Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post - $120 Track Day@Willow Springs-Big Track- Oct 12-13 in SoCal

GSS138 · 10-05-2013, 02:44 AM

It's anyone that has a good attitude and just wants a well run track day.

AAA in particular tends to attract the GTR's, 'vettes, GT2/GT3, and 500 HP evo's, there's also a few supercharged Z's in the mix along with some of the one seater customer racers, Ferraris, CTSV's, basically all big fast cars. Big willow is it's own thing. Not really comparable to any other track that I know of.

Both are high speed, high HP tracks, but the similaritites end there.

AAA is pro. Flat, wide exits,everything is very visible, nothing tricky, easy to learn, and all about raw performance. Hardware of your car will be your limiting factor, your HP, Brakes, and suspension will all be maxed out since the track is so well engineered. Turn 1 and 2 will make you feel like a roman gladiator(cept no one besides your GF is in the stands watching). When you brake after turn 2 you feel like you have saved the universe andwill soon be attending that ceremony that Luke Skywalker did at the end of the first Star Wars movie.

Big willow is nothing like that. It is some blacktop dropped in the desert from the sky by the old gods. Designed before there were rules to racing. In a measly 9 turns, you will learn how little of a man you are. Turn 1, enter at 85 mph+ and accelerate through the entire corner into a blind exit. Turn 2 enter a 90+ mph right hand sweeper and throttle steer for about 10 seconds. Turn 5, steep downhill braking into a very narrow entrance and a blind exit with a camber change at the top of third gear. Turn 8 and 9, not really explainable, but you enter into turn 8 at 90-110 mph and exit it at 110-130, very shortly after that you have to scrub 20-30 mph(even though you are still cornering) and enter turn 9 which is the type of corner that makes Vikings cry at night. There is nothing I can say here that will adeptly describe the turn 8 to turn 9 transition at Big Willow. I have taken that turn some 80+ times now and it still scares the hell out of me.

This is the best explanation out there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLCpHnA54cQ&t=11m12s

10-05-2013, 02:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
GSS138 Track Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Mission Viejo, CA Posts: 769 Drives: '12 370Z 6M Sport Rep Power: 13	It's anyone that has a good attitude and just wants a well run track day. AAA in particular tends to attract the GTR's, 'vettes, GT2/GT3, and 500 HP evo's, there's also a few supercharged Z's in the mix along with some of the one seater customer racers, Ferraris, CTSV's, basically all big fast cars. Big willow is it's own thing. Not really comparable to any other track that I know of. Both are high speed, high HP tracks, but the similaritites end there. AAA is pro. Flat, wide exits,everything is very visible, nothing tricky, easy to learn, and all about raw performance. Hardware of your car will be your limiting factor, your HP, Brakes, and suspension will all be maxed out since the track is so well engineered. Turn 1 and 2 will make you feel like a roman gladiator(cept no one besides your GF is in the stands watching). When you brake after turn 2 you feel like you have saved the universe andwill soon be attending that ceremony that Luke Skywalker did at the end of the first Star Wars movie. Big willow is nothing like that. It is some blacktop dropped in the desert from the sky by the old gods. Designed before there were rules to racing. In a measly 9 turns, you will learn how little of a man you are. Turn 1, enter at 85 mph+ and accelerate through the entire corner into a blind exit. Turn 2 enter a 90+ mph right hand sweeper and throttle steer for about 10 seconds. Turn 5, steep downhill braking into a very narrow entrance and a blind exit with a camber change at the top of third gear. Turn 8 and 9, not really explainable, but you enter into turn 8 at 90-110 mph and exit it at 110-130, very shortly after that you have to scrub 20-30 mph(even though you are still cornering) and enter turn 9 which is the type of corner that makes Vikings cry at night. There is nothing I can say here that will adeptly describe the turn 8 to turn 9 transition at Big Willow. I have taken that turn some 80+ times now and it still scares the hell out of me. This is the best explanation out there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLCpHnA54cQ&t=11m12s __________________ Current Mods: Vorpal Weapon +5. Last edited by GSS138; 10-05-2013 at 03:13 AM.