GT3RS chasing GT3RS with Chris Harris at Sebring

TRAKCAR · #1 04-12-2011, 08:30 AM

I'm in NYC last week with my wife scoring some important points to be able to continue my track addiction when I get a call from Gavin Richy if it is OK to borrow my car at Sebring for Chris harris to drive it and to compare it to a stock GT3RS MKI and a modified GT3RS. They will be there Fri - Sat - Sun.
They want to test shocks that Gavin sells and Chris Harris want to drive Sebring. I tell him I can't be there because I am not flying him till Saturday night.
I suggest he call Izzone with his GT3RS, same car as mine, ex Mooty.

As soon as I hang up, I start thinking if it is really impossible..I'm a huge fan of Chris Harris and I start downloading Youtubes of his Evo articles and mostly his GT3RS test and his run in it at the 24H of the NRing finishing 13th. overall beating many CUP cars.

I send a few Text messages to Orbit and my brother, ask for some help to get my car and track wheels in the right place.

I land at Palm Beach at 5:45, by 8PM, my car is loaded and sitting on the BBS with RA1's :-). I get up at 4 AM and I am in Sebring, parked in the pit by 7AM.

It was very hot (94F) so laptimes were slow; 2:24's and 2:25's but I shook hands and said hello to Chris Harris.

My day is made.
He mentioned that Sebring was an ideal place to test road cars

Both Izzone and Mjenk12 hand Chris Harris the keys to their cars

I jump in with ATLFahrer as passenger and follow Chris Harris in Mjenk12's car around for a few laps. He was very fast out of the pit and clocked a 2:24 even on his first clean lap!!

I will post the video later here.

FTS · #2 04-12-2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRAKCAR

As soon as I hang up, I start thinking if it is really impossible..I'm a huge fan of Chris Harris

I don't know what your secret sauce is, but I can use the recepe for scoring points with your wife (obviously I don't want to score points with your wife, but I'd like to use it with mine

) You left your wife in NY with credit card(s) and jumped in a plane to Sebring for a man? Granted it is CH, but...

Quote:

Both Izzone and Mjenk12 hand Chris Harris the keys to their cars

I jump in with ATLFahrer as passenger and follow Chris Harris in Mjenk12's car around for a few laps. He was very fast out of the pit and clocked a 2:24 even on his first clean lap!!

I will post the video later here.

I truly wish I was there, 94F or not. This is one very special experience. How did his driving look like; pushing, nervous, at home, anything out of the ordinary? Looking forward to the vid.

TRAKCAR · #3 04-12-2011, 11:02 AM

Quote:

I don't know what your secret sauce is, but I can use the recepe for scoring points with your wife (obviously I don't want to score points with your wife, but I'd like to use it with mine

) You left your wife in NY with credit card(s) and jumped in a plane to Sebring for a man? Granted it is CH, but...

No, I'm not that crazy!
I would have lost all my points I just earned walking my ass off on Madison Ave in 45 degree weather, taking it all without any moaning while looking at 4 and 5 digit price tags, encouraging her to buy, while praying she doesn't! Our trip home was scheduled for Saturday night. I sneaked most text messages when she was not looking.

His driving looked very fast ;-) he went down 1 gear in a lot of places. He was faster in some (Where I should have go down a gear), but slower in others because he only did 3! laps only in MJenk12's car, so I am sure he did not push the limit of his mid corner speed. No question much faster driver then me. As if that was ever in doubt.

I could stay with him onlybecause it was 1000 Sebring laps VS 3 and mine all in my own car..

TRAKCAR · #4 04-12-2011, 12:36 PM

Here is the video:

FTS · #5 04-12-2011, 09:00 PM

I've got to watch this couple more times, but...

It is amazing you are able to keep up with someone like Chris Harris, awesome driving!

Granted he is in someone else's car and this is his first time at Sebring, and I have never been there, but he seems to be taking T17 with a much later apex than you and seems to open up significantly on the front straight, much more so than other places. Then it seems that you narrow the gap again between T1-3.

Very fun video, thank you Peter.

ATL Fahrer · #6 04-13-2011, 11:07 AM

Peter, thanks for the ride. Wish I could say I learned something, but, you're FAR better than I! Here's a link to the Harris video he recently posted on YouTube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNHaC...layer_embedded

TRAKCAR · #7 04-14-2011, 09:09 AM

Thanks ATL Fahrer!
Very cool of him to take the time and post it up on Youtube.

See you this weekend at Road ATL or at least Monday Tail of the Dragon :-)
Picking up my car this afternoon I hope!

FTS · #8 04-14-2011, 09:12 AM

What happened with CEL code?

Trackrat · #9 04-23-2011, 01:58 PM

Guys , just getting caught up on the threads. Peter and ATL Fahrer this is an awesome story! Car guy porn for sure. How lucky are we to have these kinds of experiences in our lives? Making memories for sure.

Thanks for posting this up and sharing with us

TRAKCAR · #10 04-24-2011, 10:45 AM

CEL was just an O2 sensor, it never came back and I did 1000 mostly track miles since.

FTS · #11 04-24-2011, 10:57 AM

Awesome, wheew.

I talked with Bman after VIR, you all had great fun, but looked exhausted apparently; amazing trip for sure.

TRAKCAR · #12 04-24-2011, 10:59 AM

Haha, exhausted for sure, I emptied tank after tank of gas :-)

FTS · #13 04-24-2011, 12:01 PM

Yes, the 3 runs through the tank as if it is $1/gl, two session at most for me. I know Bman was running through a tank nearly at 1.5 sessions at VIR. Considering the speeds and lap times, it is to be expected I guess.

jenk12m · #14 04-24-2011, 11:48 PM

Well we didn't buy these cars for their gas mileage.

FTS · #15 04-25-2011, 12:14 AM

Touche! But it was surprising the first time we were on track running out of gas. I never had to buy gas before at the track, but now there is no other option.