NCM - The Proving Grounds

We may not be in Kansas anymore, but turns out we are closer to Kansas now than when we started. I have pulled MisterTwo all the way across the nation and now here we are, at Holley's hometown, Bowling Green Kentucky. The first thing on the to-do list, submit the MR2 straight to the National Corvette Museum's 3.2-mile-long "Grand Full" motorsports park road course.

My first impression: YES.

I was warned that NCM is a "fast, horsepower track", designed to sell corvettes. No. NCM is a momentum track that challenges drivers and cars. And boy did I have a blast putting the old, slow, underpowered, backward corolla through its paces! Does MisterTwo have a real chance against a C8 with a halfway competent driver? No, not at all. As usual, my day consisted of giving continuous point-by's down the straightaway to every Mustang, Challenger, Camaro, Charger, and every other straight line beast in sight. It is usually not hard to find cars that have very similar lap times, which makes great battles between the light and agile MR2, and the heavy but powerful muscle cars.

My first track day was spent on street tires, learning the track. After the first day, I decided my DOT motorcycle helmet was no longer sufficient. A Stilo helmet and Hans device are some of the best and most worthwhile safety upgrades you can make. After all, it's not all about your car, but your gear as well. On the second track day, I stepped up to the Hankook RS4s. These were a great improvement! Not only more total traction but a reasonable amount of "grippy" slip angle before it totally falls off. It has made one thing abundantly apparent: I NEED A REAL RACE SEAT.

Next up: Roll cage, race seat.