Went to a NASA-NE Open track day at Pocono Tuesday. Event was supposed to be on the double infield long course at Pocono, which is my favorite. See track map below:
The double infield is marked in black on the map. They use both the north course and the south course infield roads to cut out both banked ovals, and also to cut out the hairpin on the south road, giving a 2.6 miles road course with losts of twisties. It is run clockwise. We started with a 1.5 hour open track session, but about an hour into it a pothole developed in the south infield road, so, they changed to the single infield configuration, also run clockwise. They leave the south, tighter, banked oval in, and only use the south infield road entrance as a chicane to add interest and cut top speed at the end of the main straight. The single infield is marked in red on the map.
It is good getting back into it for a new season. Started with tech:
A lot of really hot cars on the track, a couple of Vipers, 3 or 4 Loti, a couple of Porsche Turbo's, some Corvettes, and some serious race prepared cars. Also, an Ariel Atom. Jack Laverty was there with the 300 whp EG33 Subaru Impreza RS. One of the Vipers spun in front of me on the second lap of the day. Too much testosterone on the track at the start of the day, must have built up over winter. Combine that with a cold morning (cold tires and track) and you have lots of off-road excursions (no damage). A lot of folks passing me. Note the Lotus and the M sedan waiting to pass in the photo below:
Even so, I was having a lot of fun. Passed a few people, including a Porsche Turbo driver who was scared of his car. Didn't take long to get back into it. Started to working on those turn-in points, picking out my braking point markers, refining the line, picking my apexes (on open track days, they don't mark the apexes, figure you should be smart enough to figure it out yourself)measuring when to come on strong with the throttle, looking for that little wiggle that tells me I've found the edge. Was having a really good time at the hairpin where the north infield road goes back onto the speedway. Come into it fast, brake really hard, then a lot of turn in to get it rotating, let the wheel out completely and put the accelerator on the floor at the same time. Really avoids that power-on understeer. Would have people in my back seat coming into that corner, but would pick up about 100 ft on most of them coming out of the corner. Of course, many of them had enough power to be ready to pass me a couple of hundred yards down the straight.
Even though I had a few butterlies before the start, it comes back quickly, and the confidence returns. Damn, I love doing this:
But, I was not to have the whole day. I was limiting my sessions to about 20-25 minutes to minimize overheating. At the end of the 4th session (3/4 of a tank of gas into it), the temp needle started to rise. Drove off the track, and it went right over the top, headed down the road to leave the track, about 30 mph, to let it cool off, heard a little thump, and, then, I've got coolant all over the winshield.
Turns out the 1.3 bar radiator cap I put on it wasn't a good idea. Radiator cracked along the top near the cap nipple. Tried to fix it with KDWeld. Didn't stick. Let go a few miles down I-80 east from Blakeslee. Called AAA. Was towed to Ertle Subaru in Stroudsburg, Got an Enterprise rental and went home. Talked to YT and he volunteered to UPS the PWR radiator from his silver to Ertle. They agreed to install a non-stock radiator. So, will pick it up Saturday morning and come down to visit everyone at Reading. See you there.
Next stop, Watkins Glen, May 5.