Gaugin Interest: Reno SCCA Track Day (PDE)

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

No snow donkeys were harmed in the making of this track day. Just a few egos bruised by a certain STi that walked on everybody.

Was anyone faster than the STi of doom? Corvettes? Doug D in his porche?

[cody]

Originally Posted by MikeK

I'm glad no one was hurt, and no serious damage. And don't worry about paint chips, when you reach a certain speed the front of the car just sucks rocks off the tyres of anyone in front of you ...

LMAO

[Nick Koan]

Originally Posted by MikeK

Was anyone faster than the STi of doom? Corvettes? Doug D in his porche?

I passed Doug's porsche twice!

Oh, it was his buddy driving for the first time in the novice class

[doubleurx]

Sounds like a blast. At the last event both Doug and I went off on turn 5/6.

Both those turns 15 and 1 are scary. Glad you both got through fine. Wish I could have made this one. I bet it was a ton of fun.

[cody]

I had a close call in 5/6 when I had my first introduction to brake fade. The Porterfield R4-S's were okay on the track, but they got pretty hot and stinky.

Today was one of the funnest things I've ever done.

[Nick Koan]

Did anyone get any pictures?

I think Allen did, but did anyone else?

[cody]

My buddy took pics and video of the 3rd group 1 session. I'll get the pics up Mondayish.

[MattR]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

Just a few egos bruised by a certain STi that walked on everybody.

Hahaha...yeah, my car has rediculous amounts of grip on the KW's and R Compound Advans. Plus, with the air temp around 50 degrees all day, the car was a monster. I topped out 5th a couple of times. I have to say that the setup on my car is perfect right now, I love the way it feels.

I spent a whole session a few feet off Mike Cesarios rear bumper in his Shelby Cobra, that car is fast. It was a blast to follow him around. I was thinking that had to be the most random looking battle I've seen, those two cars are nothing alike, but we were running the smae lap time pretty much. I even dive bombed him once going in to 5 just to show him I could

Overall, the advanced group was awesome, I got to track with some good drivers, and only 1 porsche pissed me off, so that's well below average

As far as the track goes, they resealed the course, and shaved a few more sections. The entrance into 5 is nice and smooth, so I was eating people up under braking down there. My new set of Ferodo 2500's and a fresh brake bleed meant I was outbraking just about everyone. And they still felt 100% at the end of the day. Another change they made to the track was getting rid of turn 11, which means the back straight is a straight shot out of 10, and you are just flying back there now.

Anyway, I have some decent in car footage, I'll bring it to the meet thursday.

I had a great day.

[dknv]

Wow Matt, you have become quite the track enthusiast, congrats! I wish I could have been there at least to watch.

[cody]

Matt's car sounded really nice and it looked fast. Also, the stickar Nick put on his car gave it at least 25 WHP.

Nick, I'm just curious, what was the highest speed you remember seeing? I wasn't stoked with the top end on my car. I saw 112 max. I couldn't even safely pass Nick's Legy in the front straight, but I rode his ass everywhere except coming out of the toilet bowl. He always pulled like 9 car lengths after that turn (14?).

Too much fun!

BTW, I feel really lucky that I didn't wreck my car (or anyone else's). I don't plan on losing it at that speed ever again. *knock on wood*

[Nick Koan]

I honestly don't remember, but it was the top of 4th, which should be 110ish.

[cody]

Shit! I meant to ask Matt. Sorry Nick.

[Nick Koan]

He said he was topping out fifth, in the 6 spd, should be about 150ish

[cody]

Dayum!

[sperry]

Cody, the key to top speed isn't just pure horsepower, although Matt's probably got about 100hp on you. The key is getting a good run off the corner leading to the straight.

At RFR, with the new back-stretch, turn 7 is the key corner to getting quick lap times. Unfortunately, T7 is also the most difficult corner on the course... semi-blind, off camber, and the setup into it is directly effected by the difficult T5 and T6 (the turn around at the north end of the course). I'm not sure if your instructor showed you the line, but it's a little counter-intuitive to come off T6 and get into T7. But if you do it right, you should be able to run flat out from the middle of T7 all the way to the bumpy braking zone for T12.

