shuiend

iTrader: (24)

Here is a link to the first album. These are pics of Gryff on here. Rick is working on getting more done.

Gryff

iTrader: (6)

I agree 100% Im trying to get myself a suit sometime in the next two months.

Awesome pictures lars! thanks for coming out with us and taking pics/chilling/ having fun ect!

It was also great to meet everyone this weekend, mike, bryan, steve, joe. I certainly cant wait until the next opportunity arises! Hopefully it will be CMP in feb!

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

I almost didn't wear the suit at all because of feeling overdressed. My instructor at Sebring wore shorts and a t-shirt and I was wearing the suit and a Nomex hood and the shoes. I felt a bit stupid. I asked him if he wasn't at least supposed to have on long pants and sleeves and he laughed and said "Not for what you are doing." I wondered if that was a crack at how slow I was driving or how little regard he had for HPDE. Real racers think we are a joke I guess. They are probably right, but the danger is just as real.

I must confess I wore jeans and wool longjohns on the second day instead of the suit. But I wore no synthetics on the track. I still wore my Nomex hood though.

My suit is a secondhand set that came from a buddy that used to race circle track. I'm not too proud to use used race gear. I would have bought a clearance sale outfit if I didn't find this one. I bet if you put a "wanted" ad for a used suit on one of the racing forums you could get one for near free.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

Not sure really, but I have heard it said many times that its more likely your car will catch fire than flip over. Not sure if that's coupe guys saying that to make themselves feel better about not having a roll bar.

Many clubs allow short sleeves on hot days, but I haven't seen a club allow shorts on track before.

Lastly, as for the instructor it all depends. I have had instructors who swear by the school line and practically refuse to acknowledge the TT/racing line as a viable option, while I have had an instructor who told me that the TT/racing line is only one thats viable really. I mean the others are there for sure, but why go slower?

With that said, every racer who has gotten in my car always wore a hans or similar device. I would say half and half wore nomex when available. Usually they wore it the first few sessions to make sure I wasn't crazy and my car wasn't fireprone and called it day after that.

Gryff

iTrader: (6)

Joe, How different are say the TT line from the school line? I wouldnt think that they would be terribly different would they? infact, about the only thing I can thnk of as far as RA is turn 12...

Steve, i know how you feel, but I cant help but feel that It would be an invaluable piece of equipment to have, you can never be too safe afterall.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

Here is a link to some pictures of Track.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

turn 3 is different, depending on the level or racing and the car, they will have all 4 on the gators. turn 1 is different, they tend to carry maximum speed and track out a bit further than us. They rape the gators through the esses, and turn 5 I am not sure about exactly, but they tend to turn in a bit early and eat up the left hand gators a lot. I have seen some use the right hand gator right before turn in, but BE CAREFUL because thats your braking zone, so make sure you are on the slope and not fully on the gator. I think the idea is to pull the car a bit to the right for a wide turn in. They also don't go over the trackout gators like NASA encourages you to do (depends on the aero and level of racing here). Turn 6, they turn in really early. Like the middle line early, while the school line is to turn in just at or slightly after the 3rd line (closest to the corner). Turn 7 is pretty much the same, late apex, track out all the way to the gators and roll on the throttle. The chicane and turn 12 are all considered one turn. TT line turns in earlier than the end of the gator in the braking zone for the chicane (this is another place Gary got annoyed with me on), they trackout to the gators after the chicane and get over to practically pit entrance (not the one we used, but the pit entrance for the racers. The one on the right side). The apex and turn in for 12 is the same. late apex,about the 3rd-ish green gator for the furthest gator in the turn.

Random descriptions, but once I put my videos up, you can get an idea of the TT line, as I have learned it at least. I am sure Bryan can probably provide better insight into this than I can.

Gryff

iTrader: (6)

Ok, thats pretty much what I was thinking. I knew how 12 was, turn 1 and 3 do not surprise me at all, nor do the esses. I hadnt thought of that for turn 5, but it makes sense. I was already doing 6 a good bit earlier than they were teaching. russ was cool with it. I am kinda surprised that they dont use track out gators at 6, I can understand why, but at the same time, It makes the track out area a good bit larger too.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

^Its just not needed from what I understand. if you watch videos of the ALMS cars, they don't even get on the turn 6 gators.

Gryff

iTrader: (6)

True, The one time I did use it, it was on purpose.

GeneSplicer

iTrader: (14)

^ +1 - a halo racetech is in my near future, as well as a 3 layer nomex 1 piece suit. I too was wearing my 1 layer GeForce for the few brief laps I was able to run before #3 let go. Can NEVER have enough safety! That's why I like Emilio's ESS auto extingushing system with the TC thermocouples - reaches a certain temp and the system is activated, just in case you're knocked out cold like your buddy

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Now that you mention it, the instructor that wore shorts and a t-shirt still wore a Hans.

My instructor's line in turn 1 wasn't wide on track out when I watched him running TT and he set the track record for TTB this weekend so he's no slouch. He was also faster than all of the TTA guys this weekend and they are the next level up. He was giddy about it. I never got to ride with him in his car because it only had one seat, but I rode with him and let him drive mine. I learned a lot from it.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

Here are pictures of Sixshooter.

GeneSplicer

iTrader: (14)

And Joe is driving a freakin nissan sentra 4door with a VQ35 engine transplant... 255fwdhp! When 5pt harness, I always wear my Hans - I feel inadequately protected without it, especially when instructing a fast car with oem belts and no roll bar/cage - like the 911s I was in last time I instructed at RA

Now Six - you shoulda told me, I could have gotten you with Sandro for some time in a GT3 - I did, awesomely fast!

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

yea, I am just saying, its a bit further out than us. I know my first instructor didn't want me to track out past the tree, which seemed tight to me when I had 1 1/2 to 2 car lengths to the left.

m2cupcar

iTrader: (5)

Proper! The bumps are smoother at the very inside edge in T10a. Earlier apex = less steering = more speed. Also- me at 10A.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

Doppelgänger

iTrader: (12)

Ugh...I need to get out there with you guys soon. It was nice to see some familiar faces (Lars, Steve, Gary) and meet a few of you gays (Bryan, Joe and Collin). Sucks that Bryan got all greedy and killed his tranny before I got there, I really wanted to see the Zero in action.

I do need to do a few things before I go beat on the car like that though...ditch my reroute, get a spare set of front pads, address the rust scales in my radiator, and get an alignment. Maybe the next time NASA has an event at RA I'll actually be driving.

m2cupcar

iTrader: (5)

QFT- a (Spec) Miata will be able to tolerate bumps that a prepared car can't since it has a (relatively) soft suspension. Then there's instructors that haven't ventured out to the ragged edge of the rumble strips (either because of their own car or personal limits) and surely don't want the student there OR they have been there and don't want the student there because they know.

I will say this- the quickest way around Rd. Atlanta in a Miata requires being all over the rumble strips. Or in turn 5's case, it requires driving across them to the no-man's-land, onto the cut through asphalt and then re-entering the track at the top of the hill. For maximum speed my right tires will literally jump the gap between no-man's-land (the painted concrete outside of the T5 exit rumble strips) and the cut through asphalt. And shortly after that will be the rev limiter in 3rd. Would I want to ride with a student on that line- hell no!

Go to 2:54 in this vid to see T5 and the advantage of using all the paved area outside of T5 exit strips. The exit speed is greatly improved with less need for steering (larger arch, less later G's, less scrub...)

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

Very nice video! Thanks for sharing Rob. I can see a few places where my line is a bit lacking, Do you have more videos to share?