Wow what a great time! Chuck it was great meeting you in the morning (Shook your hand and mentioned TR just after the drivers meeting). Having never been on a track before it was an incredible experience. They have two sessions in the morning (half hour each) and then open track the rest of the day. My dad took the first session and I was white knuckling anything I could grab for the first lap and a half ! Then I just reminded myself to breath as dad has ample experience and really knows how to drive. After calming down and dad finishing up his session it was my turn. I offered dad to take my session as I wasn't quite sure I was ready but he threw me into the deep end of the pool. So I got out there and got up to speed. Very quickly 3 miata's (looked like a SCCA team painted blue and white) caught up to me. I knew I could out "drag" them from turn 4 down to the safety pin, but I knew they were full of experience and there was no reason for me to hold them up (plus that would be not only rude but also against the rules). So they whizzed by me as I lifted on my throttle. I still had a moment to accelerate towards the safety pin, but remember this was my first lap ever on a road course! So I broke, came up out of the safety pin and went on my way. Next, after turn 13, a pack of brand new Z06's came roaring up. I pointed them by and they were gone in a flash. On the back straight there was alot of traffic coming up on me, so once again, I pointed everyone by while lifting my throttle (miatas, vipers, mustangs, everyone!). That was one lap!

Through out the day of switching between me and my dad driving I quickly improved. We were parked next to a family of racers who were very kind. Johnny who was a great guy to hang out with has a brand new red Z06 (however it was a brand new black Z06 by the end of the day due to the fog of love bugs). My dad did not like the tires we went out with. They were not sticky, and all you heard was them screaming in certain turns because we had less then ideal grip if we wanted to turn some nice lap times. Dad turned a best lap of about 3:15 (Didn't have a stop watch, only a wrist watch). My best time was about 3:26. Dad says with some nice sticky tires, we will easily dive into the twos (Plus I must work on and tighten up that nut behind the wheel).

On one of my last laps near the end of the day, Chuck and a pack of cars behind him came hauling up on me after turn 13. I pointed you all by and you all were gone in an instant. I hope I didn't hold you up to badly! I bring this up because when I was a forth of the way down the back straight, someone locked up big time and I want to make sure everyone is all right. It didn't seem like there was an incident, but there sure was alot of smoke.

All in all, what an incredible day. In the beginning I was pointing cars by (and I was still pointing them by at the end of the day as well), but by the end I was on the receiving end, being pointed by by a couple of cars.

SAFE, I will see you in July with some new sticky tires!

~James
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