I just spent 2 days at Mid Ohio Raceway in a performance and advanced performance class. Most people used the class cars - Honda Accords with about 130 hp engines. We did slalom, autocross, skid control, and track racing on the 2.4 mile track. The truck handled very well on the slalom and autocross. On the autocross I beat all the cars except a Miata supercharged and a BMW 300 series sedan. My victims included all the Accords, a Supra with 440 hp, and a Porsche Tagra. Today was all track racing. I could get it up to 115 on the straightaway, but the brakes would heat up when I would have to brake for the next turn. I was trying to keep up with the Supra on one turn, and ended up doing a 180 spin, and the engined stalled. All I can say is while it was spinning, it felt very stable while I was watching the landscape change thru the windshield. The people that knew anything about performance were very impressed with the L.

Tom

 

Tom, those classes are fun. I did a one day event put on by BMW. They provided the cars, 3 series automatics, and the driving instructors. You can push a vehicle much harder than you think. Go into turns faster, braking latter and accelerating sooner out of the turns. I had a blast and learned quite a bit. Your comment on the L brakes is well taken. I had the brakes begin to fade on me before as well. These trucks are HEAVY, and while the bakes do stop well at most speeds they are not up to repeated heavy duty use. They need upgrading if you are going to race the truck.

 

Tom, I would love to take one of those classes. I took a one day drag racing school with Roy Hill @ the Texas Motorplex. We got to ride with Roy in a two seat dragster a couple of runs. Then we got in a single seat dragster (with big block motors)and made a few runs of 60' then 200'. Roy talks you through it on a radio. Then when Roy thinks you are ready, he lets you go the full 1/8 mile. These cars will run 8's in the 1/4, and it was one of the biggest thrills of my life (and well worth the money). If you get a chance, try it. He runs the classes after most of the NHRA national events on the Monday and Tuesday after. He had a $99.00 special for the two runs in the two seater. But after that we were hooked.I ended up spending $850.00 for the full day of classes.

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Jerry Jordan
99.5 Red Hot Bolt
13.303 @ 101.64(stock F1 tires)
PSP filter and chip
(tire destroyer)
Impulse Lo-Pro bed cover
71 Cutlass conv.
Piper PA28-235
74 Suzuki TS185 (128 original miles)

 

Those courses are awsome. I went to the Bondurant Driving school in Phoenix, Az. I took the 4-day course, where we got to drive the Mustang GT and Formula style race cars. I learned alot, which has come in handy with my truck now. They even let me drive the instrustor car around, it was a contour SVT, and at that time I owned one. The where driving SHO Tarus's and SHO Sables. I never knew they made a SHO sable, but they had one. :-> The school is alot of driving, and just some classroom. I meet alot of people from Ford, even one that I saw later on TLC talking about new products. (He was a VP of an Engineering segment). We accually talked quite a bit, he was staying at the same hotel. Very intesting stuff. Anyway it was a blast. I would recomend it to all. I would be going back, except it's a little expensive, and I dont have the $$$ right now.

Drew

P.S. Look ahead, find the apex, start your turn , reach it, then lay on the gas!!!!!

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00' Ford SVT-150 Lightning
Silver Metallic

 

Jerry,
The dragster school sounds like a lot of fun. I'll keep my eyes open for it.

Drew,
I checked into the Bondurant school because it came with a discount with the purchase of an SVT. But even with the discount it was expensive, plus I wanted to use my L, not a class car. I live in Ohio so the drive to Arizona was too far. The Mid Ohio 2 day class was $1,200. I would have been a little disappointed if I only took the 1-day school, because the track time was minimal, but the second day more than made up for it.
Tom

 

Several years ago the SHO Registry rented (with Ford's help) the Atlanta Motor Speedway and hired Skip Barber and several of his instructors to put on a day-long driving school. We drove on the banked oval and on a short and a long infield course. Great fun!

Ford also had their chief SHO test driver along and I got to do a couple of laps with him at the helm of my SHO. Pretty humbling experience. You get to thinking you're the greatest driver who ever turned a wheel and then you experience how the real pros do it. Night and day. Would love to do it again.

Mike