Karen and I (Mike) took our cars to a PIR Friday for a driving school and track day. Karen has done this before when her car was normally aspirated, and is now in the Advanced group running with the big boys (full SCCA race cars, Vetts, Vipers, 350zs, etc). In the past she did very well, but usually she was still not the fastest at the track. With her newly installed Vortech, that is all a thing of the past 
. She did awesome, and passed just about everything in sight. We do need better brakes now. Her metalMaster PBRs used to last two track days, but she ran out of pad by the end of the day with boost.
Attached below is part of a message posted to the local group for those in other parts of the country. All I have to say is that the SHO made an impression and boost is addictive.
- Mike
ATTACHED MESSAGE
Mike here,
Had a blast at my first track event where I was driving a car (many other days as crew chief).
I had the 93 Bondurant out for its maiden voyage on the track (since it was abandoned in the AZ desert so to speak). Theoretically, the engine is mostly stock. I did put BBBs, extrude hone runners, 75mm MAF and K&N with the fender silencer/box removed, but no major mods other than what it had from Bondurant/Roush. I am by no means an expert driver (quite the beginner in fact). I did have the best instructor possible IMHO in having Gary Bockman teach me the ropes. Gary is the best, and is a great teacher. He helped me with the lines and when to be on power and brakes. When I listened, it was awesome and I was fast.
I did not get passed once all day and we had 24 cars in the novice class. At times it was like rush hour traffic. Other times I had totally open track to play. I did make a few four-car-at-a-time passes, and passed every car in front of me when I had a chance. I was very surprised at the Bondurant's performance. I passed an older Vette, a new high end Infinity, a race prepped BMW, Miatas, CooperS, and a Z-28 among some of the cars (many a couple times each). I had a blast, and may be hooked on this stuff. I am very glad we had no major mechanical problems all day. Karen did run out of brake pads during the last session. She was running a brand new set of pads at the start of the day, and by the end, there was nothing, and I mean nothing there. Bare metal backers on rotors. Time to find a better pad...
For those who have not been keeping up with the supercharger thread, Karen, Kurt and I have been working on the cars for the last three or so months to get the superchargers finished, and Karen's car ran for the first time just a week ago today. I was very worried about tuning the car, as I had no experience with the TwEECer, and did not want to blow up the motor right away with a track day. Telling Karen to "take it easy" on the car is just not going to happen. I could say it, but she won't listen. With a bunch of help from SHOforum friends, prayer, and lots of tuning runs (I think the police are on to me), I felt like we could let the car on the track safely. I still have a number of things I want to do to the tuning and the car, but I am glad it came back in one piece.
I got to watch Karen all day, and it was fun to see the expressions on people's faces. There was one guy taking pictures of his friend in a newer M3 just as Karen blew by the M3. The camera man did a double take as if to say, "was that a Taurus???" Karen did get some nice pulls on the M3, a 350Z, C6 Vette, Spec Miata, WRX's, and other cars. She let the C6 by in the first session, and in the 3rs session she let an STI with go fast parts go by her. Other than that, Karen passed anything she saw. A side note: Karen ran in Group 3 with all the big boys.
After the first session, I wanted to see what she thought of the car (she had only driven it once for 15 minutes since I put the S/C on it). She did not stop similing all day, and I even caught her giggling a number of times. Karen says they were laughs, but I know they were giggles. Passing $40k cars will do that.
Between sessions, many people would come by to see what made that Taurus so fast.
Casey (Victor's son) had dad's White 91 plus out on the track too. He and I seemed to stay on opposite sides of the track, so we did not ever get into a race down the straight. Casey had fun, and Victor got his car back in one piece. He may need some new brakes, but it is in one piece.
The weather was perfect, no one hit the wall. It was a great day.
Kurt's car is done, and we are tuning it. There were no openings in the class, and we really were not comfortable with his tuning anyway. Next track day watch out. There will be more supercharged SHOs out there to watch for.
- Mike
KAREN's REBUTTAL
Hi all. Normally I just let my husband, Mike, post since he's on the computer often. So I'll introduce myself.
Hi, my name is Karen. I have had two SHOs. I am addicted to cars that cost lots of time and money to maintain..... Now, my red SHO has a supercharger in it, and after this track day at PIR I am definitely addicted to my SHO.
I must say thanks to Mike, and his support group, for his time and effort in completely redesigning my car in order to put in the supercharger. It was a huge task, but the end product is really cool, goes really fast, and looks really good too.
Since Mike has posted up the details about the PIR track day, I will be brief on that note. It was an awesome day. I also had Gary Bockman as an instructor, and he was a great advisor.
The track day was the first time I could really see how my car was running with the S/C and a decent tuning program, and I must say --superchargers are absolutely worth it!!! It generated a super perma-grin! It was just so much fun passing all the (expensive)cars that passed me last year! (Mike says I must type in that I am giggling again just thinking about it.)
