My 17 year old did a track day in the 2+2. This was his first track event ever, and had a great Miata racer instructor to tell him where to go fast/slow on the track. 1.7 mile road course (all done in 3rd and 4th gear) and we were going a little over 100 mph at the end of the straights.
The 2+2 was on Comp TA2 340 treadwear tires (255/50R16) on 16X8 GTA's so magical tires were not involved.
I took my slightly modded 2013 5.0L Mustang so we can compare the performance of the 2+2 to a modern car. My Mustang has 10X19 Laguna seca's all around with 275/40 Continental DWs and has Camber plates, lowering springs, 14" brembos in front and 14" '13-14 GT500 brakes in rear, so its about a sporty as near stock, pre IRS mustangs get.
Because my son is a straight up novice, we were in the "novice class". This was a novice group of drivers, but most of the cars were what people would consider "fast", like a Viper ACR, a 2011 Viper roadster, a '14 Chevy SS, 2016 1LE camaro, BRZ/FRS twins, stripped out BMW's with big wings. The most major roadblocker we encountered was an Evo 8 and who wouldn't want to tear up a track with one of those..
Here is what I learned: My 5.0L could pretty much hang with every car out there. I waived a couple a cars by because they were on my tail in the corners, but realized it was a mistake on the next straight when they were like a rolling roadblock. They were obviously good drivers, but... they had sticky tires and I didn't and that was the only reason they were close. The Viper and corvette drivers weren't all that good and I dogged the rear bumper of one until they threw the checker. I really wanted that wave past point from the C6 Vette guy, but the session ended too soon.
The SS 1LE '16 camaro was a couple seconds a lap faster than my 2013 5.0 but I would hope so.
The '14 SS... All over its rear bumper on every part of the track. BRZ/FRS? sure they were fast in the slow sections but disappeared quickly in the rear view never to be seen again when the road got fast.
At least this was my view from my Mustang.
On our last session, I finally got behind my son in the 2+2. Slower traffic ahead of him made him easy to catch, but when we got a clear track, my 5.0L could not keep up with the 2+2. It was kind of shocking. With more negative camber in my front plates I could have gotten closer, but my 5,0 already more negative camber than a stock 5.0L (and has bigger wheels and tires) When my instructor drove my 5.0L in the first session he was surprised how well it handled how good the tires gripped and how neutral the car was compared to other 5.0's he had driven ...but even with a good setup, I couldn't catch the 2+2... driving a car I was all over major Iron with in earlier sessions..
My son kept trying to drift one of he fastest corners on the track and it bit him on the checker lap. He had a high school event tonight and knew it was his last lap so his instructor encouraged him to go for it, so he ended the final session sliding backwards through the dirt. Good thing the video was working for that.
Our 2+2 is a tank with full interior and steel plate everywhere.. the camera mount is 3/16" steel plate (My dad has a guy can only weld steel). A lighter G-body with a high winding LS1 would be a great cheap track day car that may not be the fastest car out there, but won't be embarrassingly slow, either. I thought my 5.0 would have no problem hanging with the 2+2. I was wrong.
I took my slightly modded 2013 5.0L Mustang so we can compare the performance of the 2+2 to a modern car. My Mustang has 10X19 Laguna seca's all around with 275/40 Continental DWs and has Camber plates, lowering springs, 14" brembos in front and 14" '13-14 GT500 brakes in rear, so its about a sporty as near stock, pre IRS mustangs get.
Because my son is a straight up novice, we were in the "novice class". This was a novice group of drivers, but most of the cars were what people would consider "fast", like a Viper ACR, a 2011 Viper roadster, a '14 Chevy SS, 2016 1LE camaro, BRZ/FRS twins, stripped out BMW's with big wings. The most major roadblocker we encountered was an Evo 8 and who wouldn't want to tear up a track with one of those..
Here is what I learned: My 5.0L could pretty much hang with every car out there. I waived a couple a cars by because they were on my tail in the corners, but realized it was a mistake on the next straight when they were like a rolling roadblock. They were obviously good drivers, but... they had sticky tires and I didn't and that was the only reason they were close. The Viper and corvette drivers weren't all that good and I dogged the rear bumper of one until they threw the checker. I really wanted that wave past point from the C6 Vette guy, but the session ended too soon.
The SS 1LE '16 camaro was a couple seconds a lap faster than my 2013 5.0 but I would hope so.
The '14 SS... All over its rear bumper on every part of the track. BRZ/FRS? sure they were fast in the slow sections but disappeared quickly in the rear view never to be seen again when the road got fast.
At least this was my view from my Mustang.
On our last session, I finally got behind my son in the 2+2. Slower traffic ahead of him made him easy to catch, but when we got a clear track, my 5.0L could not keep up with the 2+2. It was kind of shocking. With more negative camber in my front plates I could have gotten closer, but my 5,0 already more negative camber than a stock 5.0L (and has bigger wheels and tires) When my instructor drove my 5.0L in the first session he was surprised how well it handled how good the tires gripped and how neutral the car was compared to other 5.0's he had driven ...but even with a good setup, I couldn't catch the 2+2... driving a car I was all over major Iron with in earlier sessions..
My son kept trying to drift one of he fastest corners on the track and it bit him on the checker lap. He had a high school event tonight and knew it was his last lap so his instructor encouraged him to go for it, so he ended the final session sliding backwards through the dirt. Good thing the video was working for that.
Our 2+2 is a tank with full interior and steel plate everywhere.. the camera mount is 3/16" steel plate (My dad has a guy can only weld steel). A lighter G-body with a high winding LS1 would be a great cheap track day car that may not be the fastest car out there, but won't be embarrassingly slow, either. I thought my 5.0 would have no problem hanging with the 2+2. I was wrong.
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