Grattan swarming with lotus.....

[PDQSHIP@aol.com]

Got the opportunity to go to Grattan Raceway in MI with the Lotus Club
(detroit) this time, had a blast, saw lots of bigtime expensive toys driven
by semi/some competents, and a large qclub usa differential....

*  Price: 175 for both days, ambulance and hired corner workers included
*  NO Cones or chicanes  (coupla out cones on some really dangerous parts)
*  Passing on "Toilet bowl", back off camber straight, front straight, in all
but the      novice group
*  Passing was on line everywhere but coming onto the straight (?)
*  Lotsa mustangs
*  Yes, Eric, dire need of instructors, I was in car all but lunch 
*  Quattros:  2 5ktq, 1 A4Q, 1 S6
*  Interesting:  1 viper hardtop (off track), 1 NSX (off track X5), 3 new
Turbo esprits (1 off track at end of straight (still drove home), 1 E36 M3
lookalike no longer (rolled off camber turn 3), lots of chatterhams, lots of
lotus 7's, a tweeked shelby turbo daytona  (fast driver), 2 M3 '95 (1 owns
5ktq as well), 3 M3 36's, 6 Mustang GT, 1 colt, 2 hondas, 1 911 
*  NO SCHOOL - get there and 4 run groups @ 20min all day X 2 days
*  Novice section was Very fast, some turning consistent sub - 2:00 (fast is
1:40's lots of those)
*  Fun factor = high
*  Weather = sunny and upper 60's both days....
*  Track 13 turn multiplane road course, lots of off camber blind entrance
turns...

Unfortunately, I have qship in a few pieces still, so no track time for
me....  In my car anyways....  I took the Beast (Yamaha FJ1100 with 1400cc
race motor) on this trip, extra helmet for students, instructor status only
for me this time....  Rolled out of chicago about 4 am to make the 8:30 track
gate close (and just minutes to spare), even with the most warm of clothes,
managed to freeze my buns on that ride.....  Prolly the last MC ride for the
season too :+(    .....  Had just enough time for coffee warmup, then spent
all of SAT in various cars....  No MC's allowed on the track this weekend :(

This was one of the faster track events I have attended in the last ten
years, and very fast lap times even with most drivers NOT knowing the line,
that's how prepped these cars were....   Tried to keep with the quattro
contingent, tho managed rides in a few others as well.....  My ex-86 5ktq
(now with new motor, stock computer, modified turbo) was there with Ken and
his wife, Kathy Stoeckel with her red A4q, her friend Chris with his 87 5ktq,
and Reeshad from OH (red 87 5ktqRS2) with his 95 M3 this time with R1's....  

Ken is an ex-proRally driver on his first track event, so I wanted to ride
with him first, so as not to go off course sliding, learning the tarmac
way....  Wrong.  Very first time on the track we went to hot into a off
camber downhill right (and just like when Todd did it, I said "you're
off")...  He did a good job of getting right back on, but managed to slide
around the whole course, wrong line, having fun, but getting passed by just
about all in his group (1&2 expert, 3&4 novice) 3 novice....

Next up was Ken's wife Joni...  Never been to an event, so wanted me to show
the line on the track....  Well got less than a lap at about 6-7/10ths and
she just freaked out, wanted me to slow down (I did, but hey), and basically
realized that this might be out of her league, esp when I told her I was
driving 7/10ths in Novice, and the line was backing up to pass us....  -1
quattro driver here...   But, given her experience (none) was a very wise
move....  Really encouraged the qusa school technique for her, hope she does
it.....

The mustangs tended to have really fast times, tho watching a lot of fast
cars do this track off line was most interesting....  There were some 1:40
times (that's racecar fast) with the wrong lines thru key corners that just
showed the level of competence the CARS had.....   The Lotus SE (91) that
came in full race dress + nomex, got some humility when a youngin' with a
VERY tweeked shelby turbo, just chased his butt thru most of the runs, always
ready to pass, that had to be pressure for mr esprit.....  hehe  (visions of
Hans Stuch just yanking those sponsorship patches off this guys nomex....)

WG Wiles, another ProRally driver (winner 2 yrs, Light prepared GTI in
Production GT Class) had his beautiful S6 with Moda sports at the track along
with his soon to be tweeked 911 with a 4 INCH EXHAUST (did I say it was
big)...  He slid that S6 around the track with the confidence of a PR driver,
slowly eating the tires in the process, but he obviously had a blast....   To
watch the NSX go off the track as many times as it did (read: I counted 5),
made me want to trade my 5ktq before he wadded the thing up...  To watch him
rock the car back and forth10 times when he went on an off road excursion was
near comical...  The brand new Viper coupe went off as well, again no damage,
incredulous looking at the closeness of the spoiler to firma.....  

Definitely an event that I would never drag a less than VERY experienced
driver too.....  This was playing in the big leagues, and I applauded Kathy
with the A4q (3 qusa events total) for sticking to her line, letting 10-15
cars in a row pass on the straight, then back to the line, never
intimidated....  A very safe (save the roll, driver error - tried to get his
car back onto the off camber turn when he dumped a wheel) event, lots of
track time, at a neat little track in SW Michigan....

Nice fast way to end the track season for this enthusiast....  Sigh...
End of report.

Scott