Le Mans 24 hours
06-11-2011, 09:44 PM
#81
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
I thought this was particularly telling and explanatory, esp since it's from both Mike Waltrip (a definite pro racer) and referencing McNish prior to the race. Notice the parts underlined, no matter if the GT drivers are pro or am....
"During a 4-minute lap, being 15 seconds off the pace will tick you off, but there's a lot of places on the track that if you err on the conservative side, you live to tell about it. You go over that edge, they'll be picking you out of the tires. We've seen a lot of cars crash, and I know that's not what we're here for; it takes patience to do this. You want to run more during a practice, but it takes so long to make a lap, and I had only 20 minutes. That's four laps. At Bristol, a fuel run is 130-140 laps. Here it's 12 laps.
There are a lot more buttons and switches on the Ferrari 458 than my Sprint Cup Toyota. There are a lot of things the driver can adjust and work on while driving and that the crew can monitor in real time. We have telemetry all over this car. I can change the traction control. I can have it be more effective or less depending on how the car's handling. I can change the mixture of fuel from rich to lean. Rich is faster but burns more fuel. When the track gets wet, there are several changes in the cockpit to make to keep performance up through traction control. There's a wiper and a defroster and all the parts of the puzzle to ensure you can see. One of the most difficult parts of racing in the rain is having good visibility.
We're running in the GTE division, and it can be very hard to stay out of the way of the prototype cars in the premier class. They tell you, "Hold your line, and they'll go around you," but one mistake can end your race. They're so much faster than the GTE cars. I know they're not supposed to run over me, but I need to do whatever I can to make sure I don't get run over. That means giving them the room to go. It's like a Formula One car catching you. The tricky part is you can't see well out of the car. You see lights behind you, and if it's a prototype, they consume you in seconds. Two-time Le Mans champion Allan McNish said the prototype drivers will commit a couple hundred yards before reaching a GT car. They lap 40 seconds quicker than us, so you deal with one every lap.
Mainly, it's been about just figuring out the track, though. I can close my eyes and drive around Watkins Glen and Sonoma, knowing every turn and where to be in the groove. But this circuit has 38 turns — which makes perfect sense with me being lost most of the time. It's more intense to learn. We practiced for four hours on the final session and wanted a couple more laps because you learn something every circuit. We're the only team in the field with three rookies, so we're experiencing everything together for the first time. With my co-drivers Robert Kauffman and Rui Aguas, we qualified 44th overall of 15th in class."
fr: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...s-nascar_N.htm
"During a 4-minute lap, being 15 seconds off the pace will tick you off, but there's a lot of places on the track that if you err on the conservative side, you live to tell about it. You go over that edge, they'll be picking you out of the tires. We've seen a lot of cars crash, and I know that's not what we're here for; it takes patience to do this. You want to run more during a practice, but it takes so long to make a lap, and I had only 20 minutes. That's four laps. At Bristol, a fuel run is 130-140 laps. Here it's 12 laps.
There are a lot more buttons and switches on the Ferrari 458 than my Sprint Cup Toyota. There are a lot of things the driver can adjust and work on while driving and that the crew can monitor in real time. We have telemetry all over this car. I can change the traction control. I can have it be more effective or less depending on how the car's handling. I can change the mixture of fuel from rich to lean. Rich is faster but burns more fuel. When the track gets wet, there are several changes in the cockpit to make to keep performance up through traction control. There's a wiper and a defroster and all the parts of the puzzle to ensure you can see. One of the most difficult parts of racing in the rain is having good visibility.
We're running in the GTE division, and it can be very hard to stay out of the way of the prototype cars in the premier class. They tell you, "Hold your line, and they'll go around you," but one mistake can end your race. They're so much faster than the GTE cars. I know they're not supposed to run over me, but I need to do whatever I can to make sure I don't get run over. That means giving them the room to go. It's like a Formula One car catching you. The tricky part is you can't see well out of the car. You see lights behind you, and if it's a prototype, they consume you in seconds. Two-time Le Mans champion Allan McNish said the prototype drivers will commit a couple hundred yards before reaching a GT car. They lap 40 seconds quicker than us, so you deal with one every lap.
Mainly, it's been about just figuring out the track, though. I can close my eyes and drive around Watkins Glen and Sonoma, knowing every turn and where to be in the groove. But this circuit has 38 turns — which makes perfect sense with me being lost most of the time. It's more intense to learn. We practiced for four hours on the final session and wanted a couple more laps because you learn something every circuit. We're the only team in the field with three rookies, so we're experiencing everything together for the first time. With my co-drivers Robert Kauffman and Rui Aguas, we qualified 44th overall of 15th in class."
fr: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...s-nascar_N.htm
06-11-2011, 09:47 PM
#82
Le Mans Master
yeah rob maybe I'll go make my crap post over there. some guy from wall street with lotsa dollars and mike waltrip as one of three drivers, makes a mistake, miscalculation, driver error. but doesn't touch a car going 180+. yeah that's exactly who rockenfeller wants to be on the track with. maybe some posters here LIKE to see crashes; I don't.
made no statement on the other ferrari incident.
right, it's not a minor error,
not when another car disintegrates as result of that split second error. no idea exactly how much better the audis are now designed, but I'd say after watching two of them crash, my take is pretty well done. thankfully, for both drivers.
made no statement on the other ferrari incident.
right, it's not a minor error,
not when another car disintegrates as result of that split second error. no idea exactly how much better the audis are now designed, but I'd say after watching two of them crash, my take is pretty well done. thankfully, for both drivers.2. Drivers make errors. Maybe you don't make any in life, but you are the first since Jesus walked this earth.
