L8APEX

I must admit, I am just now getting to watch your vids TA, and all I can say is...DAMN.

Not only are you driving the hell out of the car, but there is a LOT going on in DE3. I think I will stay right where I am in DE2, there were a couple of times where cars got really close, too close for me.

Good driving. You guys in 3 are crazy.

SilverEIGHT

3 is tame... 4 is CRAZY!

TrackAddict

Thanks. It is really not too bad in 3. I felt like I was driving the **** out of the car pushing as hard as I dared on street tires. They did really well on Sun and Mon I must admit but they do not turn in crisply like I got used to. You have to plan on a lot of initial turn in understeer. This year I got a lot of practice spinning out and sliding exessively and I think that taught me a lot about control. I had to learn the hard way I guess. Passing all over is a blast particularly in the corners. The most notable moments for me were passing on the inside of 12 and on the outside of 2.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

agreed--felt like i knew people knew where i was and what i was going to do . and i was trying to do the same. 3 is a BLAST!!
Until I watched all of that sessions video I had forgotton how many shifts you have to do when running the 18's. I noticed how many times you had to come out of turn 7 in second gear, had to gear down to 3nd in turn 2 or 3, some shifting to 4th a little before the esses and sometimes not, and down to 3nd going into 6.
You did a good job with all of that, all though one time going into 5 you got a little late getting into 3nd but recovered well (remember that spin there dont ya!!!) I wish yall could experience the 17's gear reduction.
for instance once I get into 4th after cresting the hill going into 12, I dont have to shift again until I am going into 5. then back into 4th down the straight through 6 and down to 3nd again approaching 7. then 3-4 and into 5th(i shift at 8.5K) until 10A. It can get a little tricky with a 5 to 3 shift getting into 10A but then thats all the shifting i have to do,
Let me share something with you and I know yall are tired of me talking about oil temps and such--but when you redline this engine as much as I heard on the video your oil temps are through the roof---this I guarantee, I have seen it in mine. I will guarantee your oil temps are 240-250F. I am not saying that is TOO high for some ---but I would not like that. Cant argue with the fact that you have a strong car and it has taken a lot of spirited driving without complaint. I am just passing along some facts i have ran across. Please accept them for what it is worth too ya! My temps with my gearing and shifting at 8.5 is in the 220-230F range. Coolant temp is 200-210F
matter of fact during the last session Sunday it did feel like my transmission may be getting a little overheated. Anyone esle feel anything?
TOO THE BROTHERHOOD!!!!!
OD

TrackAddict

I did beep the crap out of it

How does an overheated tranny feel?

TorqueAholic

Great Video, I am looking forward to try and hang with you boys in 3 next time.

I don't think I'll make Roebling because of the Petit Lemans but I am definitely making it to Rockingham.

SilverEIGHT

I'm not going to make this one. The wife will be going down at the end of the month to her dad's and doesn't want to make two trips down. I'll just concentrate on Savannah. That sure is an enticing event though.

legokcen

I agree. Passing going down 12 is freaking insane the first time you do it. Going into turn 1 two wide, passing on the inside, is also a thrill. This has been a tough week at work. As soon as the google videos get approved, I'll post them here. The video with TA and I on Monday came out great!

legokcen

I just uploaded all my Road Atlanta videos and I got the idea to look at my old Panoz videos from 2+ years ago to see the differences. It's amazing what the progression is. Turns are very different now. In the back straight back then, I would hit maybe 110, now, I'm hitting the rev limiter in 4th. I used the go to 4th a decent amout past the big sign on the back straight, now, it's before the sign. I used to brake a little after the 3 marker going into 10, now it's right before the 1 and then trail braking into 10A. It's really amazing seeing the differences of what hanging out with you folks does.... My driving style has really changed.

If you have any old video, you should check it out.

SilverEIGHT

Hey Lego... check out Opentrck.com I think they have an image of you in turn 5 at Road Atlanta in their header! I think it's one of my shots also. I can't really see the driver good enough but it dies look like a NG.

legokcen

Yup, that's me. I'm famous!!! That's a cool shot btw. Thanks a lot.