It was also fun watching Mike and Casey being at the top of their class too. The SHOs kicked butt. (Sorry the adrenaline still hasn't worn off) Thanks too to Kurt for taking some great pictures, and it was fun to have Victor, Kerry, and Daryl stop by for support.
Karen
. She did awesome, and passed just about everything in sight. We do need better brakes now. Her metalMaster PBRs used to last two track days, but she ran out of pad by the end of the day with boost.Attached below is part of a message posted to the local group for those in other parts of the country. All I have to say is that the SHO made an impression and boost is addictive.
- Mike
ATTACHED MESSAGE
Mike here,
Had a blast at my first track event where I was driving a car (many other days as crew chief).
I had the 93 Bondurant out for its maiden voyage on the track (since it was abandoned in the AZ desert so to speak). Theoretically, the engine is mostly stock. I did put BBBs, extrude hone runners, 75mm MAF and K&N with the fender silencer/box removed, but no major mods other than what it had from Bondurant/Roush. I am by no means an expert driver (quite the beginner in fact). I did have the best instructor possible IMHO in having Gary Bockman teach me the ropes. Gary is the best, and is a great teacher. He helped me with the lines and when to be on power and brakes. When I listened, it was awesome and I was fast.
I did not get passed once all day and we had 24 cars in the novice class. At times it was like rush hour traffic. Other times I had totally open track to play. I did make a few four-car-at-a-time passes, and passed every car in front of me when I had a chance. I was very surprised at the Bondurant's performance. I passed an older Vette, a new high end Infinity, a race prepped BMW, Miatas, CooperS, and a Z-28 among some of the cars (many a couple times each). I had a blast, and may be hooked on this stuff. I am very glad we had no major mechanical problems all day. Karen did run out of brake pads during the last session. She was running a brand new set of pads at the start of the day, and by the end, there was nothing, and I mean nothing there. Bare metal backers on rotors. Time to find a better pad...
For those who have not been keeping up with the supercharger thread, Karen, Kurt and I have been working on the cars for the last three or so months to get the superchargers finished, and Karen's car ran for the first time just a week ago today. I was very worried about tuning the car, as I had no experience with the TwEECer, and did not want to blow up the motor right away with a track day. Telling Karen to "take it easy" on the car is just not going to happen. I could say it, but she won't listen. With a bunch of help from SHOforum friends, prayer, and lots of tuning runs (I think the police are on to me), I felt like we could let the car on the track safely. I still have a number of things I want to do to the tuning and the car, but I am glad it came back in one piece.
I got to watch Karen all day, and it was fun to see the expressions on people's faces. There was one guy taking pictures of his friend in a newer M3 just as Karen blew by the M3. The camera man did a double take as if to say, "was that a Taurus???" Karen did get some nice pulls on the M3, a 350Z, C6 Vette, Spec Miata, WRX's, and other cars. She let the C6 by in the first session, and in the 3rs session she let an STI with go fast parts go by her. Other than that, Karen passed anything she saw. A side note: Karen ran in Group 3 with all the big boys.
After the first session, I wanted to see what she thought of the car (she had only driven it once for 15 minutes since I put the S/C on it). She did not stop similing all day, and I even caught her giggling a number of times. Karen says they were laughs, but I know they were giggles. Passing $40k cars will do that.
Between sessions, many people would come by to see what made that Taurus so fast.
Casey (Victor's son) had dad's White 91 plus out on the track too. He and I seemed to stay on opposite sides of the track, so we did not ever get into a race down the straight. Casey had fun, and Victor got his car back in one piece. He may need some new brakes, but it is in one piece.
The weather was perfect, no one hit the wall. It was a great day.
Kurt's car is done, and we are tuning it. There were no openings in the class, and we really were not comfortable with his tuning anyway. Next track day watch out. There will be more supercharged SHOs out there to watch for.
- Mike
KAREN's REBUTTAL
Hi all. Normally I just let my husband, Mike, post since he's on the computer often. So I'll introduce myself.
Hi, my name is Karen. I have had two SHOs. I am addicted to cars that cost lots of time and money to maintain..... Now, my red SHO has a supercharger in it, and after this track day at PIR I am definitely addicted to my SHO.
I must say thanks to Mike, and his support group, for his time and effort in completely redesigning my car in order to put in the supercharger. It was a huge task, but the end product is really cool, goes really fast, and looks really good too.
Since Mike has posted up the details about the PIR track day, I will be brief on that note. It was an awesome day. I also had Gary Bockman as an instructor, and he was a great advisor.
The track day was the first time I could really see how my car was running with the S/C and a decent tuning program, and I must say --superchargers are absolutely worth it!!! It generated a super perma-grin! It was just so much fun passing all the (expensive)cars that passed me last year! (Mike says I must type in that I am giggling again just thinking about it.)
It was also fun watching Mike and Casey being at the top of their class too. The SHOs kicked butt. (Sorry the adrenaline still hasn't worn off) Thanks too to Kurt for taking some great pictures, and it was fun to have Victor, Kerry, and Daryl stop by for support.
Karen
