GT3 waxes corvette

[bluebullet]

Someone posted this up on the colt forum....GT3 havin fun with a corvette desperatley trying to catch up. A few laps of road america, so Im sure some of you have seen it

http://home.mchsi.com/~roadamerica/GT3_at_Road_America.WMV

The corvette driver just has no skills in downshifting and clutching whatsoever. No heel-toe action, except for a few times done poorly, and staying on the clutch until the middle of the turn, where he engages it (great way to upset the suspension).

No wonder the GT3 mopped the floor with him. The last minute or so it looks like the GT3 is messin around with him, letting him get *just so close* and then getting away. Around the 6 minute mark it sounds like his passenger (his wife it seems) is saying "yeehaww! get that fuker!".

Lousy domestic owners.

[cowtown]

I agree, the Vette driver wasn't the best (not that I'm all that great on the track either). Still, what does that say about the GT3 driver, that he was in sight the whole time.

I fall into that camp that says "I'll never own a Corvette but they sure are fast cars for the money."

If the Vette guy wads his up, he can buy a new one, and still have less invested than the GT3 owner!

Thanks for posting the good video.

[smoak]

I don't know. I think that GT3 seems to even be just as fast on the straights as the Vette. The newer vettes are fast as !@#$% though. It is a lot of car for the money indeed, not that I would ever own one (insert Mullet joke here).

The guy driving the vette doesn't look like he's doing that bad of a job to me though.

By the way, whats up with having a passenger?

[Z-man]

Cool vid - I guess I have to add Road America to my list of tracks to visit!

The corner exit speed of the GT3 is where the biggest difference was - and essentially, that's the most vital part of the track - getting out of the cornes fast! Looks like the GT3 owner did that better than the Vette driver.

-Z.

[Tricky D]

It looked to me that the Vette was turning in too early so he couldn't get a lot of exit speed, while the GT3 was turning in later.

Vette has gobs of torque, so he was able to get away with it. If it had been another GT3, he would have fallen farther and farther behind with his technique.

[Big Ed]

Originally posted by smoak
It is a lot of car for the money indeed, not that I would ever own one.

He's neat, single, and thin...not that there's anything wrong with that.

[bluebullet]

well from what I understand supposedly the vette had a tad over 400hp and the GT3 had 380. So if the vette had used his 8 cylinders to his advantage, if he would have braked late like the GT3 did he would be up its ass or passing him. The torque down low would have helped him pass the GT3, but on the top end it would be a tough match. The GT3 seems to walk away from him up top.

I heel and toe all the time in my car, specially right before the apex of any on-ramp or off-ramp. It isnt fast but it sure does make it feel like it . Maybe that explains why I went through the clutch and a transmission mount so quick....

I need new tires .

[Z-man]

bluebullet - the heel and toe technique is used to prevent wear on the clutch / tranny.

Are you just downshifting to the lower gear without blipping your throttle and allowing the engine to slow the car down? If so, that's NOT heel and toe, and that type of downshifting will kill your clutch.

With a proper heel/toe downshift, you shouldn't notice any change in the car's decelleration. The purpose of heel/toe is to grab a lower gear while under (heavy) braking without upsetting the balance of the car.

-Z-man.

[bluebullet]

Yeah I kinda worded it all wrong. The rear mount and clutch had taken a harsh pounding in CT one afternoon about 4 months ago going to a car show way up in north CT. I got stuck in traffic and was coasting along, so I blipped the gas to get around someone and slipped it into 2nd gear so I wouldnt jerk the car around (2nd gear rpms would have been like 4000 something) but instead to my dismay I had put it into 4th and let the clutch out. I saw sky, ground sky ground as it lurched embarrasingly.

The stock rubber centered disc and tranny mount never forgave me for that.

A month later on a slightly mismatched heel-toe downshift, the tension on the disc tore the center out, resulting in heavy vibration at anything beyond 3000 rpm. Christmas eve I was enraged at some of the dumb **** people were doing (double parking on a very busy main road (sunrise hwy in long island) and some ******* decided to stop in the middle lane for no reason. Dropped a gear and took off around him, and let off the gas and I felt this 'thud' as the tranny slapped the spare tire well.


I can heel-toe very well. Most of the time I, nor my passengers never notice any difference in decleration (no jerking around). Ive taken turns on the brakes, heel-toeing the whole way to the last possible moment. The only time I didnt do it and just let the engine do the work, was the day I spun my car off the road and almost put it into the trees.

[SLO-BOB]

Thanks for the vid-it is great fun for me to watch. I have driven Road America a number of times (note my "location")and I go to the races there often. It's a great track for drivers and spectators alike. We load the van up with food, beverages, the dog, and our kids and make a weekend of it. The Brian Redmann Classic is the highlight of my year.

I thought the Vette driver used his car as it was intended-loads of torque. How bad could he be if he kept the GT3 in the glass? I know those corners and some of them are way more hairy than the vid suggests. Frankly, I felt they both did a nice job of getting around the track-North America's longest you know.

[bluebullet]

I would like to take the 944 there and take a few laps. But where is it? Im guessing out west somewhere.

Plus I dont have a license, nor a cage.

[SLO-BOB]

Well, you need as driver's licence. Actually, it's in Wisconsin-much closer to NY than California. The PCA and BMWCCA has DE sessions there often. Also, one can do "parade" laps at lunch during the "classics" races. Naturally there is a fee attached to that and one can't travel at Corvette/GT3 speeds, but it still is fun.

[c4cation]

It's always nice to see a car chase down another that costs twice as much. Still, that Corvette driver is not good. Horrible shifting mid-corner. And is it just me or did it look like he usually turned into corners way too early? It's like he saw the car in front of him turn then he does too at the same time. Pretty rookie mistake.

[Tricky D]

Why all the Vette-driver bashing?

Did you stop to consider that the passenger in the car might be the INSTRUCTOR?

I'm sure everyone here just started out as a Michael Schumacher, right?

Give the guy a break...

[asphaltgambler]

I'm a drag race guy and I enjoyed it!!

[SLO-BOB]

Originally posted by c4cation
It's always nice to see a car chase down another that costs twice as much. Still, that Corvette driver is not good. Horrible shifting mid-corner. And is it just me or did it look like he usually turned into corners way too early? It's like he saw the car in front of him turn then he does too at the same time. Pretty rookie mistake.

Again I question whether or not the guy is as bad as some say. With traction control, abs brakes, and torque like a Mack truck, is he really doing all that bad? My way of thinking is that a Vette is nothing at all like a Porsche, and therefore is driven differently. I believe a good line is a good line, but if your car can handle a bad line due to exceptional braking, handling and acceleration, maybe the rules change a bit. I don't race (yet), but I am familiar with performance driving. I guess only a person who actually races can really say for sure. I still maintain that if he's so bad, how come he hangs with one of the most awesome 911s built?

50th anniversary-Road America

[bryanthompson]

wth? This isn't racing, i mean, they turned right!!??!!