms?

[slai]

Have a good time dude. slai! how the hell have you been Master at Arms?

I think you mean carlsbadrolex. I was just passing on some words of wisdom I never followed.

I'm good. Just got home after 2 weeks of business travel...how I've missed my watchbox...how the hell are you?

[KB]

I don't have a clue who Skip Barber is but if it involves driving fast cars around a racing circuit then I'm all for it.

Good luck and have fun.

Ken

[LordRasta]

I think you mean carlsbadrolex. I was just passing on some words of wisdom I never followed.

I'm good. Just got home after 2 weeks of business travel...how I've missed my watchbox...how the hell are you?

Nah "have a good time" was for carl. Good to see you back safely. I'm going great, working on a couple of big projects.

[andreww]

You lucky SOB! That is something I've always wanted to do but will likely never get the opportunity. Used to drive carts, and was pretty good too, man what a rush!

[slai]

You lucky SOB! That is something I've always wanted to do but will likely never get the opportunity. Used to drive carts, and was pretty good too, man what a rush!

Are you kidding me? We have a world class track an hour away!

[Guest carlsbadrolex]

It is something Ive always wanted to do also. I used to do the SOLO II events here in SoCal as well as travel up to Button Willow with a car club I belonged to. But Ive never been behind the wheel of an open wheel race car. Im sure that is how the hook you on the level II and level III courses (each of which basically doubles in price).

[andreww]

Are you kidding me? We have a world class track an hour away!

I assume you are talking about Goodwood? 15 minutes from me mate! I haven't been in a Kart in a long time mate, would have loved to move up to a formula car but its an expensive hobby. Even more expensive than this one!

[mjmurphy926]

AWESOME!! The corkscrew is probably the coolest piece of any race circuit on earth...Have fun.

[slai]

I assume you are talking about Goodwood? 15 minutes from me mate! I haven't been in a Kart in a long time mate, would have loved to move up to a formula car but its an expensive hobby. Even more expensive than this one!

Nope. Mosport.

[longshot]

i've raced at laguna a half dozen times or so. all back in the 70's - 80's before the track layout changed. there was an AMA national there most every year and when roberts and spencer were in europe riding the GP circuit they would come back during the mid season break and spank everyone at the AMA national

even on a 250 yamaha the corkscrew is... awesome scary. as you come over the hill it looks more like a 3000 foot drop than a 300 foot drop!

i have not been to see the moto-gp bikes there even though it's only a few hours away. i guess i want to keep the memories of the two stroke 500's with no traction control and skinny tires fresh

[ta8088]

Sweet! Can't wait to see some pics CBR. Have fun!

[Dani]

Enjoy your days their.

Sounds like great fun..Laguna has some radical turns and up/down ratio.

Cheers

[lanikai]

Keep the rubber side down T .... when in doubt.. more pedal.. .. be safe ... God's Speed and drive safe coming Back

Aloha

R

[Pugwash]

i have not been to see the moto-gp bikes there even though it's only a few hours away. i guess i want to keep the memories of the two stroke 500's with no traction control and skinny tires fresh

From what I can tell watching it on TV, Traction Control doesn't make it any less exciting.

[Guest carlsbadrolex]

Well, I returned last night from Laguna Seca and all I can say is DAMN... At the end of the day, there was no effort at all needed to bushwack me into leaving a deposit on the 3 days Race course which will get me an SCCA Competition license.

The day began at about 7 am when I arrived at Laguna Seca a full hour early. The weather conditions were much less than favorable, and you could barely see 20 feet in front of you due to heavy fog.

The first pic is of the entry to the Laguna Seca Recreation Area. The second picture is of the track map. Now understand that the track itself is just under 2.5 miles long. In two weeks they will host the biggest motorcyle race in the US and expect over 100,000 attendees. THE PLACE IS HUGE. The Skip Barber Race School is directly behind pit row in the paddock area, so the next pic is the entrance to the paddock.

