Daytona '09 mini-blog (car hotness inside)

Wheelman13 · 11-12-2009, 09:11 PM

"Italian Cars at Daytona" mini-blog.

I attend a couple of pretty high-end exotic car track days each year; one in Pocono, PA and the other in Daytona. I play pit crew at these events basically making my Dad's life easy so he can concentrate on having fun. However, since I am not driving, I have tons of time on hand to take pictures, and usually sneak a video camera into the car for some film.

This year, in the interest of trying something a bit different, I am going to try to to a bit of a mini-blog on Tennspeed so y'all can drool and gawp at the millions of dollars of Italian/European/Japanese exotica I will be wading through for the next few days. So Here Goes:

Day 1:

We pulled into the track around 3 eastern, unloaded the GT2 (yup, snuck a Porsche into an Italian car event), and unpacked a few things. I walked around a took a few pictures while we were waiting for the organizers to get set up for registration. There were a few interesting cars garaged next to us like this Ferrari 360GT (sort of like a challege car, only faster)

Most of the tracks that I end up at with my cheap-o budget HPDE events have the attendees slumming it on a sand, gravel, or (if you're lucky) an open paved parking lot. Not so much here. We are big-doggin' it in the full-on Nextel Cup garages. Tons of room to work, clean floors, and great lighting. The latter helped considerably putting the windshield tear-off on the Porsche. We found that 170+mph can result in some nasty pitting (basically looks like you have tiny glitter on the window...only it doesn't come off), a tear-off is a relatively cheap way to avoid this.

Once we had the tear-off on and de-bubbled, I went for a jog around the infield. The size of the facility made it really easy to knock out a quick 3 miles without seeing the same thing twice. I made a loop around the infield go-kart track, took a couple of laps up and down the Lake Lloyd boardwalk, and then headed back to the garage. I got a couple of funny looks from some people being shuttled around on the "Daytona 500 Experience" tour, which was entertianing.

I took the opportunity to scout the garage again and snapped a few more teasers:

I had to look at this last picture for a minute before I figured out what looked odd. The front wheel gap is huge (relatively) because it has the height adjustment on the frond dialled all the way up because they just got through unloading it from a trailer. The Enzo has a "speed bump button" to raise the nose a bit so you aren't constantly scuffing it on stuff. Kinda nice for the 2 people in the world that might use one to commute.

That's it for now. I'll pick up the narrative a bit more tomorrow evening most likely; sooner if I can find some wi-fi to steal at the track. I'm sure some baller has it hooked up in their rig.

Picture requests welcome, I'll accomodate if I can. Keep in mind I'm rolling with a POS Fuji transitional camera

Wheelman13 · 11-13-2009, 05:34 AM

Day 2:

Well, it's 6:42am. Off to the track.

usafdarkhorse · 11-13-2009, 05:37 AM

Good luck!

Dalwinco · 11-13-2009, 07:57 AM

I wish I had an Enzo... :[

projectcivic · 11-13-2009, 08:14 AM

I would kill for a speed bump button. Keep this updated, im interested.

Mayo · 11-13-2009, 10:38 AM

Awesome! Keep the pictures coming. Also, try and list the cars you see if you can. No need to put down every single one, but just kind of a running tally of what most people are driving.

BURN UNIT · 11-13-2009, 11:37 AM

Very cool! Thanks for the pictures - that looks like a blast. Please post anything and everything that you'd like - I'd really appreciate it!

satalac · 11-13-2009, 11:53 AM

*drinks hatorade* I hate you......

Haha, Awesome pics man, I bet you're having a blast!

Btw, I LOVE Ferraris.....but that GT3 RS is absolute sex.

Wheelman13 · 11-13-2009, 07:25 PM

Day 2: Continued

After the early start I posted this morning, we got into full swing pretty quickly. After dealing with the parking Nazis at the gate we unpacked some essentials before dad headed off to the drivers' meeting. I finished unpacking the Porsche (typical track stuff like removing floor mats, tool kit, etc.) and drove it over to the tech shed.

A few minute later, clean bill of health and tech sticker in-hand, I kicked some Ferrari Challege guys out of our garage bay and went about setting up shop. Cheap folding chairs: Check. Electric cooler: check. Guy in the garage bay next to us has a Z06 and an F40: I think I need a towel.

I managed to sneak in a bit of shutter time in the morning before the Drivers' meeting adjourned and came up with a few gems:

You are not allowed to put fuel in a car while it's in a garage bay, hence the 355 challenge in the ass-out position:

About that F40:

View from the top of the Garages:

Wheelman13 · 11-13-2009, 07:30 PM

More Day 2:

So, y'know that new two-wheel-drive Gallardo named after Lamborghini's legendary test driver Valentino Balboni?

Well, you do now:

Only one one in the US at the moment if I overheard correctly. Valentino was there as well, but not near the car when I was walking around (he was in the drivers' meeting).

