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Track Day Event @ Pocono East w/Northeast Corvair Council Article/Review By: David Hess (click for profile)
This event was open to owners of all makes and models of car. Approximately 28 drivers registered and since the bad weather forecasts scared many a driver away, those who braved the rain threats were treated to an OPEN course. The grouped practice sessions that they usually run were instead replaced by an open track event, where you just show up to pit lane, await the blessing from the flag-person, and off you go until either you or the car became tired. Later in the afternoon timed laps were recorded in a one-at-a-time fashion. Each person who wished to participate was granted 3 "hot laps" with an almost full warm up and cool down lap.
Afterward the NECC folks held an informal dinner gathering at a local firehouse. Gotsta love free food.
Since the NECC received less then the expected 40+ cars, they did lose a bit of cashola out of the deal. We as grassroots racers should do what we can to keep these types of events alive by attending or helping where we can. Expect to see another Corvair Club event in September @ the Pocono North Course announced here, but unlike this past event, the Bayshore Corvair Club will have instructors on hand.
My experience: It started out like any other roadtrip, though this time I made sure I put forth a bit more effort with the wife before leaving. So I cleaned the kitchen, actually washed the dishes, cleaned the counters and bought flowers for my wife. I realized I forgot the maps I printed out and reprinted them using MS Streets. After packing up, I finally left around 8pm.
I was going to try and make it past the Lehigh Tunnel before stopping for dinner. In fact where Rt. 476 (PA Turnpike) and Rt. 80 meet, there's a killer Wawa that makes an excellent Vegi sub. Unfortunately an SUV that seemed more pesky then usual swayed my decision to stop at the rest stop just after the Tunnel. He was one of those guys you pass because he's going slow, then he speeds up and passes you only to slow down again in front of you. Well this lasted for, no lie, 20 miles or so. I tried everything to lose him, slow down/speed up it didn't matter, so I strategically pulled off as he was passing me again. (bye-bye).
I finally arrived at my destination, the Days Inn @ I-80 and Rt. 715. around 10:30 or so. I wound up meeting a few cool dudes on the way to my room, and chatted with them for a couple minutes. I figured I'd meet them for breakfast the next day.
That would never happen: the wake-up call (6:15) never took place and I found myself waking up when I should have been preparing to enter the track, no not getting there, actually getting ON the track. However being slow to anger, I called and asked them to contact someone from the group, they should have that info on file somewhere, and tell them I'd be there, but late.
The directions were a bit incomplete, but I did eventually find the track.
After the NECC granted me entrance, I talked to a youngster in an Acura Integra who seemed enthused about my car and about racing. I fed him some information on the Susquehenna SCCA, since that was his locale, and continued to prep my car. The rocky prep area had two strips of smooth tarmac where I elected to change my tires. Luckily this kid gave me a ride back to where I put all my stuff... and where I left my racing lug nuts. - If you're reading - Thank you!
Once my car was prepared, I found I still wasn't. My helmet it seems is Snell 90!!! Egad! Once again someone saved my ass. Earl a dude with a Camaro, and apparently a small head like mine had an extra open-faced "Harley" helmet that was Snell 95. Not only wouldn't I have been able to run, but all the schtuff I went through to get to Pocono would have been for nothing. I've always found the racing community more then willing to lend a helping hand, or in this case, a lending brain bucket.
This was my fourth Track Day event, but my first without an instructor in the car. The last event, I had an instructor, he only stayed in the car for about 5 laps, and then said, in essence, dude, your fine. No one in immediate ear-shot to be accountable to, and no experience with this track. Luckily I pulled in after a couple laps just to think about what was happening, and to let a few faster cars go by. While in Pit Lane, Ed Jenks of the SJ SCCA walked up to the car. (Ed was there at another part of the course for an ITS race in his 2nd gen RX-7). He said, "You've got to hit the apexes." I explained that I'd just gotten there, etc... he said that was no excuse. His words would ring in my ear for the rest of the day. I found myself concentrating much more on this and another bit of advice he gave, slow in, fast out. Thanks Ed!
As the open track session was coming to a close, I noticed some heavy brake fade. I figured some cool off would be good, and I could use a break too.
I ate, then went back to the track, but on the way, I noticed the brakes were still not good. I looked on the out side of the rim, and noticed what seemed like metal shavings. I set to work on replacing the pads... this time I was (almost) prepared.
I borrowed a C clamp for pushing the pistons back in, and after that 10 minute search pulled off the front left wheel. Nope still got plenty of pad... and the same for the Right side. I then checked the fluid and it was just a tad lower then it should be, so I topped it off. This brought the pad back up, at least enough not to get back out there and drive 8/10ths.
I put everything back together in time for the timed laps. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately however you want to look at it, I went off track. This was something I'd been worried about since my experience at Friday at the Track back late in 2001. I did 2 wheels off there, but that was with an instructor and he felt that I couldn't have kept it on the track. Since then I'd been wondering if I had the sense to know when and how to go off correctly - straight off! Luckily I did. After carrying a bit more speed through the long slight right-hand sweeper past "Pit-out" I lifted when I thought the car had settled. The breaking zone passed by the time I settled the car for the 80-degree, 3-gear left. So instead of trying to make the turn I went straight off. Another fortunate event was my car survived the 2 ditches hidden in dem-thare grassy fields. In hind site I maybe shouldn't have crawled back onto the track, but I didn't notice any people waving at me, in fact they didn't seem too concerned so I crept back onto the track. I checked my mirrors (not for cars, their were no other cars on the track for this timed session), and didn't notice any "bleeding". The only thing I noticed was the alignment was slightly out, a bit more toe-in. I then proceeded around the course at about 5/10ths, and back in for someone to help me check the car more thoroughly. After the liquid dripping from the two back corners of the car, was deemed water (from the ditches), I was encouraged to take my last timed lap. I said I didn't want to hold the event up, and I'd be fine if they just wanted to start up the open sessions again, but they said in essence, no go ahead, we've got lotsa time.
The off track thing was a big monkey on my back, and I feel much better about the fear level and my abilities to think clearly in the situation. Afterwards I talked to a few people, and one thing that would have helped was the idea of "opening the arch". I may have been able to avoid those ditches if I'd put just a bit of steering input into the car. I guess that's not something the instructors want to teach novices. "Small input" can be lots of things to different people.
After the "off" I never fully pushed the car again. I new in the back of my mind a couple things. 1. no roll cage, and 2. I have to drive this puppy home. So I concentrated on the lessons: driving a good line, hitting the apexes and slow in and fast out.
What I'm not highlighting is that fact that everyone there was way cool. Even though I didn't have a Corvair or even an American car, no one looked upon me as anything other then a new face, or someone to either help, or talk with. One guy I met, actually sold his IT prepared RX-7, and decided to build a Corvair to run with these guys - because they are so cool.
My brakes aren't quite the same, though they did come back. I'm planning on bleeding the system, replacing the other front caliper, and replacing the back rubber lines with the Stainless Steel jobers I have in the garage.
NERDS Racing is not the host nor do we assume any responsibility for this or any of the events listed here. This site is FYI only. Racing and High Performance Driving is dangerous by nature (not 'cause I hate cha), but then again so is driving on public roads. Either way, you are the driver, and therefore you are responsible for your own actions.
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Photo
taken by David Hess during the September Bayshore Corvair Club's Track
Day on the North Course @ Pocono Raceway.