If you are an avid track day junkie or even a beginner it doesn’t hurt to have a seasoned instructor ride along with you. These generous folks can help you shave seconds off lap times, smoothly negotiate turns, and even instill confidence. Fellow Z owner Bill N. describes how in-car instruction helped him. Thanks for the report Bill and good luck at the LeMons!

I finally did it. I signed on with a 24 Hours of LeMons team for the August 7-8 event at Thunderhill. It will be my first time driving in an actual race. Z Car Garage will also be in the race with a 240Z. Should be a blast.
With the upcoming race in mind, I approached my recent track day wanting to improve my driving skill. We occasionally see new drivers at the track who have a lot of natural ability and advance very quickly. I’m not one of those drivers. The good news is that, with the right attitude and good coaching, anyone can improve their performance.
Enter the Hooked on Driving coaches. These men and women are volunteers who come to the track to share their skill and knowledge. They go through a rigorous evaluation, selection and training process. I like that they are very encouraging and coach a turn only during the approach and execution. No after-turn discussions to distract from the next turn. Coaching is included in the event price and is available to drivers at all levels.
I sought the help of Jeff, one of HOD’s senior coaches. I had worked with him earlier in the year when we were paired for a lead-follow session on a very wet track: 5/28 Fun in the Rain

Jeff helped me a lot. Check it out:

6/20 Session 1 Part 1

6/20 Session 1 Part 2

Thanks, Jeff!

                  
This is a great group to run with if you are interested in taking your car out on the track. The organizer, Patrick, is a Z owner himself and we have had a blast driving our cars together. Check below for the 7/30 event at Buttonwillow.

	Location: Buttonwillow Raceway 24551 Lerdo Highway, Buttonwillow, CA 93206
Thank you everyone for supporting our last event at Thunderhill Hill. It was a great success. And now, we have confirmed another track event. This time at Buttonwillow Raceway. This is a super fun track, a little bit futher than Thunderhill, but it is well worth it. I hope to see everyone out there!!!We are running the same configuration: 3 Run groups, 20 minutes session, Beginner, Intermediate, Advance. That is seven sessions for those of you who are counting. For additional information please visit: www.citytechsf.com/track/

                    

This was brought to my attention earlier this week. Could this really happen? Speculation?

When it was announced that Nissan/Renault was partnering with Daimler-Benz, we didn’t have a clue as to how close this relationship would be. We’re now hearing that it will be quite close, with the two companies planning to extensively share platforms and engines. The first reports from Japan suggested that the next-generation Infiniti G sedan and coupe, as well as future M sedans, will be built on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform. Then came more interesting news: how this relationship would affect the 370Z.

What do you think? Read the rest of the article here

This 1973 240z belongs to a friend of the shop, Lou S.  It is a rare sight to see this Japanese-spec, Right-Hand-Drive (RHD) model with appropriate “FairladyZ” badging/lighting. The Z recently got new 3-piece, custom offset 17″ Panasport wheels. You might remember these beauties from the multiple sets ordered for the RB-240z builds.

 
These wheels allow the use of massive 255/40/17(Bridgestone RE050a) tires without major fender mods/flares. To take advantage of the larger footwork a complete Arizona Zcar suspension upgrade was installed.

The rear controls arms offer multiple points of adjustment. Struts were shortened and a Ground Control coilover kit with custom spring rates can be dialed in for any condition. Sway bars and new bushings throughout. The result is a car that stays absolutely planted in corners. It is almost begging for more power now. Triple Mikuni’s Lou? 🙂

  The new stance makes this “RightLady” look awesome, and the black center spokes with polished lip complements the paint really well. Here is a short video clip of the car rolling on the freeway, enjoy!

More Datsun press for you to enjoy! There is a fantastic article about Datsun racing legend Pete Brock in the June 2010 issue of Automobile magazine. You can read the full article online here

Autoweek magazine features the Datsun Heritage Museum in Murrieta, CA

The Datsun Heritage Museum displays the early history of the brand in America.

Fred Jordan is a true believer.
“It’s the greatest automotive story ever told,” he said with the fire of a zealot. “This story is so wonderful, if someone could just get it down!”
We were sitting in the Datsun Heritage Museum, under a sign that said, “Datsunland,” and I was trying desperately to get it down. Jordan is almost 88 years old and is battling cancer. He is afraid the story will never get out. The story is the history of Datsun and Nissan in America, and while Jordan played a significant role in it, he is quick to point out that it is mostly the story of Yutaka Katayama, the man who brought Datsun to America and gave us the Z.
“It’s the story of Mr. K,” Jordan said. “We’re trying to keep it alive.”

Read the entire article here

For more information on the museum please visit:
www.datsunheritagemuseum.com