Finished up a car a couple weeks ago for a local who has become addicted to tracking. We both attended Apex Driving Academy's event yesterday at MSR Cresson. I'm happy to report the owner is very pleased with his IPP long block, JWT Sport 550's, MSP Manifolds, and SZ full 3" exhaust. The car ran like a top all day.
I got to get out there for the first time since ZCON at HHR, and the first time at MSR since ZCON 06. I had not run with Apex before, and came out pretty impressed. They run their day pretty diligent to the schedule, which includes 6 twenty minute sessions per run group, along with a classroom session after the first 4 runs. All in all, it was a ton of track time.
Getting there was an adventure, since varying areas of North Texas got 4-5" of snow dumped on them Saturday night. Odd driving my track-prepped Z pulling my tire trailer down snow and ice packed roads. I saw at least half a dozen wrecks on the 78 mile trip there.
Luckily Cresson didn't get any snow, so the track was clear, if cold. I did my first two stints on street tires, and after overcooking it coming out of big bend, decided to switch to my R compounds. Sure enough, on the outlap, I spun it. The R comps took at least a good 2-3 laps to get up to temp. Otherwise, the track was in good shape, and the turbos were singing in the cool weather.
I did okay, if there was a considerable amount of rust. Still, by the end of the day, I was pleased with the progress I'd made. I especially am happy with the progress I made in Rattlesnake, which bit me at Zcon 06 (4 wheels airborne). All in all, a great experience. The "school" aspect of it is a bit different than club days, but that is what we were there for. The classroom sessions didn't allow me any time to get out and take any pics, but I was able to get one run down on video:
