Racing slick life
#16
Rennlist Member
I had similar experience this past Mon-Tue at VIR albeit with Hoosier A7's.
My goal this year was to break 2:00. I did a 2:02.44 last August and it was hot as heck. This March, the best I could do was a 2:03 on some scrubs. Monday, I managed a 2:02.33 on 12+ HC. I improved by another tenth Tuesday and had another 2:02.xx in the second session even with hotter temps and about a 7 mph drop in top speed. In my mind, the car and the tires had nothing left...
Serendipitously, I was parked next to a street E46 M3. Laguna Seca Blue with some very tasteful mods. The owner was Pro Racing driver Scott Heckert. We got to chatting and he offered to put down a data lap for me after lunch which was even hotter. I kinda explained my goals and we went through some braking points pre lap.
I watch him go out and after second lap I see him dropping back. I am thinking uh oh. I went back to my pop up but I can see he's still going at it. Turns out he was just trying to get free of traffic. He runs the full session which I am wondering how since A7's tend to get greasy after 4-5 laps. Checker comes out and he comes in. I help him get out of car and he's like "what a blast!" He then tells me that car probably has a 1:57 in it with the tires I have on it. I am like WTF. The TT3 track record is 1:59.x and that was under an old and faster rule set. He did 1:59.1 with some traffic exiting hog pen! 3 seconds faster than my best. Video below.
Scott was extremely cool. He sat down with me and we looked at AIM data as well as the smartycam video. I basically did what he did but he just did EVERYTHING a LOT better. I'll be watching his video and studying his data for weeks to come.
I told him that he took away every excuse I had - too hot. Not! Tires all used up. Not! Too much traffic. Not!
Peter Krause was also there Monday doing turn by turn virtual track walk.
Enjoy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqPxmQ4lgpE
My goal this year was to break 2:00. I did a 2:02.44 last August and it was hot as heck. This March, the best I could do was a 2:03 on some scrubs. Monday, I managed a 2:02.33 on 12+ HC. I improved by another tenth Tuesday and had another 2:02.xx in the second session even with hotter temps and about a 7 mph drop in top speed. In my mind, the car and the tires had nothing left...
Serendipitously, I was parked next to a street E46 M3. Laguna Seca Blue with some very tasteful mods. The owner was Pro Racing driver Scott Heckert. We got to chatting and he offered to put down a data lap for me after lunch which was even hotter. I kinda explained my goals and we went through some braking points pre lap.
I watch him go out and after second lap I see him dropping back. I am thinking uh oh. I went back to my pop up but I can see he's still going at it. Turns out he was just trying to get free of traffic. He runs the full session which I am wondering how since A7's tend to get greasy after 4-5 laps. Checker comes out and he comes in. I help him get out of car and he's like "what a blast!" He then tells me that car probably has a 1:57 in it with the tires I have on it. I am like WTF. The TT3 track record is 1:59.x and that was under an old and faster rule set. He did 1:59.1 with some traffic exiting hog pen! 3 seconds faster than my best. Video below.
Scott was extremely cool. He sat down with me and we looked at AIM data as well as the smartycam video. I basically did what he did but he just did EVERYTHING a LOT better. I'll be watching his video and studying his data for weeks to come.
I told him that he took away every excuse I had - too hot. Not! Tires all used up. Not! Too much traffic. Not!
Peter Krause was also there Monday doing turn by turn virtual track walk.
Enjoy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqPxmQ4lgpE
#17
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
#18
Bummer but good that you have a spare. It was also nice meeting you in South Bend and again in the paddock.
#19
Burning Brakes
There is a whole other part of the equation that the OP may want to consider. If you are not a professional driver, then running on crappy tires results in crappy lap times. I know this because when I went to the Glen CR recently, I had really crappy tires that resulted in crappy lap times. When I put stickers on for qualifying, I did fine. But I realized by running crappy tires I was wasting my time - I could not test braking zones. etc. Also, since my times were so slow, I was afraid I was getting used to going slow. Thus a double whammy for confidence levels.
#20
Racer
Enjoyed the video of Scott Heckert above. The most interesting part to me is that he is able to use the curb on turn 16, the left hander going down into hog pen. I don't think I could do the same. (Of course, I am far from Pro!)
#21
Three Wheelin'
Really depends on how you drive. If you are a smooth driver like Jackie Stewart, they last quite a bit. On the other hand if you drive like Ken Block.....
#22
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There is a whole other part of the equation that the OP may want to consider. If you are not a professional driver, then running on crappy tires results in crappy lap times. I know this because when I went to the Glen CR recently, I had really crappy tires that resulted in crappy lap times. When I put stickers on for qualifying, I did fine. But I realized by running crappy tires I was wasting my time - I could not test braking zones. etc. Also, since my times were so slow, I was afraid I was getting used to going slow. Thus a double whammy for confidence levels.
First, I don't want people to drive around crappy tires, much less "tune the car" on a compromised platform with tire performance being a moving target.
Second, I am going to ask drivers to "become comfortable being slightly uncomfortable." Push slightly beyond their comfort level, hence confidence level. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE NEW TIRES to bolster driver confidence, because that real or perceived impediment is NO LONGER THERE. Also, the specific exercises I and others use to improve technique execution required as stable a platform as you can make, because we don't want to "scare the brain." consciously or unconsciously.
There are TWO topographical (elevation change) features in the beginning of this comples, a "level-out" or compression leading in to that curbing via the diagonal path and heading across the width of the road, right to left, and then another change past the mid point of the T16 curbing on the left that drops slightly and requires steering to be relaxed slightly. Many drivers drive to deep and turn too much, still more leave the right edge of the road early and "pinch" the entry in, which causes them to be equivocal on their braking AND SPEED, upsetting the car when they touch the curbing.
https://speed51.com/winning-is-twice...eckert-at-vir/ And now he's won in PWC with Mike Skeen, another driver who I've helped mentor.
In the end, it all boils down to most efficient use of the brakes through the changes in elevation while maintaining a high enough speed to generate the cornering loads appropriate to unweight the left side, while STILL ending up with the proper heading at the END of the curb on the left. I could talk for days about this ONE complex...
__________________
-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
-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