AgCorvette

My buddy has a Jeep SRT8, and as part of the SRT Package, they throw in the SRT Experience, which is supposed to show the owners of SRT vehicles what their cars are capable of. If you don't have an SRT and are willing to pay the $500 fee, they'll let you participate.

They were at Thunderhill today.

Its kind of like the Rev it Up tour that GM sponsored last year, but you got a lot more seat time, The food was pretty good to0. Also we got to drive all the SRT models except the VIPERS on the Thunderhill Race track. I think I got about 18 laps of the race course in Chargers, Caliber SRT4s, Chrysler 300Ms, Magnums. These cars were all the SRT versions.

They also let you drive a VIPER with an instructor on an Auto Cross type course. While you were only allowed to drive the vipers in 1st gear, they didn't mind it if you spun out. Matter of fact when the first group of drivers finished and nobody had sput out, they told us we weren't going fast enough.

They had 3 different competitions: An individual Auto Cross using the Calibers, A team auto cross with the Jeep SRT8s, and drag racing.

I came in 2nd in my group in the drag racing,
I was 3rd over all out of everybody in the individual auto cross.
I was also on the winning Team Auto Cross competion.

When we were collecting our awards for the Auto Cross Competition, they were asking asked if I had done any auto crossing before, and I said yes, I did it periodically with my Corvette Club. Boy you should have heard all the good natured boos I got. I think I might have been the only multiple event winner, in the individual events.

It was a little pricey at $500, but we really got to drive the cars hard and it was my first time ever driving on a race track before, that experience alone was worth the money. It was a follow the leader thing, where the instructor in the same model you were driving, would lead two students around the track. As long as you stayed within 3 car lengths of the instructor, he would go progressively faster and faster. I was too nervous to look down at the speedometer so I don't know how fast I was going, but I felt like I was flying.

At the end of the day, all the participants get to go on hot laps with the instructors, I was lucky enough to get to ride in the viper. Oh man what a blast. We were in a group of 3 vipers, and at times all the cars were sliding around the turns at very high speeds, and would only be 5 or 6 feet from one another.

http://www.drivesrt.com/en/track_exp...ils/index.html

Everybody there was very nice, I got a bit of ribbing about the vette, but most wanted to know how the vette compared with the other cars we were driving.

I think their winding their tour down for this year, but if you have an opportunity to participate next year, and have never done something like this before, I highly recommend it.

The instructors were all a lot of fun also. They all had great senses of humor, and were constantly making fun of each other.

FredSM

Sounds like a lot of fun.

Now, bring your own car to the track and see how fun it can get! Still a couple of days left at THill this season.

http://www.thunderhill.com/html/get_...ill_at_the.HTM

FM

Joe99WJ

I've got the Jeep SRT8 too, but have never been able to attend one of the track days. They're rarely in Northern Cal.

Supposedly it's a helluva time tho'.

AgCorvette

You would definitely enjoy it, and I am sure you'd be amazed what that Jeep can do in the hands of a professional driver. My buddy actually got his hot lap in the jeep, and when they came back in the front brakes where litterally billowing white smoke, and they immediately took the car back out and didn't miss a beat. My buddy was amazed at the way they were able to throw that thing around the track. I actually had a chance to auto cross the jeep,and I was very impressed also.

You definitely got to make it out there.

AgCorvette

I've been thinking about it, but I always get nervous about the thought of putting the car into the wall. Although Thunderhill looks to be a pretty good track in that regard, lots of run off room. That turn coming off the top of the hill was a blast.