There are a couple pics of assorted cars that are for the school. Although I was there for the race school, the weather was bad enough that the had to let the fog burn off... SO we were able to use the RX-8's to do the autocross course, the thresh hold breaking course and the drift course. I had never drifted before, and that was the most fun Ive ever had in a street legal car. Now throw in the fact that it was wet, and it was even more interesting!

Once the fog lifted (about 9am) we grabbed our stuff and hopped pit wall to get introduced to the Formula Skip Barber cars that we would be driving the remainder of the day. Typically they offer 3 sessions of approximately 10 laps, but because our class size was only 5 people (myself and four executives from BF Goodrich) we were able to take 8 sessions.

After each session, we would return to pit row (same place the pros do) and get some instruction and constructive criticism. My personal instructor (a 12 year veteran instructor and F1 racer) told me after each session that I wasnt pushing the car hard enough. It was suggested the we get the car in to third gear and leave it there... Well that wasnt going to work for me! SO he immediately told me, "OK, you want to do this... so lets do it." and he gave me some additional pointers.

Each session we were allowed to go a little faster and we were forced to hit the marks of the line. I never realized that the "weaving" that is done as you enter a turn is not some fancy tactic to keep the guy behind you from passing... Its because if you dont enter the turn at the correct angle, the force will throw you off the track past the apex. I also always thought that extra 18inches of bumpy white and blue painted track on the outside of each curve was for looks. Its actually there to let you know, "Hey dummy, your 6 inches from going for a very unpleasant ride".

By the end of the 7th session I had FINALLY felt the rear end getting loose in every turn. I informed my instructor, and he said, "well its about time. Keep it there and just carry the speed in to the curves a little later."

SO, on the very last lap of the very last session... Yours truly did a 720 in turn 10. To be perfectly honest, I forgot which turn it was... When I realized in was 10, I hit the gas WAY too hard and spun the car out hard and fast.

The first thing they teach you is the difference between a slide and a spin........... Its the crashing sound at the end! They teach that if your slide goes past 90 degrees, you wont recover and to put as much force as you can in to the brake and clutch. They claim 90% of accidents are caused by cars that have spun going backwards into a wall or another car.

So as I spun I hit the brakes and clutch and prayed that the cars behind me saw me in time to not tear me a new one. Luckily for me (and with slight ego) they were so far behind me that they saw the hole thing and had plenty of time to go around me. After the 4th car passed, I fired it back up and did about 45mph in to pit row.

Unfortunately, the only pics of the GMT were taken in the RX-8. I left the Pelican case with the rest of my watches on my desk... So I wore the GMT the entire time there. They would not allow us to take cameras out on to the course because they would fly out of our pockets. I currently have 2 finch square bruises on my chest from the harness buckles. And my right knee is purple from banging on the frame when I spun. But I cannot express how exciting this experience was. Ive fought, Ive jumped out of planes from 40k feet, and dove to below 200 feet. THIS was the most fun Ive ever had. The reviews I read said it was addicting... Well it is! Im hooked and will be back there as soon as I can put together another $4k.

Here are some pics. Please excuse the blurry pics of me in the race car... The instructor who took the pics for me didnt know how to focus!

[Shundi]

Wowieeeeee... a few years back we signed up for the Porsche "experience" down in AL and while that was fun, we didn't get to use those sweet SBR cars!! Glad you enjoyed it!

[JoJo35]

Keep the rubber side down T .... when in doubt.. more pedal.. .. be safe ... God's Speed and drive safe coming Back

Aloha

R

....and if all else fails... TWO FEET IN!!!!

I've got lots of experience SCCA on the East Coast: Bridgehampton (one of Gurney's favorite places), Pocono, Limerock, Rockingham

I miss it, and I'm still considering getting back into formula

Enjoy, brake late, and apex early

http://bridgehamptonraceway.com/

[Shundi]

RX-8 is a great little car...I used to have a MazdaSpeed 6 and I drove the RX-8 while mine was having some engine work...sweet little Wankel engine...eats oil like a bastard though...