CVR PCA Auto-x September 18, 2011

[paulgtr]

After the last CVR event was washed out and then the zone 1 regional auto-x was disrupted by the hurrican that swept up the east coast, this has been my first auto-x since early july.
In the meantime I have been to lime rock 5 times and been working on smoothness and learning the line around the same course.

There has been some inclement weather at lime rock the past two events, so working on the rain line and adjusting to the changing conditions of the track through the day has been helpful.

The best thing about running the auto-x is that the layout is brand new each event. The course that Paul Kudra set up was a bit complicated with an inner and outer loop as well as a cross over that caught us all out during the day.

In the first three runs I was trying to work on throttle steering and not using the brakes that much. it was exciting and I spun out a couple times. it was also very slow! but it was good to work on the transition from turning in abruptly to keeping up with a slide and working throttle inputs.

My best time with this technique was a 50.8 something something. by which time the FTD was already in the low 43's and would eventually be pushed down to a 42.5! I took a ride with Paul, who set the time in his rsr-ish monster.

eye opening experience to say the least. in an auto-x everything seems to happen so fast, but rmembering the rpoper technique that you would use on a race track still applies. hard braking, smooth release and good turn in and then smooth application of power.
Paul also used more of the course than I did, I was not tracking out enough and always wound up comptromising my turn in.

went out again with the lessons fresh in my head and took two seconds off my time. I wasted a vouple more runs and finished the day off with an ok, but not very good 48.6.

after the official runs were done I got in a fun run and got a clean run. 47.3!
So I wound up third in my last run as a novice with a 48.6 instead of first with the 47.3...
no worries! excellent day all around. bumped into some folks I have seen at the DE days at lime rock and didn't get rained on!