Dr911

Esteemed RennList Braintrust,

As I approach 2 years instructing and 4 yrs of DE, I find myself feeling a bit like I've plateaued.
Been doing about 16-19 track days a year.
I still love it, but I don't love my current track car.

Will hopefully move back to driving a Pcar sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, I'm trying to find ways to challenge myself and have read somewhat broadly on this topic. A recent Speed Secrets Weekly really captured my situation very well. So I decided to register at a new track, as a student and found that did, in fact, do *something* for my mojo.

A couple of other things mentioned in the same SSW were to do a racing school (which is on the table, thanks to a recent RL thread by Rick Betterly) and a racer girl-friend who is now racing mentioned Time Trials w NASA.

Anyone here have experience in Time Trials they'd care to share?
I'm open to hearing opinions as well, but just please identify if it's your *experience* or your *opinion*

Thank you in advance,
A

Kevin Fennell

Yeah it was awesome changing to TT.

1. I got faster INSTANTLY like embarassingly faster at TWS.
2. You get welcomed into the group of racers
3. The other people in the run group are 90% more courteous. Except one guy...!
4. Competition is fun!

Downside for me was I am competitive so now my car is built pretty much to the class limits and it's not so great on the street anymore!

Oh, and another way to fix a plateau is iRacing IMO.

jscott82

The few time trials I've done worked out to be a glorified DE. The only difference was the need to strategize to make the stars align for that 1 fast lap.

Have a set of sticker tires ready to go
Know what time of day the track is at its fastest (my home track is 1-2 sec faster in the morning, not sure why)
Make sure you and the car are warm and ready when the track is ready.
Find a "hole" in your group, you want faster folks in front and slower behind. Takes some jostling to find your spot. then let er rip.

It is kinda fun to come home with a trophy and sense of accomplishment with not much more effort than a DE. I like them.

CCA

You have a Spec Miata, right? Start doing some races. An SCCA competition school is scheduled Feb. 17-18 at Roebling Road

ProCoach

SCCA in the Southeast also has a Solo 1 (Time Trials) series, as well as NASA’s TT series.

Lets have lunch in Durham one day. I think TT is an ideal way forward for you. It was a great way for me to move from auto crossing to road racing when I did the same transition over three decades ago. Made me better all around.

Thundermoose

I do TT with Kevin. I hope I am not the not so courteous guy. I have been doing it for 4 years. I think it does help you improve. I don't think you need to do anything special to participate. TT will meet you where you're at. When I started I would usually finish 4th or worse. However, I was always chasing someone.

I like the competition. It's boring to me to just pound out laps, though I could always improve the way I practice.

Another thing it offers is a way to enhance your experience on a bucket list track. This year I did VIR for the first time. I did 2 HPDE days and then 2 days with NASA. The HPDE days were great for learning the track but I really had a blast in TT. I ended up winning my class both days. I am at NOLA right now getting ready to do TT tomorrow. I don't find the track to be particularly fun but with the element of TT I have some goals that I am aiming to achieve.

I highly recommend it.

85Gold

+1

When I strap on the TTD Civic Si my mentality changes. I am more focused on the perfect lap and gridding by time keeps the track relatively open. I do find myself only doing 2 or 3 hot laps before I come in. Being and old geezer my concentration falls off about as fast as the front tires getting overheated on a FWD car.

Peter

cosm3os

If track time is your goal, you might not like it. At they height of my "TT career", I was running 3-4 laps a session, including the out and in laps.

ProCoach

Every TT I know gets practice sessions, and summoning the concentration to DO 3-4 laps as fast as you can and SHOULD in a competitive environment, without the distraction of wheel-to-wheel (think of the dumb "defensive driving" false imperative), raises almost everyone's game.

I think when DE drivers plateau, especially in the upper experience levels, TT is a worthwhile thing to do. Most folks have roll bars and safety gear required for TT, but not for wheel to wheel, and most of the folks I know with high time would rather driver as well as they can for a shorter period than just pound around doing the same old thing for longer sessions. Same with racers. Most I know prize a great drive through the pack, even if they don't win, than cruising around unmolested out front...

Dr911

Thanks all for the input and the encouragement!
Will begin racing eventually but am taking tiny steps toward it.

Peter, I’d love to do lunch!
Too bad Littler isn’t open til 5...Maybe Rue Cler or Geer St Gdn?

I’m certainly reaching the point of needing quality time over quantity time. Hope to also get some coaching, and hone the basics by spending more time at my home track.
Maybe do comp school in February (yes most prob the SCCA one at RRR.)

But if I buy a new car that might change the timeline. At my age it’d make sense to get to know the car before stepping up.

I’m hoping to run TT w concurrent DE runs to aggregate the learning from both to “layer� the incremental gains.

I’m told by the NASA guys I need a check ride to qualify for TT with them: is that what others have experienced.

cosm3os

Check with your region, but generally, yes a check ride. I will tell you this, TT won't teach you anything you need to know to go racing. If you have the experience, go for it.

Kevin Fennell

Yeah and in my region they won't even let you in unless you are pushing the car pretty hard as apparently they let in some guys in the past who aren't that fast or consistent and it can cause troubles.

gbuff

.....which is one reason I never pursued it after much thought about it....also the fact that with NASA Great Lakes my car would be classed in TTF, and last time I looked I think there was ONE other car in the class.

I'll pass, at least with them--running in their HPDE4 group with open passing is plenty fun for me.

Gary

Kevin Fennell

I don't get this issue, they don't make you come in or anything and you get the same amount of track time if you want to use it...

Also you could just up class to compete with others.

gbuff

With NASA GL the TT sessions are 15 minutes long including in and out laps. That's less track time than any DE I've ever done.
And to up-class I'd have to change my car to make it competitive.
It's a pretty popular series but it's not for me.

Gary