I know this is a Mazda board, but I have to mention this weekend... Best time of my life.
On Friday my bro & I left with a couple of his MR2 buddies for the annual MR2 meet in Shannonville/Picton. Took us maybe 3 hours to drive up, and we still had a good 5 or 6 hours left for track time. I watched for the most part of the first 2 hours, when people were still trying to get good times in. Then when more people started giving out rides I jumped on the offers.
Got in a couple MR2s, fun times, but nothing real special compaired to the Ferrari F430 I got to ride in. Freaking AWSOME car! The driver wasn't entirely the greatest in the tighter corners, but he still did a great job compaired to his AutoX the next day. But anyway, the ride in the Ferrari was GREAT, had a bit of trouble with the seatbelt and it's annoying locking crap. But apart from that, the driver obviously had some experience (still not enough to be driving Ferrari, but I won't complain). For the most part of the first lap, he told me what speeds he was going, how fast in the corners too, takin' it easy. The second lap however, he gunned it, barely had time to tell me the speeds, but was well over 15mph faster in the corners, and on the main straight got up to an amazing 155mph compaired to the 2nd gen turbo MR2s getting 115. Great ride, but still a few complaints about it. First: no head room with the helmet on, second; the paddle shifter may be faster, but it's realy jerky, as if it lets off the clutch too fast, and third; Barely any leg room for what it is. Anyway after that ride, I just watched and took photos (which my bro has yet to upload from his camera) knowing nothing could compair to the ride.
After a little while of watching, some random guy in a Nissan Sylvia came out, and after a few laps of normal racing to get a good time, he started drifting EVERY corner. It was INSANE, so right away I say "**** everyone else! I'm gettin photos of this guy!". And I did, which I will post later. Anyway, once he got off the track, I got to talkin to him. Nothin' special aparently, just the usual build up of a car, 400whp, 387wtq. He said he would always lose the back end of the car in the first year he drove it, so decided to take it to parking lots to practice keeping it in check, next thing he knew he had an audience and was one of the best drifters in his area. So now we all know how easy it is
.
After that they started closing off the track for the RX8 club, then the Québec MR2 guys brought out the BEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN. The MRQ. So with that out, we camped for the most part of the night, got to making a nice bondfire had a nice long chat with the guys that made the BBQ. I can't remember what happened to the car, but it took them about 2 years to make it, and it pays for the most part of their trip down to all the meets (with 2 bucks a burger, I'm pretty sure it should, since everyone was jumpin' on that deal). So I'm actualy thinking of making my own with a totaled 323 or RX7 someday. Won't be original, but maybe others will join in and eventualy there'll be competitions for the best BBQ car
.
In any case, the next morning we all went AutoXing at the Picton airfield. Unfortunately for safety reasons I couldn't stand beyond the start of the track, so I didn't realy get any good video, but still got enough for my bro to make a nice movie of the meet. After everyone got in their good lap times again, I got more rides. Turbo MR2 was rather more fun this time, since the driver was nuts. He kept losing the back end, but always managed to keep from spinning, was tons of fun. Also got a ride in an RX7 FB. Considerably faster than I thought it'd be with a mere 12A engine, but not so good in the corners. However, the nice interior did help it's cause. But I think the best car there was probly a stock Miata. All the MR2s were pullin low to mid 60s, the RX7 got a 67, But this Miata, with just a normal track driver (few years experience, but still not a pro) managed to get a 58.7 second run. That's just 2 second behind the Ariel Atom that was there! Great little car, but unfortunately the guy wouldn't let others ride with him. Must've been obsessed with his lap times.
Anyway, that's about all I've got to say for now. Great weekend. GREAT ride in the Ferrari (it's so much fun being able to say that now
), fun rides in the MR2s and the RX7. All in all a GREAT weekend. I think I'll go again next year and do some AutoX for myself; I'm quite curious as to what times I could get in my car . And I'm sure everyone there would just love having a misplaced 323 at their meet .
