I happen to be heading out tonight after dinner to a meeting and was nearing the freeway entrance ramp. Nobody in front of me, nobody turning in to the ramp, but I did have a new 2001 black Mustang GT behind me. The entrance ramp, after the right hand turn, is a S-curve going left and then right into the freeway. Most people do 30, then 50 in the two corners. With the other V8 GT behind me and also heading toward the freeway, and me with my enhanced handling, I decided to have some fun.
I punched it after the right turn, heading toward the first left of the S-curve. I downshifted the automatic tranny to 2nd to hold the car in 2nd gear, look in mirror and see the other GT starting hard to follow me. Take the first corner at 60mph (no tire noise or drift, so I'm comfortably below limits), engine running at 4000+ rpm, and when I clip the apex and exit I punch the car for the short chute and take it up to 75mph in 2nd and then shift into 3rd. I hit the second corner at 80mph, hold it there, and then slow down to 70 to merge into the freeway. After the merging ramp ends, I'm in the right lane at 70 and shift into O/D (4th). Looking back, I finally see the black GT just coming out of the second S-corner, nose up (accelerating hard!), way way back. Griggs suspension 1, stock 0. And maybe I'm a little better driver too.
The other GT heads into the left lane, so I keep at 65 in the right lane and let him catch up around the traffic. When he finally passes, he's got a big grin on his face, nodding his head up and down. I flash a big smile and give him the thumbs up.
Eric, you need to tell Bruce you guys need to market with a new slogan, if the dairy industry will let you borrow it: "Got Griggs?" :-)
Jim Petroski
PS - open track day is this Friday, first day back on track since install. I am so much more comfortable with this car's handling I know I'll be working at driving the right line smoothly and experimenting with the handling. I won't be fighting the car in the corners.
Hope you enjoyed the story!"
One of the 'vettes there was being driven by a new person to open tracking, and we were pitted next to each other. By the end of the day he was really smiling, telling me he was up to 125 on the back straight (I only hit 110), leaving me behind, only to look in the mirror two turns later and see me right on his tail :-) He was scratching his head on that one.
But the best comment was at the end of the day - some young guys who had 99 Mustangs, V6's, came by as they had been spectating all day. They were looking at my car as I was packing to go home. The hood was up as I was finishing changing the CC plates back to street alignment, and one of them said "Look! It's *stock*!" I was so much faster than the other 'stangs they thought it was all HP. I took some time and explained some suspension facts to them. Fun!
Of course the other major point is my driving - after 11 track days since I started last year, the real key is my skill level. I hit a new level this weekend, and I am noticing more of the little things that make a difference - a slight line change, a bump to avoid during braking, etc. I've never been so attuned to a car before.
Unfortunately, a Lotus Esprit went up in flames this weekend (oil fire) and the rear left quarter was badly damaged. I hate to see nice cars get ruined out there.
2 weeks to Watkins Glen!!! I'm ready!