I have wanted to run the Great Stroker at Carolinas Motorsports Park, aka Kershaw, for some years. I have visited the track, about an hour south of me in rural SC, but never been on the circuit. I also wanted to get my son Chris out in his Boxster so he could learn his car's limits. So, we enrolled in a Porsche Club event, and as the weekend got closer, so did the rains coming in from the west. We both have Hoosier slicks on rims, but decided to go on the street tires on the cars. Last Friday night, we put in his higher rollbar, dropped in Hawk Blue pads on all four corners of his car, (i have new Wilwood Superlites in my SPF), put on the static cling meatballs, i chose 98, i wonder why, and put in race belts and fire extinguisher in his yellow Boxster. Up at about 5 AM, raining out, so headed south to Kershaw. Enrolled, met our instructors, and were put in a (have run Driving Event prior) group, the "Blue" group. Mostly Porsche cars. The odd Viper, Mustang, BMW. Dropped in a tank of 114 race gas.
My instructor, who had been running his 911 for about 20 years strapped in, and out we went in the mist and drizzle, i left the top up, rolled up the back window, took out the sidecurtains, so it was only a bit damp for us. Chris and I both wore all our Nomex stuff, full suits, his hitherto concealed from his mother.
Hard to explain to a mother why her only son needs a race suit just to slowly drive around a race track, something best explained later.
It was very very eductional to drive in the wet, i felt i could feel which Goodyear GT II tread blocks had traction and which didn't, giving me a tremendous sense of feel for what was happening where the rubber met the wet road. Not that i then knew what to do with that information, of course. My instructor and i were wearing his headset and intercom, so we could converse at each corner. I only spun several times, but had to wave most cars past as i have such primative tires and so much power. My revenge was coming, though.
About noon, it was dry and sunny, and on a dry track, i could pick it up; with my instructor riding shotgun, i decided to work on my heel and toe downshifting, the track needs three shifts from four to three, and one from three to second. I really ran hard and fast, at least for me, explaining with the intercom at each corner my intentions, and i began to be able to use my cars stupendous power on the straights, and far fewer cars were waved past by me. Chris and I were on the track at the same time, and were fairly even, although i did give way once to him, mostly to humor him and give him something to brag about.
At the end of the day, the Great Stroker was left to suffer the nightly rains, and when Chris and I drove back down Sunday, the car did have some water in it. Again two sessions with my very helpful instructor, then he had me drop him off in the pits, and cleared me for solo, as did Chris' instructor. It was dry by afternoon, so i put the gas pedal it down, and let the big motor pull me around the track. By then i took off the top, just to show the classy lines of my Replica.
I am proud to say that my car and its incredible noise was a real hit on the track, it seemed as if many of the drivers enjoyed watching from the fence, as if to re-live the '60's or something. Many of the other drivers came to see and take pictures of my car, too. A Quattro driver told me that when he waved me by on the straight, my car was so loud by his window, he slowed as he thought he had blown his motor!!. I visited the grass several times, and on my last lap of the 157 miles i drove on the track, it started to sprinkle, so i came off, and madly put on the top and tossed the stuff into the trunk, as the deluge came.
So we came home under a monsoon; twice i had to pull off the road, because even with frantic and effective wipers, i siimply could not see where the road was.
I do believe i learned a great amount of useful handling, and I am pretty sure that if i can run my slicks down there, i will let very few cars past me. I will try to post a pic of the sandy paddock.
can't wait to go again, those Porsche guys really run a fine show.
Hal swims with the Porsche's
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