Mid Ohio DE October 21 & 22

[Brian Minkin]

Mid Ohio was a great experience and definetly the most technically difficult track I have driven. Many blind turns and rythm is crucial to drive it smoothly. Not a high horse power track, it is all about car control. Weather Saturday was cool (high of about 50) so tires stayed cold but it was dry. Took about 4 laps for the tires to get some grip. Drove 4  (1/2 hour) sessions on Saturday and after the first two I began to get the line and reference points down.   Average lap times in session 4 was 1:50 which is very good for a first timer there. In the Northern Ohio region, regardless of how much experience you have you must drive with an instructor your first time at the track.  They will sign you off as soon as they are confident that you know the track. I worked with Cindy Wing who is a local professional instructor at the track as well as a PCA instructor and based on her recommendation have been invited to instruct there with the Northern Ohio Region next time I return to Mid Ohio.  Sunday was very cold (40's) and rainy.  Since being repaved Mid Ohio has been coating the concrete patches at the turns with some kind of sealer and as a result when the track is wet it is like ice. You need to drive a wet line and avoid these patches and even with the wet line I got sideways in turn 1,  and turn 8 (madness) a couple of times.  ( saved it each time but it does make your heart rate pick up!)   Basically the track is one giant skid pad in the rain. There where lots of offs but no damaged cars.  The people in the Northern Ohio region are very friendly and put on a very ogranized 1st class event.

[ZBlue996Kam]

To the best of my memory there was only one blind turn!  Horse Power definitely help at Mid-Ohio if you don't over brake at the end of the back straight.  That back straight is not short.

Now you need to try my favorite track Tremblant.

Hey, if you like Mid-Ohio you're my kind of driver.

[Marty Kocse]

Brian Minkin wrote:

Mid Ohio was a great experience and definetly the most technically difficult track I have driven. Many blind turns and rythm is crucial to drive it smoothly. Not a high horse power track, it is all about car control. Weather Saturday was cool (high of about 50) so tires stayed cold but it was dry. Took about 4 laps for the tires to get some grip. Drove 4 (1/2 hour) sessions on Saturday and after the first two I began to get the line and reference points down. Average lap times in session 4 was 1:50 which is very good for a first timer there. In the Northern Ohio region, regardless of how much experience you have you must drive with an instructor your first time at the track. They will sign you off as soon as they are confident that you know the track. I worked with Cindy Wing who is a local professional instructor at the track as well as a PCA instructor and based on her recommendation have been invited to instruct there with the Northern Ohio Region next time I return to Mid Ohio. Sunday was very cold (40's) and rainy. Since being repaved Mid Ohio has been coating the concrete patches at the turns with some kind of sealer and as a result when the track is wet it is like ice. You need to drive a wet line and avoid these patches and even with the wet line I got sideways in turn 1, and turn 8 (madness) a couple of times. ( saved it each time but it does make your heart rate pick up!) Basically the track is one giant skid pad in the rain. There where lots of offs but no damaged cars. The people in the Northern Ohio region are very friendly and put on a very ogranized 1st class event.

Sorry I missed it. Even with the weather, I would have liked to have gone. Maybe next year.

[Brian Minkin]

Kam,

Only one blind turn as in apex over the hill but several where you do not see the apex when entering the turn.  Because Keyhole is such a tight turn if you can increase your speed before hit the apex and full throttle by the apex you can match the high horse guys down the back straight. Seems like the mid west guys dont drive as hard as we eastern nuts (yes they say we are nuts) so my sense of high hp cars not having an advantage may be distorted by the drivers I was with. However I found that every thing after the back straight was so technical that it was the equalizer for those in low hp cars that had a good line and could carry speed through the rest of the track. There where NA 944's that got around GT3's and 993 Twin Turbo.

[Brian Minkin]

Marty Kocse wrote:

Sorry I missed it. Even with the weather, I would have liked to have gone. Maybe next year.

Marty,

It was worth the 9 hour drive. I will try to get a group together for one of the events at Mid Ohio for next year. I need more practice to master this track.