First Settlers - VIR May 20-22

[SH || NC]

My quick write up on my weekend (link) +1 to Dell's comment; great to finally meet the 'register' guys.

[FTS]

It was a blast. Meeting you guys in person was truly the best part. Having your family and freinds around is priceless. Dell's son was out for breaking the lap records in his little car, pedaling way with his helmet on, awesome sight.

I am so glad that Scott made the Saturday and Sunday, although we almost never found one another on the track except few brief periods, we must have been running about the same pace on opposite sides of the track.

I hope we'll get to do this soon again. I will follow up a video, hopefully, but now I have catch up to work.

Cheers all!

[bman]

Originally Posted by Dell

What a great weekend! Great to meet up with Fatih and Brian this weekend. Sorry about the BMW sending debris from the blown motor through your radiator Brian. At least we were able to slow you down by making you drive your wife's car!

That cloud of smoke from the blown motor in the BMW was so thick we almost had to come to a complete stop before moving through the cloud for fear of a car being stopped in the middle of the track!

Dell, great to meet you too! Wish we had more time together but it was a busy weekend for everyone. Next time....

The smoke was scary! I was car #2 to go through it and prayed that the car in front of me didn't stop or move over. 0 visibility is frightening especially at 100+ mph. Yeah, 5 laps was all I got in the GT2 thanks to a hole in the radiator. I was fortunate to discover it and not dump coolant on the track or damage the car.

Luckily I had my wife's Cayman S to drive. I had an absolute blast! I'd forgotten how much fun that car is to drive. There were several cars in my group that were running similar lap times and we were really going at it. To my surprise, I broke into the 2:14's. It was exhausting and my leg's bruised from bracing myself in the 3 point belts.

Originally Posted by SH || NC

My quick write up on my weekend (link) +1 to Dell's comment; great to finally meet the 'register' guys.

Scott, great to meet you too! Sorry we were both part of the bad MoJo that surrounded us Friday morning. It was satisfying to see the on your face Saturday morning when you told me the bumper arrived and you were ready to go. It seemed to set the tone for the rest of the weekend which was ALL GOOD!

Originally Posted by FTS

Dell's son was out for breaking the lap records in his little car, pedaling way with his helmet on, awesome sight.

That boy was too much! 3 years old cruising the paddork in his car, helmet and, or course, racing gloves! Dad must be reading him Dr. Seuss's Theory of Slip Angle for his bedtime story.

[Dell]

Originally Posted by bman

Dell, great to meet you too! Wish we had more time together but it was a busy weekend for everyone. Next time....

The smoke was scary! I was car #2 to go through it and prayed that the car in front of me didn't stop or move over. 0 visibility is frightening especially at 100+ mph. Yeah, 5 laps was all I got in the GT2 thanks to a hole in the radiator. I was fortunate to discover it and not dump coolant on the track or damage the car.

Here's the video. I accidentally dropped the resolution too low when I exported it for Vimeo. If you look closely you can see that "BOOM" halfway up the back straight as I start down the back out of Oak Tree. I gave you a point just a bit earlier in the lap so you must have been right there when it happened! It was so thick we couldn't see driving through and I was so worried there could be a car stuck on track. All I could think of was Days of Thunder and having to pull some serious Cole Trickle move

Originally Posted by bman

That boy was too much! 3 years old cruising the paddork in his car, helmet and, or course, racing gloves! Dad must be reading him Dr. Seuss's Theory of Slip Angle for his bedtime story.

You know it! He actually asked me today if he could have a "Red Bull Racing" car. I told him he'd have to settle for a go kart. He then followed that up with....."Daddy, I think I am going to be Schumacher when I drive"

Damn that kid is going to cost me some $$$

Originally Posted by FTS

It was a blast. Meeting you guys in person was truly the best part. Having your family and freinds around is priceless. Dell's son was out for breaking the lap records in his little car, pedaling way with his helmet on, awesome sight.

Here is the paddock cruiser in his car!

[bman]

Thanks for the vid! I didn't have my camera on. I was right there when it happened and from the looks of the video your visibility was better than mine. It was very thick when I passed through and I had spray (oil or coolant) on my windshield.

[Dell]

I can only imagine how bad that must have been for you! If it was that bad for me 1/2 a straight later, it must have been like the fog rolling into SF Bay.

[bman]

Here are a couple of laps Sunday morning in the Cayman S. I ran some 2:14's Saturday and assumed they were my best but Sunday morning I ran a few laps in the 13's I am surprised by my times considering the tires were trashed and I knew this was my last session of the weekend; i.e. I wasn't pushing my luck.

It's strong evidence that I need a data logger. Looking at the quickest lap, a 2:13.17, my speeds through T3, entering the esses, T10, Oak Tree and entering Hog Pen are ALL a few MPH lower than other laps and yet it's my quick lap. HUH???

