Tips for first DE, at COTA
 

Doing a DE with Edge Addicts at Cota in Feb. My first. Looking for your tips.

tom

First DE?

Or first DE at COTA?

My first at COTA, although my first DE's will be the preceding two weekends with an event with NASA at MSR and an event with PCA at TWS.

I have multiple Auto-X's behind with one in this 911.

tom

I hope you enjoy the DE's coming from an autocross background. I feel like DE allows you to link together many skills from autocross with the benefit being a longer time in the car given the 20-30 minute sessions.

As with any DE, if you have someone in the right seat, listen to them. Starting out, I wouldn't say that your learning curve at COTA is especially different from MSR or TWS. Be patient, it will take some time to get your rhythm at any new track. Add speed judiciously.

Some put COTA on a pedestal. Is it warranted? Maybe. It's a terrific facility and it is priced accordingly. Everything costs more there. There are a lot of turns and some are tricky. There is generally good paved run-off which makes recovery manageable. On your first time out, be aware of the paved run-off areas and the less forgiving areas. Turn 3 seems to have been where people first had trouble - it can have triple-digit entry speeds with a nearby barrier on the left if you run out of room.

You're astute enough to seek out advice, so I expect you'll be fine. Just remember that nobody wins anything at DE's, don't drive beyond your abilities, and have fun.

Only problem is you will NEVER go back to AutoX once you do a DE day. 5 minutes of driving with 3 hrs of standing and watching cones vs 2.5 hrs of driving and hanging out with your buddies the rest of the time.

:thumbsup:

Agree with Zweebach...DE's are not a race. Learn all you can from your instructor and build on it by talking with guys around you in the paddock. I hope the DE includes classroom instructions. Some instructors are better than others but there is a kernel of truth in all of them. It will be a learning process. I hope it's two days so you can sleep on it and try to improve on day two.
I'm jealous about your going to COTA. But I do Mid-Ohio a lot.

You can carry speed into the esses and brake heavy between 3 and 4. Observe the areas where the tire color covers the red to see where everyone else is clipping corners. Go flat out over the hill and down to turn 11, use all of the track there and get on the gas early to get some speed down the straight. Follow the leader through the next set of turns. Again see where others are making up time through here by straightening out the turns. The rumble strips are pretty smoothed out in some areas so just drive over them to learn how they feel. They are not too bad compared to when the track was new. Avoid the yellow ramps at all costs. Drive straight towards the corner on turn 15 and apex late. The carousel was my favorite turn, set your wheel to clip both apexes and keep on the gas until you brake hard for the left hander, use all the track here and the left onto the front straight. Turn 1 is challenging to get right for me. The hill will help you slow down for it. Keep an eye on pit exit as a car joining you in turn 1 can really alter your line. Watch lots of vids before you go.

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