TD in DC

I have some track video from Summit Point (PCA DE on 3/12-13). I am green group so I should be ashamed to show any of this to any of you, but I have two that are fairly interesting (at least to me). One is of Dennis Hermann, my instructor, driving my car and explaining the line. Dennis was great and a learned a lot from him. The second is my first ever solo DE run. Interesting for me to watch because you can see me relax with each lap.

The videos are too big right now. If anyone is good at chopping them up and hosting them, please send me a PM and explain to me how I can upload them to you.

Thanks.

TD in DC

Yeahhh Baby!

I finally got some of the video uploaded to Chris's website. I split up the video to make the file size smaller. Perhaps the best clip is of Dennis Herman, my instructor, driving my car and explaining the line. The rest of the clips are of my first solo run ever. As will be obvious when you see the clips, I am an inexperienced green driver.

I left out the first three laps because they do not show any other drivers: I was the first in line (which isn't surprising since I lined up 2 hours early and I didn't start catching up to anyone else until the fourth lap. The naming convention is self explanatory.

I hope you enjoy. The videos should show those who are curious about DE what it is like from a beginner's perspective.

All helpful suggestions and criticisms are welcome. I am under no misconception that I am a good driver, yet.

The index for the videos is at http://muvvachicken.com/video/TD/

Please, right click save as . . .

I used Windows MovieMaker to make the movies. It is sad how much the video and sound degrade from the original tape (or even the DVD I made from the tape).

Matt Marks

I watched a couple of laps - looks like you have the line down pretty well and are moving along pretty good. One thing to think about - it looks like you prefer to drive with your hands at 10 and 2 rather than 9 and 3. I'm sure it will start some long debate about hand position, (but oh well, here goes) but I've noticed that with my students who want to move their hands closer to the top of the wheel, they tend to start to steer the car with their upper body rather than their arms, especially through longer corners.

What happens is that as you turn with your hands in that position, you tend to lean your whole body and sort of "fall into" the corner, pulling the wheel with you - rather than turning the wheel. Not sure if that makes sense, but it results in some jerky steering inputs - especially in turns 7-9.

Something to think about.

Also, looks like you're a little leary going down the chute. No problems with that - most people still are (myself included). It's a fast fast corner.

One thing that I've found to be helpful is to have students come out of 3, move track left to set up for the chute, and then accelerate only to 70 - hold the speed constant - and drive through the chute without lifting to get comfortable. Then, gradually work your way up to 75, 80, and so forth until you're eventually going fast enough that you need to think about braking/lifting

This way, you don't have to get as intimidated worrying about braking, seeing the tires to the left, and think about how expensive it would be to go off ;-)

Give it time though, in a couple of years, you'll be taking the chute WFO

38D

I only watched "SPLap10.wmv", but here are some advice. #1 - You are shuffle-steering in a big way. While this may work for people who've been using the technique for years, it's rarely taught anymore. The issues I have with it is that I think it makes it more difficult to recover when things go wrong as your hands are not in a consistent place. I would plant my hands at 9 & 3 and leave them there. #2 - 3:04-3:09...you lift in the corner. I looks like you do this because you feel you're closing too rapidly on the car in front. Plan ahead when there's a car in front so that you don't have to lift mid corner. #3 - You're also early in this same turn. When you're early, don't steer back out and try to re-apex. Just keep it in tight and give it less gas. #4 -- 0:55-0:58. You're shifting mid corner. Either short shift, or hold a constant throttle.

Anyway. good stuff. Keeping working on it!

Charlie C

Nice videos. Can you tell me how you mounted your video camera? I'm interested in videoing some events.
Thanks,
Charlie

RedlineMan

Hey Todd;

Looks like you were having fun and driving pretty well. I've never been to SP (a problem I am hoping to remedy this summer) so I'm no help on track specifics. I see a lot of little general rookie things, mostly to do with timing. If I could pick on anything, it would be corner entry. Read this and apply as necessary :

http://redlinerennsport.homestead.co...inessCone.html

I sort of agree with Colin on the hands. I do not hold fast to one camp or another, but I would offer that you might only shuffle steer if you need to, i.e., if your arms cannot rotate the wheel far enough for some reason. Like... your knees are in the way, eh? Heck, I've got bad elbows and wrists, but the reason I shuffle steer is I have my wheel set back very close and the seat bolsters get in my way. Following my own advice, I have redone my steering wheel, moving it 0.75" further away for this year.

You do it well and correctly, however. Just keep in mind not using it unless you must. That might strike a better balance.

But the BIGGEST thing I see is that your courtesy and sportmanship might be for naught. You are a waver, and my hat is completely off to you for that bit of class. However, don't acknowledge your conquests unitl you get past them a bit further and tuck in, lest they never get to see what a great guy you are!!

TT Surgeon

Nice vids, smoothness first, speed will follow!

dmw44

Hey John!
Just returned from a Suncoast Region DE at Sebring. We have great instructors
(my instructor was from Dave White Racing in Tampa). Sebring is a great and challenging course to run. I've been working on the very skills your articles address, braking points, turn-in points, corner exit etc. in my quest to go solo.
Thanks for sharing all of your knowledge via your articles I've come across in this thread! i'm sure they will help on my next outing!

