Hello Z car fans,

As ZCG gets ready to leave for the ZONC Hearst Castle Cruise, we have a Blog entry from Bill (a Z car fan and spirited driver).  He gives us a full report from his last track day at Infineon Raceway.  Have a great weekend and don’t forget your Valentine’s day card for your special someone.

Long live the Z

Rawb

The photos and videos are from Hooked on Driving’s January 27th track day at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

This 2003 350Z Touring model has seen a handful of track days. It started going to the track on the stock 1-piston brakes and street tires with only a few upgrades: Stillen dual exhaust and AEM cold air intake. Recently added (from ZCG) were StopTech’s small front and rear brake kits with Performance Friction 97 pads. This was the car’s first event on track tires: 245/40-18 BF Goodrich g-Force R1s on the original 18″ wheels. Track tires with tire pressure monitors! The car is otherwise stock (with heated leather seats to take the chill out of winter track days). Despite the upgrades, this is not a track-only car. After swapping back to street tires, it handles the daily commute to and from work.

Infineon is a very technical track, which is challenging but makes for a lot of fun. It has elevation changes, two hairpin turns and the famous esses. The track was wet in the morning. There were a few spins and other incidents, including this car’s slide off the pavement at turn 3a (notice the mud on the left front tire). Nothing hurt but the driver’s pride. A wet track really helps a driver learn to be smooth, a very important part of going fast when the track is dry.

The sun came out in the afternoon and speeds went up. The driver reports that the tires are great, but the StopTech brakes are amazing! With the track pads and regular bleeding with high-performance fluid, they haul the car down from speed over and over without a hint of fade; a huge increase in braking performance over the stock brakes.

This video is from the last session of the day in the intermediate group. It starts out with a few laps of lead-follow with an Audi S4. This run group started out small and by this session, many drivers had packed up for the day, leaving very little traffic. Gotta love having room to roam!

Video Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv4Md5XmSpw

Video Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOXHgn8PCUs

Hooked on Driving, a longtime ZONC supporter, is well known for putting on quality track events. With a strong emphasis on education and safety, it’s a great place for beginners to get started. The event prices include a catered lunch and individual coaching for beginning through advanced drivers. At noon, the coaches fire up their own cars and give beginners hot laps around the track. Big fun! Their web site, www.hookedondriving.com, has lots of information and videos for first-timers.

Even though most of this blog’s track day posts feature modified cars, a stock Z33 is a great track car if properly prepped. Track prep is not complicated. It includes checking the wheel bearings, lug nut torque, belts and hoses. It might also include replacing old brake fluid to help the brakes handle the higher temperatures generated on the track. ZCG can take care of prepping your car for the track.

Please note that in addition to providing full-service maintenance and upgrades, ZCG can also supply parts for do-it-yoursefers. This car’s StopTech brakes were sourced from ZCG and installed by the owner.

I have quite a few posts in the works that should be done in the next day or two. Coming up will be a full track report from last Monday’s sessions at Laguna Seca, a nice write up on a G35 build and lots more.

Thanks to those of you who are patiently waiting.

Long live the Z

Rawb

Mid–February can only mean two things, don’t forget to get your special someone a Valentine’s day card and get your Z car prepped for the ZONC Hearst Castle cruise.

Here are the details as a reminder…

The next part of our “two for” post comes from our friends at Auszcar.com. They did a nice write up on my 1970 240Z.  The website is full of cool photos and write ups of various Z car projects.  Bookmark them in your favorites and keep checking back on what’s happening in the land down under.

• Auszcar.com

Thanks to our friends at BRE for forwarding this information to us.  Sometimes change can be good.  It will be an interesting August with the Monterey Historics going through some big changes.  The BRE Datsun 510 has been invited to the new event at Laguna Seca, so keep these dates saved on your calendar.

RICH TRADITION OF HISTORIC RACING CONTINUES

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Announces New Name for Marquee Event

MONTEREY, Calif., January 20, 2010 – Automobile enthusiasts worldwide have been descending on the Monterey, California peninsula each August for three decades. They come to enjoy the world’s finest pre- and post-war race cars competing as they were originally intended on the challenging road course. This rich tradition continues August 12-15 with a fresh new look and name – the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion – at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is the confluence of historic race cars, legendary drivers and motoring enthusiasts. “It’s a new dawn for the event and we are embracing it by honoring the authenticity of the race cars and integrating social and lifestyle elements that present guests with new discoveries to keep it exciting and innovative,” said Barry Toepke, vice president of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Our new name and branding captures the spirit that has made this event one of the most respected gatherings of its kind worldwide.”

“The Rolex connection to motorsports is significant and we are pleased to formalize a new relationship with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and to become the inaugural sponsor of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. As always, we are proud to maintain a strong presence on the Monterey Peninsula,” commented Peter Nicholson, vice president of Rolex Watch USA, Inc.

Formerly known as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races®, the event is now produced exclusively by SCRAMP (Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula), a not-for-profit 501(C)4 corporation established in 1957. A professional staff is supported by thousands of community volunteers and a volunteer board of directors who are the backbone of every event.

“Each one of our 27 SCRAMP board members will spend hundreds of hours on this event, just as the board has done for all the historic racing held in Monterey,” explained Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Our directors and volunteers are amazing and are completely immersed in every aspect of the event to ensure its success.” In return, SCRAMP donates its net proceeds to the volunteer groups that help put on the races.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will continue the annual tradition of honoring one marque each year that is chosen for its historical significance and achievements. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will announce the featured marque and new logo in the coming weeks.

Approximately 400 cars will be accepted based on their racing pedigree for the 14 race groups. This year’s featured races are Formula 1, which celebrates its 60^th anniversary this year; Trans-Am; and for the first time ever, stock cars (with drum brakes) that competed between 1966 and 1975. Additionally, the Bugatti Club of America will celebrate its 50^th anniversary with an exclusive Bugatti Grand Prix, with cars entered from as far away as Australia, France, Germany and Switzerland.

For ticket and additional information please visit www.Mazdaraceway.com or call 800-327-7322.

A leader in the Swiss watchmaking industry, Rolex owes this reputation to the pioneering spirit and perpetual quest for perfection and innovation that have distinguished the brand since its creation over a century ago. In 1926 Rolex invented the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch and, in 1931, it created the first self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor. Renowned for its privileged association with the worlds of sport, exploration, and culture, Rolex has had a long-time and deep involvement with both contemporary and historic motorsport – at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, the LeMans 24 Hour Race, the European LeMans Series, the Goodwood Revival, the long-running historic races in Monterey and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This distinguished timepiece is treasured by individuals in every endeavour.  Sports enthusiasts value its ruggedness, explorers depend on its reliability, and some simply value its elegance. Rolex has become a symbol of life’s crowning achievements.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s world-class 2010 racing schedule includes the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patron May 21-23, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring MotoGP World Championship July 23-25, the Pre-Reunion August 7-8 and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 12-15.