Since we are all sharing shots from yesterday's Willow Springs run here's a look at the long-term Ford GT between Turn 2 and Turn 3. I drove the car 100 miles up to Willow with no plans to track it (we rented the facility for another purpose), but at one point I noticed the empty racetrack and the fully-fueled GT sitting in the parking area. Hmmm...
Once upon a time Enzo Ferrari had a vision of his customers driving their Ferrari on public roads to the track, racing it on the track (and winning), and driving it home -- all with minimal "set-up" between street and track duty. The early 250 GTs and GTOs were capable of doing just that, and the bar he set with those cars is what many a manufacturer has tried to emulate ever since.
Without even switching tires (as I did for The GT School a few weeks back) the Ford GT was happy to run around The Streets of Willow for 10-plus laps in 90-degree weather. It didn't have as much grip on the street tires, but the car's balanced nature meant I could tip-toe up to the point of breakaway -- and beyond when the mood struck me -- with minimal risk and major fun. The temperature gauge got as high as I've seen it get, but that was still only 3/4 of the way up, with a good chunk of space between the needle and "the red zone" (glad I had the Ford Racing trans-axle cooler installed last summer).
It's simply too much car for this track, even in stock form. With increased performance from the smaller supercharger pulley, ECU reflash and upgraded muffler the GT couldn't really stretch its legs here. But leaving a GT in the parking lot of an vacant race track is almost criminal -- especially when the GT is this track-ready (even in full "street" trim).
bumpy says:
03:07 PM, 05/15/08
One wonders how the team of Ferrari mechanics and their equipment would follow you to the track and back home?
editor_karl says:
03:42 PM, 05/15/08
Yeah, Enzo had the original dream, but I personally feel the current products don't live up to his aspirations. I certainly don't see a typical F430 owner deciding, on a whim, to hit the track on a hot day in the desert.
boxermike says:
04:10 PM, 05/15/08
What Karl fails to mention in his reply is that there were three Ferraris lapping the "big track" at willow the same day we were there. Only one Ford GT.
greenpony says:
05:58 PM, 05/15/08
Love the license plate.
editor_karl says:
10:38 PM, 05/15/08
Yes, and all three Ferraris had a team of technicians running around, checking clearances, plugging in computers, crawling underneath and generally making sure the Prancing Horses were not the least bit flustered, fevered or otherwise flumoxed by all that crazy track activity.
deagle13 says:
09:19 AM, 05/16/08
Nice photo Karl - but your poor GT must have been so confused being forced to come to a complete stop in the middle of a racetrack just for the purpose of snapping a picture.
On another note - turn 3 must have been a BLAST with that new pavement...
SubyTrojan says:
09:59 AM, 05/16/08
deagle13, when I was at Streets in mid-April, the new asphalt in the blowpass and turns 5 and 6 wasn't as sticky as one would think. I'm guessing it takes quite a bit of time to cure.
deadmansale says:
12:08 PM, 05/16/08
any plans to sell this one off?
editor_karl says:
09:54 PM, 05/19/08
Not in this lifetime.