How age affects speed...
01-20-2018, 03:43 PM
#61
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I'm early in life to very challenging skiing but late to racing. I peaked long ago skiing and can only go down hill from here. While I can still ski extremely challenging terrain of my youth the penalty for crashing is much ore painful so I take it down a notch. I'm not smart enough yet to know my limits racing. I'm still getting faster. I think about racing real racecars with aero but have not pulled the trigger. When you get to be an old fart should you make that step? Do old guys have problems with 2.5g turns? Are higher corning speeds requiring faster reaction times? How much of how age effects speed is what car you are racing? I'm a big fan of my tintop car and halo seat where I can just lay my head against the halo in the turns and casually continue by Sunday drive to the checker flag. Most call racing an athletic sport. I try to keep calm in the car and my goal is to exit the car without breaking a sweat. I think of racing as chess. Maybe if I'm not exhausted and drenched with sweat I need a faster car?
2.5 g DOES subjects the driver to more forces, obviously. Higher speeds DO require more attention, concentration and a reaction time that is within most experienced driver's, even aged ones, capabilities.
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-Peter Krause
www.peterkrause.net
www.gofasternow.com
"Combining the Art and Science of Driving Fast!"
Specializing in Professional, Private Driver Performance Evaluation and Optimization
Consultation Available Remotely and at VIRginia International Raceway
01-23-2018, 03:47 PM
#62
Rennlist Member
I'm early in life to very challenging skiing but late to racing. I peaked long ago skiing and can only go down hill from here. While I can still ski extremely challenging terrain of my youth the penalty for crashing is much ore painful so I take it down a notch. I'm not smart enough yet to know my limits racing. I'm still getting faster. I think about racing real racecars with aero but have not pulled the trigger. When you get to be an old fart should you make that step? Do old guys have problems with 2.5g turns? Are higher corning speeds requiring faster reaction times? How much of how age effects speed is what car you are racing? I'm a big fan of my tintop car and halo seat where I can just lay my head against the halo in the turns and casually continue by Sunday drive to the checker flag. Most call racing an athletic sport. I try to keep calm in the car and my goal is to exit the car without breaking a sweat. I think of racing as chess. Maybe if I'm not exhausted and drenched with sweat I need a faster car?
) so,as you say, if you use experience and the drive to constantly improve, the physicality of the human body as it ages and the assist of the car itself, allows for some pretty remarkable longevity in racing. you also mention the "risk" factor in skiing for example.... I also raced SuperG and there is no way im going to hang it out at my age now, as i did back then....the risk of injury as well as the strength is just not the same, so im a danger to myself if i think i can let it all hang out like i once did. SO, with auto racing, the more conservative risk approach is actually a good thing. we take less chances, but when we do, they are based more on seasoned experience, so we are in the end, faster, smarter and safer. Look no further than many of the top pros that have been near their 70s and tearing up the track and beating the young guys. example : Lew Larimer, winning GT1 SCCA Runoffs two years in a row in that old Oldsmobile, Jack Baldwin, and many others)great article posted here. shows why Racing is such a great sport if you can keep youself in decent shape and keep your mind sharp, as well as a need and desire and drive to be better every time you are on the track.
Mk