What next.....track guys I need some input please - Page 2

briankeithsmith · 05-10-2003, 03:54 AM

RDane:

Which track were you at?

Brian

stealthn · 05-10-2003, 06:08 AM

rdane,

Niiiiice setup!

I just wanted to add, forgettaboutit - the other drivers I mean. The only person you are racing is yourself. Your car doesn't need anything else to improve your skill, but I would add a roll cage.

Have fun.

Tyson Schmidt · 05-10-2003, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rdane
"I know a number of guys that could hop right in your car just the way it is and spank the Z06. Cold hard fact of life."

Put the same skilled driver in my car and again in a Z06 and I have a hard time believing a 180hp 911 is going to come out on top at this track. Love to hear I am wrong. I would think two long straights (one going uphill) put the advantage to more torgue and hp.

There are three corners yet that are supposed to be taken "flat out" but I don't yet have the stones to take any of them at 110+ which the car will easily do on them. Working on the first but it is a bit hairball unless the set ups are perfect. No lack of torgue to get there, just a lack of skill to control it.

I appreciate the comments guys, thanks.

I thought the consensus was:
driver
tires
suspension
chassis
weight
HP

Agreed. The same driver will be faster in the Z06 than in your car. But that would mean that you're actually more concerned with having a faster car than the other guys, and not on being a better driver than the other guys.

It's a lot cheaper pasttime when you you simply outdrive the competition rather than outspend them.

MMARSH · MMARSH's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by stealthn
rdane,

Niiiiice setup!

I just wanted to add, forgettaboutit - the other drivers I mean. The only person you are racing is yourself. Your car doesn't need anything else to improve your skill, but I would add a roll cage.

Have fun.

I see people mention on this board all the time that they are or were "Racing" their cars. A DE or even a Time Trial is not racing. It's an enviroment to learn skills where you dont have to be concerned with somebody passing you in a turn or trying to outbrake you at the end of the straight. At a DE I might let a slower car pass me if maybe I'm trying to work on some differant line or technique on the track. Is that car faster then me, maybe, maybe not. In a wheel to wheel race, if your gonna go by me your gonna have to take it, because now we are "Racing."

IMHO, If anybody goes to a DE or Time Trial thinking it's a "Race" with the other cars, you've already started the day off with the wrong attitude.

rdane · rdane's Garage

"But that would mean that you're actually more concerned with having a faster car than the other guys, and not on being a better driver than the other guys "

My original question was asking for help to get my car sorted out. I asked if I had missed anything. Seat time is a given. 300+hp in a 2400# car would certainly keep a older 911 on a Z06's tail in the straights with a lot less effort on the driver's part doing it

I have seen all kinds of answers, but I also noted that BBII was very well sorted out. No shame in taking advantage of a well done car with a good set of tires and wheels as in a scruffy Cab, I have read about.

I don't question that a professional in a pile of junk can out drive a rookie in a 100K car....to a point.

"It's a lot cheaper pastime when you you simply outdrive the competition rather than outspend them."

That has always been the case and the ultimate juggle in any sport. The real trip is where skill and some money spent wisely will get you.

The track I am driving at is Pacific raceways just out of Seattle. Racing?

On open track days we all just get in and drive very conservatively...say 70%...no one gets competitive in any way

But you are right is isn't racing. Never thought it was. I am dropping my engine this week and adding a bigger oil cooler for reliability....nothing competitive about it. I keep telling my wife it aint a race car. #200 lbs yet to come off and needs 200 more hp for it to be my race car

Tyson Schmidt · 05-10-2003, 07:20 PM

I see where you're coming from. It's just hard to tell what type of enthusiast your giving advice to. Some like to blame the car, and think that if only they had more horsepower, they'd be able to -beat fill-in-the-blank-.

That's why I always start with that advice. Pacific Raceways has an incredibly long front straight, so I can certainly see why you're not too happy about the other cars blowing by you. If there were more tracks like Streets of Willow and Spring Mountain near Seattle, I doubt you'd be so concerned about horsepower. It sucks to ride someones ass through the corners, or even pass them and pull away from them, only to have them shoot by you on a long straight. I know the feeling.

But there is a lot of great advice above. A hot-lap timer is a great way to forget about the Z06's and start focusing on getting those numbers on the hot-lap display to shrink. It'll tell you when you made a mistake that cost you time, and can tell you when you've reached the limit of the tires heat range as well as when you've reached a plateau with the car or your driving skill.

As a side note, I really think that my driving improved in my own car when I installed a racing seat and 5-point belts. It really makes a huge difference in the one-ness with the car and gives a more confident feel to the driver. I really think they improve lap times by improving the driver. So they aren't just for safety.

Take care and have fun!

Jack Olsen · 05-10-2003, 11:05 PM

Lots of good advice, here. You answered the question best in your initial post, of course. Another season of driving -- especially with regular instruction (MMarsh is a POC instructor, so he knows what he's talking about) -- and your lap times will continue to improve. With regard to modifying the car, it's great to get someone (like Tyson) who's a great driver with an engineer's understanding of the car's suspension. Three trips to the track with someone like him will squeeze some pretty incredible stuff out of your current setup. Suspension settings (toe, caster and camber), swaybar settings, and tire pressures all benefit from thoughtful and rigorous tuning. It's different for every car, but it can make a huge difference when it's done right.

But more than anything, it's like you say: seat time, preferably with good instructors who drive a similar car.