VIR with Chin

[ThunderMoose]

I just finished Mon-Tue event at VIR with Chin. I had broken my splitter last time I was there in March so I came in on Saturday to install the new splitter.

My goal this year was to break 2:00. I did a 2:02.44 last August and it was hot as heck. This March, the best I could do was a 2:03 on some scrubs. Yesterday I managed a 2:02.33 on 12+ HC. I improved by another tenth this morning and had a another 2:02.xx in the second session even with hotter temps and about a 7 mph drop in top speed. The car and tires had nothing left...

Serendipitously, I was parked next to a street E46 M3. Laguna Seca Blue with some very tasteful mods. The owner was Pro Racing driver Scott Heckert. We got to chatting and he offered to put down a data lap for me after lunch which was even hotter. I kinda explained my goals and we went through some braking points pre lap.

I watch him go out and after second lap I see him dropping back. I am thinking uh oh. I went back to my pop up but I can see he's still going at it. Turns out he was just trying to get free of traffic. He runs the full session which I am wondering how since A7's tend to get greasy after 4-5 laps. Checker comes out and he comes in. I help him get out of car and he's like "what a blast!" He then tells me that car probably has a 1:57 in it with the tires I have on it. I am like WTF. The TT3 track record is 1:59.x and that was under an old and faster rule set. He did 1:59.1 with some traffic exiting hog pen! 3 seconds faster than my best. Video below.

Scott was extremely cool. He sat down with me and we looked at AIM data as well as the smartycam video. Thank goodness I didn't have to waste an hour doing overlay. Just pop the SIM card and watch his awesomeness. I basically did what he did but he just did EVERYTHING a LOT better. I'll be watching his video and studying his data for weeks to come.

I told him that he took away every excuse I had - too hot. Not! Tires all used up. Not! Too much traffic. Not!

I was happy that the car had it in it since I have pretty much built it up to where it is over last 6 years. I am hopeful that I can apply his lessons and get sub 2:00 though I am no pro by any stretch but I have a lot of good insights as to what the car is capable of doing.

Peter Krause was also there Monday doing turn by turn virtual track walk. He and Ross Bentley have a bunch of these and he was awesome.

Great event!

Enjoy...

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by ThunderMoose

He sat down with me and we looked at AIM data as well as the smartycam video.

Very cool. Any chance you're willing to share some AIM data charts and show us his driving style/characteristics versus yours?

If you are, it would be cool to overlay his fast lap with your fast lap and show: GPS Speed on Chart 1, Brake and Gas on Chart 2, along with the time delta at the bottom.

I understand if you don't want to, but since I put up AIM charts all the time, I don't feel shy about asking...

[ricardofors68]

I have the virtual track walk for VIR, I consider it my home track but wont be back until August. Sub 2 mins on an E92 is impressive to me. Just got my AIM stuff together so I'm no able to start recording lap times. You guys are throwing the bar waay up there.
Cant wait to the see the video.

[admranger]

Very interesting! So much fun to have a better driver show you what can be done in your car. To have the video and data to work with is exceptionally helpful for visual learners like me.

I've heard Chin is a well organized and safe group to run with. Interested to hear your thoughts on the value, organization (did it run on time and you got the track time you paid for), and the safety of the event (asshats not allowed or dealt with properly -- e.g., adios mo fos!).

[eternallx]

Cant wait for the video!

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by admranger

Very interesting! So much fun to have a better driver show you what can be done in your car. To have the video and data to work with is exceptionally helpful for visual learners like me.

I've heard Chin is a well organized and safe group to run with. Interested to hear your thoughts on the value, organization (did it run on time and you got the track time you paid for), and the safety of the event (asshats not allowed or dealt with properly -- e.g., adios mo fos!).

Chin is great. They limit events to 70-80 drivers plus instructors. You get about 3.5 hours of track time each day. Advanced group drivers are among the fastest of an DE groups that I run with. Not much ass hattery as they make it clear that once track goes hot it's on us to manage how the event will go.

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by ricardofors68

I have the virtual track walk for VIR, I consider it my home track but wont be back until August. Sub 2 mins on an E92 is impressive to me. Just got my AIM stuff together so I'm no able to start recording lap times. You guys are throwing the bar waay up there.
Cant wait to the see the video.

I should have mentioned my car is an E46. Makes about 330 to wheels on a good day but only weighs 3000 pounds.

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Very cool. Any chance you're willing to share some AIM data charts and show us his driving style/characteristics versus yours?

If you are, it would be cool to overlay his fast lap with your fast lap and show: GPS Speed on Chart 1, Brake and Gas on Chart 2, along with the time delta at the bottom.

I understand if you don't want to, but since I put up AIM charts all the time, I don't feel shy about asking...

I'll put up some AIM screenshots.

One of the "easiest" things for me to fix is the transition time between throttle and brake. For Scott and other good drivers, the inputs are much sharper. I tend to ease of throttle, slight pause and then on brake. There was no gap in Scott's traces between throttle and brake.

[ricardofors68]

Originally Posted by ThunderMoose

I should have mentioned my car is an E46. Makes about 330 to wheels on a good day but only weighs 3000 pounds.

Ah, ok. Still impressive, at least to me.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by ThunderMoose

I'll put up some AIM screenshots.

One of the "easiest" things for me to fix is the transition time between throttle and brake. For Scott and other good drivers, the inputs are much sharper. I tend to ease of throttle, slight pause and then on brake. There was no gap in Scott's traces between throttle and brake.

Great. Looking forward to it.

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Great. Looking forward to it.

Video is linked above now. Screenshots to come.

[crzydave17]

Haha, loved the burn about syncing video and data. 3 seconds is a boatload of time especially at your level. Wow. I'll be looking for the video when you get those 3 seconds.

[SQ13]

Originally Posted by admranger

Very interesting! So much fun to have a better driver show you what can be done in your car. To have the video and data to work with is exceptionally helpful for visual learners like me.

I've heard Chin is a well organized and safe group to run with. Interested to hear your thoughts on the value, organization (did it run on time and you got the track time you paid for), and the safety of the event (asshats not allowed or dealt with properly -- e.g., adios mo fos!).

They have the looongeessstt drivers meeting ever.

[Fitzpadj]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Very cool. Any chance you're willing to share some AIM data charts and show us his driving style/characteristics versus yours?

If you are, it would be cool to overlay his fast lap with your fast lap and show: GPS Speed on Chart 1, Brake and Gas on Chart 2, along with the time delta at the bottom.

I understand if you don't want to, but since I put up AIM charts all the time, I don't feel shy about asking...

Any way to get you to send me the AIM data? Would love to see it!

My fastest in ST3/TT3 trim is a 1:58.7 in August 2016 but it looked like with the traffic he could have been a lower 58 possibly 57!. I am dying to see where he got the time from!

Edit: Faster everywhere (except T3 he gets me by a tenth or two) till we hit entry to hog pen and he pulls 2 to 3 tenths on me. Extrapolate that out to him not lifting and that's .5-1 second down that whole front straight. I got some work to do in a couple places!!!

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by Fitzpadj

Any way to get you to send me the AIM data? Would love to see it!

My fastest in ST3/TT3 trim is a 1:58.7 in August 2016 but it looked like with the traffic he could have been a lower 58 possibly 57!. I am dying to see where he got the time from!

Edit: Faster everywhere (except T3 he gets me by a tenth or two) till we hit entry to hog pen and he pulls 2 to 3 tenths on me. Extrapolate that out to him not lifting and that's .5-1 second down that whole front straight. I got some work to do in a couple places!!!

I watch your TT2 lap pretty much weekly!

[MPower7]

Let's see that data!