On Friday my bro & I left with a couple of his MR2 buddies for the annual MR2 meet in Shannonville/Picton. Took us maybe 3 hours to drive up, and we still had a good 5 or 6 hours left for track time. I watched for the most part of the first 2 hours, when people were still trying to get good times in. Then when more people started giving out rides I jumped on the offers.
Got in a couple MR2s, fun times, but nothing real special compaired to the Ferrari F430 I got to ride in. Freaking AWSOME car! The driver wasn't entirely the greatest in the tighter corners, but he still did a great job compaired to his AutoX the next day. But anyway, the ride in the Ferrari was GREAT, had a bit of trouble with the seatbelt and it's annoying locking crap. But apart from that, the driver obviously had some experience (still not enough to be driving Ferrari, but I won't complain). For the most part of the first lap, he told me what speeds he was going, how fast in the corners too, takin' it easy. The second lap however, he gunned it, barely had time to tell me the speeds, but was well over 15mph faster in the corners, and on the main straight got up to an amazing 155mph compaired to the 2nd gen turbo MR2s getting 115. Great ride, but still a few complaints about it. First: no head room with the helmet on, second; the paddle shifter may be faster, but it's realy jerky, as if it lets off the clutch too fast, and third; Barely any leg room for what it is. Anyway after that ride, I just watched and took photos (which my bro has yet to upload from his camera) knowing nothing could compair to the ride.
After a little while of watching, some random guy in a Nissan Sylvia came out, and after a few laps of normal racing to get a good time, he started drifting EVERY corner. It was INSANE, so right away I say "**** everyone else! I'm gettin photos of this guy!". And I did, which I will post later. Anyway, once he got off the track, I got to talkin to him. Nothin' special aparently, just the usual build up of a car, 400whp, 387wtq. He said he would always lose the back end of the car in the first year he drove it, so decided to take it to parking lots to practice keeping it in check, next thing he knew he had an audience and was one of the best drifters in his area. So now we all know how easy it is
.After that they started closing off the track for the RX8 club, then the Québec MR2 guys brought out the BEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN. The MRQ. So with that out, we camped for the most part of the night, got to making a nice bondfire had a nice long chat with the guys that made the BBQ. I can't remember what happened to the car, but it took them about 2 years to make it, and it pays for the most part of their trip down to all the meets (with 2 bucks a burger, I'm pretty sure it should, since everyone was jumpin' on that deal). So I'm actualy thinking of making my own with a totaled 323 or RX7 someday. Won't be original, but maybe others will join in and eventualy there'll be competitions for the best BBQ car
.In any case, the next morning we all went AutoXing at the Picton airfield. Unfortunately for safety reasons I couldn't stand beyond the start of the track, so I didn't realy get any good video, but still got enough for my bro to make a nice movie of the meet. After everyone got in their good lap times again, I got more rides. Turbo MR2 was rather more fun this time, since the driver was nuts. He kept losing the back end, but always managed to keep from spinning, was tons of fun. Also got a ride in an RX7 FB. Considerably faster than I thought it'd be with a mere 12A engine, but not so good in the corners. However, the nice interior did help it's cause. But I think the best car there was probly a stock Miata. All the MR2s were pullin low to mid 60s, the RX7 got a 67, But this Miata, with just a normal track driver (few years experience, but still not a pro) managed to get a 58.7 second run. That's just 2 second behind the Ariel Atom that was there! Great little car, but unfortunately the guy wouldn't let others ride with him. Must've been obsessed with his lap times.
Anyway, that's about all I've got to say for now. Great weekend. GREAT ride in the Ferrari (it's so much fun being able to say that now
), fun rides in the MR2s and the RX7. All in all a GREAT weekend. I think I'll go again next year and do some AutoX for myself; I'm quite curious as to what times I could get in my car . And I'm sure everyone there would just love having a misplaced 323 at their meet .