Turn 15 is the last turn before the front straight. MattR was telling me it's a bit slippery since the resurfacing, but before that, you could carry an amazing amount of speed through there due to the banking/uphill nature of the corner. The problem is, if you miss the apex at those speeds, you tend to get flung off into the dirt on the exit, or spin (ask Nick about that! ) Again, that's another important corner that takes practice and experience to get right, but when you do, you've got a good 5-10mph advantage onto a long straight, which puts you into the 120 mph range into the esses.

When I was running my car before the 6MT on the stock turbo (dyno'd at 198awhp, very similar to your car) I was getting up to around 110-120 on both the front and the back straights, and Dean (who's car was just about the same as mine, but with stock boost) was running away from me like it was nothing. All a matter of line, experience, and commitment. Hopefully Dean will be around at the next event to give you some instruction, he knows RFR pretty well now, and is a good instructor.

[Nick Koan]

Turn 15 sucks

No, I backed off quite a bit after my spin, but kept pushing closer and closer to the speed I spun at. I actually think I took that corner again at roughly the same speed as what caused my spin, but I made sure not to lift, and I allowed myself to drift into the pitlane.

Dean is a great instructor. Its been over a year since the SECCS track day, but I did get a chance to ride with Dean (him driving) for 3 laps around the course that day. Even though it had been a while, I remember certain points coming back to me from those three laps. Like, how to take the fishbowl properly, and the uphill esses coming out of 5-6. I doubt I got those turns perfectly, but I certainly felt very good in them. I most definitely want Dean in my car next time I'm at that track.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by cody

Shit! I meant to ask Matt. Sorry Nick.

Eric was seeing 130 into turn 1 at the last event he was at. Also, he is insane.

[cody]

Yah, I think I had a problem hitting turn 15 correctly. I would just drift into the pit lane every time. I was all over whoever happened to be in front of me out of turn 7 onto the back straight, but I'd lose most people coming out of the toilet bowl. I blame my tires.

On the 3rd run, my instructor, Skip, did a real good job of pointing exactly where he wanted me and I was noticibly faster...especially in the straights since I was exiting turns faster.

[Nick Koan]

Originally Posted by MikeK

Eric was seeing 130 into turn 1 at the last event he was at. Also, he is insane.

quoted

[Dean]

I'm bummed turn 11 is gone. Did you guys get to look at the new section at all?

Thanks for all the compliments. They key to every corner, braking zone, etc. is vision. Where are your eyes are looking is key. Just like WRC drivers listening to their co-driver, you brain needs the best picture it can have of the next 2-5 seconds so it can do it's physics magic. The WRC drivers have to visualize what is coming since it is coming so fast around blind corners. If you can keep your eyes scanning ahead at least 2 elements at the track/autocross, it will help a ton. Even if you can't see that element yet, looking where it will be allows the brain to build the picture inch by inch as you move down the track.

I spend about 90% of my time as a driver, and instructor working on vision because if you get that right, the other stuff is easy.

Sorry I wasn't there, but I have some philisophical issues with the event, and decided not to be involved due to those.

There are upcoming Audi events at Thunderhill(January), Laguna(February), and Pahrump(April we think)

Also probably going down to hooked on driving, Volvo and SCCA events at Thunderhill 12/8-11.

[cody]

Should I post a couple pics in this thread or make a new one?

[Nick Koan]

Originally Posted by cody

Should I post a couple pics in this thread or make a new one?

do a new one.

[Nick Koan]

Originally Posted by Dean

I'm bummed turn 11 is gone. Did you guys get to look at the new section at all?

Yeah, we got to take a guided tour in some of the RFR trucks of the new course. They basically took us on the longest single track configuration, and man it looks awesome. There are some down right scary turns. Once you get up to the second elevation, it doesn't stay level like I assumed. It has its own elevation changes. There is one 180 degree corner that is coming off of some downhill esses that is off camber. Looks to be a good place to screw up. And also, the corner where you enter the "slide" (what they call that re-entrance from the upper portion to turn 11) could be pretty bad. Its after some long fast uphill esses, and you have to make a quick left then right down the slide. What makes it worse is the little kink in the track is not visible coming up the esses, as it is after the crest.

[cody]

Originally Posted by nKoan

do a new one.

http://www.seccs.org/forums/showthre...7805#post57805

[doubleurx]

Riding with Dean is great! He does really teach you where to look which is the most important thing to remember...............Look way ahead.