It's always fun to meet somebody on this forum.

Too bad craignyc has to leave earlier or he can be my instructor. I've got lot of compliments about the styling and handling.

craignyc's car

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drive it like you stole it

How did you like that track? What kind of speed did you hit in the front and back straight?

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Gator Bite
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Watkins Glen is top notch in my book. You can run back to hotel between sessions, take a shower and come back. WGI is my annual visit.

Cayman S redline at 4th gear, that is 200km/hr (125mph) before the bus stop. I didn't upshift to 5th for more speed because I was on crappy street tires and the track is wet.

I have a feeling one can do 230-240 km/hr on Hoosier or R-compunds. This is just my gussing and craignyc would know better.

Oh, did I say I love Pagid RS19, no brake fade at all.

One more pic


Full Album here
Nudehacker Photo Gallery - Watkins Glen Oct 2007

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drive it like you stole it

I'm doing the Glen next Monday and Tuesday. It will be my first time back in a year and I can't wait. This will also be my first time on the Glen in my Cayman S. I have around 12 track days there with Trackmasters and in my old Volvo S60R. I was pretty consistently hitting 125 mph in the Volvo (stock street tires) by the bus stop and there were others in my Volvo group reaching 130mph in S60R's and V70R's. I was hoping for more like 135mph in the Cayman or more. In the dry of course. Anyone else here done the Glen and can give us an idea of what to expect for speeds at the end of the back straight?
I'm traveling up to the Glen with one of the CVR's chief instructors and I was hoping he might do a few laps with me to give me some advice.

I was at the Glen Sept 30/Oct 1 with the BMW GVC Club, and had as always, had a great time. It was my third visit to the Glen, and it is a wonderful compliment to Mosport which is my regular track. I try to do a Spring and Fall trip as it is such a great experience. In good (dry) conditions, I was able to hit 230+ km/hr (5th gear) with street tires - Yoko Neovas. A better driver with Hoosier's or R's could do better yet. I find that I'm hitting the rev limiter in 4th just after the apex of Turn #3 in the esses, so I have to hold the throttle steady until things get settled on the back straight before I grab 5th. It's a shift to 5th and then a quick downshift before the bus stop. I'm just not brave enough to shift any earlier.

My brakes were good (Hawk HT-10's) but I found the pedal a little soft, despite 2 x system bleeds. Consistent, but uncomfortably soft. Lot's of Porsches, but I was the only Cayman.

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'04 GT3 - track car
'06 Cayman S - (semi) retired track car
'07 Grand Cherokee SRT8 - everything else

speeds, front straight, 120 mph which is the redline for my 4th gear. I could shift to 5th to get maybe 5mph more but find it doesn't really help. back straight I hit 141mph, 5th gear. I shift well before turn 3. It get straight enough so you can shift. the key for top speeds on the back straight is to be full throttle from turn 1 on up with a small lift for the turn in on #2.

webbie, sorry I couldn't hang around for your last run. my wife wanted me to get home for dinner.

The other cayman there was lcarr, I instructed her on Sunday. She went from getting passed by everyone to being the one doing the passing. As she said "I never realized what my car was capable of!"

Unfortunately we had a little wet weather made it hard to get some real good lap times.

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Craignyc
Cayman S 2006 - Sold
Boxster 2001 - race car and current track toy.
www.nycs4.com/cayman_track_times.html

My car is pretty stock except for Milltek catback, Snap Flash ecu flash, Pagid yellows, Toyo RA1's.

I hit 135-136 in 5th gear coming into the bus stop. Like CraigNYC says, it's all about getting the power on at the apex of turn 1 and keeping your foot planted, except to shift. Going up that hill, through the esses, is truly the path to enlightenment!

Our CS's are geared very well for that track. I like the extra RPM's I get with the Snap-Flash, but it doesn't make a huge difference there.

I hit 136 max speed into the bus stop also. Stock engine/exhaust, Motons and Hoosiers. I run flat out from Turn 1, short shift to 4th with a breathe at T2, short shift to 5th b/w T2 and T3 and brake as late as possible at the bus stop. Turning low 2:15 lap times. FWIW I did some data analysis (traqmate) and the difference b/w a 2:15 and 2:17 is just slightly later braking on 4 turns...

joel I think the difference is I have headers and chip and the extra hp helps for the back straight and esses. I could only do a 2.16 this weekend due to cold weather and wet track that wasn't 100% dry at any point. surprisingly though my friends in E46 M3's have done 2.12 and my car is faster in the back straight. They have the stop tech brakes which are so much better than my brakes, using the same PF 01 pads. That car brakes so hard I was getting sick when I was in it.

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Craignyc
Cayman S 2006 - Sold
Boxster 2001 - race car and current track toy.
www.nycs4.com/cayman_track_times.html

Just got back from the Glen. Monday was great sunny and mid to upper 70's. Today was a wash, it was raining when I got to the track so I packed up and headed home just like 90% of the other drivers. There was so few cars left they went open track for everyone.

My car is bone stock, just like from the dealer except desnorkled. This was my first time at the Glen in the CS and by the third session I was starting to hit 130 at the bus stop. I had an instructor ride with me for one session and we tried T1 in 3rd, up to 4th between T1 and T2 and occassionally up to 5th 3/4 down the back straight. We also tried doing T1 in 4th but I don't think I had quite enough revs to pull out of the corner as fast.

Unfortunately the last run session was a mix of orange, white and black run groups so I was so busy watching my mirrors and there was so much traffic that it was a waste of time, there were 3 black flags because of black run group cars breaking down which ate up most of our session. Most of us in the orange/white group were pretty disgusted. I

There was a pretty bad accident at the top of the esses that shut down the track for almost 45minutes and they tried to make up for lost time by mixing run groups together.

Anyway for just three sessions on the track I had a pretty good time and was able to drive it home.

As an after note, when you guys were there earlier, did the Watkins Glen staff run the event regards to the track and flaggers, they were really black flag happy, more so than I have ever seen before. I got black flagged for going onto the rumble strips at T1 track out.

The Glen hires and supplies its own corner workers. They use the same staff to work all their races. They are a very experienced and capable crew.

They make their own rules and they are quite serious about enforcing them. Anyone, in any school, who puts two tires over the rumble strip on the exit of turn 1 automatically gets black flagged. No ifs, ands or buts.

One of the things that makes that track so exciting is the danger. It's a narrow course with armco everywhere. There aren't alot of places where you can run off the track without doing damage. That's why they are so tough about enforcing their rules.

Personally, I like their corner workers because they do a pretty good job of throwing the blue flag. That really helps when you're trying to pass someone who is slow in the corners but fast on the straights.

I ran with BMWGVC and carguys last year, and didn't get any flag. I try not to put two wheels there, but I don't think it is unsafe to do so either.

Here is a pic of T1

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drive it like you stole it