ProAutosports At Firebird This Weekend

[JB34]

I read this post about a week ago and, while it upset me a lot, I could not decide to let it slide (because I sold my cobra a while back and do not participate with the group anymore) or respond. As I still love Cobras and still attend many local track events (ASRA, NASA, PAS and SCCA), I feel compelled to throw in my 2 cents.

Need4speed started this post because he had a great time on a “real” race track. He got to spend time with his friends and family driving his high performance street car safely at speeds considerably greater than the legal street/highway limits. He got pumped up and his stoke level was high; he wanted to share his good fun with his buddies. I know just how he feels, for if you remember back to February of 2004, I organized a High Performance Driver Education day for the club. It was held at Firebird East. 16 cars showed up for the school group, several members ran in the RED (intermediate) group and 4 of us ran in the Green (advanced) group. I know you were there Bill, because I remember seeing you spin out in turn 1. I was behind you and I think I still have the video.

I organized this event so that other members of our club could learn to become better drivers … AND…to experience the thrill of driving a Cobra as it was originally intended…ON A RACE TRACK!

I am a member of ASRA and NASA and have worked as an instructor for all three. I chose Professional Auto Sports to host this venue for several reasons. In addition to their race groups, they offer street car sessions with strict rules of conduct. These are VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE RACE GROUPS WHICH YOU REFER, Bill.

• The Performance Driving Program is run by a Certified Teacher of the State of Arizona Department of Education.
•This program is recognized by the auto insurance industry as a driving school NOT a racing school
•Adequate corner workers are on every station. These folks are ONLY observers and Not part of the Safety Crew. Emphasis on SAFETY!
•All Safety Workers are certified paramedics and fire fighters led by a retired Battalion Chief from the City of Phoenix Fire Department.
•There are THREE teams of these Safety Crews around the track and ready to move should there be any incident.

As for Firebird being a “parking lot style race course” where you have to go around pylons and half filled water barrels, that is “far to narrow to allow SAFE racing’, well…let’s examine the facts.

•The minimum standard for race tracks is 35’ wide. All THREE of the tracks at Firebird are wider than this, mostly 45’wide.
•So if the average car is 8’ wide, you could get 5 of them side by side. Too Narrow? Even so, I would rather rub a door panel with another car going in the same direction on the track at speed then face a soccer mom in a suburban at 25 mph on some city street.
•Furthermore, going back to the rules for street cars, there is no racing; only high performance driving where the passing driver is responsible for a safe, clean pass.
•You drive at your own speed at your own comfort level. If someone is faster than you, move over and point them by.
•The cones at Firebird are not actually on the course, but placed off the track and visible for the students to learn where the proper braking zones are and the proper apex points. Cones have a tendency to move and race groups don’t use them.
•If you want to drive around cones on a parking lot course, then I suggest you try SCCA Solo events.
•As for the half filled water barrels, they are universally used as impact barriers that have a controlled crush rate using both water or sand as the material. If these are good enough for Indianapolis Motor Speedway, they’re good enough for Firebird.
•Firebird Main was host to a SCCA Professional Trans Am race.
•Firebird West was host to ASA Speed Truck professional race.

All of us who like to drive on race tracks would never dream of a comparison to some to the great tracks is Northern Cal or Road America or Road Atlanta, but then few of us have the resources you do Bill to make those trips. BTW…what a great trailer.

I have been a member of Professional Auto Sports since 2001 and have had many great track days with them. I have a great respect for Larry and his organization and plan to continue running with confidence that my safety will not be compromised by the tracks at Firebird or any member of the PAS staff.

I would recommend to anyone interested in taking their car onto the track to investigate the track and the governing body before making any final decision and, above all, make sure that your car is mechanically sound and drive within yourself.

I have never met need4speed, but live in Mesa and have seen the car cruising down Baseline. Keep going to the track and enjoy that car.

Brian has invited me to ride with him to the event at PIR on the 10th, so look us up if you guys feel like you need to smell some race fuel. I’m bringing him a nice cigar in hopes that he might let me drive that green monster again.

Any of you guys remember this cover shot?

[Slither]

JB34,
I welcome your opinion with open arms. But just like mine, it is only an opinion. I hope need4speed and anyone else enjoys their cars to their fullest extent at these types of events. My comment and opinion was to "make aware" of new drivers at PASA events. Plus, there are a lot of things that have happened at PASA that you are not aware of and I can not and will not elaborate on them. Sorry about that!
You are right. Stupid, careless ME spun my Cobra in turn 1 on the East track on the first lap of a passenger session on ice cold tires. I should have known better. That served as a warning to me and I learned from it. However, that was a turn that was extremely tight, more than 90 degrees and flat as hell. You also never seen me run the car on any other track at Firebird, have you?
I am not trying to pick your arguement apart, but you are 100% incorrect on a few statements.
1. There IS NOT a corner worker at every station. In fact, we have run on main with as little as three workers watching the entire race course. That is far from adequate!
2. There ARE NOT always three safety crews around any of the three tracks at Firebird race tracks. I have seen at least two, but not always three.
3. "Adequate" corner workers would be individuals that have been instructed on how to properly man a corner station. It's not as easy as it looks. I was asked once, and did man turn 1 on the East course without any instructions on how or what to do. Although common sense and being around racing helps to get you by. I have also been asked to serve as an instructor at a PASA event because PASA was short on instructors. I don't have ANY experience in instructing a student on how to drive a high performance car or a race car. The truth is I have only competed in one race with PASA and I won the race beating Larry Pond's son. And my car was LEGAL! I sold the car after that event because I felt that it was too dangerous racing on the main track at Firebird. I was right.
4. All THREE of Firebird's tracks ARE NOT a minimum of 35 feet wide around the entire course. Take for instance, the entrance to the tunnel turn on the main track. It is narrow there because they have lined the insides of both inside and outside guard rails with used tires.
5. Race group drivers do use the cones and barrels while racing. In fact, the go carters use the half filled barrels of water to go around. PASA does NOT remove the cones and barrels for race groups and put them back for high performance groups. Indianapolis DOES NOT use the half filled barrels to go around like it is used with PASA in place of a cone. I have seen PASA replace a cone with a half filled barrel because drivers were knocking the cones out of the way enabling them a better line around the corner. I have seen mirrors torn off by driver's clipping the barrels. (yes, that is true) That applied for high performance driving as well as race groups. PASA owns those barrels, not Firebird. They ARE NOT intended for impact barriers with PASA.
Like I stated before, PASA does not hold driver's meetings or has any tech inspections at their events. I do not want to keep anyone from enjoying their day(s) with PASA at Firebird Raceway. It is a great and wonderful way to experience high performance drfiving. MY point was simple; BE CAREFUL!!! As you have stated to others, go out to the track and investigate how the event is run and check out who is running the thing. Read the fine print and between the lines on the paper that you sign when you plop down your hard earned money to learn how to drive fast, properly. That goes for any organization. Please, just be careful!
Thanks for the comment on the trailer. The truck and trailer are back in Indiana right now having some warranty issues tended to.
I hope you understand that I was not trying to take the wind out of need4speed's sails. But again, it is only my opinion. Not everybody has a wonderful experience with everything, right? Things happen!
JB34, were you out at PIR this past weekend for the SCCA event? I didn't see you. There was a lot of great racing going on.
Thanks for your two cents. I didn't mean to upset you either!