2012 TRIPS:
New Years Eve - New Orleans. PJ wanted to go someplace new and there was a decent break in the weather so we took Elwood to the gulf for New Years.
CTS-V Shootout - PBIR Florida. Went down to Palm Beach the weekend of the CTS_V Shootout to watch the mayhem.
Unfortunately, there was none. Manny called me the eternal optimist; many said I was waiting for a ghost; but patiently I waited. Then just as I was packing up my car to call it a night, Jesse had just enough time before the track closed for just one pass and my camera sucks at nitetime videos. Took ELWOOD to Tampa the next day to start on cooling mods (Super Chiller and Meth Injection). Looking to cool the motor by 40 degrees and adding in enough timing to hit 575RWHP. I did give in to the tempation and ran an unimpressive 12.872 @ 110.5MPH 2.134 60ft cause I refused to launch it hard. I need to get that 60ft down. I eased into it till 2nd, then floored it. Track prep was outstanding. 1st to 2nd chirped but dug in. My shift point are way off for drag racing and 255/18 street tires didn't help. The fastest CTS-V ran 10.4 @ 135. You knew it was a good run just watching him launch!
2/10-12 - Chicago Auto Show Meet — Snow, hell no! Elwood stayed home. Hitched a ride and was glad I did. First day we go straight to the Cadillac display... and I got kidnapped. Jenna from Marketing grabbed me and took me to a reception line of GM bigwigs cause I wanted them to get me in touch with their liscencing folks.
Jenna was nice enough to introduce me to some marketing executives that were interested in CF and some events I'm involved in this year. Real nice, real personable, real knowledgeable. I just hope she wasn't annoyed that I was more interested in the car than her.
3/25-28 - Texas Mile. I like to look knowedgeable when I attend an event and the easiest way I know to do that is get a preview before you show up to the dance. I hopped a jet down to San Antonio to "preview" this event before taking Elwood down for the October event. These guys make it look easy. From the drivers and crews to the event staff, this was a well run machine. Over the three days Fri-Sun) most drivers got to run as many times as they wanted (11-15 passes, from the few I talked to). There was only two accidents all weekend (both Huyabusas, both at over 200MPH). Of course, a Huyabusu set the motorcycle track record, I believe it was 248. A lot of bikes broke 200, hell one was clocked at the half mile point at 202MPH. But, I wasn't here for bikes.
4/14 - Jesse retune - made more HP up thru 5000RPM then everything went haywire. Two or three culprits identified. Tires slipping on the rollers also possible. Tune not updated.
4/21 - Checked off another track today - Gateway MotorSports Complex. Porsche club has their HPDE this weekend, so I took ELWOOD for a some laps around the track. GMP allows road racers on turns 3 and 4 of the NASCAR oval then it ducks down inside the oval for some S-curves and a couple late axis turns and a hairpin. Elwood did great, really like all the torque available almost instantly coming out of the corners.
4/27 - Arrived safely and in one piece for the inaugural ECTA Wilmington Mile event. A little cool in Wilmington Ohio. Forecast call for some showers. Prelim tech inspection = 135MPH . Full tech inspection for 150MPH was supposed to be next morning but no joy. For this trip to the ECTA Wilmington Mile I got screwed. I was shocked at how much the nose lifts at full throttle. Note to self: mount the camera higher. For one pass, I rolled into the accelerator slowly. 50% at the 1/2 shift, 75% at the 2/3 shift, then mashed it. I got out of it at the 1/2 mile point, started braking and at 3/4 mile set the cruise control at 135. I think my speedo is off a little or the cruise control isn't so steady at 135.
5/12 - Indy "V" Meet. Great meet. PJ loved it, didn't buy more than the trunk can hold, and enjoyed the weather. A special thanks to Chad for helping me out with replacing my engine emblems.
5/17 - Elwood passed emission test today, time for more mods! MOAR Powr!
5/17, 6/16 - St. Louis Area Cars and Coffee Meet
5/20 - AutoCross - STLSCCA had a hard time determining what class my car should run with. I have to run in SSM with the modded Vettes and Lotus. Thank God this isn't a competition otherwise I'd have to buy lighter wheels, Hoosier tires, and huge swaybars. We (STLSolo.org) only got 6 runs today and the last was a bonus run no one expected. My times sucked, but I beat my Corvette rival a few times just cause he was collecting cones in the slow slalom. Fun time, I just gotta get more aggressive with the throttle and brake.
5/28 - 2012 Gumball 3000 Rally NYC-LA. No I was not a participant, they just passed through St Louis with a checkpoint at the Gateway Arch. They were supposed to start arriving at 2PM so I decided to get there early and get a good parking spot. WRONG! They were already there when I pulled in at 1230PM.
6/1 - Detroit Grand Prix - The Detroit race is just the first one close to many Midwesterners. I haven't been to the Belle Ilse racing circuit in a decade (I think it was at a Formula One race) so I wouldn't know how it compares to Mid-Ohio. First day had to drive through the mud to the Cadillac Corral. I'm on the Power Tour, too, but was there to see the races on Friday (with the HRPT corral) and Saturday (with the Caddy V corral). Wasn't around for the races on Sunday.
We were treated like royalty by the Cadillac personnel. We were greeted when we exited our car in the corral, then escorted to the registration tent where a beautiful continental breakfast awaited, then led to the Cadillac display with several new models and racing simulators were placed, and finally given a tour of the paddock where the two cars of Pilgrim's and O'Connell's were being readied to race and Don (the Cadillac "tour guide") showed us the two cars and answered our questions. I got to drive a parade lap in company car! Then Gordy handed me the keys and said, "You drive, you're dressed for it." I was elated! The car had 12 miles on it, even Gordy commented on the new car smell.One of these days the kind and freindly folks at Cadillac Racing and Cadillac Performance driving are going to figure out I'm a performance addict and cut me off cold turkey. But until then, I'm gonna drive the tires off their cars.
For those that were there, everyone saw me in my fire suit (a close replica of last year's Team Cadillac design). I usually only wear it when racing ELWOOD, but took this advantage to get it signed by Andy and Johnny. True to form, neither even flinched and just signed it. Thanks guys, I'll wear it proudly.