"Back to the Future" Thompson, July 2014

[dickita15]

i do think the track is getting better but Stephen is right there are lots of chances to make mistakes and when i made one it seemed really hard to get back in the groove. I got tapped in the rear at the apex and knocked off the track twice this weekend by cars in other classes, neither had malicious intent and other than losing spots there was no real harm. both were a result of not understanding how different cars were going to react. that will get better. I hope.
one thing i was having a hard time dealing with is near the end of the long race i was getting lapped by some faster class cars. they would toodle around the turns near the oval and not make a move and then coming out of 10 stick a fender inside at 11 and try to push me outside on the most important apex on the track. for those who have not race there is is like sticking it inside in the downhill at lime rock, maybe worse. for me at least there is not a lot of margin there. i either have to make a big lift onto the long straight of wreck us both.

[JLawton]

Yeah, interesting weekend. I really don't like the track flow. As others have said, really tough to pass. It is a big auto X with a long straight. Abhi and I (he was in first, I was in second) came up on the group of IT7 cars that were battling. I knew that Abhi getting caught up in the middle was my only chance to possibly pass him so I know I made some "risky" passes to get by them. Hope I didn't mess anyone up and they all did a great job of letting us through.

Dick, if I couldn't stick the pass going into the oval it was really tough getting by anyone until flat footing it through 11. Hope it wasn't me who pushed you out because I know I did it to one of the IT7s...........

The only other place I found decent to pass was the corner coming off the oval (turn 8?). If I cut the corner straight using the grass on the left as the apex I could brake in a straight line to block the apex of the car taking the wide approach. (but considering they cant see you, you MUST be up along side or there will be contact) And seeing as you are immediately going into turn 9, it didn't matter if you were slow in 8. In fact, that was my normal line through there. There is no "straight" between 8 and 9 and I think most of us had to lift through 9 any how so why not take the shortest route??

The transitions onto and off of the old track really unsettled the car.............

Although, after making a really stupid mistake on the start of Saturday's race and going into turn one DFL in ITA, I was able to make quite a few passes on my way back up and through. The Prod cars killed me though......... They raced me like we were battling for position..........


I also over heated myself on Saturday. Looking back, I spent two days drinking plenty of water but not replacing any of the other shit in my body (sodium, potassium, etc.) and I think by time I finished Saturday's race I was a little out of it. Lesson learned............

Great job on the weekend JB!! Well done!

[dickita15]

well there is passing and then there is getting by slower cars. when you are racing someone you can find place to take away their line. when you are lapping or working your way back by out of class cars it is about working together to not hurt either car. not sure everyone understands the difference. i agree that 9 you can do a cooperative pass with little loss of time to either. if your car turns well i think it can be done on the oval as well.
when Abbi and you went by me he got but on the end of the straight and i lifted early to let you into on before me. neither of us lost much time and i did not screw up your race. a lapping car can stick it in on the right in clubhouse (4?) with little issue but trying to get inside of me in 3 or 11 and push me into the marbles and I will never give you a break again.

agreed JB done good and we as a group are learning a lot.

[gran racing]

I actually thought 3 could be a reasonable place to pass. Slower car stays outside, faster apexes early. IF they see you. During soft opening I attempted that but needed to back off.

[StephenB]

Here is a video of Sundays race at Thompson from outside pole in the ITR Mazda RX8. First lap is in real time then most of the video is fast forward to make it faster. I know a few people that wanted to see the incident in turn 1 on the start. I also slowed it down when I made the pass for third on Rob Breault and then slowed it down again when I almost lost it in Turn 10. My fast lap in the race was only a 1:21.7 and fastest of the weekend was a 121.2. I really wish my rotary thing under the hood had a lot more torque for the starts!


http://youtu.be/_WVNnGwoA0M

Stephen

[JLawton]

Stephen, were you on street tires or Ho Ho's?