Going to Autobahn Country Club :-)

[SoundQ SVT]

At the monthly SVTOA-HOI club breakfast, one of the guys asked if any of us wanted to go run Autobahn on a members only, full-track day. Apparently one of the Corporate members still had several guest passes to use up. So I will hopefully claim one of them and try Autobahn one more time on Oct 20.

[icysvt]

sounds like fun!

[m!key]

get me a pass! please?!

[SoundQ SVT]

Mikey,

Here is a link to some information about the weekend.

http://www.chicagosvt.com/forums/showthread.php3?t=25120

Since it is an event for "members only" and their guests, they want people with road course experience only. There will not be instructors. It has been suggested that I am borderline on the experience level (which I understand) and that I'll probably need to have a couple sessions with one of the guys I'm going up there with riding along so I can get "checked out" before going solo.

I have spent 2 days on the south track there plus one day at Gingerman but I have never been on the north track. This event will be using the combined 3.5 mile track so I don't disagree with the idea I need someone with me my first couple of times out.

[SVTJON87]

you know whats crazy. i know one of the part owners and i have never gone.

[Big Daddy Kane]

...and I thought you were coming to Germany... to the 'ring... it's only 188km away (2 hours according to Google Maps). :shrug:

http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=UTF8&ll=50.33056,6.943703&spn=0.028108,0.079823&z=14&om=1

[SoundQ SVT]

Wow!! What a fun day it was on Saturday!!! I had a blast!

First, the day was gorgeous. No clouds, perfect temperature, got a little breezy in the afternoon but was ok.

We arrived at the track a little before 7:30 am (after a 2 hour drive), registered and took care of the other paperwork, then drove from the entry gate area to the main parking area. After unloading/emptying the cars, we took part in a driver orientation meeting where we went over the basic rules and such for the day. This meeting was mostly our group of guests, but there were a couple others too. During the meeting, one of the run groups (B) was already getting on the track. I was in group C with the novices. Group B was for experienced road course drivers, Group A was for the crazy people with race-prepped vehicles. There was also a Group O for open wheel race cars.

Group C hit the track at 9:00 and I had one of the guys I went up there with ride along with me so he could talk me through the north course in particular, but also remind me about the south course. After the first session, I drove solo the rest of the day. We got three 20 minute sessions in before lunch and another two after lunch. I logged 83 miles on the track, and that was with cutting the last session a lap or two short when I noticed my fuel guage was sitting on 'E'. When I let up on a straight (nobody around) the guage returned to between E and 1/8 tank so I knew I had enough to get to around the track again and to the pits and eventually drive about 5 miles to the nearest gas station.

I could quickly tell I was doing much better this time at the track compared to the first time. When I was there before, I basically stayed it 3rd gear the whole time, topping out about 80-82 mph. This time, even in the first session out, I was grabbing 4th in several places on the track and later on I was getting up to as high as 93-95 mph in a couple places. Granted, one of the group B guys I went out with (Boris, in his M3 that he'll be bringing to Waterford Hills) was hitting closer to 105-110 at the end of the long back straight on the south course where I was topping out at 95. As expected, I could feel the acceleration in the M3 a lot more than in my CSVT with a stock powertrain. He was also on Hoosier slicks which helped the cornering speeds just a little too....

The day ended with a couple Chase races and then a buffet dinner. We headed for home about 7:45.

What a wonderful day. I can't wait for SZ08 to get here to get out again. Boris and Denny (two of the group that are heading up to Waterford Hills with me) both said they are looking forward to heading up there too.

[todras]

Sounds great. Wish I could take a crack at that track.

[SVThopeful]

Sounds great. Wish I could take a crack at that track.

Me too.