I drive a GTR

[Raymond A. Kawski]

So Sunday a GTR comes to the track.  I spot him going thru the tech line and immediately tell him I want a ride in it as does another instructor.   Unfortunately he was in Blue (intermediate) and didn't require an instructor.  :(  The owner says sure no problem.   Kieran found out where he was pitted and I went over and talked to the guy for a bit about the car and other things and to tell him that I was serious when I said I wanted a ride he again says sure.   The drivers meeting starts and I break away from him to work on getting my car ready for the day.

I go out in the Blue group for my first session as I didn't have the car ready to go out in black (instructor).  Kieran goes with me and we check to see if the GTR is going out.  Sure enough he is and we line up behind him at pit out.  I motion to pit out to let us out with the GTR.   He does and the GTR rockets away from me like I'm going backwards!  This is with me driving my 190whp VVL equipped NX2000.  We proceed to follow him around and he's not very fast in the North Course infield.   As soon as we get to turn 1 (Nascar turn 3) again my car feels like I'm going backwards.   The thing was freaking fast.   Kieran and I noted how he wasn't very fast in the infield and finished up the session.

Later on when the blue group is called up to staging for their second session I walk over to the guy carrying my helmet and ask for a ride. He says sure.  He says the car just has stock seat belts.  I'm like no problem.    We line up at pit out and we go out.  He frantically is setting the transmission, suspension and VDC to R modes when pit out motions to go.   He pulls out slowly and after finally getting everything setup he really gets on it.  Wow!  Turning into the infield he notices the hood is not closed properly and pulls in.   He fixes that and we go back out again.  This time everything is all set.   He stomps on it and holly crap!   The car is insane.    We turn into the infield and the car is all over the place.  He says he has the cold weather package with the all season tires.  Crap!   I sit back for a few laps and enjoy the ride.    After a bit I start to give him some instruction on where the line is.   After a bit he says "do you want to drive."   As you can imagine I had to think about it, for like a NANO SECOND!  I responded YES!

We pit in and I hop into the driver's seat and adjust the mirrors and seat to a suitable position.  I get the car in manual mode and off we go.   Again Holy crap does the thing take off!  I start showing him the line and do notice that the tires are pretty greasy at this point but I continue to show him the line and start pushing the car a bit more lap after lap in the infield.   All the time showing him where he should be putting the car and what he should be doing with his right foot and more importantly where his hands should be to use the correctly placed (on the steering column not the damn steering wheel) paddle shifters.     The car was a blast to drive!

The checkered comes out and he says I noticed that the entire time you drove it the tires didn't squeal like they did when I drove it.   My response was driving the proper line and driving the car correctly makes a big difference.  He commented on how much faster the car was when I drove it over him driving it and learned a lot about the track.   He thanked me and I said I would ride with him in his next session.

Unfortunately I missed his next session and he packed up before the last session as he had to meet his family.  I talked to his friend and he told me they both agreed that they need to come to the track more as they have a lot to learn and commented on the squealing tires too.   I also secured myself to instruct the GTR at the upcoming Watkins Glen event.

Now what do I have to sell to get myself one.  :)

RK
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