Pocono Long Course

[KIERAN A. LAVIN]

Joe Diminno and I were up at Pocono yesterday for the Long Course.  It was
awesome!  I've *DEFINITELY* improved my driving skills over the past year
or so.  I figured doing so well in the blue group last time at Pocono on
the South Course was more of a fluke and I wanted to see how I did next
time out in the Blue Group.  I, once again, kicked ass.  Maybe my weight
reduction of +/- 30 pounds made a difference too? ;)  Joe kicked ass as
well in the red group (next one down from the instructors).  From the few
sessions I watched of Joe, probably the only things faster than him were
some of the better Z06 drivers and one supercharged Z06 (who was
pulling about 10 seconds per lap on the rest of the group!  Oh, there was
that Ferrari too but Joe was pretty damned close behind him! It was a lot
of fun to watch a classic keeping up with so many other 'faster' cars. As
for me, I really, really wish I hadn't forgotten the post to fasten the
video camera to the rollbar! I would've had some great video. In my first
session, I came out of the infield (there's a real sharp 30 maybe 40MPH
turn onto the main oval) sideways and almost smacked the wall. After that
first 'learning' session, I started pushing the car. I was able to run an
NSX off the road in the infield trying to keep me off his ass, get past
two Mustang Cobras (one 80s I think and one 97), hold off a Ferrari (must
be driver!), pass countless C5's, and by the end of the day I finally
passed my first Z06!!!

The most memorable part of the day though was to see a Viper ahead of me
and to close in on him and really hound him good. There was a Mustang
Cobra, a new 911 turbo, a C4, and myself all trying to get past this
Viper. Apparently we all missed 3 (huh?) checkered flags (I was LOOKING on
the front straight but will admit to not looking on the back portion where
they were throwing the other checker) so that's why they weren't throwing
the pass flag (d'oh!) But it really reminded me of Matt Kempe with his
story of closing in on a Viper. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get by
him! I would've if we had gone for a 4th checkered flag because I was
closing hard on him in the braking into the infields and *ALL OVER HIM* on
the infields!

Anyway, the day was a blast and Joe and I had a great time blowing away
much 'faster' cars. The amazing part was that it is a really fast high-HP
track. It's 3.3 miles and Joe was timing himself and came up with an
average speed of 103. We were both hitting well over 120 on the front and
back straights. Pretty damned impressive to make up that much time on the
infields! These cars are awesome! I can't wait to go to Limerock and
Watkins Glen!

Oh, and there was the older guy in a Prelude that was the biggest dork
you'd ever seen... even more so than me.  The guy would NOT shut up.  He
was talking to Joe about SCCA racing because he's supposedly building an
ITA Civic.  The dude could *NOT* drive!  My second session out, I asked
Joe to take my camera and take some pictures.  He told me he'd only do it
if I hounded the Prelude guy.  In the south infield, I caught some C5s and
a Porsche and was ready to make a run on them going down the front
straight.  However, I saw the Prelude guy on the front straight pointing
us all by.  I just slowed to like 70 and stayed behind him (there was no
one else around!)  He kept trying to point me by... nah, that's ok ;)  So
we go into the north infield and I was just glued to his ass.  He didn't
make any mistakes though :P  We came to that short chute before going out
onto the banking and he pointed me by in the turn.  I got too excited and
passed him in the turn.  He later got yelled at for pointing inside the
car.  *I* saw the point-by but apparently the corner worked didn't so they
questioned my pass.  It *WAS* a bit aggressive but he went way wide and
there was tons of room.

Joe has a 91 Sentra SE-R which is gutted and prepped mostly for ITS racing
(he's done one school already) with a POP, exhaust, header, NX brakes, SS
lines, AGX/ProKits, Kumho Victoracer V700s, custom rollcage, and Carbotech
Panther XP's. I have a 95 200SX with CAI, header, S3 cams, ECU w/ S3
program, exhaust, NX brakes, SS lines, NX master cylinder, AGX/ProKits (I
could only imagine if I had a 'real' suspension!), F/R STBs, Autopower
rollbar, Kumho Victoracer V700s, Carbotech Panther XP's. After Joe's
second session, he swapped in an ECU w/ 110 octane program and dumped 110
into the car. He didn't notice a difference his next session out (and his
lap times reflected that) but his next session after that, he dropped
about 5 seconds a lap!

kieran
NON-Alcoholic
kieranlavin.com