Ultimate Track Day

[dodint]

Inspired by the discussion in the 2016 Le Mans thread.

You're given an afternoon of perfect weather at your favorite race track. At your disposal are three race cars of your choosing.

What do you bring, and where? You choose one from the following classes: Legacy, Lifetime, and Modern. The main limitation is that the car must have been raced competitively at a high level of motorsport in its day. You can't just pick your favorite car and cage it. Can be open wheel, GT, prototype, dragster, motorcycle, whatever. The secondary limitation is to be honest about your own limits; I'd love to drive a modern F1 car but at 6'4" 280lbs it's probably not going to happen so you won't see any on my list.

Legacy class: Pre-1970, the foundation upon which all we know was built.
Lifetime class: 1970-2015, the cars most of us grew up with and admired first hand. Cars that qualify for Modern are excluded from Lifetime.
Modern class: Cars that ran last year or are eligible to run in 2017.
Venue: Wherever you want to open them up, doesn't have to be sanctioned. Road courses, ovals, drag venues, salt tracks. All three must run at the same place as it's only one afternoon.

My selections:

Legacy:

1952 Mercedes W194 (300SL)


This class is huge and features all the iconic rides that were there at the infancy of F1 and Indy, but I've chosen the king of Le Mans, Nürburgring, and the Mille Miglia. It's cramped and hot and only 175hp but I don't care.

Honorable mentions: 1951 Alfa Romeo 159, Richard Petty's No. 43 1967 Plymouth Belvedere

Lifetime:

'95 McLaren F1 GTR


This selection was almost painfully hard. So many great choices it's almost unfair to have to choose. The McLaren is such a low production and significant piece of racing history that I couldn't pass up an afternoon with it. I know it's cliche, but LOOK AT IT! That 3.0CSL was the hardest one to toss by the wayside.

Honorable mentions: '71 Dodge Charger Super Bee, '73 BMW 3.0CSL, '99 BMW V12 LMR, Ferrari F430 GT2, BMW Z4 GTE, Dodge Viper GTS-R

Modern:

Ferrari 488 GTE


It's a modern extension of the F430 which I still have feelings for. Truthfully I think the C7.R would be the best ride but I have a feeling someone else may jump in that seat...

Honorable mentions: Corvette Racing C7.R, Porsche 911 RSR, Ginetta G55 GT3.


Venue:

VIRginia International Raceway


It's huge, forgiving, and is in a pastoral setting that makes you forget the rest of the world. Lots of configurations and enough technical corners to get the most from these three cars.

What's your Ultimate Track Day?

[Kchrpm]

That McLaren

Legacy: I'm far from knowledgeable on the cars of this era, but there's one choice that makes itself obvious to me, and I'm not too proud to choose one of the 1960s Corvette Grand Sports sent to Le Mans.



Lifetime: Mid-90s Indy/Champ Car. If you don't know why, you haven't talked to me enough, and honestly that's probably better for you. I *think* I'm no longer mad at Tony George, but let's not find out. Also, could I fit in it? Well, I have sat in an IRL tub before (with the seat missing), so maybe? I'd make it work.

But which one? This one.



Because I couldn't find a good picture of this one in road course trim



Modern: Easy button. Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. Beautiful, sounds great, pulls at my heart strings, etc. The only other car that had a shot was the GT3 version, but it hasn't won at LeMans. Also, with the traction control, I *might* not look like a complete fool in it!



Venue: Tough one. COTA is a modern track with plenty of runoff, Mid-Ohio has more memories and attachment for me, the Corvette Museum track because it's pretty damn cool (and it's the Corvette Museum track), and LeMans because 1) it's LeMans and 2) an IndyCar at LeMans would be pretty fucking crazy.

The IndyCar makes survivability at LeMans and NCM MSP questionable, and I've already driven Mid-Ohio, so COTA and it's acres of runoff are the winner!

[dodint]

COTA charges a YUGE fee if you bend their armco. BMWCCA had issues with them when they opened.

Love the legacy pick. I don't know enough about them to really distinguish them from one another or how to contextualize them. I just know when I see old Corvette racers at NCM I just want to jump in.

Not surprised at your Lifetime selection at all. Brian thinks I might be able to fit in an F2000 with the seat out, so anything is possible. With a modern F1 car I feel like my face would block the air intake.

[Godson]

Damn. This is tough.


Like, really really tough. I think it is because of the broad range in years. As always, click for larger photos.



Legacy: 1966 MK1 Ford GT40

GT401075_1500.jpg

I mean just look at it. The History of it alone requires it to be in my list. A car that took the fight directly to Ferrari, in the way only America knows how. A gigantic middle finger and massive amounts of bravado that has kept Ferrari out of a Factory backed team at Le Mans since.


