What A Hoot!

[Karl Bebout]

Will Talkington, Mesa Mike, Superstition Bill, Steve (with a Porsche Cayenne) and I went to ProAutoSports track day at the 1 1/4 mile East track at Wild Horse Pass (old Firebird) racing facility. They put together a special class time for us, since we weren't there on Saturday, and then put us on the track with instructors. (Mike has done various track events, so he didn't do the class time or have an insturctor) On my first 20 minute session, I felt very inept since I had a hard time seeing and remembering all the points, lines, and instructions. It also was suprisingly tiring but after a 90 minute break, hit the second session. It went a whole lot better since I'd had lots of time to think things through. My insturctor was happy with many of my apporaches, turns, and lines. Really looked forward to the third session, but when I got back to the pits, a following driver told me that my LR wheel was wobbling. Same side I'd had a pin break off a few weeks ago. Pulled the wheel and found the hub and two pins loose. Something's rotten in Denmark. Mike had trailered his car so I used his trailer and he drove home on his track tires. Poor old Superstition Bill got black balled since his passenger door came open three times on his first session and his instructor lost his radio out the door. He'd also had a problem with one set of turns and wound up in the dirt, twice. He did luck out and Pro gave him a freebie that he can use on another track day, after he gets his door latch fixed. Hector Benitez was to have gone with us, but the night before, he found that his carb was leaking a lot of gas onto his manifold. Sounded like the accelerator pump diaphragm died and it was too late to find a new one. Major disappointment. All in all, it was a fun experience and I'm looking forward to doing it again after I get my problem worked out. Pro runs a tight ship and the event was well organized. They run at least 8 weekends a year and there are all sorts of cars, from totally stock street cars to full out big and small race cars and they break the sessions down by the driver's experience as well as type of car, so you're not on the track, being in the way of cars capable of going much quicker. I highly recommend the experience and ProAutoSports. Really BIG FUN!