Wheelman13 · 11-13-2009, 07:46 PM

A lot happened on: Day 2

Ok, a bit more narrative, if you can bear with me. Otherwise, just keep scrolling for more pretty pictures.

Following ye olde drivers' meeting, dad took the car out for his group's first session. This was somewhat of a pace-controlled orientation session just to make sure everyone knew where the corner worker stations were and where the track went. No drama, everything went pretty smoothly.

I slid over to one of the spots I scouted the night before to get some action shots. Those will be posted somewhere down the page.

After the second session, it was time for a gas run (we started with just a half tank). In the garage afterwards, dad mentions he heard a rattle from the front end just cruising around. I jump in and we put around the infield trying to figure out where it's coming from. No dice. I pull the front wheels off and start tapping and wiggling stuff while he listens inside the car and we finally narrow it down to a spring sliding around on it's perch a bit, ok, no problem there really. We confirm that it isn't the brakes, tie rods or anything else potentially catastrophic and put the wheels back on. No more drama.

Lunch time.

After grabbing a quick bite I take another tour of the paddock area and manage to schmooze a ride in a Spyker C8 Spyder with one of their test drivers.

I love Sypkers. Every detail of the car has been thought about from a design standpoint, and they are gorgeous. Mercifully, the Dutch managed to make a piece of rolling sculpture that is also not crap to drive. That and the Audi V8 sounds amazing. It really gives it that Chuck-Norris-in-a-tux type of aura.

That's me in the passenger seat in the first photo, I took the other two. (middle picture is the interior of a coupe aka "Laviolette")

Wheelman13 · 11-13-2009, 07:57 PM

Day 2: Just won't die.

Gee, that's a pretty piece of carbon fiber, I wonder what it's attached to?!?!?

Wow, it's the roof, that's fancy.

Such a tease....

Yup, you don't see that every day. Popped my "seen a Veyron" cherry.

Since I know it will be asked: NO they did not take it on the track...unfortunately.

AutoLuxury · 11-13-2009, 08:02 PM

Awesome man keep it up! You won quality post of the year!

Wheelman13 · 11-13-2009, 08:09 PM

I don't think I can top that, but here are some track pictures from Day 2:

don't ask:

So, this Bentley was passing everything in sight...I mean passing stuff it had no right to be passing. I was completely confused until someone told me that it may have been driven by Derek Bell. i.e. THE DEREK BELL

Wheelman13 · 11-13-2009, 08:14 PM

Day 2: By Request

Ok, a couple more track pictures, because I agree with satalac:

Wheelman13 · 11-13-2009, 08:25 PM

Day 2: Final Post

Gonna crash for the evening here in a couple of hours. IHOP is catching up to me and I fear food coma may be imminent.

Here is a quick, off-the-top-of-my-head car list...in no particular Order. (I'm probably missing a few things, and I reserve the right to add or update as necessary).

'Mercan:
Corvette ZR-1
Corvette Z06
Ford GT (Heritage Paint)

Porsche:
-996 GT2 (ours)
-997 GT2
-997 GT3 RS
-996 GT3 Cup
-993 Turbo
-930 (I think) Turbo
-Boxter (not worth mentioning)

Ferrari:

Enzo
F-40
California
355
355 Challenge
360 Challenge
360 GT
430
430 Challenge
550

Lamborghini:
Gallardo
Gallardo Spyder
Gallardo Superleggera
Gallardo VB (new one pictured above)
Murcielago
Murcielago Spyder
Murcielago LP 640
Murcielago SV (pictured above in yellow/black)
Diablo
Diablo 6.0 (purple car above)
Diablo Roadster

Other:

Bugatti Veyron
Bentley Continental GT
Lotus 211
Lotus Esprit Turbo
Spyker C8 Spyder
Spyker C8 Laviolette
Oldsmobile Daytona Prototype (See 24hrs of Daytona)
Nissan GTR (x3)

BURN UNIT · 11-13-2009, 08:50 PM

BEST POSTING ON THIS BOARD, EVER!

You have made my year, seeing all of these cars as up-close-and-personal through your camera. Great experience, and I wasn't even attending!

Jankenshank · 11-13-2009, 10:38 PM

i was like....

"a continental GT??? WTF?"

then read Derek Bell...... then i was like....

"Oh SnAp!!! F1 eat your HeaRt ouT!"

ShawnZ · 11-13-2009, 11:10 PM

Awesome pics and story man! Also that has to be the hottest color combo Veyron i have ever seen. Nuts! Im so jealous of you.

Wheelman13 · 11-14-2009, 06:09 AM

Day 3:

Ok, the goal today is to grab some in-car video (won't be able to post until next week unless I miraculously find an editor I installed on this laptop). I also plan to break out the stop-watch and see what's what from a lap time standpoint now that everyone has had a day to find their way around.

Allegedly, there were a bunch of folks that just planned to show up for the weekend track days too. Fingers crossed for some new interesting stuff.

Off to the track. Check for another update this evening.