Couple of hot laps from SMMR 2.1 with PCA LV on 9-14-2014

[tlp]

Great to get back to the track. It’s been a very long 4 months. Unfortunately, the temps were in the triple digits which was the primary reason that I took the summer off to begin with Regardless, we had a great time with the PCA Las Vegas Region @ SMMR.

It was a treat to follow @Admranger and Dan T. on Saturday. They were out there for the sole purpose of having fun. Also, it was great to hang out with some of the other board members @CircleK, @USCTrojanMan29 and Triple M.

This is a relatively new course for Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch and my first time on this course. It’s called the East Course and is 2.1 configuration. Some of the folks say that it has a similar vibe as SOW. Since it’s so new the surface is buttery smooth. Track is fun and short but I can see how it could be become boring after a few track days.

I ended up running with the Red Group on Sunday afternoon and was able to put down a couple of traffic free Hot (100+) Laps with a PB of 1.35.70.

As always constructive criticism is welcome.

[pkimM3r]

looks like a fun course to practice powerslides! glad you had fun.

(might be getting too early on the throttle)

[okusa]

Originally Posted by pkimM3r

(might be getting too early on the throttle)

I'm not so sure that he is. Seems like the data is not perfectly synced with the video so it gives the impression that he is sooner on the gas than he actually is.

[tlp]

Originally Posted by okusa

I'm not so sure that he is. Seems like the data is not perfectly synced with the video so it gives the impression that he is sooner on the gas than he actually is.

This is true. I should have spent a little more time syncing it better. I also made a conscious effort to start applying/rolling throttle a little earlier during this trip to see if I could generate more exit speed.

Edit: Updated the vid with a better throttle/brake gauge and tried to clean up the sync issue.

[admranger]

You suck! Take up golf!











Oh wait, you wanted 'constructive' criticism.


I don't have my track map in front of me, but after the esses/autocross section, there are two three right handers in a row. You want to hit, miss, hit those apexes. You hit, hit, hit. The middle turn you can be 1/2 a car width off the apex and you'll be able to carry more speed into a late apex on the last right hander (I throttle steered around that one and the subsequent left hander). You'll only need to use 1/2 to 2/3 of the track out which will set you up for a very late apex on the left hander prior to the last corner before the 2200 ft long straight (the most important turn on the track).

There are bits here and there, but that was the area where you gave up the largest amount of time.

That data overlay would have been really useful 20+ years ago when I started doing this track stuff. Very cool!



It was fun to see all of the above at the track.

[tlp]

Originally Posted by admranger

I don't have my track map in front of me, but after the esses/autocross section, there are two three right handers in a row. You want to hit, miss, hit those apexes. You hit, hit, hit. The middle turn you can be 1/2 a car width off the apex and you'll be able to carry more speed into a late apex on the last right hander (I throttle steered around that one and the subsequent left hander). You'll only need to use 1/2 to 2/3 of the track out which will set you up for a very late apex on the left hander prior to the last corner before the 2200 ft long straight (the most important turn on the track)

Your absolutely right...I recall having that turnpiphany during the drive home after reconciling your line against my line in that section. Throw away the 2nd right hander to set up a late apex on the last right hander which sets you up with a better line and more exit speed approaching the left.

[pkimM3r]

Originally Posted by okusa

I'm not so sure that he is. Seems like the data is not perfectly synced with the video so it gives the impression that he is sooner on the gas than he actually is.

first time i watched on my little iPhone in vertical mode

OP, i like this throttle/brake gauge better. i wish i was better at this stuff and made videos like this…for now it will be just smart(dumb)ass comments on mines

regarding being too early on throttle, i meant it in relation to steering input. i would expect something to get loose if the steering wheel is turned 90 degrees and at full throttle. no?

[tlp]

Originally Posted by pkimM3r

first time i watched on my little iPhone in vertical mode

OP, i like this throttle/brake gauge better. i wish i was better at this stuff and made videos like this…for now it will be just smart(dumb)ass comments on mines

regarding being too early on throttle, i meant it in relation to steering input. i would expect something to get loose if the steering wheel is turned 90 degrees and at full throttle. no?