3. The Ferrari in the second incident did NOT hit the Audi. However he did pinch down when he shouldn't have.
4. I do NOT like seeing crashes. My first race was in 1959, and I've seen a lot of them since. Losing friends is never nice.
5. Racing is dangerous and accidents happen. Why do you want to hammer this one incident? I'll withdraw my "crap post" if that makes you feel better.
06-11-2011, 09:57 PM
#83
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
we agree on something: I don't like seeing crashes either. esp. since they don't always end the way these two did with drivers walking away (just about).
hammering on this incident? I don't think so. being signaled with lights in advance, those bright lights, I'll say possibly the lead driver just didn't see the lights. if that's so, maybe someone needs to think about that one.
the first incident/accident? I'll leave that to the experts---you sound like one---but my impression is it could have been a decent, or not judgment call. it will be debated by some for a long time, just not me.
and sure, you can withdraw your 'crap post' but you already made it.
after all, if it was so crappy of me to post up what I did, M. Waltrip wouldn't have written what he did long before the race which essentially reminded him, and most likely his teammates, just what the situation could be like out on the track. his was a statement of facts as he sees it, from his professional driving experience, and I respect that perspective quite a bit.
hammering on this incident? I don't think so. being signaled with lights in advance, those bright lights, I'll say possibly the lead driver just didn't see the lights. if that's so, maybe someone needs to think about that one.
the first incident/accident? I'll leave that to the experts---you sound like one---but my impression is it could have been a decent, or not judgment call. it will be debated by some for a long time, just not me.
and sure, you can withdraw your 'crap post' but you already made it.
after all, if it was so crappy of me to post up what I did, M. Waltrip wouldn't have written what he did long before the race which essentially reminded him, and most likely his teammates, just what the situation could be like out on the track. his was a statement of facts as he sees it, from his professional driving experience, and I respect that perspective quite a bit.
06-11-2011, 09:59 PM
#84
Le Mans Master
I thought this was particularly telling and explanatory, esp since it's from both Mike Waltrip (a definite pro racer) and referencing McNish prior to the race. Notice the parts underlined, no matter if the GT drivers are pro or am....
"During a 4-minute lap, being 15 seconds off the pace will tick you off, but there's a lot of places on the track that if you err on the conservative side, you live to tell about it. You go over that edge, they'll be picking you out of the tires. We've seen a lot of cars crash, and I know that's not what we're here for; it takes patience to do this. You want to run more during a practice, but it takes so long to make a lap, and I had only 20 minutes. That's four laps. At Bristol, a fuel run is 130-140 laps. Here it's 12 laps.
There are a lot more buttons and switches on the Ferrari 458 than my Sprint Cup Toyota. There are a lot of things the driver can adjust and work on while driving and that the crew can monitor in real time. We have telemetry all over this car. I can change the traction control. I can have it be more effective or less depending on how the car's handling. I can change the mixture of fuel from rich to lean. Rich is faster but burns more fuel. When the track gets wet, there are several changes in the cockpit to make to keep performance up through traction control. There's a wiper and a defroster and all the parts of the puzzle to ensure you can see. One of the most difficult parts of racing in the rain is having good visibility.
We're running in the GTE division, and it can be very hard to stay out of the way of the prototype cars in the premier class. They tell you, "Hold your line, and they'll go around you," but one mistake can end your race. They're so much faster than the GTE cars. I know they're not supposed to run over me, but I need to do whatever I can to make sure I don't get run over. That means giving them the room to go. It's like a Formula One car catching you. The tricky part is you can't see well out of the car. You see lights behind you, and if it's a prototype, they consume you in seconds. Two-time Le Mans champion Allan McNish said the prototype drivers will commit a couple hundred yards before reaching a GT car. They lap 40 seconds quicker than us, so you deal with one every lap.
