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Track Attack Event - Killer CamaroKiller Sebring Lap Times and Maximum On-Track Excitement with Track Guys From the January, 2013 issue of GM High-Tech Performance By Justin Cesler Photography by Justin Cesler, Kevin DiOssi
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Rounding Gurney Bend, the Killer was on a mission. We had just nailed turns 4 and 5, hitting the apexes perfectly, and I was busy applying throttle and unwinding the wheel when I clicked the Camaro into Fourth gear. It was pulling hard now, with the braking zone markers coming up fast on the left side of the track. Throttle off, brakes on, pedal directly to the floor. “Uh, Matt, we don’t have any brakes…” Yep, the moment every road racer fears had just happened to me. The brake pedal dropped all the way down to the sheet-metal, no braking effort could be felt at all, and the STI Killer was heading right into the hairpin at well over a hundred miles an hour. “DOWNSHIFT!” yelled Matt, who was simultaneously tightening his 5-point harness and wondering why he agreed to instruct me on this session. From Fifth gear, Second seemed like the next best choice, even if it meant over revving the engine and locking up the rear tires. The noise that followed was incredible, as was the feeling of the ring gear shearing teeth off of itself while trying to deal with the massive load we had just placed on it. But the Camaro was slowing down now and the wall wasn’t as close as we thought. Past the turn-in we went, heading down into the runoff area that Sebring kept for this exact reason. Twenty miles an hour now, another downshift, slowing even more, and the brakes are finally coming back around. I hadn’t taken a breath since this debacle started and my heart was beating at what felt like 2,000 beats per minute, but we were alive and the Camaro was still in one piece. The rush was incredible and the only thought left was, “I hope we can fix this and get back out on track soon!” Of course, Track Guys’ events aren’t actually about racing; they are about responsibly learning proper driving techniques and honing your skills in a safe, controlled environment. As much fun as it is to get a point-by from another driver, the focus here is on you and your skills; not your fragile ego or bulging wallet. That’s how good this type of open track event is. Even facing what could have been a “major incident,” all I wanted to do was get everything sorted out, change my shorts, and get back in for the next session. Twenty minutes may not seem like a very long time, but when you’re out on track, it’s the best 20 minutes of the day. Yes, even possibly compared to that other 20 – okay, 10 – minute activity that we’re also so fond of. And the best part is that anyone can get in on this action, and you certainly don’t need a full on racecar to do it. Heck, we’ve seen enthusiasts run an entire weekend in a rental car. It’s just not that important what you’re in as long as you are on track and having a blast. And that’s one of the best parts about a Track Guys event, this crew just wants everyone to have a good time, drive safe, and learn all that they can. With run groups for every possible student, including many who have never been on a racetrack in their lives, the Track Guys group has got you covered, no matter your experience. If you recall our last event, we started in Group 2, where we covered the classroom instruction, on-track driving, and instructor led laps. This year, we graduated to Group 3, which allowed us to drive the track with or without an instructor, giving us time to learn on our own or with some help if need be. For the pros in the group, Track Guys offers a Group 4, which is the real deal for track hounds looking for the ultimate on-track thrill. Now, we’re not sure what kind of experience you have, but we know there is a group for you, so the real question is, why weren’t you out there with us?
