Spring Mountain Trip

[Tall Steve]

Hello guys and gals!

I wanted to share a little about my trip to Spring Mountain last week and how much fun I had going again. I want to start off saying that I was a better driver this time around and improved my times and my driving ability considerably...

The condos were nice and the food and service that Spring Mountain provide was excellent!

This is going to sound crazy but @Mirza Grebovic is right about the 4BW being awesome on track because the only time I struggled against the 5 BW is on the straightaways. They would pull on me or be on my bumper but through the corners I could make time on them. Which one do I prefer on track, 4BW for sure!!

The first day I had an auto 4BW with full CF but in the last half of the day it got hot a couple of time so they traded me out with another 4BW, BUT this one only had the CF rear wing on it and that's it. I know there is a lot of talk about the CF and is it worth it, or does it make a difference, now I'm no race driver but I could not tell any difference. @Mirza Grebovic said that a non CF car can preform just as well as a CF car and I believe it now...

As I don't use the paddle shifters at all in my auto 4BW it took a little getting use to so I bounced it off the rev limiter a few times and the reason it got hot. The car would cool back down after I eased off of her for about half a lap but they gave me another car to drive.. I learned that it was not the car and was me because on day 2 I bounced it off the limiter twice again and she got hot... The air temp was 113 and as long as I drove the car correctly it did not get hot, but bounce that beast off the limiter a few times and she will get hot..

I have a new love for the auto cross as I won it this time around... Thank god @soulsea was not there to school me!

The bad part of my trip happened when I sat down to look at pictures, because I received a frantic phone call from my son that he had been in an accident and his car was damaged.. He was freaking out so bad and I had to talk him off the ledge... He was not hurt and that was the important thing.. The car is probably totaled and I'm waiting on insurance company to tell me our next step. I have been trying to get him a new car today and feel the pain of your guys trying to get a car because there is none out there...... He wants a little Toyota Corolla Hatchback manual so that's what I'm after... I may have found him one today but I'm waiting to see what the insurance company is going to do.

Anyway, everyone go the Spring Mountain and have fun!

 

[dribs15]

First off, glad you're son is ok.
Secondly, thanks for the nice summary.
Third, congrats on your win.
Finally, I'm just waiting on confirmation of my registration myself!

 

[Slick Blackwings]

Glad you’re having fun, most importantly your son is okay!

 

[Finally-a-V]

First off, glad you're son is ok.
Secondly, thanks for the nice summary.
Third, congrats on your win.
Finally, I'm just waiting on confirmation of my registration myself!

Agree with above!!!

I'd say that the car probably is totaled sadly.

 

[Throat Yogurt]

Yikes, as a Dad it's tough looking at those photos of your son's car... he's worried about the car but we know cars don't mean shit when a life is at risk. Thank goodness he's ok.

Well done on improving your skills and autox performance, it turns out you can teach an old goat new tricks!

 

[M2Cto4BW]

You're the one in the car so you'll know better than someone looking online but that just looks like the smaller standard rear wing, not the CFZ wing?

 

[Tall Steve]

Yikes, as a Dad it's tough looking at those photos of your son's car... he's worried about the car but we know cars don't mean shit when a life is at risk. Thank goodness he's ok.

Well done on improving your skills and autox performance, it turns out you can teach an old goat new tricks!

You are so right, I told him it's just a car and thank the good lord he was not hurt.... Kids don't understand that..... You are going to have fun in the 4 at SM!

The whole accident is strange because the guy he hit Stopped all of a sudden on a road running 70 and after the accident he took off.......

 

[Tall Steve]

You're the one in the car so you'll know better than someone looking online but that just looks like the smaller standard rear wing, not the CFZ wing?

I could've sworn it was CF, but after going back and blowing some pics up your right it's the standard wing..... The instructor told me that was the way Cadillac sent them the car with no CF.. I did think it was strange to have the wing and nothing else and why I ask...

 

[soulsea]

At least this time you’re not the one that put him in the wall.

Obiously glad he’s ok physically. He’s a sensitive soul so it might take him a little time to get over it mentally and emotionally. He’s going to need his dad to help him through it. I can‘t think of a better person to do that than you. If you really want to help him regain his confidence I suggest a McLaren over a Toyota.

 

[shbox]

Hello guys and gals!

I wanted to share a little about my trip to Spring Mountain last week and how much fun I had going again. I want to start off saying that I was a better driver this time around and improved my times and my driving ability considerably...

The condos were nice and the food and service that Spring Mountain provide was excellent!

This is going to sound crazy but @Mirza Grebovic is right about the 4BW being awesome on track because the only time I struggled against the 5 BW is on the straightaways. They would pull on me or be on my bumper but through the corners I could make time on them. Which one do I prefer on track, 4BW for sure!!

