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Well it all started on here almost 8 years to the date I finally touched this car in person in Istanbul Turkey. I just got back from a 3 week visit over there and stayed with Berks family- All I can say is what an incredible trip.
On to the car topic. When I arrived, Berk had business up in Germany so I stayed with his family a few days (which we've met several times in past history while Berk was living in So Calif near me for about a year)- so getting the Trans Am out prior to this was not in the cards. After a few days in Turkey I hpped a jet to Cologne Germany and met up with him and a few other firneds and we all converged onto Nurburgring- without the TA, but with a BMW, an Ftype Jag, and a handful of FWD race rentals for some unexpected wet weather fun..which it was- wet & fun. the 3rd day (Sunday July2) we had a dry morning so I hammered the airport rental car ( 2017 BMW 420i auto - My requested M2 came in with a broken wheel so this was a bait and switch- but make the best right?) Anyways with the grocery getter turbo 4cyl I laid down a very respectable 9min flat lap with winter tires and TC off (yes I said winter tires- can you say squirm? lol) See video link. We then hop down to Rome a few days and then made our way back to Istanbul where I finally saw and touch the beast for the very first time in life. Now Berk has shaken it down pretty well and learned a lot about chassis balance in the year I had him on my NASCAR team. I noticed just a few small things that needed attention so I went to work for two days going over the entire car and learning it. Built a chassis side panhard bracket, made a battery box, tried to lower the drivers seat- but fgound it impossible for anyone to ever drive this car over 6foot due to the perminant cage and steering column support- so I was definitely regulated to Co-pilot with my helmet up in a triangular pocket in the safety cage (I am 6'4" 230).
After a few test runs around and wathing and feeling the car from the passenger seat, I also make a swaybar and alignment adjustments and I feel strongly the car is ready not just for a track, bu this monster is ready for a major high speed F1 curcuit like Istanbul Park.
Long and short of it is we started out lead car of the 2nd session of 3 that day with a brand new $225,000 2017 Porsche Turbo S on our heals.....For a minute at most. Berk got the tires hot and we were gone with Porsche chasing in tail. I will remind everyone that Porsche does 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. Here is a little blurp video of us blasting dow t front stright at about 130-140 range with said Porsche in tow, and this ****ing monster was pulling over 150mph down the back straight and coming down into the 35-40mph left hander without one flinch of wheel hop. This is one g(Od dam beautiful car We had two issues, well actually 3, one major one though. We realized in the 90* high humidity day the BB 502 started to climb in engine temp very rapidly which put a quick end to the seesion and rapid pace in about 3 laps of the possible 8 (this is a 3mile course) The next day we pulled the thermostat entirely and drove the car around in another hot day and that resolved any future issues with cooling- live and learn but we had enough fun to see what this beast actually could do...AND IT DID!
You would not know this car had a big block in it. he did a fantastic job shaving and shuffling weight around the car was dialed. All did was leveled the panhard, narrowed the rear swaybar mounts, and threw some more caster and toe at it to give him some steering relief under hard braking coming in hot into turns. End of a chapter and let be be the first to give everyone a warning label...do not f*ck with this car. It is a proper race car that will give any exotic a run for it's money.
A little fun at Nurburgring Nordschleife with me piloting a grocery getter BMW 420 (this car would only max at 132mph (220kph) The white car that finally gets up to me the 3rd time on the straights finally got around me because its a limited edition M3 with 444hp, I had more weight and 181hp... and far crappier tires.
both are kind of related. Had to teach him real quick that going down to 3rd gear on that track with his power range in gears was unnecessary, had to teach him to leave it in a higher gear and just roll into the throttle...why? 3rd problem. Anything under 80mph you can light the race 285 wide race tires up at will. He needs fatter tires...lol This car is a beast. I touaght him to drive it under 80mph with only using about 300 of the 510 hp. He was a quick learner. One reason I latched onto Berk is he showed me ha had skills early on with his racing career to date in other vehicles.
07-16-2017, 10:58 PM
