Occupy Road Atlanta Dec 2-4
#102
Awesome pictures lars! thanks for coming out with us and taking pics/chilling/ having fun ect!
It was also great to meet everyone this weekend, mike, bryan, steve, joe. I certainly cant wait until the next opportunity arises! Hopefully it will be CMP in feb!
#103
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I almost didn't wear the suit at all because of feeling overdressed. My instructor at Sebring wore shorts and a t-shirt and I was wearing the suit and a Nomex hood and the shoes. I felt a bit stupid. I asked him if he wasn't at least supposed to have on long pants and sleeves and he laughed and said "Not for what you are doing." I wondered if that was a crack at how slow I was driving or how little regard he had for HPDE. Real racers think we are a joke I guess. They are probably right, but the danger is just as real.
I must confess I wore jeans and wool longjohns on the second day instead of the suit. But I wore no synthetics on the track. I still wore my Nomex hood though.
My suit is a secondhand set that came from a buddy that used to race circle track. I'm not too proud to use used race gear. I would have bought a clearance sale outfit if I didn't find this one. I bet if you put a "wanted" ad for a used suit on one of the racing forums you could get one for near free.
I must confess I wore jeans and wool longjohns on the second day instead of the suit. But I wore no synthetics on the track. I still wore my Nomex hood though.
My suit is a secondhand set that came from a buddy that used to race circle track. I'm not too proud to use used race gear. I would have bought a clearance sale outfit if I didn't find this one. I bet if you put a "wanted" ad for a used suit on one of the racing forums you could get one for near free.
#104
I almost didn't wear the suit at all because of feeling overdressed. My instructor at Sebring wore shorts and a t-shirt and I was wearing the suit and a Nomex hood and the shoes. I felt a bit stupid. I asked him if he wasn't at least supposed to have on long pants and sleeves and he laughed and said "Not for what you are doing." I wondered if that was a crack at how slow I was driving or how little regard he had for HPDE. Real racers think we are a joke I guess. They are probably right, but the danger is just as real.
I must confess I wore jeans and wool longjohns on the second day instead of the suit. But I wore no synthetics on the track. I still wore my Nomex hood though.
My suit is a secondhand set that came from a buddy that used to race circle track. I'm not too proud to use used race gear. I would have bought a clearance sale outfit if I didn't find this one. I bet if you put a "wanted" ad for a used suit on one of the racing forums you could get one for near free.
I must confess I wore jeans and wool longjohns on the second day instead of the suit. But I wore no synthetics on the track. I still wore my Nomex hood though.
My suit is a secondhand set that came from a buddy that used to race circle track. I'm not too proud to use used race gear. I would have bought a clearance sale outfit if I didn't find this one. I bet if you put a "wanted" ad for a used suit on one of the racing forums you could get one for near free.
Many clubs allow short sleeves on hot days, but I haven't seen a club allow shorts on track before.
Lastly, as for the instructor it all depends. I have had instructors who swear by the school line and practically refuse to acknowledge the TT/racing line as a viable option, while I have had an instructor who told me that the TT/racing line is only one thats viable really. I mean the others are there for sure, but why go slower?
With that said, every racer who has gotten in my car always wore a hans or similar device. I would say half and half wore nomex when available. Usually they wore it the first few sessions to make sure I wasn't crazy and my car wasn't fireprone and called it day after that.
#105
Joe, How different are say the TT line from the school line? I wouldnt think that they would be terribly different would they? infact, about the only thing I can thnk of as far as RA is turn 12...
Steve, i know how you feel, but I cant help but feel that It would be an invaluable piece of equipment to have, you can never be too safe afterall.
Steve, i know how you feel, but I cant help but feel that It would be an invaluable piece of equipment to have, you can never be too safe afterall.
#107
Joe, How different are say the TT line from the school line? I wouldnt think that they would be terribly different would they? infact, about the only thing I can thnk of as far as RA is turn 12...
Steve, i know how you feel, but I cant help but feel that It would be an invaluable piece of equipment to have, you can never be too safe afterall.
Steve, i know how you feel, but I cant help but feel that It would be an invaluable piece of equipment to have, you can never be too safe afterall.
Random descriptions, but once I put my videos up, you can get an idea of the TT line, as I have learned it at least. I am sure Bryan can probably provide better insight into this than I can.
#108
Ok, thats pretty much what I was thinking. I knew how 12 was, turn 1 and 3 do not surprise me at all, nor do the esses. I hadnt thought of that for turn 5, but it makes sense. I was already doing 6 a good bit earlier than they were teaching. russ was cool with it. I am kinda surprised that they dont use track out gators at 6, I can understand why, but at the same time, It makes the track out area a good bit larger too.
