These are a couple of vids I found of my adventures at the 2.1 mile road course at Heartland Park, Topeka. The first I found be accident, it's from the camera in a 66 Mustang that runs the same group as I do, it's a really nice car, 289, 4bbl, 4 speed prepped to SCCA B prod and it's plenty fast and sounds the business. However you'll notice a blue car directly in front of him, that seems to simply drive away as the laps progress. That's me in my Clubby, automatic, dead stock! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QOM9VbBI6M]YouTube - HPT 71509[/ame] The next one I took last fall, I had my rear bar set too soft so I was spinning my inside front tire coming out of the slower corners - I'll have that remedied for our first event of the season next Wed. Film of that at 11...... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4xKf-i9SYE]YouTube - HPT Touring Laps 9.2010.wmv[/ame]
Minidave: thanks for posting those vids. It looks as if you are enjoying your MINI! The first one could be a reference on how to upgrade a MINI for the track. HP doesn't get it done alone. Handling and braking are more important to lap times. Good work.
Thanks Beaner....I've been going to this track for years, I used to have an '03 JCW which was considerably faster and quicker around this track (as expected) so the first time I took the Clubby on the track I was, of course, disappointed. But at my second event I realized you drive it differently than the JCW and my lap times improved considerably as the laps passed... Now I can go fast enough to leave a Mustang, so I feel pretty good about it. Once I hit 50K and it's out of warranty, I'll see if I can sharpen it up a bit more too.... But for those of you out there who think your MINI wouldn't be fun because of the auto trans or whatever, I'm here to put you right. Our cars are quick - even the "big, heavy, auto transmission Clubman"! And mine is dead stock except for the rear sway bar.
That is not fair picking on us poor Mustang guys. :nonod: That is a neat track! What the heck is all that funny looking green stuff in the infield? :lol: Regardless, that Mustang sure sounded wicked, didn't it?
You need to come out West, where the Ponies run free! :ihih: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/user/Brakelateatmsn?blend=2&ob=5#p/u/6/ykYdEyRp0H8]YouTube - Brakelateatmsn's Channel[/ame] Big Hp, stock suspension, brakes. :beer Actually that little 'Vert runs out here with us at most of the ExtremeSpeedTrack Events and does really well.
No question the new big HP Mustangs, Camaros and such can run off and hide from me, but remember, I'm running a stock 170 hp engine, no CAI, stock suspension (except for the rear bar) and stock brakes and tires....... I'm surprised they let that convertible run, out here they require a real rollbar or hardtop to run a 'vert..... Yeah, that green stuff is only here because of the other thing it does here - rain! As in last year I had 5 track days rained out. 1 day each month for 5 months! :mad2: Most of the time the weather was absolutely beautiful both the day before and the day after our event day. One time we drove to the track under sunny skies, got there, and the minute the driver's meeting ended it dumped! Biblical quantities of rain. So much the the tunnel out of the track had 4 feet of water in it and we had to leave by crossing the track at it's highest point!
The word on the street is that a rear sway bar equals a 400 hp bump. J/K! Very impressive walking that old Stang, especially because it did not appear to me that he was babying it or taking a particularly sloppy line. Vert requirements are basically the same out here. Not sure how he gets in with what looks like factory chrome loops. But he's always there. Guess I will go over and intoduce myself at the May event and ask those questions. Heck, he may post here for all I know! Oh, and check the above "Streets" thread if you want to see my (HD) in-car where I get beat up on by some "little" cars. Though the Integra was fully gutted and prepped, and the 510 at the end runs a 300 + Hp turbo set up. We run "Rain or Shine" in our group, and we got soaked in Nov. But nothing at all like the rainfall you see. Thus our infield is all weeds, bleached bones and rubber marbles.