SVT Cobra Mustang Club at VIR (3 days) Full Course!

[Gray Ghost GT]

Enjoyed three days of HPDE at the VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) with the SVT Cobra Mustang Club (SCMC) this past weekend, which had support from Ford Racing as they brought out 3 large trailers with their latest merchandise and the new 2013 GT500 and other toys.

I achieved a personal best on the VIR full course in the Mustang GT - a few 2:18 laps and several 2:19s, and chased a C6 Grand Sport Corvette (Instructor) for a couple of laps. Awesome weather and lots of fast Mustangs, e.g., Steeda, Saleen, Shelby, Roush, Cobras..... and my 'vanilla' NA 4.6L GT. lol

I ran in the HPDE 3 (Advanced Solo) BLUE Group with a few fellow forum members: Knownukes (Bill) in his GT500 Super Snake, and Steve in his new 5.0 Coupe. Here are a couple of videos and photos.

 

[bullitt6019]

Loved the vids...I have never run VIR but hear it is quick....Thanks for sharing.

 

[TGR96]

Awesome videos! I used to do track days at VIR on my sportbike a few years back. That is a beautiful facility to say the least, and your videos brings back some memories for sure. I'd love to do a track day there in a car.

 

[Dumbstixlars]

I would love to make some laps at VIR. Thanks for the pics/vids!

 

[hunterwiley]

I was out there too, in the white 2005 American Iron car #215. I ran in the blue and the white group. My first weekend in this car but it felt pretty good. I'd never even driven a S197 on the street before this weekend. My last racecar was a foxbody with all the tricks, we'd run 2.08's regularly.... the 05 had old tires and a pissy transmission, best I could coax out of it was 2:15's. Still had fun though!

 

[argonaut]

My last racecar was a foxbody with all the tricks, we'd run 2.08's regularly....

What class? 2:08 is seriously fast!

the 05 had old tires and a pissy transmission, best I could coax out of it was 2:15's. Still had fun though!

Impressive - thats in a NA 4.6L? (not sure what mods AI allows). How were the brakes? (S197s weigh alot and generally need some pad and fluid upgrades to handle those kinds of speeds).

 

[knownukes]

Enjoyed three days of HPDE at the VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) with the SVT Cobra Mustang Club (SCMC) this past weekend, which had support from Ford Racing as they brought out 3 large trailers with their latest merchandise and the new 2013 GT500 and other toys.

I achieved a personal best on the VIR full course in the Mustang GT - a few 2:18 laps and several 2:19s, and chased a C6 Grand Sport Corvette (Instructor) for a couple of laps. Awesome weather and lots of fast Mustangs, e.g., Steeda, Saleen, Shelby, Roush, Cobras..... and my 'vanilla' NA 4.6L GT. lol

I ran in the HPDE 3 (Advanced Solo) BLUE Group with a few fellow forum members: Knownukes (Bill) in his GT500 Super Snake, and Steve in his new 5.0 Coupe. Here are a couple of videos and photos.

I had a blast too! Gray Ghost, you are a good shoe and a good man. It was good to get back on the track with you. I am sorry that my throttle body servo motor robbed me of day 3.

It was good to see so many Mustangs out on the track. I thank FoMoCo and Ford racing for their support. I loved my rides in the 2013 GT-500 and the Boss 302S! I love driving VIR. It is truly a great facility(except for the #*@&ing sand!!) I highly recommend that if at all possible track rats try to get there.

I was working on lines fri and sat and planning to go for a time on Sunday. The laps I posted here last year were in the 2:15's. I have since dipped into the 2:13's with an occasional 2:12. I wanted to try to beat that but to no avail. Now a will have to wait until late fall. I need cool temps to make the hp with the s/c to push the 4000lb pig Down the track.

I just put a Sparco Evo II in the Snake and I LOVE IT. it has the halo system. Next up a HANS device(on my birthday list).

#215' I was behind you when you spun on Friday It seemed like you got more comfortable with the car as the weekend went on. Do you have your comp license? When are you going to start racing the car. PM me, I would like to join you in AI next year. I would like to discuss how you are approaching getting started.

BJ

 

[hunterwiley]

What class? 2:08 is seriously fast!

American Iron, the VIR track record is 2:05:xx... I raced this car until I destroyed it a few weeks ago...

Impressive - thats in a NA 4.6L? (not sure what mods AI allows). How were the brakes? (S197s weigh alot and generally need some pad and fluid upgrades to handle those kinds of speeds).

Yep, pretty much a stock 4.6, but the car is stripped and caged. Scaled the car last week (right after I got it) and it weight 3390 with me and 1/2 tank of fuel. Front brakes are stoptechs, rears are stock, GT500 ABS module. Hawk DTC60 pads front and rear... good fluid.

 

[knownukes]

American Iron, the VIR track record is 2:05:xx... I raced this car until I destroyed it a few weeks ago...