#111
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^ +1 - a halo racetech is in my near future, as well as a 3 layer nomex 1 piece suit. I too was wearing my 1 layer GeForce for the few brief laps I was able to run before #3 let go. Can NEVER have enough safety! That's why I like Emilio's ESS auto extingushing system with the TC thermocouples - reaches a certain temp and the system is activated, just in case you're knocked out cold like your buddy
#112
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Now that you mention it, the instructor that wore shorts and a t-shirt still wore a Hans.
My instructor's line in turn 1 wasn't wide on track out when I watched him running TT and he set the track record for TTB this weekend so he's no slouch. He was also faster than all of the TTA guys this weekend and they are the next level up. He was giddy about it. I never got to ride with him in his car because it only had one seat, but I rode with him and let him drive mine. I learned a lot from it.
My instructor's line in turn 1 wasn't wide on track out when I watched him running TT and he set the track record for TTB this weekend so he's no slouch. He was also faster than all of the TTA guys this weekend and they are the next level up. He was giddy about it. I never got to ride with him in his car because it only had one seat, but I rode with him and let him drive mine. I learned a lot from it.
#114
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And Joe is driving a freakin nissan sentra 4door with a VQ35 engine transplant... 255fwdhp! When 5pt harness, I always wear my Hans - I feel inadequately protected without it, especially when instructing a fast car with oem belts and no roll bar/cage - like the 911s I was in last time I instructed at RA
Now Six - you shoulda told me, I could have gotten you with Sandro for some time in a GT3 - I did, awesomely fast!
Now Six - you shoulda told me, I could have gotten you with Sandro for some time in a GT3 - I did, awesomely fast!
#115
Now that you mention it, the instructor that wore shorts and a t-shirt still wore a Hans.
My instructor's line in turn 1 wasn't wide on track out when I watched him running TT and he set the track record for TTB this weekend so he's no slouch. He was also faster than all of the TTA guys this weekend and they are the next level up. He was giddy about it. I never got to ride with him in his car because it only had one seat, but I rode with him and let him drive mine. I learned a lot from it.
My instructor's line in turn 1 wasn't wide on track out when I watched him running TT and he set the track record for TTB this weekend so he's no slouch. He was also faster than all of the TTA guys this weekend and they are the next level up. He was giddy about it. I never got to ride with him in his car because it only had one seat, but I rode with him and let him drive mine. I learned a lot from it.
#118
Ugh...I need to get out there with you guys soon. It was nice to see some familiar faces (Lars, Steve, Gary) and meet a few of you gays (Bryan, Joe and Collin). Sucks that Bryan got all greedy and killed his tranny before I got there, I really wanted to see the Zero in action.
I do need to do a few things before I go beat on the car like that though...ditch my reroute, get a spare set of front pads, address the rust scales in my radiator, and get an alignment. Maybe the next time NASA has an event at RA I'll actually be driving.
I do need to do a few things before I go beat on the car like that though...ditch my reroute, get a spare set of front pads, address the rust scales in my radiator, and get an alignment. Maybe the next time NASA has an event at RA I'll actually be driving.
#119
QFT- a (Spec) Miata will be able to tolerate bumps that a prepared car can't since it has a (relatively) soft suspension. Then there's instructors that haven't ventured out to the ragged edge of the rumble strips (either because of their own car or personal limits) and surely don't want the student there OR they have been there and don't want the student there because they know.
I will say this- the quickest way around Rd. Atlanta in a Miata requires being all over the rumble strips. Or in turn 5's case, it requires driving across them to the no-man's-land, onto the cut through asphalt and then re-entering the track at the top of the hill. For maximum speed my right tires will literally jump the gap between no-man's-land (the painted concrete outside of the T5 exit rumble strips) and the cut through asphalt. And shortly after that will be the rev limiter in 3rd. Would I want to ride with a student on that line- hell no!
Go to 2:54 in this vid to see T5 and the advantage of using all the paved area outside of T5 exit strips. The exit speed is greatly improved with less need for steering (larger arch, less later G's, less scrub...)
I will say this- the quickest way around Rd. Atlanta in a Miata requires being all over the rumble strips. Or in turn 5's case, it requires driving across them to the no-man's-land, onto the cut through asphalt and then re-entering the track at the top of the hill. For maximum speed my right tires will literally jump the gap between no-man's-land (the painted concrete outside of the T5 exit rumble strips) and the cut through asphalt. And shortly after that will be the rev limiter in 3rd. Would I want to ride with a student on that line- hell no!
Go to 2:54 in this vid to see T5 and the advantage of using all the paved area outside of T5 exit strips. The exit speed is greatly improved with less need for steering (larger arch, less later G's, less scrub...)