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09-13-2012, 09:44 AM | #1 |
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Inspecting the grass at NJMP
Just got back from a great two-day event at NJMP with SCDA--Lightning on Monday and Thunderbolt on Tuesday. Rare that you get to do both tracks in one event.
Weather was beautiful and there was a good mix of fast cars (BMWs, Corvettes, GT3 cup cars, a V8-powered Radical!...). I had an interesting moment on Lightning coming out of turn 5, the over-the-hill right-hander. I probably apexed a bit too early, as the HPDE/school line dictates that you drive far out to the left side of the track under braking to set up for 5, then cut the wheel hard to the right and accelerate up over the crest of the hill in a straight line. This helps prevent you from having steering input as you crest the hill, which could lead to the car shooting to the right as the suspension recompresses on the other side. I was trying different lines, though, that a BMW CCA club racer had showed me earlier in the season. The problem wasn't the crest of the hill, but running out of room on track out. I thought I would stay on the pavement, just running up onto the rumble strips on track out, but my left front wheel clipped the start of the rumble strip where it steps up as it transitions from grass to the strip. This unsettled the car and shot me in a slide to the right. The tire wall was coming up quickly but somehow I managed to get it straight enough to just miss. I then spun in the grass back onto the track. Luckily the red Corvette that had just pointed me by slowed and avoided me.
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09-13-2012, 10:52 AM | #3 |
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Scary, but very nice recovery. That retaining wall was coming up quick. Even more scary is sitting on the side of the track while the other cars whiz by.
This kind of thing usually happens when you are "trying something". I was "trying something" (heel-toe shifting coming into big bend at Lime Rock) when I put four wheels off in my last event. I was too concentrated on bringing up the revs that I didn't break hard enough. Luckily there was plenty of grass so I did not crash but it's still pretty unnerving nonetheless. Thanks for sharing. |
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09-13-2012, 10:55 AM | #4 |
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woah, that must have been scary. Glad you did not hit the wall.
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09-13-2012, 11:44 AM | #5 |
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I'm glad you captured and posted the in-car footage as well. You can infer a lot from the actual action of the hands compared to what's going on outside.
So, I have a question. What was going on with the hands just prior to the spin? At the 1:02 mark, AFTER you've crested the hill.
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09-13-2012, 11:45 AM | #6 |
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close call, glad you saved it.
Hitting the start of the rumble strip will truly upset the car. I think there's dirt there instead of grass, lots of people go off that way (for missing the apex rumble strip on the hill top). When I try new lines I always make a mental note of runoff spaces and quite often decide to go straight off rather than try to pinch it and maybe save it or end up on the opposite side. There's plenty of runoff space on the left side (and zero runoff on the right all the way to the left hander) but it's a split second decision. Last edited by mid-corner fun; 09-13-2012 at 11:51 AM.. |
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09-13-2012, 12:36 PM | #8 |
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Nice reaction. Here's my analysis...please consider that I've never been to the track before.
I think you could have used more of the track on entry going over the hill. Looks like you turned in about a half car width from the edge. Maybe adjust your turn in reference point? Was the racer trying to tell you to use the compression on the far side to turn the car? That would make sense if you are trying to early apex that turn...might need to some more steering input and throttle once the suspension loads up to rotate the car more. But that approach does have risks.
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09-13-2012, 02:01 PM | #9 |
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Holy sh*t, close call!
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09-13-2012, 02:40 PM | #11 |
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Oh my!! Thank goodness it worked out!!
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09-13-2012, 03:15 PM | #12 |
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Wow that was close. It appears as if you drove to the edge of the track...or perhaps let the car take you there without sliding to track out....because you were well into the power.
It looks like the video's are really sync'd up but it took for you to travel across the whole track before you dialed in enough countersteer. Gotta work to get that quicker...and anticipate the hook when you drop a wheel. Glad you made it unharmed.
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09-13-2012, 05:01 PM | #13 | ||||||||||
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What happened to you at Lightning? Quote:
I think having the camera on me is helpful, too, so I can review my reactions and see what I'm doing right and wrong. Quote:
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Yep--thanks! Quote:
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09-13-2012, 05:07 PM | #14 |
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Glad you mostly got scared and dusty.
The early turn-in before the rise and fall set you up for it before the hill. No matter what, you have to stay out of that chuck-hole before the curbing on the left... That bump upset the car... quite a bit! If you didn't bend any driver side wheels, consider yourself lucky!
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09-13-2012, 05:45 PM | #15 | |
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09-13-2012, 09:57 PM | #16 |
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Don't mean to derail the topic, just a quick comment:
I noticed something odd in your video, why are you braking in T4? (left hander on the esses) No need to brake there, you can carry a lot more speed through that turn. Also, if you're willing to try new lines, next time you're out there notice the patch of dirt right before the T4 apex strip? Put your front left through it and make sure your rear left stays on track, between these 2 changes you've gained another half a sec per lap. |
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09-14-2012, 12:43 AM | #17 |
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Looks like you skillfully countered the spin to the right and saved the car from the wall, but then didn't counter a second time to straighten the car from continuing to rotate counter clockwise? (which worked out fine b/c all the energy got dissipated in spinning on-track).
Since it sounds like you are open to trying new ideas()... Why not try turning earlier and a bit less for 3, which will set you up to work less for the turn-in for 4. From the video, my guess is that you needed to tap the brake for 4 in order to the get the front to bite and get the car to turn-in. Thanks for sharing. |
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09-14-2012, 01:13 AM | #18 | |
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09-14-2012, 01:17 AM | #19 | |
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I probably didn't counter the second spin because I was so flummoxed after just missing the tire wall. And one thing I forgot to mention--after the spin and returning to the paddock, I found 26 cents in change and an old french fry in the rear seat footwell.
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09-14-2012, 01:25 AM | #20 | |
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09-14-2012, 08:06 AM | #22 | |
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