Mainly, it's been about just figuring out the track, though. I can close my eyes and drive around Watkins Glen and Sonoma, knowing every turn and where to be in the groove. But this circuit has 38 turns — which makes perfect sense with me being lost most of the time. It's more intense to learn. We practiced for four hours on the final session and wanted a couple more laps because you learn something every circuit. We're the only team in the field with three rookies, so we're experiencing everything together for the first time. With my co-drivers Robert Kauffman and Rui Aguas, we qualified 44th overall of 15th in class."
fr: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...s-nascar_N.htm
"During a 4-minute lap, being 15 seconds off the pace will tick you off, but there's a lot of places on the track that if you err on the conservative side, you live to tell about it. You go over that edge, they'll be picking you out of the tires. We've seen a lot of cars crash, and I know that's not what we're here for; it takes patience to do this. You want to run more during a practice, but it takes so long to make a lap, and I had only 20 minutes. That's four laps. At Bristol, a fuel run is 130-140 laps. Here it's 12 laps.
There are a lot more buttons and switches on the Ferrari 458 than my Sprint Cup Toyota. There are a lot of things the driver can adjust and work on while driving and that the crew can monitor in real time. We have telemetry all over this car. I can change the traction control. I can have it be more effective or less depending on how the car's handling. I can change the mixture of fuel from rich to lean. Rich is faster but burns more fuel. When the track gets wet, there are several changes in the cockpit to make to keep performance up through traction control. There's a wiper and a defroster and all the parts of the puzzle to ensure you can see. One of the most difficult parts of racing in the rain is having good visibility.
We're running in the GTE division, and it can be very hard to stay out of the way of the prototype cars in the premier class. They tell you, "Hold your line, and they'll go around you," but one mistake can end your race. They're so much faster than the GTE cars. I know they're not supposed to run over me, but I need to do whatever I can to make sure I don't get run over. That means giving them the room to go. It's like a Formula One car catching you. The tricky part is you can't see well out of the car. You see lights behind you, and if it's a prototype, they consume you in seconds. Two-time Le Mans champion Allan McNish said the prototype drivers will commit a couple hundred yards before reaching a GT car. They lap 40 seconds quicker than us, so you deal with one every lap.
Mainly, it's been about just figuring out the track, though. I can close my eyes and drive around Watkins Glen and Sonoma, knowing every turn and where to be in the groove. But this circuit has 38 turns — which makes perfect sense with me being lost most of the time. It's more intense to learn. We practiced for four hours on the final session and wanted a couple more laps because you learn something every circuit. We're the only team in the field with three rookies, so we're experiencing everything together for the first time. With my co-drivers Robert Kauffman and Rui Aguas, we qualified 44th overall of 15th in class."
fr: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...s-nascar_N.htm
Maybe my "crap post" was harsh, and I apologize for that. Ferrari takes a beating on here, and the 'rich kids playing in their Ferrari and trying to kill people' tone of your post, at least that's how I read it, hit me wrong.
The drivers, pro or amateur, in Ferraris or Audis or any other marque, are damned good.
I've raced, and would always appreciate more practice before it counts. I've made a few split second errors, actually quite minor in nature, and regretted them. That is racing. That is life.
No fight from me, and sorry that I offended you.
Great race going on.
06-11-2011, 10:09 PM
#85
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Completely agree, Jack! No harm no foul.
And yes, I'll admit possibly the "Ferrari-ness" of it all got to me a bit. I'd like to think not, but maybe.
Mistakes are made esp. under racing, high pressure situations, and at night, no less. And preparation, and more of same is always welcomed, and needed, and wanted.
Good posts, Jack.
And yes, I'll admit possibly the "Ferrari-ness" of it all got to me a bit. I'd like to think not, but maybe.
Mistakes are made esp. under racing, high pressure situations, and at night, no less. And preparation, and more of same is always welcomed, and needed, and wanted.
Good posts, Jack.
06-11-2011, 10:20 PM
#86
Race Director
glad you guys made good... now can you give me an update on team corvette please? im working and can't monitor it.....
06-11-2011, 10:26 PM
#87
Le Mans Master
Vette #74 continues to lead GTE Pro, #73 is currently 5th, #50 is 2nd in GTE Am. With 13 hours to go, everything is up in the air. Have fun at work. 
Last year looked promising, till both cars were knocked out of contention. 
06-11-2011, 11:13 PM
#92
Beretta is fine and back in pits- will most likely be in car before too much longer.
frankc5r
C6R team member at LeMans
06-11-2011, 11:17 PM
#93
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06-11-2011, 11:21 PM
#94
Le Mans Master
great race for corvette so far, great luck, and a great car. the best thing is very early in the race a reporter was talking to one of the drivers and joked the the c6r's had been holding back all week. the driver smirked and said they just wanted to be/stay in good shape until the last couple of hours of the race when they could do some hard charging.
06-11-2011, 11:31 PM
#98
Drifting
I've been watching ever since I got home at around 8:00 EST. I'm thrilled to be able to watch this on my computer - especially the live stream from the #73 car. The race is so exciting.
I wish this live stream lasted forever so that I could have this epic noise playing all the time. Better than music.
I wish this live stream lasted forever so that I could have this epic noise playing all the time. Better than music.
06-11-2011, 11:52 PM
#99
Race Director
thanks a lot. keep it coming please. go corvette!!
06-11-2011, 11:58 PM
#100
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