Maxx Schlick

Here is a link to some in car footage of some practice laps I did at our new race track (High Plains Raceway) just out side of Byers Colorado. I was on street tires and just learning my way around the track. This track is a blast, with some real good elevation changes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-ZazBQvd8E

Lan.Jet

Nice video looks like a fun track

Drug Delivery

Nice video. Wish I could downshift that nicely with no crazy over-rev and jerking car.

Maxx Schlick

The Elite Engineering Wide Gas pedal helps out a bunch. You can have your foot on the brake and blip the throttle with the side of your foot. I love it! With the stock pedal I would sometimes miss the gas pedal and foul up the downshift. With the wide gas pedal it makes it easy.
http://www.eliteengineeringusa.com/C6_Pedals.html

Bills Z06

Nice driving!

VetteDrmr

Looks like a fun track; you sure were having a good time!

Only thing I was wondering about was the dropoff if you dropped a wheel off the track; was it really as big as it looked on the video?

Thanks for sharing, and have a good one,
Mike

cgh1

Looks like a fun track!
I love the commentary
How'd you do in the TTs?
I see some things in the video that I could help you with if you are interested that will give you even more of an edge next time you're there.

Thanks for sharing your experience and the track with us!!

Maxx Schlick

This will answer the question about dropoff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pohHeThWwNE
They are still working on the track, they plan to spend about another $4 mil on finishing it.

Maxx Schlick

I started in 5th and finished in 3rd. Didn't get much TT footage because my battery ran out. I was running on Run Flat Bridgestones. All the other cars had on R compounds. The guy that placed 1st was in a totaly tricked out twin turbo Mitsubishi Evo X turned up to 27lbs of boost. 560hp. He hauls ***, as you will see from his times. Im not sure if a really good driver in a Z with Hoosiers could keep up with him.

By all means give me some feedback on what you saw that I can try.
It was my first day at the track with the Z.
My main goal that weekend was to not do anything stupid and to not push it past about 8 10ths.

Pos No. Name Best time
1 21 Clay Dellacava 1:58.884 4 77.218
2 14 Mac Miller 2:05.813
3 6 Keith Kohl 2:06.887
4 12 Jeff Burch 2:07.420
5 71 Eugene Kolmanovich 2:07.689
6 42 Justin Schuh 2:08.820
7 22 Erron Spalsbury 2:08.832
8 23 Eric Poss 2:09.069
9 95 David Jobusch 2:09.546
10 43 Doug Young 2:10.664
11 8 Tai Kahn 2:11.338
12 86 John Scheier 2:12.309
13 62 Mark Mauro 2:13.092
14 68 Mark Foust 2:14.224
15 77 Brad Huseman 2:16.270

cgh1

Just based on your video, it looks like there are many places where you were pinching turns - adding more steering angle towards the end of the turn or at least not unwinding as the turn resolves - which means you have to wait to apply throttle. Some turns (type 3) that are part of a complex may require this but there seem to be others that it looked like you could drive in deeper, apply more steering angle on the front end so that you can unwind/straighten the wheel sooner and then get on the power sooner. The sooner you're on the power, the longer you're on the power... the longer you are, the faster you go and thus lower lap times (obviously.)

I don't know turn #s at HPR but it seemed common enough that if you watch your video, looking for steering angle as related to the track incidence in front of the car, you'll see what I mean. It shows up as a fair amount of understeer which you can hear as tire noise in the video.

Getting around the fastest is about keeping the rolling momentum as high as possible on average around the entire lap.

Look for places where you can steer less overall, open the steering sooner, and thus get on the power sooner.

Next time you're out, since your camera angle doesn't show the left side of the steering wheel, put a vertical tape line up the steering wheel center (hub) and then review your video and add up all steering angle around the entire lap (90* for T1 + 110* for T2 = 200* total, etc.) Unwinding doesn't get added - unless you are in fact turning back the other direction to facilitate a turn, like in the Esses in your video. Then look for sections/places that you can reduce gross steering angle. A 10% reduction across the whole lap (say the sum number is 2011*, 10% = 201* reduction) can produce full seconds in lap time reduction.

Certainly in places where you are adding steering angle at the end of the turn, think about later apexes and flatter exits. Freeing the nose up to roll instead of slide (especially later in the turn) will result in higher exit speeds, even without changing your throttle pickup point or intensity. Simply because your overall momentum goes up due to reduced drag caused by a sliding tire vs. a rolling tire.

Hopefully this proves helpful and all makes sense.

Maxx Schlick

Chuck, Thanks for that info, a lot do digest but I will definantly work on it. Sounds like you know what you are talking about.

Maxx Schlick

I posted this same video on our local SCCA TT forum and was flamed and some thought I should be banned from TT.

The only 3 passing zones were the long straight, the short straight passed the flag stand, and the real short straight at the bottom of the downhill bobsled (between 10 and 11). Car being passed is supposed to hold the line, car passing is supposed to go off line.

I made the defensive reply, you see below, but was wondering what you guys may think.

I didn't pass anyone without a wave by. It is hard to see some wave bys in the video, but is easy in real life.
After turn 8 The Porsche did not hit the gas, practically pulled off the road and signaled me to pass him. I knew it was not proper, but it was safe so I took it. We were both wrong.

