It was rainy and wet. I was on the fence, but very thankful that we arrived the night before and got a good night's rest of around 5-6 hours, without waking up at 4am to drive out in the morning. DST went into effect that very morning, so we got an hour less of sleep than perhaps otherwise, but it was great to be nearby, nonetheless.
At the hotel, I heard a bunch of cars with loud exhausts starting up and driving out as I was still having breakfast in the lobby. I wondered why they were heading out so early. Arriving at the track and seeing how the early birds got the covered spaces, it made a lot more sense.
As usual, the turnout included a wide variety of different chassis setups, from 4WD, to FR, to MR.
The track surface dried up over the course of the day, with the later runs offering much more traction and therefore, confidence. Caution was needed all day however as patches of water remained on it throughout the day.
The paddock was buzzing with folks eager to get back into their cars and on the track.
A full Rocket Bunny S13 and I almost convinced myself I was shooting for SH.
This S13 was sporting a unique all-digital gauge cluster from another Nissan model, not even the rare OEM one found in the vert.
This Miata was later a challenger, riding my tail during one of the group sessions, until I pointed the driver by.
S2K Presence continued strong at this event
This particular Subie stood out as an incredibly clean build. Stay tuned for a potential spotlight on this one.
Just as competitive was this Mustang, the driver of which gave me some helpful tips on my driving line during a session where he followed me.
The rubber on the tires showed a noticeably different in texture after some hot laps. Lots of small rocks stuck to the tire and small bumps and ridges in the tread, kind of like a pencil eraser after some heavy duty last-minute exam changes.
I was inspired by the many folks who brought out a spare set of track tires + wheels the for the event, like the owner of this Focus ST.
This S2K owner towed a full set of tires along on a trailer. #Goals
BMW sitting with aggressive track stance
Is this Japan? Just look at those rolling green hills behind this RPS13.
The day was packed with a wave of highs and lows, as >18 tows were required on this day at the track. My sympathies towards anyone faced with challenges after this track day. Nevertheless, I'm hoping most people got at least a single good run out of the day. And if that didn't happen, I'm fortunate that the people I met on this day were super friendly. I look forward to coming back to Thunderhill!
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