 Try as they might, the ’03...  Try as they might, the ’03 Cobra and BMW M3 shown here were no match for the Killer around Sebring International Raceway’s famed 3.74-mile course. After a full year of tweaking and refining the Camaro’s chassis and suspension, the STI Killer was ready to take on almost anything it could find out on track.  Along with the meeting, each...  Along with the meeting, each Track Guys driver is required to read (yes, read) the rules and regulations of the event, and hand in the required Medical, Liability, and Technical inspection forms. It’s tempting to gloss these over and move on, but we’re here to tell you that they are important to your safety and overall well being, so take a minute to check them out before you head out on track!  After the drivers meeting,...  After the drivers meeting, it’s back to the pits for a final check of your equipment and yourself. You want the car to be in tip-top shape (which you should have done before heading to the event!), and you want the driver to be alert and ready to go. For a couple extra bucks, you can score a track pit stall like this one, which keeps you out of the sunlight and close to the track for easy access. With safety and education as the main focus, each day starts out with a mandatory driver safety meeting, which gives everyone a chance to go over the rules and ask any questions they may have. Jef Lacina, Track Guys owner and lead instructor, spends a considerable amount of time each morning going over the rules, regulations, and flags, which is extremely helpful to both novice and experienced drivers alike.  Unfortunately, leaving your...  Unfortunately, leaving your car in the stall overnight means your friends can get to it, and we arrived on Sunday to see that a Ford loving fan boy (we’re on to you Matt…) had vandalized the STI Killer. No big deal, the back of the Killer is all the Ford enthusiasts got to see all weekend!  Whether you’re a brand-new...  Whether you’re a brand-new driver or a highly skilled veteran, it’s always good practice to take the first few sessions (or, at least the first portion of each session) a little easy, so that you can warm up both the car and yourself. After a six-month break from running around Sebring, we enlisted the help of longtime instructor, Matt Guida, to give us some much-needed pointers and get the driver (that’s me!) back up to speed.  Everyone learns at a diferent...  Everyone learns at a diferent rate and every driver (and car) comes up to speed separately, which makes proper grouping of drivers and skill levels rather important. Track Guys does a great job keeping all of the run groups balanced, which meant each driver on track could focus on learning, instead of trying to keep up with faster, more experienced drivers, or getting stuck behind new drivers who were still trying to get a handle on the basics of high-performance driving.  For drivers new to the Track...  For drivers new to the Track Guys program, it is possible to sign up for a 20-minute intro program, which gets drivers out on track, with an instructor, for one session to truly experience highperformance driving without having to commit to a full weekend event. We’ll warn you now – twenty minutes is all it takes to get hooked for life. You do this, and you’ll be one of us in a matter of days.  Chris Caruther made a couple...  Chris Caruther made a couple of quick laps around Sebring in the intro program, although his fourth-gen Camaro has seen several full track weekends in the past. Equipped with suspension parts from Sam Strano, this street machine was ready to run with the big dogs.  You don’t need an all out...  You don’t need an all out race car to hit the track, you can have a ton of fun in everything from convertible C6 to a V-6 equipped fifth-gen Camaro. Here you can see a group of cars coming in hot to Turn 10, with a Corvette leading the pack.  Terry Barker ran with Group...  Terry Barker ran with Group 3 on Saturday, bringing his awesome LLT V-6 Camaro out to show the V-8 fans that power isn’t everything when you’re out on track. Thanks to some key bolt-on parts, a set of sticky tires, and a properly setup suspension, Terry was flying all day long and looking good doing it.  LSR Performance was once again...  LSR Performance was once again in attendance and was kind (foolish?) enough to hand us the keys for a couple of sessions. With just basic LSR bolt-on parts and a set of brake pads in the stock Brembo binders, the LSR Camaro was an absolute dream to drive. Subtle, soft, and fast without any negative qualities. This is truly a Camaro you could drive to the track, run all weekend, and then drive back home trouble free.  Speaking of trouble free,...  Speaking of trouble free, here’s a shot of the STI Killer just a couple of turns before having a massive brake failure heading into Sebring’s famous hairpin. The culprit was a collapsed brake line heading from the ABS block to the driver’s side front wheel. Once collapsed, it allowed fluid into the caliper but not back out, which overheated the pads and boiled all of the brake fluid.  These are Hawk DTC-60 pads...  These are Hawk DTC-60 pads that we had overnighted to us by the crew at Torq Speedlab (www.gettorq.com) just one day before heading to the track. They turned white during the brake failure and melted a significant portion of the paint right off of themselves. This is not supposed to happen…ever.  Luckily we brought our crew...  Luckily we brought our crew chief extraordinaire, Pete Epple, with us to the event and he was able to complately replace our front brake line with a new hard line that he fabricated himself in the pits. After scuffing the pads to remove the glazing and picking burnt pad our of the rotor, we were back out on track and ready to run! We didn't even miss a session!  Anthony Gonzalez, who ran...  Anthony Gonzalez, who ran his RTC-650 powered ’08 Z06 in Group 2, also represented Torq Speedlab for the weekend. Ask anyone who’s been to a track day and they’ll tell you that almost nothing is as fast as a well prepped Z06 and that held true for this sinister Z as well. After two exciting days at Sebring with the Track Guys Performance Driving school, we left with much more skill than we entered with, a ton of on-track driving time, a wicked sunburn, and the STI Killer in (almost) one piece. That's what you get when you run with a quality driving event and it's what keeps us coming back year after year. Now if only we could get back out on track sooner!
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