After turn 10 the Honda pulled off line and to the wrong side of the road, got off the gas and signaled me to pass him, again not proper etiquite, but safe, so done deal. We were both wrong.

Going into turn 4 following Mark Mauro in the RX8, as we were passing the other car, that gave us 2 seperate wave bys, Mark knew I was behind him, and gave me the wave, a little close to the end of the zone, but no problem. We both know that he has to brake way earlier than I do.

As for the RX7 at the end of the video, I was getting ready to pass him, but didn't pass him because he didn't seem to be very aware of what was happening. Didn't give me or the other car a wave by, even though we were on his bumper for a long time. I really don't think he was even using his mirrors. (Not a good thing when you are the slowest car on the track) I gave him plenty of time and room between us. Once he finally realized I was even there he kinda freaked and drove it into the dirt for no aperrant reason. It's not like I was real close to him, there was more than a full car width between us, side to side.

If you are on the interstate and someone is driving 45mph in the left lane, you are not supposed to ever pass on the right side, but what are you going to do.

At a NASA event at Pueblo there was an instructor (the group leader in HPDE 3, of all people) who was talking on a hand held radio, get on track right in between the fastest car and me, who were running real close together (at about a buck forty five going down the straightaway into turn 1). I had to jamb the brakes and slowed to his crawl pace, followed him thru a couple of turns, and then he finally, adamantly, and frantically, signaled me to pass him in a no passing zone (4 to 5). I hesitated because I knew he was the big boss, and I knew it was wrong to pass in that section, and thought I might be being set up. But after he still did not hit the gas and signaled a pass again, I took it and got around him.
We talked about the incident at the download, and he admitted that he screwed up about 10 different ways, and that I made the right move, considering the circumstances.

Rules are rules but sometimes you have to adapt to the circumstances and make a split second decision.
__________________

cgh1

Passing in an area designated as no-passing, and on the incorrect side - either without a white flag situation is usually major no-no in the HPDE world. Since you said this was a TT event, I didn't know from the first post that you weren't under TT rules (pass anywhere with a point-by on the passee's side of choice...)

Since we're talking DE rules...
As the passer, those situations should be waved off. The person doing the pointing should give another point-by at the next passing area (and hopefully in the proper direction/side) to resolve the traffic issue.

Making a late pass is frowned upon and shouldn't be too frequent but is excusable in certain situations - as you said, sometimes we have to make split second decisions about the safe thing to do.

As for riding beside someone to get a point by - - that's the one that'd have me black flagging you. Driving someone's mirrors is one thing but being beside them when not actively passing them (the car-width incident you mentioned) in a DE environment can lead to just what happened - surprising the other driver and having them make irrational decisions that lead to off-track excursions. That can be dangerous. And I may be totally misinterpreting the situation based on the description you proffered.

While tailgating is certainly not endorsed, one may have to knock on someone's doors or drive their mirrors a little at the entrance to a passing area to inform them that you'd like a point-by/wake them up to one's presence. Tailgating for long periods - especially in places other than passing zones or their entrance areas can lead to what we see in the Corvette/Ferrari LRP video posted recently in another thread - not worth it.

Honestly though, I saw nothing in the video that justifies banning from events... that's way too extreme in my opinion. In fact, until you pointed it out, the only thing that stood out until you mentioned it in this post was the pass on the wrong side. Of course, I was more interested in line and inputs than traffic.

I guess if I were in your shoes and the event organizers (not an online forum/communities' personal opinions well after the fact...) lamented to me about such behavior, I'd be questioning them as to why the black flag was not displayed to me to make sure I understood the rules.

At the NCM event at NJMP, they were (properly) black flagging people for giving point-bys in the incorrect direction as much or more than the people who were doing the passing. We also gotta remember that the guy/gal in the TSX looking up in their mirrors and seeing something as intimidating as a Z06 with significant closing speed is understandably more likely to panic and just point in any direction to keep from holding the Z up and get outta the way. It's up to us as drivers of the faster car to do the right thing and wave-off incorrect point-bys and/or maybe even remind them of the proper passing etiquette (I'll often turn on my blinker on the proper side or signal inside the car to remind them...after I've waved the offer off.)

cgh1

Happy to help if/when I can.
You could say I've had a lap or two...

Short-Throw

Chuck is one of the best in the business! He articulates in ways that are conducive to student's learning styles. He is very thorough in the classroom and really helps the student connect with what is being discussed in the classroom and having it transferred into the driver's seat.

Oh, and he's had more than a lap or two!

He's one of the few on a very short list that I have let drive the Beast!



Mike

ZO6NTHEWIND

Mike:

I feel privileged just to have a ride in 'The Beast'

David

Maxx Schlick

One of the chief stewads of our events had this to say on the SCCA TT forum about the video and the rules, and the discussion...

"For SCCA PDX/CTT, rules are rules, and we expect drivers to take responsibility for following those rules as the default, as well as be responsible when an alternative is the right thing to do".

So in a nutshell, sometimes not following the rules is the right thing to do. Just don't post a video of it up for all to see, after you got away with it cleanly at the time.:o

cgh1

The Spark

Thought that was just me.