AHHHH HA HA HA HA! I love it! They sure are great cooks though.

 

To be honest Jim, following you this Spring helped my driving tremendously. Your driving helped me to improve my lines, acceleration points, and helped me understand the limits of the car. So thank you Jim!

 

They sure are!

 

Well, i think the best thing to go to limits is to do safety trainings. I've done some. Don't know if these are offfered in the US. This is a little video from 2009 at the Nürburgring safety training centre.

Over here in germany we have some Autobahn parts with no speed limits. Fastest i drove with my N/A was around 158 mph and with other more powerful cars around 190 mph (in early morning hours with no traffic).

 

Well, i think the best thing to go to limits is to do safety trainings. I've done some. Don't know if these are offfered in the US. This is a little video from 2009 at the Nürburgring safety training centre:
Chrysler Crossfire X-Mas Video 2009 - YouTube

Over here in germany we have some Autobahn parts with no speed limits. Fastest i drove with my N/A was around 158 mph and with other more powerful cars around 190 mph (in early morning hours with no traffic). I'm not a good driver.

 

LOL reading all these note...Ok, the fastst my wife (BLUBIRD) and I have seen my car was a little over 125 on the back roads in Idaho (Nampa-South). We were giving it a test drive and I swamp out the driver seat to her. She said to me "ok, let's see what it has" and i died...."I told her you know we have dealer plates on, your going over 120, and the cops will think we stole it!" She was happy to feel it, and said it was smooth. I bought it, and 6 month's later she bought one too. Oh, to be married to speed racer!
I thought I was the only one affraid to get it up over 110....

 

If you really want to test the limits, and understand a lot more about the car and your driving abilities - take it AutoXing.

You will not go over 60-70, but you will also never get to push it this much in anything but a completely controlled environment. The Dragon and the Triangle are fun, but can also be quite dangerous.

I really pushed it last time I was on the course and did a 720 degree spinout faster than you can blink. I realized where the limit was, but was never in any real danger, and more importantly, I never put anyone else in danger with my actions....

Having fun is nice, but it has consequences when not done in the right environment.

 

i was researching autocross and speaking of which, check out the FAQ page, and look what beautiful car is in the picture....

Autocross FAQ | ALABAMA REGION ~ SPORTS CAR CLUB OF AMERICA

 

Never been over 90 in the Xfire, I get pulled over enough as it is. Seriously I got a ticket for going 62 in a 55. In the xfire I average getting pulled over 3-4 times a year since I have owned it. In my jeep my cruise is set to 80 always and I have never been pulled over in the last 7 years and in my wives focus I have been up to 120mph on all of our yearly road trips and never been pulled over. Heck I have been at 110-145 in every car I have owned except the xfire.

It is just a cop magnet.

 

One of the best, and safest, ways to explore the limits of the car and your own skill set is to take part in a NASA HPDE event like JHM2K mentioned. You're on a closed road course with an experienced racer/instructor to start out with. He'll talk to you about proper lines through the corners, proper braking points, etc. You'll be on a course with others who are just getting started, or of similar experience as you progress up through the ranks. Passing zones are specifically designated and strictly enforced, and driver's meetings are mandatory pre event and after every session.

I've done a few of these on different tracks and they are a blast. Threshold braking, max load cornering, WOT acceleration and everything inbetween, over and over again. It's a hell of a rush!

 

Nice!

Now stop researching and go try it out It is incredible fun, cheap, and you dont need any modifications, just a stock XF and you will grin ear to ear all day. Not as fun or as high speed as what John did, but is a great place to start because there is no large investment. The last full day instructional event I did was under $100...

 

X2... I have a full writeup of my Saturday in another thread... HIGHLY recommend either the SOLO runs in SCCA or the HPDE. You can't lose with either one.

 

I really want to!! Problem is, (aside from all of my time going to being a college student with a job and a social life) i live in mobile alabama. which is apparently a black hole for autocross racing. i've looked and looked and it seems the nearest tracks/events are always in northern georgia, south florida, etc. for now, at least, that's not practical. unless i'm just not looking in the right places for events nearby? either way, i WILL do it when i get the chance. i REALLY want to.

 

A fun place to just open up is on the Bay-way though! I have been up to 150 mph between Mobile and Daphne.

 

I hear you TJB, I have to usually drive between 1-2 hours to get to my tracks, but it is well worth it.

Make sure you are checking out all your options as well, I hear NASA also has some great events...

 

Same here. I keep my craziness at the 1/4 track just to stay sane.

 

Signed up for solo Autocross sunday. Well see if i push the car too far

 

You will be amazed how fast 50-60mph can feel when you are on a 30 turn course that only take 50 seconds-1 minute to complete.

Get ready to need new tires as well

Have fun out there and let us know what you think. Very addicting stuff with virtually none of the risk of proper road course racing.

 

Testing the limits.... hmmm... let's see...

On the way to work every morning! I-680 around Youngstown, OH is like taking the Autobahn and throwing in a butt-load of new drivers. Very challenging. Add in some construction and the helpful O-DOT guys that take-down/put-up lane closings seemingly at random, and you've got a whole host of fun.


But seriously, one of the most fun things you can do is just go find a big empty parking lot, turn off the traction control and have at it. It's even better if the parking lot serves some closed business (not too hard to find these days). It's even more fun after it rains or snows. I've seen local police drive by and shake their heads when they see me going sideways through an empty lot. A long time ago, one stopped and asked me what I was doing and I just told him straight-up: screwing around. He laughed and said "watch those light posts, they're not screwing around" and he left. He was probably just making sure I wasn't drunk or stoned or something. As long as you're not leaving big black tire marks all over the place, and the lot is truly empty, they won't care.

 

Yeah, i am super pumped. Right now car's registered in my class: Audi TT and S4, BMW 3 series (6 cyl), Cobalt SS, WRX(non sti), VW R32.

Since this is my first time racing i don't know if i plan on winning, but i'm gonna try my best!

My buddy has a 03 ZX-2 and has been S*** talking me, just outta good fun. He thinks im gonna spin out or what ever and he will actually beat me haha.

Anyways, i should let yall know how it goes sunday lol