The first day I had an auto 4BW with full CF but in the last half of the day it got hot a couple of time so they traded me out with another 4BW, BUT this one only had the CF rear wing on it and that's it. I know there is a lot of talk about the CF and is it worth it, or does it make a difference, now I'm no race driver but I could not tell any difference. @Mirza Grebovic said that a non CF car can preform just as well as a CF car and I believe it now...

As I don't use the paddle shifters at all in my auto 4BW it took a little getting use to so I bounced it off the rev limiter a few times and the reason it got hot. The car would cool back down after I eased off of her for about half a lap but they gave me another car to drive.. I learned that it was not the car and was me because on day 2 I bounced it off the limiter twice again and she got hot... The air temp was 113 and as long as I drove the car correctly it did not get hot, but bounce that beast off the limiter a few times and she will get hot..

I have a new love for the auto cross as I won it this time around... Thank god @soulsea was not there to school me!

The bad part of my trip happened when I sat down to look at pictures, because I received a frantic phone call from my son that he had been in an accident and his car was damaged.. He was freaking out so bad and I had to talk him off the ledge... He was not hurt and that was the important thing.. The car is probably totaled and I'm waiting on insurance company to tell me our next step. I have been trying to get him a new car today and feel the pain of your guys trying to get a car because there is none out there...... He wants a little Toyota Corolla Hatchback manual so that's what I'm after... I may have found him one today but I'm waiting to see what the insurance company is going to do.

Anyway, everyone go the Spring Mountain and have fun!

I thought I was just going to hit an emoji in the like button link, but I did not know which one to choose.

 

[Slamminc6]

Glad all ok

 

[IMSA-01-fan]

Congrats on the autocross and good to hear the perspective on both cars. You are so lucky to have a return trip. Sorry too about your son's car and glad he is ok.

 

[Tall Steve]

At least this time you’re not the one that put him in the wall.

Obiously glad he’s ok physically. He’s a sensitive soul so it might take him a little time to get over it mentally and emotionally. He’s going to need his dad to help him through it. I can‘t think of a better person to do that than you. If you really want to help him regain his confidence I suggest a McLaren over a Toyota.

Thank you sir, he is a good kid and way better person than I will ever be... I'm not so sure about the McLaren though as Jake has a tendency to crash cars... However, he did ask me yesterday about a Toyota GR86 that I know nothing about, so as of now who knows what he will end up with.....

 

[ClassaxV]

@Tall Steve glad your son is ok, cars will come and go. mostly go.

I truly appreciate your post as it confirms I made the right decision going with a 4 instead of the 5 since all the tracks I frequent save COTA are fairly tight.

Any tips on how to come away as autocross champ? LOL Congrats and thanks again for the write up.

 

[Tall Steve]

@Tall Steve glad your son is ok, cars will come and go. mostly go.

I truly appreciate your post as it confirms I made the right decision going with a 4 instead of the 5 since all the tracks I frequent save COTA are fairly tight.

Any tips on how to come away as autocross champ? LOL Congrats and thanks again for the write up.

Thanks, the track (both) was hot and greasy so I just tried to finesse the throttle has much as I could... You could lose the rear end if you were not careful. IMHO the 5BW is harder to drive on the auto cross because of its size and power... The 4BW just wants to cut and go.... I cant say enough how much more fun the 4BW is to me.... I know there are guys on here that love the sound and power of the 5BW but sometime more is not always better.....

 

[Berserker]

The 4BW just wants to cut and go.... I cant say enough how much more fun the 4BW is to me....

In the "CT4-V Blackwing vs CT5-V Blackwing" thread I compared the first half of the Lightning Lap videos for the 4BW and 5BW. The 4BW carried more speed through every slow corner except one, where the two cars had the same speed. Link to comparison.

I know there are guys on here that love the sound and power of the 5BW but sometime more is not always better.....

Both Matt Farah and Jason Cammisa are on record as preferring the 4BW over the 5BW. They also prefer it over the BMW M3.

I'll almost certainly never get a chance to drive both. It's cool that you were able to.

 

[Tall Steve]

It's hard to describe why the 4BW is better for me but it is..... I felt more comfortable driving it on the track and it seamed to corner better, but I did get my behind handed to me on the straightaways, lol The 4BW is just so nimble and sexy! Don't get me wrong, I love my 5BW when I'm pimping at car shows and other functions because she is also sexy and draws a lot of attention......

 

[ClassaxV]

It's hard to describe why the 4BW is better for me but it is..... I felt more comfortable driving it on the track and it seamed to corner better, but I did get my behind handed to me on the straightaways, lol The 4BW is just so nimble and sexy! Don't get me wrong, I love my 5BW when I'm pimping at car shows and other functions because she is also sexy and draws a lot of attention......

188 more equines and wider meats to put it down is hard to overcome in a straight line, but as has been stated previously, sometimes the lighter less powered car is just more fun to drive.

 

[FLYARMY]

Looking forward to my track session in December. I did not want to be in the desert of Nevada in the summertime.

 

[Tall Steve]

Looking forward to my track session in December. I did not want to be in the desert of Nevada in the summertime.

Good choice!