L8APEX

I have added a few more pictures to the Gallery. I still have a lot more to process, so please be patient.

Updated Road Atlanta Gallery

SilverEIGHT

Thanks L8

valpac

iTrader: (2)

how bout that poor miata? Nice shower.

Marietta 8

Ahh to be young and fearless!!!

TrackAddict

Very nice. Thanks.

TrackAddict

I lined up the video of me following Charlie around the track in May 2005 with a lap from last weekend. I didn't choose the fastest lap or anything and indeed the difference is astounding. For me, I gained a lot more speed in turns 1-3 then the gap stopped growing quickly. Good stuff! That lap with Charlie was just under 1:55 so it was a good lap to begin with.

L8APEX

If it was raining like that for my session, you would have found my *** in the paddock, with the windows up and the engine off, sitting back with an umbrella. Track is fun, but being in that heavy of a rain on the track, does not sound like so much fun to me. I watched 4 HPDE 1 drivers sin going UP the hill after turn 5, on the first lap of their session. No thanks, my tires suck in the rain anyway.

TorqueAholic

To each his own, this was actually a great learning opportinuty. As mentionned in an earlier post, I was pretty aprehensive of the rain with my well worn tires but it turned out to be fun, just a little slower.

1) I learned to be extra smooth
2) I learned a lot about the rain line

The guys that were spinning out of five were precisely where they were not supposed to be. I know because I tried it myself on the cool down lap ( I'll put a video up shortly). If you stayed off the normal line if was a night and day difference in traction.

You're going to run into rain sooner or later, might as well learn to handle it with an instructor in the car.

P.S. Good drivers are still fast in the rain. If you read Grassroots Motorsports, last month's issue talks about lap times in the rain @ CMP. The guy in the blue Civic (Whom won the race) was turning laps 2-3 seconds faster in the rain than Levant, Nabil, and myself were turning in the dry...

L8APEX

good points, but i think I would prefer to learn in the rain, at a track like Roebling. I understand the importance of learnign to drive in the rain, but there are a lot of things at play, that are more important. I do this track thing, because it is fun, if it stops beign fun, I won't do it anymore. Driving in the rain, and trying to dodge the people that don't know how to drive in the rain, don't sound like all that much fun to me. But maybe I am just a chicken.

TorqueAholic

Good points too. Everybody has a different tolerance for risk. Everytime you put that car our on the track... Bad stuff can happen. Keep in mind that regardless of the track you will still be at risk from other drivers mistakes.

Slippery roads can be dealth with. I grew up and learned to drive in an environment where you deal with snow and ice 4 months out of the year. You get a little squarely on your first couple slides in December and you get on with your life. My grandma drove until she was 90 years old and she was still dealing with it...

As much sliding as my friends and I did late at night pretending we were on the pro-rally circuit, none of us ever put a scratch on any or our mom and dad's cars.

L8APEX

I have only driven in the snow twice, here in ATL, and did ok both times, but I had a FWD Honda. I am not a fan of snow, or ice. Unless I am skiing.

TorqueAholic

I guess there are many ways to skin a cat.. I my instructor told me to turn in a good bit later than normal and apex about 8 feet past dry the apex then shoot for a line a good bit further left than normal. Even though I did not corner too hard I "stretched" the straight, had great traction, and could have passed pretty much anybody I wanted to if I could have passed on the left. (By the way, the Skip Barber book recommended to try that line as well)

SilverEIGHT

The rain was the single best thing that happend on the weekend for my driving education. I've looked at my video and the smoothness of my driving was apparent in the latter sessions after the rain. I did not care too much for a wet interior but all said and done... great lessons learned. The off line driving was a good thing to learn. I noticed TA2 driving a similar line that my instructor was telling me. Turn 5 was wicked scary even at a slow pace when hitting the apex like TA said. Kevin said he saw 5 cars spin in front of him in turn 5. One Mustang spun twice. Guess he kept his distance, thank goodness.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

the thing i learned bout rain is that I HATE RAIN!
Anyone cracked a brake rotor yet?
OD