STS #6: orange cords

[nostatic]

Sorry, no pics...camera battery was dead.

OK, the title will make sense in a minute. But first, rewind to Saturday, which was POC school. For those of you playing along at home, it was about a year ago that I attended the event as a student, starting my journey towards a short track series license. This year I was there again, but as a fledgling instructor. Be afraid...very afraid.

The format was roughly the same: three groups in the morning. While one was in the classroom for an hour, another was going around the track in Vans "walking" the track, and the third was doing the skip pad exercise. Out of our group of instructors, a handful drove the vans, a few did the classroom, but the bulk of us were on the skid pad. What did that mean? You hop in a student's car, go out and go around in circles for about 10 minute working on trailing throttle oversteer (and getting them used to spinning), then come off track. Then you hop into another car and go out again. For 3 HOURS. I of course knew this would be the case, but POC is a volunteer club, and sometimes you need to give back. So I did. I thought I'd get nasueous but didn't. My neck however was a bit sore, as were my arms as most student cars didn't have harness', so I spent a lot of time bracing myself.

After lunch, it was two groups of lapping. There was a pace car, although it didn't really serve as one for very long. This was another case of going out for a 15 minute session, coming in, hopping in another student's car, and going back out. For another 3 HOURS.

The cool thing is I got to ride in a bunch of different cars including a Ferrari 360 Spyder, Elise, Spec944, various Boxsters and 996s, teener, and even a Carrera. And MMastro's sweet fat turbo...we could not get it to spin on the skidpad. And at the end of the day it was open track for the instructors...BUT I had to get back to LA early evening so it had to be brief. I couldn't pass it up though, and went our and put in 5 laps, then packed and headed home.

Oh, so now for part of the thread title. I did my registration for Sunday on Saturday since I was up there. Laurie (POC "mom") had asked for my best times at Streets in an email earlier in the week, as they group by times. They go red-orange-blue-white-yellow with red being fastest, and white/yellow being students. Since "graduating" earlier in the year I'd been in blue. I looked at my sticker and it was orange. Good for ego boost. Bad for the nerves...there are some very quick guys in orange. Oh well...the clock won't lie.

Sunday came early and rude as usual. I was kinda sore from the previous day, but hit the shower, packed up and headed out. Now for those of you really following at home, my Subaru (daily driver) was stolen about 3 weeks back. So when I needed a car (ie to pick up my son), I had to use the 911. Then my motorcycle developed a fuel leak, and I was down to ONLY the 911 for transport. No biggie except for the fact that I had R-compound Toyo RA-1 tires that had been on since early this year. And because I can't get a ton of negative camber, especially up front, they are wearing on the outside edge. I had been meaning to flip the tires before Laguna Seca, but didn't get around to it.

So I get up to the track, get the car ready, and head out for the first session. We're running the full track with bowl CCW. I did that back in June (class record...of course I was the only car running in the class and it was the first time the club had done that config), so it started to come back to me. I noticed that I didn't have a ton of grip, especially up front. It wasn't a very hot day (70s but with wind), so I attributed it to cold track and cold tires. Then I came in after the session and checked pressures. And saw something I really didn't like....CORDS. The right front was cording at the edge. Crap. The first session time, while not great, didn't matter anyway becuase your "official" time is the best from session 2-4. Now I understood why my car wasn't sticking like it should...no damn rubber. Damn.

My next run would come quickly, and 3-5 would be after lunch. So my plan was to try and nurse the car through a somewhat clean lap in session 2 to get an official time, then I'd likely sit the rest of the day and just instruct (I had a student in white group). I went out for session 2, and it was not good, once I brought tires and brakes up to temp, I tried to push a little and spun in turn 12, then broke loose in 4. I eased up and gingerly stepped around the course with a clean lap and then headed in about halfway through the session. I had gotten a fairly clean lap, albeit not fast at all. But a lap nonetheless. I came in and pondered my choices. I hated to have driven all that way and then miss three run groups. I had to stay since I had a student. So I decided to drive over to the tire shop at the big track and see if I might luck out.

I've never run Hoosiers, but sure enough, on the rack were a pair of used 225/50/16 Hoosiers. At $40 for the pair, then $15 per tire to mount and balance, I figured what the hell, it would save the rest of the day. I also had him flip the rear tires as they were cupped on the outside, the result of cooking them at Laguna Seca. So $110 later I was back on the road with rubber.

Session 3 and 4 were fun, but the track was pretty slow by that time. I managed to match my 1:34 best from June but that was it. There ended up being a 5th session that was combine red/orange with very few cars, and I wished I had times from that, as I finally figured out the bowl, and with open track I was cranking really hard....damn fun.

