Hard to Slow Down - Carl Completes NASA Driving School

14 April 2001

Friday the thirteenth was the day, Firebird Main the place and NASA Arizona Region driving school the what as Carl stepped out is shifter kart and into a sedan for his first big car driving experience.  And we mean that literally, Carl had never driven a car at speed until he hit the big track at Firebird. 

NASA provides a unique experience for the beginning racer by combining driving instruction with their regular race weekends.  The instruction consists of classroom time, van rides with the instructors and then driving with an instructor.  Upon completion of three twenty minute rounds on the track, you are graduated to the Red (Novice) group and can practice with them. 

Carl completed the school on Friday and returned in a rented spec-racer Mazda RX-7 to refine his skills for the full day on Saturday.  Making every possible session, including the student session, gave him 7 sessions and more than 100 laps around the 1.5 mile FIR main course.  This is a horsepower track and the little MAZDA ate a lot of exhaust from the Cobras, BMWs, and Corvettes, but Carl learned a lot.

The big thing is that Cars do not handle like a Kart.  Compared to his 80cc shifter, the Mazda was slow to accelerate, pushed through the turns and slowly lost speed on braking.  It could also be persuaded to kick the backend out from time to time if one were to be slightly aggressive.  Numbers wise, he lapped in the 1:24 range with a top speed of about 100 MPH as compared to the 80cc lapping at 1:11 and the same 100 MPH.   Which was harder?  The Mazda to drive but the Kart is harder to get into since the walls and rails are not as friendly to a kart as they are to a car.  Carl proved this on Friday when he stuffed the BMW 325 he was driving directly into the wall of turn 10 at about 70 MPH which totaled it.  He walked away without harm thanks to the great safety equipment.

Now that he has the driving credential, he is looking forward to future NASA events including competition at some level.  Anybody looking to trade a CRG shifter for a Formula Ford?

Carls RX7 hammer down off the tower turn at FIR.