Driver Training School August 1999
 
This was my second 'drivers training' at Portland International Raceway sponsored by Cascade Sport Car Club.  It was even more fun than the first time I went!  We got to run the 'Festival Curves' (chicane).  This time I was in group two (some experience and/or really fast cars).  My 'competition' was a prepped 5.0, a Toyota Celica, a Miata, a 300ZX, a turbo Eclipse, my co-worker, Jeff Mathena in a twin turbo Supra, an NSX, a RT Neon, a race prepped Prelude, and a 4 pack of race Rabbits.  Once again I was against some true sports cars, but this made it all the more fun.  When we all first line up in the morning pregrid and look each others cars over, I get all sorts of funny looks.  After the first couple of laps they definitely are thinking twice about giggling at the wagon.  Sure I get passed, but I make them work for it.

In the second session the Neon, I, and one of the Rabbits were nose to tail for the last part of the session.  This was a total kick!  The Neon driver and I talked later and he kept saying how hard he was pushing so that he didn't get passed by a Volvo wagon.  We laughed how I couldn't pass but he couldn't get away either.

In the third session my instructor let me go out by myself (sort of scary) but I was going like stink.  I don't know if I was still pumped from racing with the Neon or what.  I was at the front of the session and actually lapped the Celica and the Miata.  The Mustang and one of the Rabbits were tearing up the track and were the only cars to pass me.  I was pounding on the car pretty hard.

The fourth and final session I decided to be a little less brutal on the car and not push so hard.  The guy driving the NSX did not take a very good line in the corners and it took him a couple of laps to get around me.  I still lapped the Celica and the Miata but I got passed by more cars this last session.

I was running a borrowed VX cam and I liked the way it ran.  A couple of times I had to run the heater to keep the temperature down (it was close to 90 outside).  I ran stock Volvo pads on ATE grooved rotors in front and stock rotors in the rear.  The stock pads had very little fade and didn't stink like the low dust pads.  Having good brakes allowed me to run harder with a lot more confidence that my first driving school.  I would definitely recommend this setup for the 'weekend warrior' as an alternative to pricey racing pads.  My Firehawk SZ50s ran very well.  They have great feedback and grip for a street tire.

It was totally worth the $95 fee and few thousand miles off the tires.  If you have the chance to ever go, DO IT.  Check with your local track or race car club.

Go here for video clips. Site may not be available all the time since Geocities limits the file transfer per hour. Good luck

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