09-04-2010, 06:18 AM
Just thought I'd give a bit of a rundown of this years event, my second at Mosport and the big track.
Hot and steamy both days with temps in the mid 30's and high humidity, making conditions for the Fusionator not the best. With a short ram intake + high ambient temps = gagging car by the afternoon. On the back straights, foot to the floor, I could barely get the car over 165km/h versus morning runs hitting 180km/h there.
No major bent sheet metal this year, though there was one gent who had a mild impact in his early 2000's Mustang after spinning out when the rains hit, his right rear quarter panel and surrounding hardware got munched nicely. A few spins too thanks to some Mustang machismo when the rains hit
(I was already finished my third run of the day by then and getting soaked by my canopy chair 
)
I was still the slowest car there sadly, even getting passed by a 2.5L Nissan Altima on the back straight (in my defense it was the last run on the second day, car was gagging when I stomped on the gas pedal by then) but in the curves I was at least keeping up this year, which is a vast improvement over last year, where it was "Pass me and lose me"
Have I mentioned how much the stock Fusion tires suck at performance driving yet? Dear mother of god those things should be called the "Michelin Wolverines" because they howl like a wolverine getting its nuts hacked off with a rusty razor blade at their limits
By the second day I also had a direct appreciation for the money I spent on the Steeda lowering springs (which are by design and requirement much stiffer) and better brakes for the car. Unlike last year the car wasn't heeling over to one side as harshly, saving my left leg the nasty bruising it got last year and the brakes definitely helped when I was getting the car set up for turns
My instructor was great and in fact was exactly the type of instructor I needed, one focused on getting me to understand the control aspect of performance driving. He took me for a spin in his car during day 2, a stock 1st gen Miata on borrowed race tires. Not the fastest whip brought by the instructors, but damn if he couldn't make that thing act like it was on rails, sure the race tires helped but the car never felt like it was scrambling for grip.
High point of the event for me is when my instructor pulls me aside at lunch and I'm thinking "Oh s**t what have I been doing wrong?" because after the initial run the first day he had been so quiet during the later runs, I was afraid I had put him to sleep
Turns out that he actually wanted to congratulate me, saying that I was definitely at the point where at the next event I attend, I could likely solo on the track after getting the "all clear" from an instructor.
This is why I spend the money and do it right, proper instruction goes a long way towards building skills and confidence. It's not cheap, not by a long shot, but either do it right or don't do it at all IMO.
Here is a link to photos taken by the official event photographer, my car is obviously not that photogenic 'cause my car is only in a few pictures but yes I'm there
Redline Rendezvous 2010 photos
NefCanuck
Hot and steamy both days with temps in the mid 30's and high humidity, making conditions for the Fusionator not the best. With a short ram intake + high ambient temps = gagging car by the afternoon. On the back straights, foot to the floor, I could barely get the car over 165km/h versus morning runs hitting 180km/h there.
No major bent sheet metal this year, though there was one gent who had a mild impact in his early 2000's Mustang after spinning out when the rains hit, his right rear quarter panel and surrounding hardware got munched nicely. A few spins too thanks to some Mustang machismo when the rains hit
(I was already finished my third run of the day by then and getting soaked by my canopy chair 
)I was still the slowest car there sadly, even getting passed by a 2.5L Nissan Altima on the back straight (in my defense it was the last run on the second day, car was gagging when I stomped on the gas pedal by then) but in the curves I was at least keeping up this year, which is a vast improvement over last year, where it was "Pass me and lose me"
Have I mentioned how much the stock Fusion tires suck at performance driving yet? Dear mother of god those things should be called the "Michelin Wolverines" because they howl like a wolverine getting its nuts hacked off with a rusty razor blade at their limits
By the second day I also had a direct appreciation for the money I spent on the Steeda lowering springs (which are by design and requirement much stiffer) and better brakes for the car. Unlike last year the car wasn't heeling over to one side as harshly, saving my left leg the nasty bruising it got last year and the brakes definitely helped when I was getting the car set up for turns
My instructor was great and in fact was exactly the type of instructor I needed, one focused on getting me to understand the control aspect of performance driving. He took me for a spin in his car during day 2, a stock 1st gen Miata on borrowed race tires. Not the fastest whip brought by the instructors, but damn if he couldn't make that thing act like it was on rails, sure the race tires helped but the car never felt like it was scrambling for grip.
High point of the event for me is when my instructor pulls me aside at lunch and I'm thinking "Oh s**t what have I been doing wrong?" because after the initial run the first day he had been so quiet during the later runs, I was afraid I had put him to sleep
Turns out that he actually wanted to congratulate me, saying that I was definitely at the point where at the next event I attend, I could likely solo on the track after getting the "all clear" from an instructor.
This is why I spend the money and do it right, proper instruction goes a long way towards building skills and confidence. It's not cheap, not by a long shot, but either do it right or don't do it at all IMO.
Here is a link to photos taken by the official event photographer, my car is obviously not that photogenic 'cause my car is only in a few pictures but yes I'm there
Redline Rendezvous 2010 photos
NefCanuck