Lap Timers & Students

[Larry Herman]

Here's a funny (and self-indulgent) story about lap times.  In 1990 a few of us went down to the Akin-White 944 endurance racing school at Sebring.  We were taught braking and apexing, and a lot of stuff that most of us knew already.  We wanted to learn about racing.  Anyway things went at a calm pace until we had our "race" and they sent us out to qualify.

We were running 45s on the short course and they told us just to take it easy in qualifying because their club record was a "low 44".  That was absolutely the wrong thing to say.  With the bit between my teeth I beat on that car and cranked out a 44:02.  I turned the car over to Tony Bonanni and strode over to the instructors to ask how much lower a "44" that they ran.   With that the car came to a screaching halt as the trans packed it in for poor Tony right in front of everyone, and all eyes turned to me. hock:

The point is that knowing your lap times can sometimes cause the competitive juices to flow, and you start driving in a way that is counterproductive (to learning or relability).