Member Introductions - Introduce Yourself

[Enrique Viramontes]

I have a couple of friends that do the optima street car and gridlife tour as well as some track days around the area. Would like to eventually do some bigger events but need a lot more seat time before then.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I have a couple of friends that do the optima street car and gridlife tour as well as some track days around the area. Would like to eventually do some bigger events but need a lot more seat time before then.

The thing about HPDE is that unlike the Optima events there is zero "official" timing involved, so there isn't any external pressure on you to drive beyond your comfort level chasing a higher finishing position. It's more like a brisk, no-pressure drive in the country with a few like-minded friends, minus many of the risks to one's wallet and all of the risk to one's driver's license.

My first-ever time out on a big track in my own car at speed was at an event similar to the current Optima events. Let's just say I don't recommend getting started on a track day habit that way not just for the above reason and leave it at that for now.


Norm

 

[Bill Pemberton]

The HPDE or Performance Driving Experiences ( as SCCA calls them ) are not timed and will have Instructors until you reach a sufficient level. Great place to start with little pressure as Norm mentioned.

 

[Nvrfinished]

Welcome!

 

[George]

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your other cars and interest.

Hello and what a wonderful site Track Mustangs Online is. I find that all of the information here is useful. I now own a 2018 GT350R. I went away from ford for awhile and went Mopar. Now back to the Ford family. After the 2012 Boss 302 Laguna Seca and then the 2012 GT500 and the Hellcat/TrackHawk it time to play with the GT350R. First mod is off the factory wheels and replaced them with the LMR wheels. I will post pictures at another time.

 

[Grant 302]

Welcome George!

That car list sounds a lot like one of my friends out here...black '13 LS, metallic blue Hellcat and back to Ford with a Lightning Blue GT350R!

 

[George]

Thanks I think I will enjoy this site. I bought the LMR knockoff's and they look great. Mounted them with Coopers 19/10 front and 19/11 rear. Front tires are 285/35 and rear are 325/30. A minor lug nut issue but the fit is perfect. I have the stock rims and tires locked up tight. I call them my 401k wheels. Expensive! My dealer quoted $19.000 plus for replacement wheels and tires. With 400 miles they are off. LMR was $1800 for Ll mounted and balanced with TPMS.

 

[gregckach]

Hello! I finally joined after lurking for a bit.

As of a few weeks ago I finally have something worth taking to the track - a '19 Mustang GT PP2. It's my first Mustang after 20 years of dreaming and has exactly double the power of my last car. I got PP2 with mountain runs and occasional autocross/HPDE in mind (let me know if you want good road recommendations in Georgia!) It has everything I love about the Mustang and is easily one of the best handling cars I've ever driven.

My delivery was delayed a little bit so I've missed most of the HPDEs this season but I'll try and warm up with some autocross in the meantime. I've done autocross and track driving before but never in my own car, so I've been wandering around here trying to learn some of the basics of track day prep. The PP2 pretty much has everything I need minus fluids and maybe the extra trans and diff coolers for me to at least get comfortable and have some fun when I do go out... but in case it doesn't, I definitely want to be a part of this community.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Welcome to TMO and that’s a sharp looking Mustang. Is it kona blue?

 

[gregckach]

Welcome to TMO and that’s a sharp looking Mustang. Is it kona blue?

Thanks! Glad to be here. And yes it is.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Not everyone is a fan of kona blue but I really liked it on my Boss and would order another Mustang in that color in a heartbeat.

 

[Big Black]

View attachment 5109
The PP2 pretty much has everything I need...

...and more! Great car -- PP2 is a value that I'm looking at. Welcome, and you will learn a lot here!

 

[HR213]

Mitch from Snohomish, WA. In my 50's and trying not to slow down. Been doing motorcycle track days since the early 90's and currently a control rider/instructor for a local motorcycle track day company. My wife won't let me get on the track without her as she tracks her Honda 600rr as well. Couple years ago we attended the BMW M days at our local track then decided we wanted a car we could track as well. After about 14 months of test driving many makes and models we found a one owner GT350R (our first Mustang). Luckily we were able to meet some fast local 350 drivers that pointed us in the right direction and continue to help ramp up the 4 wheel track education process.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Welcome to TMO. You certainly picked an excellent track car for your first time out. What bikes do you have? I’ve found that if you can hold the throttle open on a bike you can do it in a car. Have fun!

 

[HR213]

Welcome to TMO. You certainly picked an excellent track car for your first time out. What bikes do you have? I’ve found that if you can hold the throttle open on a bike you can do it in a car. Have fun!

Thank you,
My track/race bikes: 09 Yamaha R6, 99 Suzuki SV650. Street/track: 13 BMW S1000RR. Wife's street/track: 09 Honda CBR600RR.

Having the track experience and being a custom to the speed definitely helps the learning curve. The different lines between 2 and 4 wheels are challenging but an absolute blast to learn.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

No worries, most bike riders end up being super fast on 4 donuts.They already know the line and realize how important it is to be spot on lap after lap ---- their precision helps them catch on quickly! The realization there is more rubber on the tarmac, and a huge metal cover is above their noggin and they soon get emboldened - then Bikeriders get really quick!!

Welcome and congrats on getting das beast zatt vill gesmashing das Bimmer ven du best onn Eine razztrac!

 

[TymeSlayer]

And don't bother trying to learn German so you can translate Bill's post. I guarantee it won't help!

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Vott, meine Deutsch ist eeee-zzz zooo underrStandt!?

 

[Eric62]

Hello all, Eric from SW Florida. I am a retired GM/Delphi shock and chassis engineer from Ohio. I worked mostly electronic shock programs but also tuned race shocks for teams Delco supported and created and tuned the 1LE dampers that first appeared on the 1988 Camaro.

Yeah, an ex-GM guy with a Mustang. Spin-offs and bankruptcy will do that. I autocrossed and later road raced in the SCCA and NASA from '93 to 2010. Ran showroom stock in a Saturn SC1 and later an A-Sedan/American Iron Camaro. Home track was Mid-Ohio but I raced every track within 6 hours towing except Waterford Hills. Also raced Road Atlanta before the Dip was removed.

Bought a '07 Mustang GT in '09 that I took to track days after retiring from racing. Being a chassis engineer, I can't leave the car alone. Ended up with Eibach springs, Tokico adjustable dampers, extended ball joints and rear control arm lower extension brackets, a bigger rear stab-bar plus a strut bar and the under-car stiffener. Brembo 4 piston fronts and 18x10s in a square setup.

Track days at Sebring made me want more juice than the 4.6 could provide so I could keep up the Vettes and Porsches. In comes the '13 GT automatic. Yup, automatic. Eliminates the MT82 issue, easier in tourist traffic in SW Florida and comes with the manual shift function. I transferred all the bits over from the '07 I could figuring the same setup would be a good place to start. Turns out, the '13 is a very different animal! Removed the rear stab bar, added long ball joints, 13.8 rear rotors, poly rear control arms and panhard bar and Torsen 2.7 diff. On Hankook S4's, this is the best balanced car I've ever tuned!

I've tracked the '13 at Sebring, PBIR and Mid-Ohio. Looking forward to Homestead and Daytona and more.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Welcome and interesting write up! I have a feeling you will be quite valuable in answering suspension questions for many of us? Any issues running the automatic so far?