Anaximander Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 (edited) Well, anyone looking for a very radically performing yet comfortable seven type car needs to look no further than St. Petersburg, Florida and the Stalker factory. About two months ago, I purchased a used street legal 2012 M-Spec (Brunton) Stalker from Glen Minehart, father of builder Scott Minehart who designs, builds, and races Stalkers. In fact, the whole family is into racing with Glen's wife Krista always giving Glen a run for his money and sometimes trading the podium in the E Modified Solo events when Scott is not there. Scott's brother just had a Stalker AXR version with the ultra wide rear tires built for him and Scott's young son is racing a cart. The AXR accommodates 14" wide rear wheels and Formula Atlantic rear tires without making the car any wider than a standard M-Spec version with 10" wide tires and wheels and is what Glen and Krista's car is. I attended my second only SCCA solo event (separated by more than 6 years) today and Glen and Krista were in attendance with their bright pearl orange AXR (autocross version). Glen reigned victorious today but Krista put in a very hot lap time that included a 360 spin (cold day with difficulty getting the tires warm) while staying on the course. The enthusiasm that the entire family shares for this marque is without question and makes them very exciting cars to consider. I am becoming a geezer at 65 but when placed in the M-Spec Stalker with racing slicks, the years simply melted away. Of course my driving techniques need to improve but I was steadily improving my times with each lap except the last where I pretty much tied my fastest lap. The Stalker's suspension made traversing the course at South Georgia Motorsports Park a breeze and I could feel in the seat of my pants a lot more potential with the 330 ponies under the beautifully crafted fiberglass nose. The people at the park were likely expecting some hot laps out of my Stalker but alas, being a novice, this was not to be. It did not seem like anybody was disappointed but very supportive and I think wishing me continued success in the new sport. Speaking about suspensions, one of the aspects of the M-spec Stalker that I favor very much is the fact that it is quite comfortable on the street but also significantly taut enough on the track to inspire confidence. I will likely spend 60% of my time on the street enjoying the qualities of a seven car (you all know how much fun these are) and the open air of North Florida/South Georgia roads but at the same time have a great time trying to improve my driving skills during the other 40% where I am doing x-cross events. If I was into an ultra luxury package, I would consider upgrading to their new XL version which is 4" wider than my car and has a 105" wheelbase as opposed to my 95" wheelbase. The XL sports 315 width tires as opposed to my 255's. The overall width of the XL is 76" and is a great road and track car from what I have heard. I also want to provide a large shoutout to Glen and Krista who were incredibly helpful in getting me oriented to the whole event and walking the course a couple of times with me to explain racing strategy. I really cannot say enough good things about this car. I am going to be ordering some new Toyo R888's for the street and continue to enjoy the sheer thrill of speed on racing slicks when at the track. Astro Bob Edited December 8, 2014 by Astro Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOTTTCAR Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 So.....who won the Axis or the Allies ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anaximander Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 So.....who won the Axis or the Allies ? The Allies silly. But only by one point. What a great group of folks with a terrific sense of humor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Bob, Glad to here you had a blast. Did you get any video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anaximander Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 (edited) Bob, Glad to here you had a blast. Did you get any video? xcarguy, It was all I could do to make sure I was securely buckled up for each run without having to worry about starting/stopping a GOPRO:willy_nilly: I did three ridealongs, and that combined with driving my own car x4 was enough of a workload for this rookie. However, I viewed your 19 minute video on that rainy/foggy day at COTA with your Stalker and I must say that I could feel adrenaline pulsing through my veins as I watched you pick off car after car. However, this grasshopper, in time, will hopefully be able to drive and chew gum at the same time. It is amazing how these large horsepower cars perform. I know that a large part of driving fast is really dependent on finesse rather than brute horsepower but when the course allows, having the extra ponies sure doesn't hurt. A GOPRO is definitely in my future. I am investing in Toyo R888's for the street today and maybe in a couple of months as I get things more sorted I will install a GOPRO. Astro Bob Edited December 8, 2014 by Astro Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxologist Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 So.....who won the Axis or the Allies ? Ha. Correct question is who had the best costume:jester:. Really have to make it down there one year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now