Tune up for Summit Point-Video

[michael lang]

Thanks!

 

[Phokaioglaukos]

Dress warmly, with natural fibers:

[*]Friday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the mid 20s. [/*]
[*]Saturday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low 20s. [/*]
At least it should be DRY.

[Mark Fox]

Dress warmly, with natural fibers:

 

There goes your lite blue leisure suit.

[72911]

Great video. Thanks for posting

[Larry Herman]

Mike, to answer your questions:

1) I prefer to downshift directly into the gear that I will use to exit the turn.  It allows me to have more time to concentrate on initial braking, which is the most critical part of the process.  Doing it properly hurts neither the clutch or the engine.  It is actually easier on them.

2) In that video, my car had a very short gearbox, and I had to shift into 3rd in the middle of the carousel, or I would run out of revs.  I found it smoother to shift into 4th before turn 7, because it would upset the car doing it between 7 & 8, and that is critical to the run up the back straight.  Also, 3rd was too short to carry through turn 8.  I have since built a trans with a little longer gears that should allow me to carry 2nd through to 7, and then 3rd all the way onto the back straight.

[michael lang]

After reading Racingswh's explanation, I starting asking a couple of friends of mine here in Washington if they do the same thing. A PCA instructor who is a good friend and business associate of mine said he does the exact same thing. Actually it is common practice and that as I get track experience and gain confidence I will probably be doing the same thing. He told me not to worry about rushing it to that level & that with my enthusiasm I will get there too.

I had no idea your car's gearbox was set-up for short gearing. That explains why the gear change in mid T6. Watching the video I couldn't figure out why you were shifting gears in that section of the track.

I hope I get a chance to talk with you at Shenandoah this month.

 

[Brian Minkin]

Have landed in Winchester.  25 degrees overnight but supposed to go to 50 tomorrow.  New additions to the Berryville Pike scene.  5 guys has opened in the Shoneys lot where the fish place used to be.  The new shopping center up the pike on the left has a good pub , chinese and a pasta and pizza place.  Staying in Winchester is looking up.  Will post again tommorow night after we have a day on Summit.

[Brian Minkin]

Good day at Summit today.  Temps got into the 40's and the track was not to slippery. I got 5 sessions in with 4 red and one combined red and black. Lots of spins in Red run group in the morning and a few into the kitty litter at turn 10.  BMW M3 off at turn 1 and head on into the wall in the red run group in the afternoon.  Driver not hurt but car is badly damaged. 30 cars per run group. Trains not a problem in the upper run groups.  Green run group however that is not the story.  Bad trains with students and instructors who had no track awarness. Painful to get around them and then you catch them again in 3 laps. Some trains with 15 or more  cars.  9 RTR members here this weekend. Calling for 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight so we will see what tomorrow brings.  Don't think Summit owns a snow plow.

[Brian Minkin]

To finish the saga...no it did not snow, just a very cold day with temps in the mid 30's.  Still a few spins and one damaged Black GT3 belonging to an RTR member who will remain nameless but the car was driven home.  Overall turn 10 is the winner for cars off this weekend.  Saw my first ever collision in the padock today.  Race prepared 944 turbo arrived today with snow covering the lexan windshield and ice on the inside of the windshield. It snowed in the Washington area.  Driver takes it off his trailer and rushing to get teched before tech closed drove right into the door of a boxster in front of him. He will be paying a fairly hefty repair bill for the boxster which sustained front fender, door , and rear quater damage. They put the 944 back together with duct tape and he ran all day.

Over all it was a good event and aside from cold hands and feet the seat time was a great start to the season.

[Phokaioglaukos]

Brian Minkin wrote:

They put the 944 back together with duct tape and he ran all day.

Yes, he did, and I kept my distance from him, too. On the track and in the paddock.

It was a fun event. Cold, but dry. I'm starting to like SP much more than I did before. It was fun to run with you in the last session, Brian.