[FTS]

Man that is a cracking time!!! Awesome, I don't think my best time is in the 13s, great job

[Dell]

Originally Posted by bman

Here are a couple of laps Sunday morning in the Cayman S. I ran some 2:14's Saturday and assumed they were my best but Sunday morning I ran a few laps in the 13's I am surprised by my times considering the tires were trashed and I knew this was my last session of the weekend; i.e. I wasn't pushing my luck.

It's strong evidence that I need a data logger. Looking at the quickest lap, a 2:13.17, my speeds through T3, entering the esses, T10, Oak Tree and entering Hog Pen are ALL a few MPH lower than other laps and yet it's my quick lap. HUH???

I know it sounds odd, but by going slower you can actually go faster. Sure we can go into a corner fast but can we control it and more importantly exit. It's all about corner exit speed.

Obviously this doesn't apply to every corner but there is a "perfect" speed to will result in the fastest sector time. This is where data comes into play. By trying different lines, entry speeds, etc, etc, etc, we can learn which approach actually works best.

Next time we are at an event together let's make sure and find a session or two to jump in each car

[SH || NC]

Nicely done Brian. I tried a few different approaches to gaining speed this weekend and found that I was slower when trying to go faster in some spots, and/or my comfort level was lower, so I went slower; some of it had to do with set up, most of it had to do with 'attachments'. In any case, great times!

[TRAKCAR]

If I don't lift anywhere and the throttle continues to go down out of the corner after going of the brake and on the gas, I set my best sector times.

Exceptions are T1 at VIR for example, where I lift to tuck/rotate the car, but I think it applies to 90% of the corners.

To go reasonable fast on a new track, I just focus on that. Of the brake means throttle must continue to go down and stay down untill braking. I spend most time on that with non beginner students as well.

[bman]

Originally Posted by FTS

Man that is a cracking time!!!

Thanks! But this is bad news for you! Now I need your help in learning how to analyze data

Originally Posted by Dell

I know it sounds odd, but by going slower you can actually go faster.

Next time we are at an event together let's make sure and find a session or two to jump in each car

I've heard this many times but it's never worked for me in the past. If I tried to drive slower/smoother my times would increase. In this case, I am shocked that my time dropped A LOT, almost 2 seconds! So, without a doubt you're right!

Absolutely! Thanks for the offer!

Originally Posted by SH || NC

I was slower when trying to go faster in some spots, and/or my comfort level was lower, so I went slower

I think you're spot on here. "Comfort in transistioning off brake" Pushing hard often results in slowing the car too much because you're not comfortable. Another surprise was my cool down lap where I noticed that I came through T10 (Southbend) 5 mph faster than normal because I didn't brake at all!! Yet I was VERY comfortable.

Originally Posted by TRAKCAR

If I don't lift anywhere and the throttle continues to go down out of the corner after going of the brake and on the gas, I set my best sector times.
Of the brake means throttle must continue to go down and stay down untill braking.

Agreed, this is what I've been working on too and have seen positive results. I wish I had data to support it but I am assuming the lower entry speeds allow me to apply the throttle earlier compared to when I am pushing hard into the corners.

[FTS]

Scott, I finally got the time to watch your vid from Friday with the off, and I think the reason was at that specific lap you just went in too hot in to Hog Pen, in fact 6 mph faster than your previous laps. I don't think your tires can handle an entry speed of 69 there, I know mine can't.

[SH || NC]

Sent you a PM; not sure what video you are watching??

Fast lap (8) on Friday, turn in speed was 65; off lap (9) on Friday, turn in speed was 67.

I've reviewed the video hundreds of times at this point, and that night with Dell as well, and we concluded that my line was a little off, in addition to my initial correction being too large, then a other correction being too much, combined with me dropping a wheel off, spinning the car 180 too quickly for me to catch.

So speed may have been a factor, but IMO, I should have:

• recognized I was getting loose on lap 8 and dialed it back a notch
• caught it with better form (like lap 8)

Lesson learned

[FTS]

You may be right, but unless we push our limits a little, we'll be stuck at a platau and won't be able to advance our techniques. I agonize over so many details as well and eventually slow myself down. One my observations about my own driving has been that I post my fastest times when I feel the car is too loose.

Since I realized that, I try to setup my tire pressures in the rear a little higher than what I think they should be. For example, when front to rear pressure difference is less 2 psi, i can comfortably post mid teen times. However, if rears are 3-4 psi higher, my time get closer to low teens and even 2:10-11 range.

This is not a discussion of pressures of course, I am just trying to make the point that unless we get lose a little and be comfortable with controlling the car when its lose, we won't get to sub 10s IMHO.

So, if I were you, what would I do differently? Nothing. I think you're driving was really superb in those videos, relaxed, determined and bold, and I envy such driving attitude.