Wish me luck! Going to Fuji Raceway!

[HellBent]

I'll be taking my R32 GT-R to Fuji raceway for a trackday event next weekend. Should get about an hour of seat time.

I'm a little bit nervous as I've done a bit of autocrossing, but never been fender to fender before. The back straight is long enough for a stock R32 GTR to go well North of 200 k.p.h.

From the video the guy showed me, there are plenty of high dollar cars on the track. He said last time there was a Ferrari F355 and a brand new Lambo Galadro, plus your various assorted Porsches and NSXs, not to mention a bunch of GT-Rs.

I'll try and take some photos and do the Skyline name some credit.

-AL

[SkylineUSA]

Go get 'em Al

[nitrous36]

I was the guy with the Lamborghini Gallardo.

[HellBent]

Originally Posted by nitrous36

I was the guy with the Lamborghini Gallardo.

Yeah, and my chauffer will be driving me around the track so I don't have to get all sweaty.

We may pull up next to you on the back straight and ask for some "Grey Poupon" though...

-AL

[nitrous36]

Originally Posted by HellBent

Yeah, and my chauffer will be driving me around the track so I don't have to get all sweaty.

We may pull up next to you on the back straight and ask for some "Grey Poupon" though...

-AL

Hey good one. I just had to reply to that. It was the perfect timing. I wish I had a Lamborghini. Can you post pics and maybe video at the track?

[HellBent]

Originally Posted by nitrous36

Hey good one. I just had to reply to that. It was the perfect timing. I wish I had a Lamborghini. Can you post pics and maybe video at the track?

I'll try and get some pics posted, but I don't have any video gear. Maybe soon, but owning a Skyline is like having a crack addicted super-model girlfriend. You get a lot of attention, but you spend money like it is coming out of a faucet!

-AL

[Gonthrax]

Originally Posted by HellBent

but owning a Skyline is like having a crack addicted super-model girlfriend. You get a lot of attention, but you spend money like it is coming out of a faucet!

-AL

Lmao!

[HellBent]

Just got back from Fuji Raceway, and all I can say is wow!

What a great time and what a great bunch of people. The weather was cold but perfect! Blue sky and clear cold weather! Mt. Fuji was in perfect awe inspiring view as well.

The track is truely beautiful and well designed. It is also perfectly maintained. We had the luxury of renting one of the pit area garages. It came with a heated meeting room and private bathroom! (Very nice!)

The event was a track day, but tell that to the 30 drivers on the track! Everyone was trying for a best time, so it was pretty close to full on fender to fender racing!

I think I had the only stock car there. Most cars were at least moderately, if not heavily modified. Many of the drivers were licensed racers so it was a tough crowd. Overall a seasoned and professional bunch.

How did I fare? Way out of my league...
Autocrossing is one thing. Eighteen continuous hard laps of Fuji speedway fender to fender is quite another. It was both mentally and physically overwhelming! At lest my lap times were consistent, but consistently bad. I could have driven better, but the pressure of other drivers and not having time to regroup was too much.

Can't wait to try this again some day. Until then here are some pictures:

The Hair Pin turn


Back of our pit area


Some of the various iron present


...and the Galadro


-AL

[nitrous36]

Originally Posted by HellBent

...and the Galadro


-AL

Yeah, I decided to attend the event.

[nitrous36]

I like the supras, NSXs, imprezas, and the one chaser in the pics there, but no Evos?

EDIT: Wait a minute. I noticed a another MarkII.

[SkylineUSA]

Originally Posted by HellBent

Just got back from Fuji Raceway, and all I can say is wow!

What a great time and what a great bunch of people. The weather was cold but perfect! Blue sky and clear cold weather! Mt. Fuji was in perfect awe inspiring view as well.

The track is truely beautiful and well designed. It is also perfectly maintained. We had the luxury of renting one of the pit area garages. It came with a heated meeting room and private bathroom! (Very nice!)

The event was a track day, but tell that to the 30 drivers on the track! Everyone was trying for a best time, so it was pretty close to full on fender to fender racing!

I think I had the only stock car there. Most cars were at least moderately, if not heavily modified. Many of the drivers were licensed racers so it was a tough crowd. Overall a seasoned and professional bunch.

How did I fare? Way out of my league...
Autocrossing is one thing. Eighteen continuous hard laps of Fuji speedway fender to fender is quite another. It was both mentally and physically overwhelming! At lest my lap times were consistent, but consistently bad. I could have driven better, but the pressure of other drivers and not having time to regroup was too much.

Can't wait to try this again some day. Until then here are some pictures:

The Hair Pin turn


Back of our pit area


Some of the various iron present


...and the Galadro


-AL

Sounds like you had a good time Glad to see you using the car what it was intended for. So, you gonna bring it back with you?

Awesome pics, did you get any race shots?

[HellBent]

Originally Posted by SkylineUSA

Sounds like you had a good time Glad to see you using the car what it was intended for. So, you gonna bring it back with you?

Awesome pics, did you get any race shots?

Yeah, the Skyline is definitely at home on the track, and more stable in the corners than my C5. A very competent little car!

I wish I could bring it back, but chatting with Sean at RBmotoring it seems like an impossibility for now.

Sorry no race pics. The guy in the other white R32 was shooting video and said he could get me some stills and footage while he trailed me. Unfortunately, his camera wasn't positioned well and got a view full of rear view mirror and headliner.

Oh well, I still have some great memories!

By the way, GranTourismo 4 for PS2 ROCKS!!!! Fuji Speedway and the stock Skyline are pretty much dead on accurate. A few minor nuances, but the shift points, speeds, and views of Fuji Speedway are scary accurate! A great practice prior to hitting the track, and a scary trip down memory lane afterward!

-AL

[HellBent]

Originally Posted by nitrous36

I like the supras, NSXs, imprezas, and the one chaser in the pics there, but no Evos?

EDIT: Wait a minute. I noticed a another MarkII.

Yeah it was kind of odd, I don't remember seeing any EVOs. Pretty much all the other popular JDM cars were present. The NSXs and GTRs ruled the day though.

-AL

[nitrous36]

Let me get this straight. You live in the U.S. and have a Skyline stored in Japan. How do you afford it?

[HighOctaneNOSUser]

I think he's stationed out there for Military (?) purposes?