racetrack Archives

Learned to Drive a Stock Car

Nov 4 2015

It’s a Pro Challenge car at Toronto Motorsports Park, aka, Cayuga Speedway.

Non-car nerds: there’s no driving aids, no traction control, no power brakes or steering… it’s all muscle. That also means there’s no protective mechanisms in the engine, so, rev it too high and it blows up.

It’s a sequential shift. Which I hadn’t used for years, so made myself a little instruction sheet. Blip when downshifting.

I’m too little to reach the pedals.

So that’s a go-kart seat inside the real seat.

Few laps of the parking lot to get accustomed.

The track is covered in wet patches uhhhh, I’m on slicks.

Okay here I go.

Hit 270 km/h on this straightaway. That’s my fastest ever.

Best lap was a 1:29.

A video posted by Keri Blog (@keriblog) on Nov 4, 2015 at 7:37am PST

Never stalled it, my lines weren’t great, my shifting was smooth, and by the end my left arm was completely numb.

And apparently I kept hitting the chip too often.

Me: I don’t know what it means when you’re waving your arms at me?
Owner: it means get OFF THE CHIP KERI. Shift sooner.

Requisite race car driver pose.

Jokes asisde, I was pretty proud of myself.

Like my driving shoes?

Did this all in my combat boots.

If We’ve Only Ever Met at a Track…. Know This

Sep 29 2015

You met the most hyper version
of me that exists.

In everyday life I am not so animated and yell-y… opposite actually, unaffected, stoic almost. Was once called “the Grumpy Cat of auto journalism.” Doesn’t help that I have “resting b*tch face.”

A handful of fellow auto journalists have commented, “It’s different, Keri you’re so… is it the track time?”

Yes it’s the track time.

I love it so much. Stopped trying to suppress it. Can’t.

Good seeing these fellas the other day, as always!

This was during a 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport auto-cross event.

A 2.0L turbo outputting 240 hp and 250 lb.fts to a 9-speed transmission and standard all-wheel drive, starting at $41,790.

Same thing I always say about Land Rover – YES the launch and cornering on these elegant machines.

Did you guys proud – returned it reeking of brakes.

First Track Day of 2015 COMPLETE

Apr 29 2015

Yes I’m yelling, it was that good.

Let’s just lead with the highlight – learning to J-hook:

Executed it well twice like, there was clapping. Have interior & exterior footage.

Thanks to BF Goodrich Tires for kicking off KeriBlog.com’s 2015 Track Season to an excellent start!

For sure the j-hook gets its own post, and I learned a lot about tire technology too (which further backs up my viewpoint – don’t cheap out on the ONLY part of your car that touches the road.)

For now, here’s a couple shots from today TTYT

For my 1st Track Day, I’ve Chosen this Outfit

Apr 28 2015

Track day bro track day, first of the year! I’m off to a tire testing event with BF Goodrich, held at Mosport track too, not a parking lot niiiice.

Drowning in deadlines this week already guys, today was a grind, bet I wrote 2,500 words. One of which is my IIHS Crash Test Facility article while will publish later this week. I have to go make its photo gallery now, it’s almost 9pm, and then I have to work on my taxes. Trying to say, here’s some advance notice that tomorrow’s update will likely be light again, I’m sorry I’m so busy!

What a kicker too, because all I want to do is drive aimlessly around in this weeks car, which is manual too, look:

Posts coming soon include:

– I downloaded the Buick Regal
– downtown traffic in a Ford Expedition
– what is metadata and why care about it
– finally updated my Autonet About page
– check out my completed sewing projects
– inside the IIHS
– my week with a Land Rover LR4
– hello I’m in the bayou

Also, about a new car shopping app called Carmigo – here’s the site.

Short answer – using an app, a Canadian company has redesigned the car-shopping approach. It’s just coming out of beta testing, designed for Canadians, and when have I ever blogged about an app? Exactly, nope, it’s that slick.

kk off into the land of photo-gallery-making, TTYT