Going to Mid Ohio on Friday

[92tsiawd]

I'm going up to watch Mike make a few runs and see what the EVO's are really made to do. If anyone wants to ride up with me thats cool. Just thought I'd throw it out!!! I'm leaving around 8-9 maybe 10.


Chris

[dsmarc]

as i said before i would love to go, maybe.
ill have to see how my hours go this week because i for sure need them.

[fvee21]

If you can get some times on him, I am really interested to find out what an EVO does around M-O. Does anyone know if they will be running the Pro course or the Club course (run through the chicane before the key hole). I would love to go up but the boss is out and I have been put in charge (that?s a really scary thought).

Shad

[Mike C]

Here is my "midway" review of Midohio so far:

The school that I'm doing is put on by the regional Porsche chapter. The cars are predominantly Porsches but their are many other sweet ass cars there as well. Each run session is about 30 minutes long and their are 5 classes this time (Instructor, A, B, C, and D). I am in the D rungroup which indicates the experience level of the driver. It does not matter what kind of car you have as to which class you are in. In my group, I have a Viper, 2 modded Z06s, A new 911 Turbo, and lots of other crazy things. I would say that I am about in the middle of the pack as far as lap times with my group.

You ride along with an instructor. I'm sure the quality of instruction varies depending on who you get but my guy is awesome. It takes a good 2 sessions just to get familiar with the track and start to get the lines down. I can't stress how much harder it is than it looks. Midohio is really tough and if you fuck up one turn (especially in a fairly powerful car) you will have a hard time recovering for the next few turns. I ran 3 times today and tomorrow I will run 4 times. They say that the instructor will most likely sign off on you the second day and you usually will be on your own most of the rest of the time.(As long as your under good control).

About the EVO. I can not tell you guys how floored I am with this car after today. I have never really ragged on the car since I've had it. There is nothing that you could do on the street or an on ramp that can come close to comparing to the kind of speed and braking that you can pull off at this place. I could not believe how well the car kept stable in braking and cornering. I was starting to push the car pretty hard by the end and it never felt uncomfortable. Fucking amazing, seriously.

I'd love to see some more of the EVO guys give this a shot some time. I think there are a few DSM guys in the club that could pull it off potentially but things would really have to be running great. Obviously, this is incredible stress on the car. Even the most minute level of shadiousity would be exposed at this place :D All post some more thoughts after tomorrow.

[BlackEclipse]

but...but....that is your wife's car that you are thrashing.

[dsmarc]

........... so wait a second. are you taking one of the class'?
i have taken 3 there so far as my aunt gets me in for free so i ve saved a few 1000.
as you were saying about the braking and stuff, you are completely right. i never knew what many cars were capable of until i took these three class they are all bad ass and i love them.
down side the last class i took i only got to do the track 3 times around :cuss

[MrBlunt]

the kid w/ the most time on a road course is also the one who wrecks the most in normal traffic......irony..just messin w/ ya buddy

[dsmarc]

the kid w/ the most time on a road course is also the one who wrecks the most in normal traffic......irony..just messin w/ ya buddy
its the truth though!!
i suck on the road for sure but when i need to be a skilled driver im quite well as many dont believe to be true :confused

[ucsigep]

Chris, I'd like to go, and I think Fitz may come with me. Give me a call, we can meet up this way somewhere. I can drive my car up, I need to put the miles on the tranny. :)

[92tsiawd]

Nice call you in the morning :D

[Mike C]

I think what Marc is referring to is the safety schools where they take the house Civics out and teach you how to turn out of spins in the parking lot and stuff like that. Forgive me if I'm wrong. After this weekend, I will have over 3.5 hours out there on the roadcourse at full go.

[Rally Red Evo]

Are they timing at all? Mid Ohio is a fun track and in spots difficult. Glad you are having a good time. Now strip all your mods off, go back to stock and run T1 in the SCCA :D

[DQ Driver]

mike,

give your mom a big hug for me

[Mike C]

Are they timing at all? Mid Ohio is a fun track and in spots difficult. Glad you are having a good time. Now strip all your mods off, go back to stock and run T1 in the SCCA :D

I'll probably have my dad time laps tomorrow but its tough. The passing is very controlled. There are only 3 spots on the track where you can pass so you can really get held up. It would be pretty hard to make a solid clean lap without getting slowed down somewhere by another car. Its also tough for viewing too because spectators can really only see the front straightaway or drive up near the keyhole. Most of the fun parts of the track (second half) can not be viewed by spectators.