Yep, pretty much a stock 4.6, but the car is stripped and caged. Scaled the car last week (right after I got it) and it weight 3390 with me and 1/2 tank of fuel. Front brakes are stoptechs, rears are stock, GT500 ABS module. Hawk DTC60 pads front and rear... good fluid.

Wow! I didn't know that was you. I knew your old car well and was very impressed with it and you as a driver. I was a Summit Point on the weekend of your wreck. I am glad that you are ok and back on track. So you absolutely have a license. Nevermind on the PM unless you want to do some teaching. Hopefully, I'll see you in July at VIR. With good tires and the tranny working, what do you think you and the car can do around VIR as it is before you start major development? Did you buy it or build it? I know you did a ton of development work on the Fox Body car.

Thnx

BJ

 

[hunterwiley]

#215' I was behind you when you spun on Friday It seemed like you got more comfortable with the car as the weekend went on. Do you have your comp license? When are you going to start racing the car. PM me, I would like to join you in AI next year. I would like to discuss how you are approaching getting started.

BJ

Took me a minute to figure out what you were talking about, 'cause I didn't remember spinning the car. But I let a buddy and fellow racer take the car out, he spun it in 5 I think. It was his first time in a s197 as well, and both of us were figuring it out. He races a 2001 cobra. The tires (888) were 07 date codes and slick at s**t. Yep, comp license with NASA, this is my 3rd year W2W racing. Racing is a BIG step up from HPDE and TT, much greater than any step in the HPDE ladder. I love it though, which is why I have a new (to me) 2005 AI car that I'm working on. I twisted the input shaft on the 3650 off on Saturday, so the car didn't see the track after that.... Coming out of the lower esses in 3rd, shifted to 4th and had nothing. No noises, nothing. Ford tech told me I probably sheared a pin in the input shaft (apparently the gear is held on the shaft w/ a roll pin?) but I twisted the shaft off right behind the pressure plate.

Current plans (and they may change tomorrow!) are to swap the boss block 342ci carbed engine and TKO600 into the 05 chassis. Something about 350rwhp and 365rwtq that I miss after driving the 4.6...

I won't make hyperfest next month at Summit, but hope to have the car ready for the July VIR event. Come hang out and watch, PM me if you have specific questions, etc., about AI...

 

[hunterwiley]

With good tires and the tranny working, what do you think you and the car can do around VIR as it is before you start major development? Did you buy it or build it? I know you did a ton of development work on the Fox Body car.
Thnx

BJ

If I don't have it below 2:10 I'll get run over! Cobetto races the Performance Autosport 2011 car, he's the one with the record at 2:05. My fox body couldn't hang with him on the long tracks like VIR, and have 3 or 4 second place finishes behind him this year. It (the fox) was a great car, many many hours of custom suspension work in it. I bought a 05 just so I don't have to spend quite as much time on it to make it fast. But the mods have already started, it's a sickness... Watts link on order, the engine swap was a long term plan but the busted transmission is moving that to the forefront. I'll swap the suspension, it's currently got Ground Control parts that I'll be taking off. The suspension is the place to spend the bucks, that and time in the seat. If you want coaching, give Mike Skeen a call. The best of the best at that...

The 05 car... friday at VIR was my first time ever in the car. Before that I'd driven it about 80 feet from the trailer to the garage. I bought the car from a guy in Nashville, the pics below were the ones he sent me before I picked it up two weeks ago. It hadn't been on track since 07 or 08....

 

[usmcpony]

Looks like a badass car. Wish I knew your mods.

 

[hunterwiley]

Looks like a badass car. Wish I knew your mods.

... the fox?? Be happy to share if that's appropriate for a s197 forum...

 

[FR500GT]

More pics!

 

[hunterwiley]

Oh, the new car...

That's what it looked like two weeks ago... Unfortunately this is what it looks like now...

Rebuild plans include engine swap to my 342ci pushrod stroker, TKO600 road race transmission, 3.73 rear gears on cambered axle, Moton suspension on Ross Murray K-member, floor mounted pedal box with the seat back to the bulkhead, Tiger racing vented hood, fuel cell, side exit exhaust, and probably a bunch of other things I'm not remembering right now...

The engine was built for American Iron racing, and makes 350rwhp, 370rwtq restricted. Should be a fun car once done...

 

[Mark@]

Ed
Let us know when you want to head up to dyno. Glad you bought an S197,and cant wait to chase each other around the track!!!!

 

[Kevin@]

Needs more fire belching out the side.

Looks good Ed, hope to see ya back on grid with the new #215 soon!

 

[kevinatfms]

gray ghost, what tire did you run? pressures? and feel?

 

[hunterwiley]

Needs more fire belching out the side.

Looks good Ed, hope to see ya back on grid with the new #215 soon!

Might be a while, but it'll be back... We'll have to see what sort of flames she shoots, I'll likely have dual 2.5" exhausts out the sides, rather than a single 4" on the right. Putting the fuel cell in the rear (no saddle tanks) will give me a nice spot for the exhaust exits...

 

[FR500GT]

... 3.73 rear gears on cambered axle...

IRS?