Not in my experience. Granted MDM was on but I would look for TC light every time I thought I was getting too aggressive with the application of throttle and it wasn't coming on. Also, it was hot as hell. After the 2nd lap throttle response was dull and not crispy at all.

[pkimM3r]

Originally Posted by tlp

Not in my experience. Granted MDM was on but I would look for TC light every time I thought I was getting too aggressive with the application of throttle and it wasn't coming on. Also, it was hot as hell. After the 2nd lap throttle response was dull and not crispy at all.

unless you are running some major sticky tires we drive the same car!

TC light doesn't always come on. look at your throttle gauge vs rpms. its at full throttle but the rpms increase as if you were rolling the throttle (tc light is prob not flickering at this point but it is doing its job by modulating acceleration).

I'm assuming the data portion is synced with each other so maybe im wrong.

i was doing the same thing and quickly learned with dirt in my face

[USCTrojanMan29]

Nice driving. See, what did I tell you....you'll benefit from moving up to the advanced group. The faster cars and less crowded track will result in new PBs. The weather in the afternoon made me realize how glad I was to take the summer off and miss the 100+ temp track days. So glad it's going to start cooling down.

[admranger]

Originally Posted by tlp

Your absolutely right...I recall having that turnpiphany during the drive home after reconciling your line against my line in that section. Throw away the 2nd right hander to set up a late apex on the last right hander which sets you up with a better line and more exit speed approaching the left.

That's correct!

BTW: You're welcome for the 6-second a lap improvement after following Dan and I. Great job taking advantage of the lead follow time Saturday!

USCTrojanMan: How was the advanced group? I didn't want to get in the way of your rocketship, so I was having fun playing in the green group (hunter/killer mode is more fun than having to look for you in my mirrors all the time). Besides, I knew temps were going to result in a lot of short shifting. Even with my Bimmerworld radiator and oil cooler I was in a world of hurt in the afternoon. When I drove it hard, temps were 3/4 oil and coolant after 3 laps -- and the temps were climbing.

Were you using TC USC?

[USCTrojanMan29]

Originally Posted by admranger

That's correct!

BTW: You're welcome for the 6-second a lap improvement after following Dan and I. Great job taking advantage of the lead follow time Saturday!

USCTrojanMan: How was the advanced group? I didn't want to get in the way of your rocketship, so I was having fun playing in the green group (hunter/killer mode is more fun than having to look for you in my mirrors all the time). Besides, I knew temps were going to result in a lot of short shifting. Even with my Bimmerworld radiator and oil cooler I was in a world of hurt in the afternoon. When I drove it hard, temps were 3/4 oil and coolant after 3 laps -- and the temps were climbing.

Were you using TC USC?

It was good, fairly open with only a few slow cars but at least they gave point-bys rather quickly. Interesting that PCA LV doesn't allow passing anywhere with the point-by like PCA GGR and PCA SD and only allows it in the passing zones. I kept the nannies on as it was a new track as those rocks right off the course looks pretty big. I was running 1:34-1:35 most of the days except for the first session on the 2nd day when I was trying to keep up with a radical rabbit which pulled me to a 1:33 flat (could have broken into the high 1:32s but I hit some traffic). I wish they ran 20-25 minute sessions as my RA1s rears were getting greasy towards the end of the sessions due to the heat and even the nannies couldn't prevent some sliding in the right turn after the long straight. Even my oil temps were getting close to 240 towards the end of the sessions.

[pkimM3r]

Originally Posted by USCTrojanMan29

It was good, fairly open with only a few slow cars but at least they gave point-bys rather quickly. Interesting that PCA LV doesn't allow passing anywhere with the point-by like PCA GGR and PCA SD and only allows it in the passing zones. I kept the nannies on as it was a new track as those rocks right off the course looks pretty big. I was running 1:34-1:35 most of the days except for the first session on the 2nd day when I was trying to keep up with a radical rabbit which pulled me to a 1:33 flat (could have broken into the high 1:32s but I hit some traffic). I wish they ran 20-25 minute sessions as my RA1s rears were getting greasy towards the end of the sessions due to the heat and even the nannies couldn't prevent some sliding in the right turn after the long straight. Even my oil temps were getting close to 240 towards the end of the sessions.

