Track Day 10/6 PIR
10-09-2007, 08:35 AM
#62
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10-09-2007, 12:52 PM
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That's a cool wife right there! 
A 125cc shifter kart is probably the purest driving experience one can have on 4 wheels. Nothing short of an F1 car will give you the same feeling. Go for it! I'm sure you can fit a kart into the Odyssey!
I do recommend a tag kart to start out on (no shifting) so you can just concentrate on the driving. That's where I started out. You can get one with a starter onboard so if you spin out on track, hit the restart button and be on your merry way. You spin in a shifter and don't grab the clutch right away ... engine dies and you have to have someone come push start you. Pain in the a**.
In any case, good luck with the car repair and let me know if you are interested in getting into a kart. I have some contacts for you. Just PM me.
Mervin
A 125cc shifter kart is probably the purest driving experience one can have on 4 wheels. Nothing short of an F1 car will give you the same feeling. Go for it! I'm sure you can fit a kart into the Odyssey!I do recommend a tag kart to start out on (no shifting) so you can just concentrate on the driving. That's where I started out. You can get one with a starter onboard so if you spin out on track, hit the restart button and be on your merry way. You spin in a shifter and don't grab the clutch right away ... engine dies and you have to have someone come push start you. Pain in the a**.
In any case, good luck with the car repair and let me know if you are interested in getting into a kart. I have some contacts for you. Just PM me.
Mervin
10-09-2007, 06:36 PM
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Originally Posted by l8brakr,Oct 8 2007, 09:57 AM
To expand a bit on Mervin's comments...
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
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
What we have found is that it is best to start with a baseline setup and go from there.
For a lot of the newbies, myself included, run stock then make adjustments to the car one at a time. So you want to get rid of that dive and roll - install stiffer springs and shocks. Next you want to improve traction - get stickier tires. Then you feel like braking needs to be adjusted - get grippier brakes (but not before getting stickier tires). Plz work up from a baseline and make gradual mods and validate them at the track.
The point I'm trying to make is that it is not a fast car that makes a fast driver. Baby steps.
I'm not addressing this one event - for we've seen others crash when there was simply too much car. What I'd like to emphasize to you all is that you all take a linear approach to high performance driving.
Be safe.
CB
10-09-2007, 09:59 PM
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i haven't ran pir.. but i been out to the event.. most people seem to rather try and drive fast on the track rather then learn the proper line.. baby steps is the key.. when I was running palamar mountain out in cali i took it easy for a long long time before going balls out..