ReidSpeed WGI quick recap (two vids inside)

[fasthonda]

hi guys!

what a great event!!!!!        RTR puts on the BEST DE events, hands down!  and the Glen is still by far my favorite track!  yahooooooooo!

considering that it was the Glen, we had really good weather (just a couple of wet run groups over the three days).  the track was in nice condition, and it wasn't even too hot!  saturday night's meal was AWESOME -- it was the best i can ever remember it;  i had two helpings of everything!!!

ok, now on to the driving!   the little white honda ran great;  nothing broke all weekend, and it didn't even burn any oil (although it burned a TON of gas!).  i love driving the Honda;  that car has been with me since early 1997, and it and i really 'click'!  

here is a clip from sunday morning's red run group.  track conditions were pretty good.  we lined up with mike dion first, bob t second, me, and kenny was a bit behind me, and then a lot of other cars.   i was using my 'DE' tires and wheels -- Hoosier RS05s, and this was the 11th (and i think final) weekend on them.  the grip level is really down on them now;  they screech like a banshee, and just generally aren't really working too well.  practically the entire time, i was behind mike dion (and i was gaining very slowly on him;  maybe a couple of car lengths per lap).  kenny was behind me, and was creeping up a few car lengths per lap.  i was pushing it pretty hard -- there wasn't very much i was leaving on the table.  the poor tires really really hurt me in the Outer Loop (i had to lift way more than usual to get it to turn and 'bite'), and also in T2;  when on fresh tires, i can FLY thru T2 and up the esses;  yesterday i had to lift alot to get it to bend into T2 properly.  if i'd have brought my fresh race rubber, i think i would have easily shaved 3-4 secs off (but i really think i have more fun on the junker rubber!!!!!  ).  at the end of the clip, you will see me suddenly slow in the Toe;  the car starved for fuel entering the corner, and i backed out of the throttle immediately:

http://www.vimeo.com/1462126

here is a quick clip from sunday afternoon's red-black wet rungroup.  it had rained pretty hard for about 15 minutes, and was slowing up as we went out onto the grid.  i had changed over to my street tires (i hadn't brought my rain tires from home -- dummy!).  my street tires are yoko 032rs, which i hadn't used for at least 5 years (but they have  been stored in my dark, dry basement, so they appear to be in good shape).  they are worn down a little below the wear bars or so....   we lined up with george in his EVO, bob t, and a few later model cars in front of me, and then a bunch of other cars.   here's the clip (the damn battery went out about 2/3 of the way thru the rungroup):

http://www.vimeo.com/1461897

it really felt super slick out there to me;  it might not be evident on the clip, but i was on the edge of traction everywhere -- braking was especially touchy;  the fronts would lock up SOOOO easily!   i really had to feather the throttle gently too, or the tires would just spin ridiculously.  its really a shame i don't have a 'wink' mirror, cause you'd see that bob t was right behind me the entire time (i passed him early on, and he latched on to my rear bumper like an amazonian leech!  bob and i were gaining on the leader (george in the red EVO), and then george had to go straight off in the bus stop.  it was SUPER  slick up there (thinking about it afterwards, i should have just been entering the brake zone much more to the right, off of the usual line;  i think oil was percolating up in the 'usual' brake zone).  i barely got slowed and turned that lap, and then we were past george.  about a minute later, the damn battery goes out!!!!  just after that, you would have seen me lock up and have to go straight in the bus stop too!  i slowed to about 10 mph, checked my mirrors to confirm it was safe (bob had slowed way down, leaving lots of room), and pulled out on the far left edge (no way i wanted to be stopped in the bus stop, trying to crane my neck around, waiting for someone else to slide thru).  a lap later i was black flagged and came into the pits.  i knew what was coming -- i should have come to a complete stop, etc, etc.  i was pointed back out on track, but i asked how much time remained -- 3 minutes!  i pulled into the paddock and put the honda on the trailer, it deserved a rest! 

man, i love the Glen!!!!!!!!!     hope to see all you guys soon at the next weekend!

Todd

[pearlcoupeg35]

Great post.  I can feel your excitement through the computer hahaha...and i feel the same way.  Awesome weekend with awesome people and cars.  Looking forward to the next one.....

 

[Mark Fox]

Great video Todd.  Are you double clutching on down shifts? It seemed like there was a fair time lag with a drop in exhaust note.

[fasthonda]

hi mark!

no, i don't double clutch in the honda;  i do match revs, though (heel N toe).  and i particularly shift slower/gentlier, and more carefully in the rain.....  i try to make it as seamless as possible going down thru the gears as i can in the rain, because it is very easy to jerk the car, or lock the wheels in that car.....

when it is dry, i shift up and down a bit faster (but still what alot of folks might call 'slow') -- i want my gear boxes to last a LONG time, and the best way to accompish that is to change fluids regularly, and to shift nice and smooth and softly!;  the loud 'click' you can hear in the video is the metal gas pedal striking the metal floorboards;  when you hear that, you know i am 'to the wood!!!'.

the gearbox in the honda (the original one that came with that motor) has about 10k track miles, at least, on it.  it shifts amazingly smoothly and perfectly;  it is one of the best shifting cars i have ever driven!   oh, and it is a 6 speed -- once up to speed at the Glen, i only use 4th, 5th, and 6th (i do shift often, to keep it in the power band;  its only a stock 2 liter 4 cyl with some bolt-ons, after all!   ).

a typical lap would go like this:

passing the front straight start/finish line i would upshift to 6th.  then downshift to 5th, then 4th for T1.  then upshift to 5th, and then shortshift to 6th just before T2.  i carry 6th all the way up the esses to the brake zone of the bus stop, and down shift to 5th for the bus stop.  i carry 5th all the way thru the outer loop, and downshift to 4th for T6 (if i had on good tires, i would keep it in 5th for T6, cause i could carry another 5-8 mph thru there).  i upshift to 5th after T6, and then downshift to 4th for the Toe.  i upshift to 5th at track out of the Toe, and then into 6th about 3/4 of the way up the Sole.  down to 5th, then 4th for T8, and upshift to 5th briefly before T9.  then back down to 4th for T9, and upshift to 5th half way to T10.  hold 5th gear thru T10, and then down to 4th for T11 (i'd keep it in 5th here with better tires), upshifting to 5th at trackout.  and back into 6th just past halfway down the front straight.  that's a typical lap!!!!

todd

ReidSpeed

[Mark Fox]

I can guess you have short gears if you are using 5 at those places mentioned.

[George3]

Great videos, Todd.  You sure do drive that Honda very well.  Too bad we couldn't do battle in the rain some more.  Since oil must have been percolating up to the track surface during the rain, I also had to blow thru the bus stop. 

Yep, they black flagged me for that, too.  (oh well, first time for everything )

Next time . . . .   

[Tony356993]

I also had to blow thru the bus stop

I went straight once also in the rain but I was a good boy and stopped and waited for the flagger to (like the black knights) "let me pass"

 

 

[michael lang]

As usual Todd, great video!!

 

[fasthonda]

michael lang wrote:

As usual Todd, great video!!

thanks! i really enjoy myself at the Glen!!!!