Cars, etc.

[Bob Zumbrunnen]

what do you think of Turn 3 and 5B

Yes, they look like 2nd gear turns in the 'Stang and the straight going into 5B looks just barely long enough to accomplish the downshift under braking. Someone who doesn't heel-toe will get their lunch eaten there by someone who does.

5B looks to be one of the most important turns on the track with turn 7 looking like the most important. 5B looks like a throwaway at first, but a wonderful passing opportunity and leading to a part of the track that, though it isn't straight, looks like it's all full throttle.

What do you think of that kink shortly after 3? In the aerial view, I'm thinking straightaway if you hug the right side going in and either use the berm on the left side in the kink or just barely flinch going through there.

Haven't quite figured out 4 yet. Have you? Looks to me like a really fast one but that you'd better be hugging the left side of the track at the exit or you're going to have an out of track experience when the radius tightens up right at the exit.

I think we'll be tired boys at the end of the day.

Definitely. I'm not in great physical condition (too sedentary this time of year) and even when I'm in decent shape in the summer, I'm completely exhausted after about half that much seat time on easier tracks in an easier car. I increasingly find myself not running the last Sunday session if I'm doing a 3-day weekend, although now that I think about it, that's usually because I've hurt the car. The first session after lunch on Sunday is when I take the fun approach rather than the fast one. Lots of 4-wheel slides, etc. A little hard on tires.

BTW, the track is currently for sale. Whaadya think???

Let me see if I can find something from an email I sent my wife yesterday...

Here it is. Note further back in the reply string the importance she places on the driving schools. <g>


Yes, I can check online from home. Too busy here for that. The track at Omaha is real good about making that info available online.

I'm heartbroken about Heartland, and have been talking to someone who's talking to people semi-interested in buying it and we've been brainstorming on how to run it profitably. What blows my mind is it looks like the place (track, buildings, and something like 100 acres of land) could be bought for $1.5M. Wish I were rich. My own personal racetrack. hehe

At 12:21 PM 1/16/2003, you wrote:

Oh wow! I didn't know heartland park was out of business!!!!
Is this something you can check on in the next few days?




Bob Zumbrunnen <[e-mail]> on 01/16/2003 12:19:28 PM

To: wifey
cc:

Subject: Re: Flights


Will have to do that later. Likely won't be too many since Heartland Park
is out of business and Omaha is about the closest option I've got.



At 12:12 PM 1/16/2003, you wrote:

>OK, for the SF trip. I'm thinking June? Can you find out somehow if
there
>are any driving schools or anything in June we might conflict with?
>


The guy I was referring to in those emails (and who might be reading this) is someone I've mentioned before. A good track friend who used to drive hell out of BMW 540i that was always either 0.1 second faster or slower than the 'Stang, depending on which of us had the bigger lunch. Now he drives an RX/7. I don't think we've had a chance to share track this year. We shared track briefly with him in the RX last year but didn't get a chance to cat and mouse. When I finally caught up with him, he was off the track and into a concrete wall. I'm guessing that, like the 540i, when he's driving the RX we'd never see each other unless we gridded next to each other.

The current owners of HPT aren't "track people". I think it's some arm of some oil company.

If I had the time, I'd try to organize a group to buy and run the place. But I definitely don't have the time for that. A year ago I would've, and would've been willing to take on the job of managing it. We've identified a few candidates who live in Topeka who could likely run the place profitably, but no idea if they've been contacted or even if they have the time.

Ironic that the SCCA just moved their headquarters to Topeka, too.

Let's turn iHub into a public company with internet operations in Boogerville and race tracks in Topeka and Vegas.

Which reminds me: When my assistant starts next week, one of her jobs will be to start making the arrangements for the iHub get-together in Vegas this summer. The timing of it will depend in large part on when the Flecktones will be near the area as I want to hire them to play for us if they and the venue don't cost an arm and a leg. When dates are somewhat firmed up, I'll contact you and the rest of the car nuts here and see if we want to do the racing school or maybe just rent the track and bring our own rides. If I start soon, I can probably have the AS car ready by then. Or maybe it wouldn't be prohibitively expensive per car to ship 4 cars out there and back so others can play without bringing their own cars...