Finally pulled out around 5pm to head back to LA and pick up the boy. I'm pretty frickin' burned out...3 hours sleep Friday night, 5 hours Saturday night, and lots of time in the sun. But of course, worth it. Now I have to decide what to do about tires...either a new set of RA-1s (and flip them quicker) or go back to street tires to get a bit more miles. At any rate, instructing was a blast and I'll be doing it again at the next STS in Nov. Then TT in December. Nothing for October though as I can't afford to travel to Thunderhill. Maybe something else will pop up, but I'm pretty damn broke right now, and needing new tires doesn't help. Nor does commuting to work in my car with Hoosiers in the front. But that's racing...

[Vipergrün]

Todd, you are rockin, man!!! I had intended to go down the same path...before I moved. You have come a long way and it's really cool to seem the changes and advancement.

[SandyI]

Sounds like you had a full weekend. I'm glad they had something for you at the track tire store. I guess i didn't see you after we talked about your tires, pre-Hoosier purchase.

Hey, what was the deal with that 944 that went off made us Blue Groupers wait for 90 minutes?

(And I had a great day too. I actually chased down and passed some higher HP cars in my group. It was sweet.)

[nostatic]

Is was a spec944, and really nice guy driving it. He was turning 1:31 laps, so he was fast. He was coming out of bowl, and his right front wheel just let go...bye bye. I looked at it on the flatbed: the spindle sheared and the rotor separated from the disc (hard to tell which happened first, but I think the spindle cracked, then the disc cracked from the rotor, then it completely let go. The disk was still with the caliper, and the rest of the rotor still bolted to the wheel. He said there was no warning. That section of track puts a lot of pressure on the right front, so it is a logical place to happen...better than at the bottom of the hill doing 120mpg though...Damn scary...

Cool to hear you were pinching the higher HP cars Sandy. That is always great fun.

[mmastro]

I have to say that Todd was one of the best instructors! I was paired w/ him in the skid pad for a stint and then again on the track at the second half of the day. Alot of good advice and alot of knowledge about turning those 911's with the right foot!

The bowl (CCW) was totally cool (when I hit the apex ) and I could carry mucho speed outta there! I was paired up with some really good instructors. Made my share of "Rookie" mistakes, but that's learning.... I'm totally high right now from this weekend, but I should be pooping out any minute.

Just wanted to say thanks to Todd and the other great volunteer instructors and especially Chad, my instructor for Sunday (the guy that lost the wheel)...He pushed me to learn the fast way around the track and built upon the throttle steering exercise to apply it to the track. as a result, I posted the fastest time in the yellow run group (1:38.7). Sorry, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm totally stoked and will be there for the next 2 STS events for sure!! Can't wait to continue to learn and get more great instruction from the folks at the POC!

Great job, Todd!!

[nostatic]

Thanks for the props Mike. Teaching is fun, especially when the students "get it." You're going to be wicked-fast in that car in no time. If you do the next pair of events, it will be good because they'll probably do the same as today along with CW w/out the bowl the other day. It makes for two *very* different tracks, and changes a lot of the turns...great learning experience.

Chad was turning in very fast times. Its funny because he remembered me from the drive back from Laguna. He passed me with his trailer and honked thinking something was wrong with my car. The only thing wrong was that I had just got a speeding ticket, so I was doing 55

Now you just need to hit an OTR event at the big track...let your turbo stretch out a bit. But make sure your brakes are up to snuff ;-)

[mmastro]

Originally posted by nostatic
Thanks for the props Mike.


Now you just need to hit an OTR event at the big track...let your turbo stretch out a bit. But make sure your brakes are up to snuff ;-)

Dude, you totally earned them....You're going to be one of those instructors that everyone wants in their car...no doubt.

I'm signed up for the OTR day on 9/21.....Yup, might have to get new pads after today ...And I need to get those Hoosiers scrubbed in, too!

Are you sure you can't make it for OTR?

[nostatic]

Originally posted by mmastro

Are you sure you can't make it for OTR?

My budget is so hammered right now...I really should get tires before doing it, and I don't know if I can swing that. I also have a workshop I have to attend at 6pm on that Wednesday, so I'd have to bail out from the track at about 3:30pm.

But lapping today just made me want to do more laps...and try and break 1:40 at the big track. Damn this sport...

[304065]

Once you go Hoosier you never go back. Abandon all hope all ye who enter here.

[mmastro]

Originally posted by john_cramer
Once you go Hoosier you never go back. Abandon all hope all ye who enter here.

HAHAHAHA ...and the slope gets more slippery!

[nostatic]

Originally posted by mmastro
HAHAHAHA ...and the slope gets more slippery!

actually it should get more sticky

Not sure about the Hoosiers...I'm actually considering going back to good street tires since I end up driving the car on the road a fair amount. I suppose I should get a second set of wheels, but I'm pretty cash-poor at the moment. Maybe just another set of RA-1s and I'll flip them earlier to make them last longer...