a_d_a_m
Four Door Ford Whore
Yesterday, I learned that a Marauder with RideTechs, Addcos, and Heinous control arms can boogie its ass around a road course and only suffer one minor malfunction over the course of three 20-minute sessions. :m
Dad and I attended one of Mid-Ohio's Lead-Follow instruction sessions, which is required of any attendants prior to being eligible for open lap test and tune. Just as the name suggests, an instructor leads students around the course. Instruction is provided via FM radio during the first session with each lap getting progressively faster. Every lap, the lead student drops to the back, giving the next student in line an opportunity to follow directly behind the instructor. This allows the instructor to see exactly what line you're running and make suggestions on the fly, which can be utilized in the next two 20-minute sessions.
The first session started easily enough, but I soon found out that I was really hanging on and struggling to wrangle the car around the course. The GT350 and Vettes in our session were killing it in the horsepower department, and in my struggle to keep up, I found I was braking too late/hard. This, combined with a HARD panic stop due to some dipshit in a Vette hot-dogging down the backstretch and brake-checking the entire field, caused me to cook the brakes on the second to last lap, so I came in early to assess the situation and let the car cool off. Was pretty nervous because the pedal was super spongy at this point.
Everyone came in after, and the GT350 guy and the non-dipshit Vette guy came up and were asking me all sorts of questions about the Marauder. What is it, is it stock, how does it handle that well in the turns, how was I hanging with them, blah blah blah. I guess the big girl can dance!
Luckily, the pedal feel returned quickly and the brake temps were normal by the beginning of the next session. I decided to lay off the brake a little and just let the car sail around a little more. MAN, what a great decision that was. The car just felt so much more planted; unsurprising since I wasn't introducing hard brake and causing the car to squat as much. I was able to close gaps on everyone most of the turns (my best one was under the Honda bridge). This made up for the HP disadvantage as well as the fact that I was really struggling with two turns on the track and letting a gap form.
In between sessions 2 and 3, a few spectators came into the paddock and were asking more questions about the car, shocked that it was out there doing its thing. Clean Panthers are getting harder to find so I guess people are shocked to see them out getting thrashed.
Anyway, session 3 was basically a continuation of session 2 - higher speeds, lots of tire squeal, just a great time. When I came in and parked, though, I smelled rear diff fluid and knew it was coming from my car. Underneath was bone dry, so I looked at the tires...yep...a fine mist of diff fluid mist on both rear wheels. Guess the ol' 28 spline axles/seals finally crapped the bed. Had to drive it home the hundred plus miles, so I'm sure that didn't do it any favors, but oh well...it was worth it (and the leak isn't THAT bad, just...it's there).
Overall? Absolutely worth it. If you have the chance to thrash a Panther on a road course, do it. I plan to return once the car is fixed, and do some open laps.
Dad and I attended one of Mid-Ohio's Lead-Follow instruction sessions, which is required of any attendants prior to being eligible for open lap test and tune. Just as the name suggests, an instructor leads students around the course. Instruction is provided via FM radio during the first session with each lap getting progressively faster. Every lap, the lead student drops to the back, giving the next student in line an opportunity to follow directly behind the instructor. This allows the instructor to see exactly what line you're running and make suggestions on the fly, which can be utilized in the next two 20-minute sessions.
The first session started easily enough, but I soon found out that I was really hanging on and struggling to wrangle the car around the course. The GT350 and Vettes in our session were killing it in the horsepower department, and in my struggle to keep up, I found I was braking too late/hard. This, combined with a HARD panic stop due to some dipshit in a Vette hot-dogging down the backstretch and brake-checking the entire field, caused me to cook the brakes on the second to last lap, so I came in early to assess the situation and let the car cool off. Was pretty nervous because the pedal was super spongy at this point.
Everyone came in after, and the GT350 guy and the non-dipshit Vette guy came up and were asking me all sorts of questions about the Marauder. What is it, is it stock, how does it handle that well in the turns, how was I hanging with them, blah blah blah. I guess the big girl can dance!
Luckily, the pedal feel returned quickly and the brake temps were normal by the beginning of the next session. I decided to lay off the brake a little and just let the car sail around a little more. MAN, what a great decision that was. The car just felt so much more planted; unsurprising since I wasn't introducing hard brake and causing the car to squat as much. I was able to close gaps on everyone most of the turns (my best one was under the Honda bridge). This made up for the HP disadvantage as well as the fact that I was really struggling with two turns on the track and letting a gap form.
In between sessions 2 and 3, a few spectators came into the paddock and were asking more questions about the car, shocked that it was out there doing its thing. Clean Panthers are getting harder to find so I guess people are shocked to see them out getting thrashed.
Anyway, session 3 was basically a continuation of session 2 - higher speeds, lots of tire squeal, just a great time. When I came in and parked, though, I smelled rear diff fluid and knew it was coming from my car. Underneath was bone dry, so I looked at the tires...yep...a fine mist of diff fluid mist on both rear wheels. Guess the ol' 28 spline axles/seals finally crapped the bed. Had to drive it home the hundred plus miles, so I'm sure that didn't do it any favors, but oh well...it was worth it (and the leak isn't THAT bad, just...it's there).
Overall? Absolutely worth it. If you have the chance to thrash a Panther on a road course, do it. I plan to return once the car is fixed, and do some open laps.
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