More ThunderHill in car, PRC Toyo Cup Race

[addictionMS]

Here is Saturdays race,


The Race

Very happy with the weekend, set a new PB, 2:05.39 in the race and backed it up with 2:05.60, 2:05.63, 2:05.94, and 2:05.98 all back to back.

Had a great race with Bill Bares (Blue and silver car) and Andy Simpkinson (White car behind Bill and I )

Jim

[earlyapex]

Jim,

Thanks for posting your races. It really motivates me to get my NASA license and join you guys!

[Tom W]

I also had great fun (my first race with PRC). I got to try and pass a couple 996 cup cars for the whole race (without success). I was a bit disconcerting to get passed by Rich twice (once just before his excursion into the gardens off turn 4 and once after he got back on and up to speed).

[juanbenae]

i heard bob nearly lapped the field. i spoke with his transport driver last night while he was driving home.

[addictionMS]

Bob is always fast, really fast, there were 11 cars on the same lap at the end of Saturdays Sundays Race, and 5 on Sunday. Best lap time was 1:50.995

Tom: it was great to have you come join us! looking forward to better and closer racing as the field fills up even more. Welsome to you, Don and John!

Jim

[trekkor]

Fun to watch in person





KT

[jim72911t]

Jim,
That was fun to watch! I've seen video of a lap or two, but never of a whole race.

I have to admit, though, my GF walked in on me while I was watching the video, and asked, "are you playing race car driver again?"

Points for her, though; she wants to do a DE with me at T-Hill next time I go.

Jim

[Tom W]

Getting passed by Bob was interesting. I'm "zooming" down the front straight at about 120 and still accelerating just getting to the flag station, all of a sudden he holds up a passing flag for the cup car in front of me. I wonder why when the question is answered by a blur that passed me like I was parked. He had to be going 150 or more and he was not in my mirrors before I entered turn 14.

[addictionMS]

Tom,

You will get used to having him come up on you, having multiple classes does force the slower cars to be way more awake and looking in the mirror more often than one would think.

Wait until there are three or four in a row!

jim

[emcon5]

Originally posted by Tom W
Getting passed by Bob was interesting. I'm "zooming" down the front straight at about 120 and still accelerating just getting to the flag station, all of a sudden he holds up a passing flag for the cup car in front of me. I wonder why when the question is answered by a blur that passed me like I was parked. He had to be going 150 or more and he was not in my mirrors before I entered turn 14.

Trust me when I say this: You have no idea.



We missed Bob in Group A this past weekend, there was a prototype (A "C" Sports Racer I think) running in SU, he would have had someone to race with.

Jim, Thanks for the heads up on Track conditions Sunday. It worked in my favor

Tom

[addictionMS]

Sweet! Congratulations!

Jim

[juanbenae]

Originally posted by addictionMS
Bob is always fast, really fast, there were 11 cars on the same lap at the end of Saturdays Sundays Race, and 5 on Sunday. Best lap time was 1:50.995
Jim

he attended a private group track day at t-hill with a few of my buddies late last year in a 993TT that was "on loan" from the owner of s-car-go. i got to ride with him a couple times throughout the day and it was very much an awakening. I learned alot by just sitting there holding on. It changed my approach in a couple corners, a bit on the line i used, but more on my shifting points and keeping my speed in different areas on the track. i did spin for the 1st time on track after riding with him though, trying to "be like bob".

i must admit, after riding with him i felt VERY slow and dirty in turning my laps. kinda ruined my day.


jim, everytime i see your car i like that paint scheme more, and i was fond of it to begin with.

[emcon5]

Race report, pictures and video are up from the NASA race weekend Mar 11-12.

http://www.shedracing.com/thill_nasa_mar06.html

Jim, I copied your lights. I think they turned out pretty well. Either you need to adjust your WFO light, or you weren't WFO places you should have been. (I have the same affliction)

Tom

[herman maire]

Jim- That looks like a blast.
Youre car looks to be really sorted.
No understeer or oversteer. Those upshifts are seriously fast also, nice work.

My only creative criticism heh, heh is that you need a little more heel/toe action on the down shifts to match those revs VS sliding the clutch out. Dont shoot the messenger... Please.

Also what motor are you running im sure I saw it somewhere but I forget.
The car sounds Sweeeeet.

[addictionMS]

Tom,

Looks good! sounds like you had a great weekend. Saddly the lights are set up correctly, and there was a lot of places I should have been getting a green light but did not. Still set my personal best time.

Watched the BMW vrs Carlos, was there contact? Looks almost like he drives off in 8 rather than have contact.

Jim

[addictionMS]

Originally posted by herman maire
My only creative criticism heh, heh is that you need a little more heel/toe action on the down shifts to match those revs VS sliding the clutch out. Dont shoot the messenger... Please.

Also what motor are you running im sure I saw it somewhere but I forget.
The car sounds Sweeeeet.

Herman,

I am very open to criticism, you do pick up on a skill I have never been happy with my ability on. I always feel like I either over rev or under rev and never get it right.

I am running a 3.0 with 9.5:1 CIS pistons, SC cams, 46mm webers, and 1.5 inch headers. All dictated by the rules.

I keep watching that video and also think that I pull out to look like I am going to pass too soon. There are a number of corners where I pull out to show myself and I loose a lot of ground. Part of me is thiniking it puts pressure on the car on front, part of me is thinking I am just loosing ground and the pressure would be just as great if I hung in there tighter just stayed behind the car in front. Anyone have any suggestions on what they think?

Jim

[emcon5]

Originally posted by addictionMS
Watched the BMW vrs Carlos, was there contact? Looks almost like he drives off in 8 rather than have contact.

That is pretty much what he did. He had to essentially straighten the wheels just after turn in to avoid driving into low-percentage-pass-boy's BMW, even slow front wheel drive cars get unsettled by quick steering inputs, so he was pretty much destined to go off at that point, and he knew it. Another GTI Cup car, driven by Don Bailey got punted off there by a Miata last September went off sideways and rolled a few times. With visions of Don's car in his head, he drove off up the hill to make sure he went off straight. If they had collided, it could easily have collected some of the half dozen cars right behind.

The BMW made a really stupid move to try and get in front of the Sports Racer (both were running in Super Unlimited), to gain a position he had absolutely no chance of keeping. The BMW was running consistant 2:05s, but the prototype was normally under 1:55. He got repassed by the prototype before the next corner.

The same BMW crashed into a Honda Challenge car in my race on sunday.

Tom

[logician]

Originally posted by addictionMS
I keep watching that video and also think that I pull out to look like I am going to pass too soon. There are a number of corners where I pull out to show myself and I loose a lot of ground. Part of me is thiniking it puts pressure on the car on front, part of me is thinking I am just loosing ground and the pressure would be just as great if I hung in there tighter just stayed behind the car in front. Anyone have any suggestions on what they think?

Jim, I agree that you are loosing more than you gain when you show your nose. Better to use that momentum to close the gap and set up for a pass on the next turn. You had a big power advantage on the straights over Bill. So if you would have just waited and set up right on his bumper at the exit of T15, you would have had an easy pass on the main straight.

One time you got right up to his outside into T14, but you lost ground through the turn because you had to turn-in later than usual and you had to make a tighter radius. In that case, 2nd gear might have worked better since you were slow through there anyway.

Interesting to note that your fast lap was in traffic, where you passed the orange 911 in T14 at the beginning of the lap. Had you gotten a better launch at the beginning of the lap, your fast lap would have been even faster. Nice race, and great lap times!

-Juan