Prior to our torque-arm installation, we did notice that the 265mm tires up front rubbed a bit at the top of the outer fender under braking and heavy cornering. This was all but eliminated after the torque arm, as it's antidive characteristics kept the car more level under these conditions. Still, a 255mm-wide tire might not be a bad idea, but the 265s work well enough to hold onto them for now.
Speaking of tires, the Falken RT-615s held up very well over the course of our weekend at Sebring. They offered great traction and an easy, gradual breakaway point that made it easy to steer with the throttle when necessary.
A performance driving school should be considered mandatory for anyone with a motor vehicle license. The track is the best place to learn car control, as you can actually experience it and learn how to control it. Having your high-school teacher tell you to turn into the skid isn't nearly as informative, and if everyone had experience driving at the limit, they would react more appropriately in emergency situations.
Key people in making the Sebring event happen without a hitch are lead driving instructor Jeff Lacina, Gene Pavliscsak, Dell Hughes, Ed Zerbe, David Hughes, Linda Webb, Mike Buono, Mike Marks, and all of the instructors who donate their time and expertise.
Sponsors throw in the big bucks and offer support to attendees. The Steeda Autosports crew offered tech help, a look at some of Steeda's hot rides, and even some premounted Nitto NT-01 road race tires to try out. Nitto Tire also attended, as did Total Mustang Supply, the folks at Disc Brake Australia, Track Guys, and Mustang Generations, who sponsored the banquet. SVTOA, in association with Track Guys, hold several of these high-performance driving events every year and all over the country. They're worth traveling to, and if you catch the bug like most, you'll find yourself traveling far and wide to get some track time.
 A Full tank of gas proved...  A Full tank of gas proved to be too much weight in the back end of Stolen Goods, making the mild tire-rubbing issue a major one, as you can see from the smoke trailing off the back end. Thankfully, this was the last session of the day. You sure can burn up some fuel, especially if you have a supercharged car. |  Svtoa Events bring out all...  Svtoa Events bring out all kinds of Ford power. This is the Intermediate Group 3, which are drivers who have recently just been given the go-ahead to run solo on track. |  We Often ended up trailing...  We Often ended up trailing or leading certain cars during our sessions. This tends to be a bit fun, and we found ourselves trading places with VMP Tuning's Justin Starkey and his GT500. We think we had him in the corners, but we couldn't get away from him in the straights. If you want to have some fun with your fast Ford, or even if you just want to be a better driver, check out an SVTOA/Track Guys event near you. |