Sunday's On Track

S

Stanger58

New member
On behalf of Track Guys (Todd Zikas, Liz Zikas and me), we would like to thank those of you who DID participate in Sunday's "on track" driving events. It is always a pleasure working with and teaching an enthusiastic group of Lightning owners! And to those of you who did come out and learn about going around corners VERY quickly, I hope you now see just how capable your trucks are... even in perfectly stock condition! And witnessed first hand just how much fun "turning FAST" can be.

Now... for those of you who DIDN'T sign up to drive... tisk, tisk, tisk... what a PERFECT place to learn about the basics of performance driving than with your OWN CLUB and taught by people who truly "get our jollies" from teaching others how to go fast and do it safely... lap after lap after lap! I do hope at least some of you came out during the noon parade laps to at least see the track that you were missing...

Big D and Nan are a PLEASURE to work with... being an event organizer, promoter and "do-er" myself, I KNOW how much work goes on behind the scenes... THANK YOU Big D and Nan... for once again asking Track Guys to be a small part of your fun and celebration of Lightning and H-D trucks!

Hope to see y'all on track again... somewhere! :B2:

Jeff Lacina
Lead Instructor
Track Guys Performance Driving Events:3g:
 
Once again, a BIG THANKS to Big D and Nan for the event!!!
Even though I don't own a Lightning anymore, we still made a trip on the parade route. Fortunitely for me, I was doing the last of the JDRF collection from the parade participants, which totaled over $175, :tu: we got to jump on the track and play "catch up" in my 03 Taurus. :D The wife wasn't too thrilled but I was!! I had done this one other time for an SVT Experience years ago here in Michigan and it was a blast. If I still had my Lightning this year, I would have signed to do it again! You guys really missed out!
:3g:
 
I was one of the 3 (???ONLY 3???) Lightnings to run the open track. I had forgotten how much fun it was after not running an event in over 8 years. I truly had a great, great time.

I also want to say THANK YOU to the instructors and Jeff for giving their time and energy to help me understand how capable these trucks really are in more than just a straight line. I learned a ton about my driving prowess (or lack thereof) and my trucks abilities. Also a big thanks to D and Nan for having the open track a part of our event.

I truly never ran an entire lap full out for fear of cooking my brakes 450 miles from home but have no doubts at some point in the future I will, just to see what she and I can do out there.

One suggestion I would have liked to see is timed laps for my truck. It wouldn't have to be every lap but say one lap during each session just to see if my abilities and lines and eyesight were improving out there over several sessions. Plus it would be nice to see how my truck stacked up against some of the other vehicles out there.

At any rate, fun, fun, fun and thanks!!!!

Tommy
 
Open track was an experience, Im very dissapointed that some of the L's didnt run. I can see where some of the guys who drove their L's out didnt want to run, but i mean, go out and learn to drive, just not all out. I went out in my Gen 1 and had a blast and pushed the truck pretty hard and she kept taking it in, almost as if it longed to be driven like a sports car :tu:

It was truly a blast, kinda sad to see that I was the only G1 out there in the 2nd round, Justin D dropped out, his instructor wouldnt let him go like my instructor let me go, I even scared mine drifting around the one corner :)

Hope to see it again next year!

Garrett
 
Yeah Your right Garrett, But I ran over and did the Autocross and had a blast. All in all I wanted to thank you guys for showing us Lightning guys how to drive these trucks like they should be driven.

Justin
 
WARNING WARNING WARNING REALLY LONG POST !!!!!!!!!

Well at least I know then who 2 of my fellow L owners were out on the open track then. I was the stock red Gen2 if you're wondering. I totally agree with you that it's a shame more of the L's didn't see track time cause it was a total BLAST ! :D I too was worried about brake problems especially when Jeff said in drivers meeting that the one guy had boiled his brake fluid and toasted the rotors. However I was totally absent minded of that once I got on the course and saw how my L was handling, for a close to 5000# truck w/driver & instructor she did pretty good. I have to say I was really glad to have an instructor with me to give me some pointers and following lines. I ran 3 sessions and finally decided to call it a day when the L finally started to get a little pedal fade. The bolt really did awesome for being totally stock.
OK guys here is where I'm going to admit my noviceness on the second session you might have noticed, or mabey not, a yellow flag went out , well it was me, I spun out or should say did 2- 360 degree turns on turn #5 - too fast on the gas out of the corner.
I tried to overcorrect and the back end went out and boy you talk about FAST. I was checking my pants after that and the funny part was the instructor found a whole new use for that passenger
handle grab on the window pillar- hell he was a Porshe driver!
Had to go back to the pits and get reprimanded but Jeff was great and asked what I did and the instructor helped out so no big thing. Overall this experience was great and if I get bigger brakes and some Nittos I'm putting it out on another course, well as soom as I learn how to drive better ofcourse. LOL

weareweird69- I saw you on the course but I think you were in run group2 right? or I might have skipped one session while you were running it. Your Gen1 looked great on that long stretch over the tunnel bridge.