Honorable mentions: 1965 Corvette Grand Sport, Ferrari P3/4



Lifetime Class: Corvette GTP Hull TU86/10-002

GTP at Glen.jpg

This car is really special for me. Because it completely steps away from what a Corvette was, and the stories about the car are fantastic. You really should read the book Corvette GTP by Alex Gabbard. The car featured a V6TT when in qualifying trim created upwards of 1200hp. I prefer the "short-tail" version, but the Long-tail had a more successful career. It was also driven by some of the well known drivers, such as David Hobbs, Doc Bundy, and a few others. The car also featured an attempt to us the Lotus Active suspension designed for the Formula one cars, but was shot down to it "being against the idea of the sport" or some nonsense.

In my search for a photo...I found this link : http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/sh...vette-Lola-GTP

Honorable Mention: McLaren MP4, Corvette Challenge Cars, 2001 #3 Corvette C5R from the Daytona 24 (all out winner of the race), 2002 Cadillac LMP




Modern: Cadillac DPi V.R.

Cadillac DPi VR.jpg

It brings me both sadness and joy from the memories of the 2001/2 Cadillac LMP team, and shows a resurgence from American manufacturers towards Prototype racing.

Honorable Mention: Corvette C7R, Porsche 911 RSR



Venue: Hands down, COTA

COTA.jpeg

Simply based on the fact I have been on the track on the Monster in April of '16. It was one of the last times I rode my Monster, and it was simply magical. The climb up the hill, to turn one, to the way the esses flow, just magical to be on.

[Cam]

Yeah, tough call, but here's a few that immediately come to mind:

Legacy: Jaguar E-Type; beautiful and race-winning.
Lifetime: Porsche 962; one of the most successful race cars of all time.
Modern: Subaru Impreza WRC version; Long legacy of success in WRC.
Venue: Spa-Francorchamps; Legendary track.

[samoht]

Legacy: Lotus 49

beautiful car, Jim Clark, amazing engine, very pure. Wonder if it's any easier in real life than in GPL ?

Lifetime: Mazda 787B

The chance to give that four-rotor free rein through 3rd and 4th gears would be an amazing experience

Modern: Aston Martin GTE

Love the looks, seems like it could be a just-about-manageable car to drive

Track: Suzuka

Somewhere with lots of tarmac run-off is important for obvious reasons, so a current F1 circuit seems suitable. I love the rhythm of Suzuka, and I at least know the track layout from games. I'd ask them nicely to remove the final chicane so I could run straight through to see some big speeds (!)

[dodint]

Tyler, I originally had the Legacy barrier at 1960 but bumped it up to 1970. I should've cheated at put it at 1975 so I could have the 3.0CSL.

The Lotus 49 is a hoot in sims, I'm sure I couldn't give it half of what it could take in real life.

Cam nailed it with Spa. Whoops.

[Freude am Fahren]

This is so tough. My choices change by the minute.

Legacy: Ferrari 250 TR

Lifetime: McLaren F1 GTR (longtail version).

Modern: Porsche 919

Track: Spa. I thought about Le Mans, and opening up the straight for the old cars, but I don't know if that's allowed in the rules


Ask me again in 5 minutes and it will be a 917, Mercedes CLR, and AMG GT3, at Le Mans, or W196, 787b, and 911 GTE at the Nurburgring, etc, etc

[Rare White Ape]

I'ma take a different route, just to be different.

Legacy: One of Mike Hailwood's old Hondas, like the RC174. Six tiny pistons each pushing a volume barely larger than a shot glass, but spinning up to 20,000 RPM. No mufflers. Hope you've got good earplugs.



Honourable mentions: King Kenny's Yamaha YZR500 from 1980 or a Kreidler 50cc GP bike from the 60s.

Lifetime: I'm split between Mick Doohan's 1998 NSR500, the last one he rode to a championship, or Valentino Rossi's 2001 RC211V, Honda's all conquering opening salvo into the modern MotoGP specification, so let's list both, shall we?



Honourable mention: Rossi's NSR500 from 2001.

Modern: This is a tough one. The split is between the sublime Yamaha YZR M1 and the extremely quick Honda RC213V. The M1 has been smoothed and shaped in the talented hands of Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo over the last decade into the world's greatest racing motorcycle, while the Honda in 2014 was able to soundly beat its competitor, it is still a weapon in the hands of Marc Marquez and won last year's championship. I think it'll have to go to the Yamaha as it is the most perfect all-round race bike ever built, as my meager talents won't ever be able to make the Honda work like Marquez can. But here's a photo of both just to be sure.



Venue: Either Philip Island or the Isle of Man. I'm happy either way.

[Godson]

So my struggle on the venue is odd.

I still want to do COTA, but my mind says I should do something legendary. Because that's what this list is.

But my heart says COTA. I could do Spa, Nurburgring, or Le Man's, as all would be a fantastic match for the cars on my list. Especially the GT40.

Suzuka would be another excellent choice, because of the ebb and flow of the track and it's legendary battles that have happened on it.

By I go back to COTA. That ride on my Ducati Monster just won't let me choose anything else.

I guess that's a good problem to have, huh?