dgrobs

The avatar says it all. Nice....

NYoutftr

On the subject on point bys.
If I find myself the 2nd car in a 3 or 4 car train, ie. car in front of me is the slower car.
What is the appropriate thing to do, continue to follow the slower car until I get point by, or do I point by the car or cars on my bumper?

DER951

hf1

You missed the "after a point by" part -- when someone with more HP gives a point by but doesn't lift and races the passing car to the corner.

dgrobs

Gonna play Devils Advocate here (strictly as a learning experience for me):

You get a point by coming out of the Toe at WGI and then the guy giving the point by drag races you all the way down the back straight.
Is that point by still in effect by the time you get to T-8 (the right-hander at the end of the back straight)?
If no, and you take the pass going into 8, are you passing without a point by?
I only ask because it's happened to me twice at that exact spot, and I DID NOT take the pass either time as I was concerned he would push me off track to the right at the Apex.
One of those times, I spoke to the guy back in the pits and asked why he didn't lift (he had about 200 more HP than I did but I was on his *** in every corner), and his response was "if you can't get by me on the straight, you're gonna hold me up in the corners."
I just left it alone and walked away and made sure I staged in front of him for the rest of the event, and that worked out just fine as I never saw him on track again that event.
The question being, is that initial point by still in effect at the end of the back straight, even if given at the beginning of the back straight?
My dumb-*** sense of self preservation told me the answer was "no", so I backed off even though I might have passed him there at the Apex (or just before it) and never seen him again.
If I took that pass very late coming into T-8, was I passing without a point by?

hf1

Yes it is, but if you can't complete the pass where you're sure that he sees you at least slightly ahead of him before turn-in you risk contact (or worse) as he may assume you gave up and are not in his blind spot so it would be prudent to back off and line up behind him. Then pit in/out to lose him and speak to him in the paddock about how it would be safer for everyone if he lifted after a point by to help execute a nice clean pass. If you're on his bumper in the turns, you couldn't possibly be slowing him down if he were behind you.

dgrobs

Exactly as I thought and exactly as I did. It was a good lesson to learn.
On that occasion, I tried talking to him in the paddock after the session as I knew I could learn something being a new White driver at the time, but after he answered me, I figured talking wasn't going to get me anywhere. I could tell by his tone, and it was easier just to walk away.
It was not an NNJR event (my home region) and I didn't want to make any waves with another regions driver.
He gave me the point by coming out of the Toe and then floored it. What could I have done? He had 200 HP on me. No way I was catching him in the straight even though I was on his bumper coming out of the Toe. He had a GT3 and I had a Cayman. Not really a fair fight in a straight. He braked early in the brake zone at the end of the straight (way sooner than I normally brake there) and that's when I caught him on his right. He braked really early for some reason.
Common sense told me not to take the late pass at the apex, and maybe it was that common sense (or lack of aggressiveness-pick one) that may have saved an incident from happening to me that day.
Lesson learned...thankfully the easy way.

LuigiVampa

How many of you actually talk to a person holding you up after a session?

I generally just try to avoid them but there was this guy holding me up, as well as a bunch of other drivers, constantly at a DE at WGI last year. High horsepower car but he parked it at every corner and then scooted away.

Finally had to go talk to him. It is never an easy conversation - people get hurty feelings so easily. Even after talking to him the situation was only about 20% better.

Some people just don't get it.

mpruden

I just roll through the pits for space. It's just part of driving a low HP car these days. No reason for confrontation in a DE.

DTMiller

That logic... It burns.

But also,..... Chefs kisses to that logic.

You keep showing up on his bumper he's clearly faster in a straight line so obviously you'll hold him up in the turns. *smmchhhsmmchhhhfingerkisses*

Gary R.

Yes he did... After the first 100 drag races I became quite adept at doing a peddaling pantomine while alongside the guy I had so much more exit speed on a corner I overcame his 200 HP advantage for the first 1/3 of the straight. If those guys that felt drag racing me was a good idea then I would simply ignore them down and into the turn as the point by said (in a belated way at that point) it's my pass.. I did the opposite in my street Caymen to race cars, simply lift in the straight. Only a total *** thinks his straightawy speed is of importance at a DE..

TXE36

I find that just talking to them works about 90-95% of the time. A lot times they really had no clue about how badly they were holding people up. They key is not being overly aggressive about it. A normal introduction of yourself and something like "you know, in that last session I was in that blah blah and was stuck behind you and would appreciate a point-by" works wonders. Don't be an *** about it. If they are an *** about it, then it's time for the CDI to get involved.

The bottom line is they are enjoying a reduced track expense by sharing it - they need to actually share it and not act like it is a private test day. If they can't do that, they need to be shown the exit gate.

-Mike

Gary R.

Pit manuver.

dgrobs

daylorb

I kind of feel the same way on the straight. I'm not risky enough to keep pushing on the inside and potentially put someone off their apex. I have pitted, I've also just slowed way down if no one behind me and created space to see if I can catch back up. I've never yet talked to someone in the pit, although I've seen the folks running the events talk. I just don't have the energy to get into it with someone on what is supposed to be a fun day. Part of it is that I don't do it enough and am not a good enough driver to feel I should be telling anyone anything.