So are you ready for some "High Speed Meditation"? Recently there has been interest expressed by a number of ZONC members concerning "track days", "auto cross", etc .. I was asked if I would assist in providing some information to make ZONC members aware of upcoming events for this. My plan is to provide information and details for upcoming events that offer an opportunity for ZONC member participation, these will be added to the ZONC calendar. Additionally I will share some past "lessons learned" to help you understand what to do in preparation for a "track / auto cross event" and also what to expect one you arrive. Bear in mind that there may be some variation from group to group so I will generalize and you will need to review the rules, etc .. for events you plan to do prior to signing up.

The first of Z Car Garage's 7-week drag competition event took place at Infineon Raceway on April 6th. Alvin Gogineni (see pic) was the highest placing ZONC'er finishing in 4th place. (Way to go Alvin! Inputs received from participants was that it was a great time, and, that they are looking forward to the next one. If you are interested in trying this, a couple of things to consider: * Safety and car requirements can be found at the Infineon Raceway website at: http://infineonraceway.com/documents/ACF9397.pdf * All competitors must sign a waiver at Z Car Garage before entering competition (or sign it at the track and give/mail the waiver to Rob (Fuller). For those of you who have not participated in Bracket Drag Racing event before, the key elements for success include: -- Establishment of an appropriate "dial in time", the "elapsed time (ET) " that you expect to run; this should be based upon ET's from your practice runs prior to the start of competition. One thing, if you go faster than your "dial in time" during eliminations, you will "breakout" and will be disqualified. A tip: Watch your tachometer/speedometer when making your runs to make a mental note of RPM's / speed as you cross/approach the finish line, this will assist you during eliminations to gage your ET and provide an opportunity for you to slow down if you are concerned that you will "breakout". -- Fast reaction times leaving the starting line once the "Christmas Tree's" (a combination of yellow, green and red lights) "Green light" comes "ON", leaving early will get you disqualified and a "Red light". -- Making consistent and repeatable runs (shift points, smooth acceleration, etc..)

Upcoming Events: May 4th (Wed) - ZCG Wednesday Nite Drags at Infineon Raceway. Updated information can be found at: http://www.zcargarage.com/events.htm Additional information about Infineon Raceway's Wednesday Nite Drags and the rules for car/driver requirements can be found at: http://www.infineonraceway.com/news_flash/home_4/463034.html June 28th (Tuesday) - Club Z will be hosting an event at Thunderhill Park (Willows, CA). Details and entry form will be available at the Club Z website (http://www.clubz.org/) prior to the event. In order to participate you have to be a member, for those having older Z's (pre z32) you must join as an associate member, details are given on the website or call me for information. Personally I have participated at numerous Club Z events and highly recommend them. They are well organized and have instructors available for new participants and anyone requesting one-on-one in-car instruction. July 14-17 (Thurs-Sun) - The All Datsun Meet starts on a Thursday at Thunderhill Park and then moves to Mount Shasta for more fun, food and lots of nice Datsun/Nissan cars. This is one of the better deals you will find, I will provide additional information as it becomes available. (Note: More information can be found in the Calendar portion of this website.)

If you have suggestions and/or questions, feel free to send them to me at: Zblues7769@yahoo.com

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