Sonicbluetommy-man you were definitely getting your moneys worth cause I saw you running all day. You passed me on the paddock straightaway but not sure if you were driving/ or the instructor/ I'll give you the credit MMMkay:tu:

There was I think a couple other Gen2's, a black one and a silver one with black stripes who I later talked to who was from up by Chicago. There was ofcourse the modded lightning that looked like an indy car going around the course on those "s" turns and passing cars. I luckily got mabey 2 minutes of video of it before I had to get ready for my run. I never saw it go back out again and I was bummed :(

The last thing I will mention is that saying" good things come to those who wait" will it did for me cause the last session of mine I had a Porsche driver go with me, no not the one above. Well he gave me some great tips, so after the run he says how about you go with me in my car and I'll show you the lines. So I say ok, well it turns out he driving that almost new Porsche 944. All I can say is this thing had me doing this in my head on the track the whole time:hail: I said' this thing must be modded out" well he said it was only dropped 1 inch, different tires, different brakes, that's it !
He tells me this while we go 125-140 MPH over that sightless hill at the end of the dragstrip where a SCCA driver was killed earlier in the year trying to overcorrect and hit the wall. Everytime he hit the brakes my 5 point harness sucked me in with no problem and boy was it a ride as even he had the back end sliding from too much speed a couple of times :eek: :3g:

Overall I had a great time and well worth the money, heck I could have gotten in probably 8 more sessions of track time. I want to thank NLOC and Track Guys for putting this on and helping me be a better driver if not a safer one. Hope you fellow L guys had as much fun as I did.
:B2:
 
I was one of those Silver lowered Lightnings that went out on the track. I only ran the 1st session as I had a 8 hr drive ahead of me and smelled oil from the right rear of my truck. I just replaced a rear axle seal 3 days B4. So i was a little worried that the seal was leaking. So I didn't go again.

I had a blast, and wish I would have gone out again. Oh well. That blind hill I wanted to test out more, but I would get up to about 100 and the instructor says I was going fast enough down the front straight. :? I know I could have gone a little longer but he didn't feel confident.

I am looking into racing at BlackHawk farms racecourse for next year for some added fun. And those SS brake line kit I won I am sure will help with the mushy peddle. :hh:
 
I topped that blind hill at the end of the front straight at about 110mph once. Notice i say "once". Scared both me and the instructer a little at how the truck lifted and walked itself all the way to the very outside edge of the track.

Now I just need brakes and a lowering kit and shocks. Heck, it's only money!!!!!!
 
Garret was tearing it up! Having done a few HPDEs in my pickup trucks, I was pretty impressed watching him shuffle the rear end out through that really tight S just before the front straight! :tu:
 
FMOS Racing said:
Garret was tearing it up! Having done a few HPDEs in my pickup trucks, I was pretty impressed watching him shuffle the rear end out through that really tight S just before the front straight! :tu:
Click to expand...

:D Thank You Jeff, I scared my instructor... hehe I told him I knew how to handle my 4800lb tank, I was even holding a conversation with him while driving :tug: :3g:

I could only top about 98-100mph over that last knoll at the end of the front straight, I kept hard on it over the hill, and thru the corner, scaring the instructor once again :) lol
 
The last instructor that rode with me had one of the Bondurant mustangs and had driven a Lightning on some road courses. He said what made the truck slide so bad was lifting off the throttle at the crest of the hill. He had me try keeping on the throttle all the way thru the hill and into the corner. It seemed to keep the rear of the truck more planted. We still slid pretty far out but it seemed much more controlled.

He also was big on braking really deep into the corners before turning to get the truck pointed in as straight a line as possible coming out. His reasoning was that our trucks best asset is its straight line acceleration. He said get the truck set up at every corner to use that acceleration as soon as possible even if it meant scrubbing a little extra speed before turning into the corners. Our truck will more than make it up in acceleration.

He was also kinda dogging all the L owners that didnt get out on the track. He was saying how amazing these trucks are on a track and he couldnt believe guys wouldnt want to get more than a 1/4 mile worth of fun out of them.
 
ozbolt99 said:
WARNING WARNING WARNING REALLY LONG POST !!!!!!!!!

There was I think a couple other Gen2's, a black one and a silver one with black stripes who I later talked to who was from up by Chicago.
Click to expand...

Blue Stripes
 
I had a blast and will be back again to the track SOON!!! I am very happy with my little SVT Focus.

As for laptimes. Joe was clocking us during our runs. Robert and I were putting 2 minute times out and he told me that Tommy was running about 7 seconds slower.

That first turn on off the pit!!! WOW!!! I slid over a good 8 feet going 100 over that hill and my instructor went for the door handle. After we came out of that he asked if this was my first time on track. I said "YES". He quickly informed me that I was doing VERY WELL!!!!

Track Guys RULE in my book. I will be looking up any events they have going on within a days drive!!!!!

