CVR PCA DE Lime Rock sept 19 2011

[paulgtr]

After running with the CVR auto-x yesterday in hartford, I went up to Lime Rock for a DE.
At the last event on the 8th I was signed off to run in the yellow instructed run group, but it was not certain there would be space for me to be moved up for this event.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was in the yellow run group at registration. The work is paying off.

It was very cool to be on track with the faster drivers. I probably paid too much attention to letting people by, but I know how frustrating it was to get caught in a train.

I still need to practice heel and toe. in the braking zone for the first turn I was trying to do it and I was getting distracted thinking about where the gas pedal was as I tried to downshift. I was really slow and inconsistent into the first turn, so my instructor suggested we work more on good consistent smooth braking and a good line through the turn.

I'll try to work on heel and toe away from the track. I might need to find a set of pedals that can be adjusted so they match up better when I am on the brakes. the gas pedal was a little lower and too far away to smoothly blip with out changing pressure on the brake pedal.

the weather was excellent and for the first time in three trips to lime rock, the apex's were not compromised by standing water. I was really having fun in the left hander and esses.

I'm not sure if it was done purposely, but there were no cones out to mark the turn in apex and track out points. That was very cool. the first couple laps I was lost! lol. and it took most of the first session to get an idea of being comfortable with out the cones.

The biggest thing for me was where should I look? It was easy when there were cones. it was like tracing the dots. just look from one cone to the next. without the cones I was thinking more about where I was and where I wanted to look so I could be smooth through the corners. that was great.

had a chance to follow Bill V for a few laps. he's got a great car and with that 3.6 it really moves.

I managed to run my car out of gas though in the third session, so I had to tour around and pit before the session was over. oh well. live and learn.

The last session was good, very smooth and another opportunity to watch the faster guys after they past me. the way they were attacking the up hill was cool. I have alot to gain there. but I have to be careful because the crest of the hill unsettles the car and I have to be sure I have my front wheels pointed straight ahead. it is a right hand turn and I am holding the steering wheel too long turned to the right. every lap I was fighting myself. my right hand was trying to keep turning right and my left was trying to pull the wheel back straight.


over all I had a great day, saw a couple fellow pelicans and started on a new learning curve in a faster run group.

[VFR750]

It was good to see you. The day was perfect.

To help the heel and toe, I lowered the brake pedal a small amount. It helps some. The biggest help is to do it all the time on the street, every shift. Takes a while to get muscle memory in place.

[Bill Verburg]

[Driver8]

Yesterday was a great day at Lime Rock. Always have fun with the folks at CVR.

That is the problem with cones, many drivers do exactly as you mentioned, drive cone to cone. This hurts their smoothness and limits their ocular driving as they are always focusing on the next cone. You should look for reference points around the track for turn in, apex and track out instead of the cones.