Completed a driving school this weekend

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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:15 PM
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Arrow Completed a driving school this weekend

Three of us signed up for a track driving school over this weekend. Mr. Gulp, Mrs. Ball and Mr. Ball.

Ken brought his '03 Cobra, my wife Lisa in the Z06, and I was in the Viper. The school was The Driver's Edge and it was an excellent experience. This school has four levels of driver groups, from beginner to expert. First timers get put into the green group, those with limited seat time go into blue. These two groups ride with an instructor, who give valuable input and lessons. The yellow and red groups are more advanced, and are solo classes with a lot of track experience. Classes and teachers were fun and very technical, we had a great time at the event and will attend again. The event was at Texas World Speedway, in College Station. It was a 2-day event, with each day getting four 25-minute sessions on the track, with an instructor. Classes are held in between each session.

If you've never done something like this, especially those of you with handling mods done to your cars, you should give it a try. If you think drag racing is an adrenaline rush, try holding that rush for 25 minutes straight! It physically wears you out at the end of each day. I did one session in the Z06, it got up to 150 mph on the NASCAR-banked straight. The Viper did 165 mph. It is a very fast and technical track, can't wait to go back again. These classes will teach you to push the limits of your car, it isn't a weekend of easy driving at a slow pace. You are taught how to read track flags, how to react to other vehicles, fast line skills, reading vehicle feedback, etc... With each session, you can really see yourself improve and get faster through the 2.9 mile long track.

Best $275 I've spent in a while. Investing in the "driver mod" is far more useful long-term than buying a few parts for your car.

Pics!

















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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:21 PM
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Sounds like it was alot of fun!!
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:21 PM
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looks like one hell of a experience. let me know next time you plan on going. that way i can plan ahead and take this class for myself.
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:24 PM
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Here's one of the videos I took, you were going so fast it was hard to get a good clip of you. Excuse the crappy quality, it's my buddies camera.

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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:29 PM
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Originally Posted by ex-SS-ve
looks like one hell of a experience. let me know next time you plan on going. that way i can plan ahead and take this class for myself.
Driver's Edge comes back to TWS on Mar 21-22. There are a few other companies that do similar driving schools however, you can find events like this every weekend at various tracks across Texas. Just look on the track calendars. Here is the site for Texas World Speedway. They have a 1-day course on Sat Feb 14th.

http://www.texasworldspeedway.com/
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:32 PM
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Originally Posted by TexZ
Here's one of the videos I took, you were going so fast it was hard to get a good clip of you. Excuse the crappy quality, it's my buddies camera.
Quality is muddy, but the sound was good. That white car was a Dodge Neon, that guy was a beast behind the wheel. Must have went up on 3 tires at each turn, that thing was all over the place but the driver was driving it excellent.
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:38 PM
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Too bad Mr. Dub was not there in his new Z0h.

Glad you and Ken had fun out there. I hope Will got to run you guys around the track.
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:43 PM
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Will did no driving, just hung out. He did attempt to do the slalom in the Lightning however, until his woofer box owned him. Kat snapped a couple of those pics above, nice work.

Lisa rode with SW in his red Z06 one session, they went 180 mph on the straight. Ken got to ride in a Porsche 911 GT2 twin-turbo racecar, driven by an instructor. Bet that was fun. I think his resistance to buying a Viper is all but demolished after this weekend.

Oh yeah, and Lisa passed Ken on the straight in the Z06. She wanted me to mention that....again
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Nine Ball
Will did no driving, just hung out. He did attempt to do the slalom in the Lightning however, until his woofer box owned him. Kat snapped a couple of those pics above, nice work.

Lisa rode with SW in his red Z06 one session, they went 180 mph on the straight. Ken got to ride in a Porsche 911 GT2 twin-turbo racecar, driven by an instructor. Bet that was fun. I think his resistance to buying a Viper is all but demolished after this weekend.

Oh yeah, and Lisa passed Ken on the straight in the Z06. She wanted me to mention that....again
LOL! Poor Ken. He just needs to pull the trigger.

I already can imagine that sub box breaking off and flinging around in the L. I am surprised he did not mention that to me in email earlier on.
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 09:57 PM
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Did your wife have fun?
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:03 PM
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Yea we got a cool pic of the L and the speakerbox ownage. It was fine though 180 on the straight is CRAZY! It was a lot of fun, even just hanging out.

The Feb 14th event is a solo day only i'm pretty sure. Not a class.

You can do a 1 day any event. It's cheaper and you just dont go sunday. Many do this.

Congrats to Lisa on passing Ken!

William
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:03 PM
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why are the lights covered?
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:04 PM
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awesome! I would like to do that sometime
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:05 PM
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That looks sweet as hell. What is the point of taping up the headlights?
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:07 PM
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Sounds like it was a blast!

Who did the panning shots?
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:07 PM
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Keeps rock chips down and some groups want you to do it incase they did get broken glass wouldn't go everywhere.

Also forgot to mention, the guy driving the neon is crazy! He races with AI I believe (Either AI or CMC). He almost killed me once in that Neon. You should have gotten a ride with him...He drives the HELL out of that thing!

William
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:07 PM
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There can be more pics posted later on. Kat said she took 1200 pictures in 4 session! She has about 500 of Mr and Mrs. Ball.

William
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:11 PM
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Looks like a lot of fun!
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by will69camaro
Yea we got a cool pic of the L and the speakerbox ownage. It was fine though 180 on the straight is CRAZY! It was a lot of fun, even just hanging out.

The Feb 14th event is a solo day only i'm pretty sure. Not a class.

You can do a 1 day any event. It's cheaper and you just dont go sunday. Many do this.

Congrats to Lisa on passing Ken!

William
That is awesome Will.

I can't imagine clipping over 180 mph either when turn one comes up right there at the bank. That is just crazy. Those brakes have got to be steaming. LOL
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Old Jan 25, 2009 | 10:22 PM
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SW is a badass...Proven time and time again.

I got a funny pic. Of the L hitting a cone...Looks kinda like this but more under the tire and more Lightning involved...
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