B
 
Kinda sad that the OT wont be part of the L-Fest Festivites in future years, but what can ya do!

Im glad it isnt in a way because I toasted my rotors and pads, or at least im pretty sure I did... Ive gotta go over the front end and do some maintnence, trucks never been driven like it was supposed to be :)

And, Ozbolt99, was the porsche driver driving the newest porsche out there? Like a whitish/cream color with a black interior and red 5-points? His name was Mike Egger (sp?) had a pony tail and white helmet......

Anyway, that was my instructor throught my 1st and 2nd run and I too went for a ride in his car, which I thought he said was a 996 and wow, what a blast! 130mph over that last straight and HARD into the brakes.
 
Well I better make 2 corrections which is pretty good considering I posted a journal pretty much on my last post, Hemmingway I'm not:D
1. Fletch, my bad, I've seen your sig and should have remembered
the stripes were blue and heck you were parked right across from
me at the paddock the whole time. Sorry. The Chicago group was
a great one and really showed what being a Lightning owner is all about. Glad to hear you all got home safely if not REALLY late.

2. Weareweird69, you're absolutely right that's the guy and I don't need to explain about the braking he does huh? I'm not up on Porsches so you're probably right. I think I got those raced prepped old models mixed up mabey. He was going to take mine for a spin but I went out on a long drive outside Heartland to cool the brakes per his suggestion and he was gone when I finally got back.

SonicblueTommy, your last post had so much info on the L's handling I thought mabey YOUR an instructor.:tug:
 
Troy, Sonic is talking about my buddy Phil. He is the one that had the white trailer that was pitted next to me. I think you have meet him before, very nice guy.
 
forcefedcobra said:
I had a blast and will be back again to the track SOON!!! I am very happy with my little SVT Focus.

As for laptimes. Joe was clocking us during our runs. Robert and I were putting 2 minute times out and he told me that Tommy was running about 7 seconds slower.

B
Click to expand...


I would like to clarify Mr B and his 7 second quicker lap times....
:cr: IT'S NOT TRUE:cr:

After being warned about my brakes (or lack thereof) by:
1) several club guys
2) all the lightning boards
3) Jeff with the On-Track guys pointing out the L's specifically

I decided to not run any lap full out. I always just kinda cruised down at least one of the straightaways per lap at about 1/2 speed to cool the brakes. I figured I was there to learn how to corner and how my truck handled, I know it will run like a striped *** ape down the straightaways. Plus being 470 miles from home didnt need to burn anything up.

So I am pretty sure what I lost in the corners I would have made up on the straightaways. It would have been interesting to run one lap full out and be timed against the little Foci.

I know those little things corner like they are on rails--I was amazed at how you could just throw them at a corner and they would gobble it up and ask for more!

So I guess I am throwing down the gauntlet Brandon, next open track we meet, lets run'em!!!!!!!
 
ozbolt99 said:
SonicblueTommy, your last post had so much info on the L's handling I thought mabey YOUR an instructor.:tug:
Click to expand...

I just listen really well when I am interested in something!!! Plus when he said he had driven these trucks I really started paying attention!!! And he was showing me different lines than the other instructors which was kind of a wakeup call.

At any rate I learned alot and was thrilled to be taught by such knowledgable guys. Sorry it wont happen again as these trucks go around a track soooo well.
 
sonicbluetommy said:
I would like to clarify Mr B and his 7 second quicker lap times....
:cr: IT'S NOT TRUE:cr:
Click to expand...

That's right, it's not true. :D The two laps of yours I timed were in the 2:03 range. BJ and Robert both ran 2:00 lap after lap after lap.....For comparison here are some other times I got:

Blue Viper: 1:34
White Porsche: 1:38
Most L2's: 2:05-2:10

Those are the times I can rembember. Last year one of the driver's wives was timing and said I was running in the low-mid 1:50's. I paid the price with smoky dead brakes and drove home with a pitifully feeble brake pedal. The brakes were fine until the last session, then really went down hill. I have an order placed with TCE as I type this to correct that problem. If you guys need brakes, Todd is your man. He spent about 3 hours over the weekend answering my questions, and then gave me one helluva deal on a brake kit. :tu:

Where did the concept of only 3 L's on track come from? I've seen it posted a few places now. There were very few compared to last year, but there were a lot more than 3. There were at least 6 in group 1: sonicbluetommy, Fletch, a true blue, a red, a silver, and a red gen 1. There were a few more in the other groups.

BTW, the events aren't officially timed because if they were your insurance wouldn't cover the damages if you wadded it up. Since they aren't timed they are considered educational events and most insurance companies will cover the damages. Check with your insurance company to be sure.
 
I know if I plan on racing any more open track I will have to have better brakes and a panhard bar. Now how do I get Santa to bring me a set of those? My brakes never faded on the track but they sure dont feel as strong now as they did before.

So that is where we need the unofficial timers!!! Next time we will have to pick a lap and run full out and have someone time it.
 
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