BTW-my website has over 450 pix of DE's at Sebring, Club Racing, Sebring 12-Hours, Daytona 24 etc. Rennlisters might enjoy it.
groups.msn.com/porschelovers--pca


Thanks again for sharing your expertise! Regards, Doug

TD in DC

Matt, Colin and John:

Thanks for the advice: I really appreciate you taking the time to watch my super novice driving and giving tips. I see what all of you are saying. I cannot tell you how happy I am that I bought the in-car video system. You may not remember how it was when you were just starting DEs, but there is so much information to learn and data to absorb (from driving technique and etiquette to the line, not to mention learning to overcome fear that you will drive your car into a tire wall or miss a downshift) that you don't even realize what you are actually doing. You may hear advice and think you are doing it, but not really be even coming close. Like when an instructor says "be smooth." You think that you are being super smooth when, in reality, you are not smooth at all. The videos are great because I can go back later both in between runs and later after I leave the track and watch them over and over to see "reality." I noticed much, but not all, of what all of you had said about my hand position by watching the tape, and I also realized that I am not looking far enough down the track when there is a car in front of me. I think I do a good job looking through apexes when nobody is in front of me, but when there is a car in front of me, I seem to find it difficult to see anything else but their bumper. On some of the tapes that I did not post, I complained (or, more accurately, whined) about a few drivers not giving me point bys. (Imagine how annoying I would be as a green driver if I had a Turbo or a GT3 ) It was not until I saw the tapes later did I realize that they were being held back by cars in front of them, and they were absolutely right not to point me by. It was my "tunnel vision" that kept me from seeing that. Many thanks to Dennis for being a great instructor and a great guy and putting up with me. Karl Haug, my instructor for my very first DE, was also great.

I am going back to VIR next weekend and I cannot wait. I plan to work on the things all of you have told me. Hopefully I will remember the line from the last time I went. The last time I went to VIR I was pretty intimidated because: 1) it was my first track event ever (Summit Point was only my second); 2) my car was not handling well (The PSS9s I had installed had not been adjusted properly); and 3) I saw a few cars get smacked up and I empathized a little too much. I had a great time, but I left wondering if I would ever be able to become a good driver.

The thing about Summit Point that made me the happiest was that I lost my intimidation for the track. Don't get me wrong, I still have a very healthy respect for the track, but I am not nervous anymore, and I think that makes me a better and safer driver. That should put me in a good position to enjoy VIR even more this time.

I have also noticed that, despite my desire to deny it, I am intensely competitive. I think I need to watch my competitiveness so that it does not interfere with learning. I fear that by starting this DE thing I have started down a slippery slope that will eventually lead to club racing.

Charlie,

Since I have a Targa, I have a glass roof. Since the car is my daily driver and I have three kids under two years old (when I got rid of my Boxster S to get back seats, we started referring to the Targa as the "family car"), I cannot install a rollbar. As such, I use a pump operated suction mount that I attach to the glass roof. To this mount, I have attached a sony bullet cam that I route back to my Sony miniDV recorder that is behind the passenger seat. I use a LANC remote control to start and stop the video. You can see it temporarily mounted to the left of the shifter (It is the little red light, which indicates that I am recording). Although the video quality of the clips I posted seems poor, the video as viewed from the DV tape or from the DVD I made directly from the DV tape is outstanding. It is so clear that I can even read the speedometer. I bought everything from Hoyt Technologies www.hoyttech.com

I have since bought a DL1 data recorder. I have been told that I can plug that into the car to pick up rpm, etc . .. Anyone do that with a 996? If so, do you have any tips for me?

Thanks,

TD in DC

BrokeAss

Doug, I was at the Sebring at Sebring too. Running in the solo group. I had a great time chasing around Jim C in his 88-89(?) Carrera. I've got some great video, but didn't have a chance this weekend to digitize it.

TD - you look like your well on your way! Nice work!
I'll echo the other sentiments about hand position. I also prefer to drive with my thumbs on TOP of the wheel, instead of a "death grip" most of the time. There are some corners where you need a strong grip on the wheel. Most of the time though, I try to keep a "loose" grip on wheel and guide the car. ....take a look at your video clip w/ your instructor Dennis. Notice his thumb position? Nice 'n easy!

I watched clip #9 & 10 and both times noticed you occaisionaly shifting in a corner. You gotta watch that. ....you don't want to upset the delicate balance of the car mid-corner. If you're shifting mid corner, you have to get off the throttle. That's going to cause the weight to transfer from the rear to the front. ...not something you want to do mid-corner with a rear engine car!

Nice work!

Brian P

In general, I'd agree, but Summit Point has two turns where one might shift mid-corner. It's hard to say which is the fastest way.

forklift

Hey TD!

It looks like you have received a lot of great advice here (Rennlist rocks!). I think you have the track bug as bad as I do!

Jim

TD in DC

Hey Jim,

I'm on my way, but I haven't caught up quite yet!

TD

TD in DC

Many of you have provided helpful comments regarding hand position.

I am so addicted that I concentrate on certain skills (e.g., heel toeing) while I am driving on the city streets on a day-to-day basis so that good habits hopefully become second nature. I drive my Targa every single day rain, shine or snow.

This morning, I was working on my hand position. I noticed that with my steering wheel (the stock 996 three spoke), the spokes of the wheel are exactly at nine and three. This explains why I naturally tend to put my hands at ten and two rather than nine and three. If I put my hands at nine and three, then my thumb goes on top of the wheel (which is fine), but my fingers rest on the back of the spoke. In other words, I cannot curl my fingers around the wheel at all. Is this preferable? Should I try to get into the practice of driving like that? It feels extremely foreign right now, but I am sure I could get used to it with practice.

I appreciate all of the good advice.

TD in DC

I have been wondering a little about this myself. My shift points were at the places where my instructor suggested that I shift. Of course, I am sure that there are a million different ways to drive the same track, so I take all of the advice into account and will see how it goes during my next trip to Summit Point in Mid May.

Todd