And how was YOUR Friday??

[jrussell]

Well folks,
I just thought I would tell you about November 8th. About 11:30 am, I hooked up with Drew Baird and Gary Sharapata at the FORD Operations center on Belt Line, & we headed out to Texas Motor Speedway to attend the afternoon session at the PANOZ Racing School open house! This was an absolute GAS!!
We met the group at the old Weston(it has changed names) hotel just South of the Speedway for basic information and staff introductions which included our own Don Barnes among the drivers!! We then loaded up in a bus & drove over to the track. What a rush it is driving under the racing surface and out on the infield of this beautiful NASCAR track! WOW!!
We split into three groups, with the three muscateers taking the slalom course first. We drove Audi A4 cars on the slalom after professional instruction, and we increased speeds with each run after being given tips ond pointers. Next, it was off to the autocross, which was a pretty tight course with an increasing radius turn, short straight to a gate and then into a decreasing radius turn-also in the A-4 Audis(pretty impressive little cars). After practice laps, we ran times laps. We all were pretty fast(Gary was the fastest of threesome with Drew &I each about .05sec back) and were all clean.
THEN CAME THE REAL FUN!! We then went to stage three, which was track time on the road course as a passenger in a PANOZ GT-RA Race car. As we got our helmets sorted out, I heard " I'v got JOHN RUSSELL" & there was Don with a big grin on his face! I got in and hooked up and away we roared! I can tell you that the PANOZ GT-RA is an EXTREMELY impressive car, wonderfully set up and that Don Barnes is an AWESOME driver.- OOPS, I have to take John jr. to Science team competition now, and will finish this in about 30 min.
OK, we blasted out of the pits & down to a sweeping "U" in the infield, into a slight right hand bend off camber, then HARD on the brakes to set up an absolutely beautiful left hand drift out onto the track coming up to the wall in turn 3 of the NASCAR track. Hard into 4th, dropping down to the inside of turn 4- drift up to the wall & into 5th just before the start/finish line- hard on the gas into turn 1 & 2- drift up to the wall out of 2- then Hard on the brakes- into second- left hand- drift around & down off the track and back onto the road course and touch the rumble strips on my side at the apex-drift left & then into a sweeping 180 right hand-into third- hit a switchback-rumble strips- into 4th- past pits & do it again!!!! WOW!!! Don can DRIVE!!! I have complete confidence in his abilities and in the car and it is WONDERFUL!! I know the other people in the event are getting about 5 laps, but we stay out there.. probably 10 laps and it is over and Gary's turn... same deal, then Drew! As Drew and Don were out, two of the younger pro drivers began to play with each other and race! they came in, then Drew & Don. I grabbed a helmet & jumped in again with Don as the other two blasted off. I am figuring they had 500 yards on us when we launched, but Don made it up in 2 laps and we had three in a row and we were REALLY pushing them!! IT WAS GREAT!! They pitted, but again we kept going for another 4 or 5 laps- probably hitting 140-150 on the front straight.
I WAS IN HEAVEN!!!
John Russell
Oh, and by the way, they had a drawing for a guest winner for a PANOZ racing school-good for a year- ...............AND..................... I HAVE A YEAR TO USE IT!!!!!!!! yeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
I will post pictures in my photo album with links here, when it is up!
Don, THANK YOU for a wonderful day! Gary, THANK YOU for a wonderful day, and Drew, Thank you for being there & pushing us.

[bonyhadi]

John,
Great post, you echo the comments of others.
I thought the Panoz school was only at Road Atlanta, are they taking their show on the road??

[gsharapa]

Panoz now has a school at the Texas Motor Speedway. Yesterday was Corp day and I was invited to see how it all works. I plan to do some incentives with the Ford and LM dealers next year with NASCAR, Drag Racing and now some road racing stuff.

I can't echo John's note enough. This was a real blast and Don made the day even greater!

Thanks Don.......

[jwoodard]

now you know why I'm so excited to crew for Don. I've watched him race and catch many cars just like John described. I've riden with him also and echo what John said about Don's driving ability. To top it off, he's a great friend.
John, you are very lucky to have won the driving school prize. After you take that you will be so stoked we won't be able to contain your excitement. I am very happy for you. Congratulations!

Jim

[Ed Csoltko]

My Friday was not as special as yours, but I managed to hit the Texas Hill Country roads again for a few hours. These are great days to cruise!

[jrussell]

Well,
I finally got three pictures posted in my photos of the Panoz-GT and the three adventurers. I will post a link to one of them, and you will be able to find the rest. Everything else that I shot was in a higher resolution, so I will have to re-size them down to 640 to be able to upload.
Anyway, here they are.

http://www.clubcobra.com/cgi-bin/pho....pl?photo=3993

OK, try this one.
John R.

[Carroll DeWeese]

Nice car!!!!!

[Cobra #42]

John, Drew, and Gary

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed having you guys come spend the afternoon with us at the Panoz School and Audi driving Experience. The weather and company was perfect and your responses are too kind. At our Panoz Racing School we spend many hours planning and executing these events and really appreciate your comments. You never know if someone is really enjoying themself or if you have just scared them half to death most of the time. I could tell you guys really enjoyed yourself by the ear to ear smiles.
We like to make people smile by teaching people how to drive really fast, but totally within ones ability. Any of you other guys and ladies that would enjoy attending the next corporate day at TMS, just let me know. We will probably do another one in early Spring '03.

Thanks again,
Cobra #42
Don Barnes