[ucsigep]

hopefully the rain stays away. Don't think it will be much fun sitting in a thunderstorm watching Mike sit on the grid waiting for it to clear up.

Or will they let him run in the rain? Still, I don't want to sit in the rain, drive with my windows up. I don't have a/c anymore, it's going to get hot in my car.

[dsmarc]

I think what Marc is referring to is the safety schools where they take the house Civics out and teach you how to turn out of spins in the parking lot and stuff like that. Forgive me if I'm wrong. After this weekend, I will have over 3.5 hours out there on the roadcourse at full go.
na although before i even had my lisence i did take that saftey course.
we used RSX's. the next class im hopeing my aunt can get me into is the passing course where you learn to actually pass on a track
one class was a full 2 days.
dont get me wrong that civic class was fun especially in a skid car :thumb but the acura class was way better

[1lowDSM]

I really want to tale me car there and go to town!! but better brakes are holding me back..

[Mike C]

hopefully the rain stays away. Don't think it will be much fun sitting in a thunderstorm watching Mike sit on the grid waiting for it to clear up.

Or will they let him run in the rain? Still, I don't want to sit in the rain, drive with my windows up. I don't have a/c anymore, it's going to get hot in my car.

They run pretty much no matter what the weather is doing. Where's my rain tires!?!

[ucsigep]

Well, I'm up and ready to go. :) Now, if Fitz would just wake his ass up. Looks like the weather is going to *try* and stay away. I hope we can stay out of the rain, I could be in it all day tomorrow at Cedar Point.

[fvee21]

Sounds fun and I wish I was there. I love racing a Mid-Ohio, to me it is the funest track that we race at. It takes lots of skill and there are certain sections of the course that to this day I do not feel I have down yet (carousel!). Rally Red EVO and I both have over a 1000 laps up there. Even with all of that track time I feel like this is always room for improvement. Have lots of fun and I hope the rain holds off for you. If it does rain watch out for a little stream that goes across the track at the back straight kink (tank slappers are always fun) and there is usually standing water going into the S?s at the end of the back straight.

Shad

[Caine]

Wow , Id like to run on that track. But my cars not running. I have never been up there but from what you guys say its fun.

[Mike C]

Update,

I had a great time doing this and I would encourage otehrs to try this some time. The 2nd day was interesting. My initial run was dry. I went out with my instructor, did really well, and he signed me off to go on my own for the rest of day (3 sessions). Then the rain came.......

I was very nervous when it started raining. My nervousness quickly went away when I realized how much faster I was becoming then most of the Porsches :D The grip of the car in the rain was still incredible. I'd say that I was still able to go 75-80% compared to most of the otehrs in my run group really clamming up. There was 1 911TT and a GT2 that were still faster but I was passing everyone else fairly easily.

The climax was the last session. I was going into turn 1 (the fastest turn on the course) a tad fast. I also started my entry a little late and had to compensate by turning in a little harder than normal. During the turn in, the ass of the car began to slide a good bit. I then made the cardinal sin of hitting the brake. When the front brakes grabbed, the ass of the car finished whipping around making me slide across the track. In turn 1, there is a guide divider running along the turn that guides the cars entering the track in from pit row. I proceeded to hit and jump over the divider and then spin into the grass. It scared the piss out of me. I checked the corner worker, did a 4wd burnout and spun myself back onto the track. I made a slow lap around the track assuming that I damaged something but amzingly the car was fine. I was just fortunate that there were no cars entering the track or behind me because things could have turned out pretty nasty.

All in all though, a great time and well worth the money. I doubt I'll do anymore this year because the future events just don't work out well with some family obligations and the pregnancy.

[Iwishiwascool]

thank goodness youre home.

[DQ Driver]

i missed you

[EvolvedDSM]

This story reminds me of my favorite Milli Vanilli song:
"Blame it on the rain.... yeah.... yeah..."

[Rally Red Evo]

Surprised hitting the pit out curb did not break anything. That is a big curb.

Glad you had a good time, now going to any other track will be a let down after Mid Ohio.

AWD rules in the rain :D