Track Day 10/6 PIR
10-07-2007, 04:45 PM
#55
Well I was hoping I would never experience this but today my new friend spun his GT2 at 100+ mph in corner 1 with me in the passenger seat. Simply WOW! Somehow we managed to avoid any hard objects, slid silently backwards for what it seemed like forever, and came to a stop about 2 feet from the right wall. I bet that looked really cool from the outside 
Chris kept down-shifting before the dip and his line was very bad overall but the seats were great and the car had some amazing top end kick. It was nowhere near as nimble or smooth as our cars. Understeer and oversteer everywhere. Not a car for me by far.
I'm not stressed. Seriously, I'm not. Mmmk.
Chris kept down-shifting before the dip and his line was very bad overall but the seats were great and the car had some amazing top end kick. It was nowhere near as nimble or smooth as our cars. Understeer and oversteer everywhere. Not a car for me by far.
I'm not stressed. Seriously, I'm not. Mmmk.
10-08-2007, 07:18 AM
#56
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had a great time. not so great finish. got some good video of everything except my crash.
thoughts to consider.
Ego shouldn't outstrip talent.
Street tires (especially almost at the wear bars really suck)
Switching from Hoosiers back to the street tires was not really bright.
The last run is always more tricky
will post some of the video later... was experimenting with set up.
thoughts to consider.
Ego shouldn't outstrip talent.
Street tires (especially almost at the wear bars really suck)
Switching from Hoosiers back to the street tires was not really bright.
The last run is always more tricky
will post some of the video later... was experimenting with set up.
10-08-2007, 08:10 AM
#57
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^^ Mark, it was nice meeting you at the track and I'm glad to see that you're still positive in spite of the incident. Also good to see that you got home okay. It's not a bad idea to tone it down a little on the last session of the day. After a full day at the track, you're probably fatigued and grip is not always the best either. I do agree that the change back to street tires for the last session probably contributed the most - especially if you've gotten used to the Hoosier's grip in the earlier sessions. I hope that you'll come back and join us after the ride has been fixed. Good luck with the repair and let me know if there's anything I can help you with 
Mervin
Mervin
10-08-2007, 08:57 AM
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Originally Posted by RFever,Oct 8 2007, 08:10 AM
I do agree that the change back to street tires for the last session probably contributed the most - especially if you've gotten used to the Hoosier's grip in the earlier sessions.
It probably wasn't a good idea to even start the day with Hoosiers or any R compound tire for that matter. The first time on track is a mind recalibrating experience when it comes to how much grip your car really has. Spreading the gap from street tires on the street to street tires pushed to their limit on the track is a pretty big task in itself. Coming straight out of the gate with super sticky tires will mask nearly all of your driving inefficiencies. You may feel like superman and it's certainly fun in the moment but it took away a very crucial step in your learning curve. Acquiring the sense of grip and feeling when the car is near its adhesion limit is what driving on the track is all about. I wasn't there to see anything but I doubt you ever approached the real limit of the Hoosier tires all the while making input errors that a lesser tire wouldn't have a chance at coping with. Then you made the switch to streets for the last session but forgot to reboot the computer to accept the new hardware and all hell breaks loose. I feel a little bad for not being there because I may have been able to give you a tidbit of information or make a comment that would have helped you and prevented the mishap but hopefully you're able to chalk it up as a learning experience and continue coming out and having fun. Look forward to meeting you!
-Ryan
10-09-2007, 07:09 AM
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I'll be back, but not sure when.
as far as the feeling the limits, I have been told that I have a pretty good sense of where the limits are. During turn 6 I was frequently using the throttle to stay near (but not at) the limit. The combination of almost dead street tires, fatigue, rumble strips, and probably lifting started the spin. I considered countersteering with a little throttle but I didn't think that the tires had enough left to make a difference. Faced with the risk of head on into the wall at turn 4 (near the white tires) versus spinning and praying I chose to spin. Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot to learn, I just have a solid foundation that isn't evident by my recent
the really dumb part is that i didn't start on the street tires cause I didn't think they would make it more than 1 or 2 sessions. I guess I was right...
unfortunately, right now the adage "if you can afford to break it, then don't drive hard" is in full effect. Insurance is being very kind so far and RogerHinga and the guys that were out there have been great and supportive.
BTW, I am having problems finding the local nasa site. I want to write an email to both the director and my instructor. They put on a fantastic event and did an outstanding job. The error and misjudgment is solely mine.
thanks for the support and have no fear, my very lovable wife is making sure that I don't forget
The nice thing is that she actually said, why don't you just get a shifter kart? At least if you break that it will be less than the cost of a new car.
as far as the feeling the limits, I have been told that I have a pretty good sense of where the limits are. During turn 6 I was frequently using the throttle to stay near (but not at) the limit. The combination of almost dead street tires, fatigue, rumble strips, and probably lifting started the spin. I considered countersteering with a little throttle but I didn't think that the tires had enough left to make a difference. Faced with the risk of head on into the wall at turn 4 (near the white tires) versus spinning and praying I chose to spin. Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot to learn, I just have a solid foundation that isn't evident by my recent
the really dumb part is that i didn't start on the street tires cause I didn't think they would make it more than 1 or 2 sessions. I guess I was right...
unfortunately, right now the adage "if you can afford to break it, then don't drive hard" is in full effect. Insurance is being very kind so far and RogerHinga and the guys that were out there have been great and supportive.
BTW, I am having problems finding the local nasa site. I want to write an email to both the director and my instructor. They put on a fantastic event and did an outstanding job. The error and misjudgment is solely mine.
thanks for the support and have no fear, my very lovable wife is making sure that I don't forget
The nice thing is that she actually said, why don't you just get a shifter kart? At least if you break that it will be less than the cost of a new car.