Looked like a great track to try it off (except rocks you mentioned but thats what track scars are for! )but lot of tighter turns with plenty of track width and a nice pave! Looks relatively slower too. Especially being a two day event. Could have been a major oppty to develop.

[USCTrojanMan29]

Originally Posted by pkimM3r

Looked like a great track to try it off (except rocks you mentioned but thats what track scars are for! )but lot of tighter turns with plenty of track width and a nice pave! Looks relatively slower too. Especially being a two day event. Could have been a major oppty to develop.

If the area off the track was more like what we have at Buttonwillow and Chuckwalla I would have turned off the nannies the second day but some of those rocks were as big as calipers in most of the areas. Only bad would have resulted in spinning off the track.

[OC3]

Originally Posted by USCTrojanMan29

If the area off the track was more like what we have at Buttonwillow and Chuckwalla I would have turned off the nannies the second day but some of those rocks were as big as calipers in most of the areas. Only bad would have resulted in spinning off the track.

I went off onto those bed of big rocks when I was there last year, and those actually stop the car pretty quick. There's no extended sliding on them. You just hope that one or more of those rocks don't somehow get jammed up somewhere on the bottom of the car, somewhere in the suspension or brakes, etc.

Oh, and a car went off, kicked up one of those and cracked the windshield of a GT3 that was coming up into that zone.

[pkimM3r]

Originally Posted by USCTrojanMan29

If the area off the track was more like what we have at Buttonwillow and Chuckwalla I would have turned off the nannies the second day but some of those rocks were as big as calipers in most of the areas. Only bad would have resulted in spinning off the track.

true. but i think you are putting too much notion in the "tc off = spin out" ... in that case, you need to be mindful of it and drive differently, and slowly get comfortable taking the same turn faster and faster and faster and faster (gradually)...and its ok to intentionally overcook it just to see what happens

[USCTrojanMan29]

Originally Posted by pkimM3r

true. but i think you are putting too much notion in the "tc off = spin out" ... in that case, you need to be mindful of it and drive differently, and slowly get comfortable taking the same turn faster and faster and faster and faster (gradually)...and its ok to intentionally overcook it just to see what happens

That's exactly what I did at the BMW CCA event at Chuckwalla...I have a Porsche instructor that told me to turn the nannies off. I slowed down and then slowly increased speed each lap until the 6th lap I spun in one of the decreasing radius sweepers and rolled off the track backwards because I lifted.

[Hujan]

Originally Posted by USCTrojanMan29

That's exactly what I did at the BMW CCA event at Chuckwalla...I have a Porsche instructor that told me to turn the nannies off. I slowed down and then slowly increased speed each lap until the 6th lap I spun in one of the decreasing radius sweepers and rolled off the track backwards because I lifted.

It caused quite a commotion as we were heading into the classroom!

[Triple M]

Had a blast out there with you guys. Definitely an oversized autocross. Loved it but easy to cook the breaks. Lots of great opportunities for trail brake exercise and car rotation to get our heavy cars over the tighter turns. Lotta tire screaming going on . Two days is definitely a lot for a small track but overall had a blast.

[pkimM3r]

Originally Posted by Hujan

It caused quite a commotion as we were heading into the classroom!

just saw your sig...what happened to the mpe you had when we were at mike's place?

[pkimM3r]

Originally Posted by Triple M

Had a blast out there with you guys. Definitely an oversized autocross. Loved it but easy to cook the breaks. Lots of great opportunities for trail brake exercise and car rotation to get our heavy cars over the tighter turns. Lotta tire screaming going on . Two days is definitely a lot for a small track but overall had a blast.

vids!

damn i would have loved to be there for this configuration..you know, doing those things i was doing in front of you at ACS

[Triple M]

Originally Posted by pkimM3r

vids!

damn i would have loved to be there for this configuration..you know, doing those things i was doing in front of you at ACS

Definitely a lot of room to work the slip angle on street tires there. Unfortunately only had my iPhone Harry lap timer video on 2 sessions. I got used to the wife setting my go pro in the past guess I gotta get back into it. I'll see what config they will be running in November.