Flying Finn

Last weekend we had 2 day PBOC/PCA race/DE at Homestead.

What a blast! Saturday's last session rained out due to a huge downpour that flooded the tunnel out of the track meaning some peole were stuck there for several hours, I thinik only the fact that they ran out of beer forced them to swim out at around 9 o'clock or something, otherwise they'd probably spent the night there...

Anyway, both days were great, even with the rain. Sunday the rain was not so bad so last DE sessions were wet which sent most of the folks packing but those of us who stayed had a blast!

I have MPSC's that are basically worn out to slicks so grip was basically non existing but that just made it more "educational", and for sure made pretty damn entertaining video!

I was slipping & sliding but managed not to spin, unlike others (Dan, I have your "learning experience" on tape... )

I shouldn't laugh though, when it was still dry, I managed to put four wheels of on turn 2 but since it was only four wheels off, that doesn't count, right?!

Here are couple of shots of me from Saturday, and one from Sunday morning when it was still dry.

Finally, thanks to everyone involved, see you at the next time!

DJF1

was it a...drifting competition?

Juan Lopez

So Finn, You are the one with the open exhaust on the 993..... I heard that car go by many times and wondered what it had under the (rear) hood.

I decided against racing on Saturday afternoon as I did not have rain tires available. Too bad since it dried out during the race.

I'm VERY grateful of Mr.Bill for taking the time to discuss lines and taking me out on his car to show me around (super guy !!!). Thanks MUCH !

Flying Finn

Danny,

I have my car now pretty much set up way I want it (and you know I rather have oversteer than understeer...) and we were humming baby!

Have to battle some big boys in my group (GT3s & 997 S with GT3 bodykit which looked great btw) so I need to try "quite hard"...

Juan,

That yellow car with stripes was youy? Man, I should've come to say hello, it lookes awesome! And goes pretty damn nicely too, I was admiring you on the race.

Yep, that slightly loud 993 was me. Nothing under the hood though, but I don't have cats & mufflers so it is very loud. And I have chip, otherwise it's stock.
Maybe I have 280 hp (max, on a straightaways being left behind by those GT3s etc. it feels I don't have even that! ).
That exhaust & chip pretty much doesn't give any power but sound is fabulous!

BrokeAss

It's sunday afternoon, the downpour has stopped - leaving only puddles of standing water. The last few brave souls (or fools) roll to the grid. I look in my mirror and see wild man Finn staging behind me along with his fellow physco-ward cellmate Chris in the Corvette. I begin thinking to myself what's the earliest spot I can point these two guys by?

Mr. Grid releases us and the parade of six fools is off!

Me - I'm being cerebral - I'm taking it easy - I'm trying to find out how much grip I really have. Do I have more or less grip on the concrete patches? How hard can I use the brakes before ABS kicks in? ....remember to stay off the painted lines. Gentle on the throttle - squeeze on the brakes.

I check my mirrors and I'm reading the numbers on Finn's *DOOR*
I can almost see that big goofy grin inside his helmet! ...and this is only the out-lap!

No cerebral thinking and planning for the Finn. nooooo - he's driving like he's back in Finnland racing around on a frozen lake or something! Clearly the boy is off his meds again!

What a blast! I had fun driving in the rain, but clearly nowhere near as much fun as Finn!

BrokeAss

Drop me a private message and I'll send you my mailing address. Mail me a copy of that tape and I'll digitize a little "educational-don't-drive-like-the-Finn" video! We have to get that one online!

BrokeAss

Erik

LOL,

Petu went off right in front of me and Manny in the 997S, so after I passed him while he was dirt tracking thru the mud, I figured I could take it a little easier since Petu would probably go into the pit to have his car checked. Then I looked in the mirror on the front straight, and he was still there.

So much for a break :-(, back on the throttle we went :-)

Juan Lopez

Hey Finn,

I was all over the place as it was the first time with the new suspension plus I had only turned 5 laps maximum at Homestead before (and not on that car).

Thanks for the compliments. Where were you watching from?

My flight got cancelled so I'm checking in !

mrbill_fl

Hey Juan, you're going to ruin my reputation!

Honestly, I'm happy to help anyone, right up to when the green flag drops....

Oh BTW, did I mention, hmstd was my only dnf....

mrbill_fl

Can you bring THAT to the next DE classroom? lol.

Flying Finn

Terry,

Thanks for the compliments (or are you making fun of me?!).

I tend to drive my car so that I "throw" it but that's the way to make it rotate and for me it seems to work, I guess bad habit from snow/ice & dirt driving and they tell it's not the way to do it and I agree but hey, my hero is Gilles Villeneuve and few Finnish Rally drivers so don't blame me if I can't drive properly!

But I must defend myself a little, when you're in a N/A 993 desperately trying to follow Manny in his 997 S (and pass him I might add...) & Erik in his GT3 (close but no chance of passing) there is no way you can follow these two without trying 10/10th all the time! I think I'll smuggle some diesel in their tanks to level the playing field next time, don't tell them...

But that wet session was "a bit" fun and for sure very very educational! I love driving when it's slippery.

Can I send you the whole wet session and you can the choose the best bits?

I think actually better video would be from fry session since there would be more speed, wet track was just too slippery to get any kind of speed. Was a lot of sliding though...

BTW, it sure looks like both hands are off in that photo but I actually have one hand (right) on the wheel!
It's a red body showing between the seats & camera that looks like a glove. Left hand is off because I had to countersteer bit more than what I could withotu taking my hands off.

Erik,

There's no room for breaks when I'm on track with you & Manny, you should know that! And like I said, I only had four wheels off so it doesn't count!

Juan,

We watched from the end of the building where the last schicane is, it's a great place to watch!

mrbillfll,

We need to ask Dan whether he thinks it's educational or not...
It wasn't as good as I though though, you can see him turning but then I had to point the nose of the car away (for obviousl reasons) and camera misses his face expression (damn!).

BluemaxxRacing

Damn guys! Sounds like you guys are having as much fun as us Racing Guys! Maybe I should get back in the Instructor's Group again and hang out with you guys again? I miss those days....

DanS911

Well now wasn't that special!!
That whole last session was just plain crazy! Terry, like you I had more red in my mirrors than you could imagine as Petu's car is much wider from the side view than from the front view!
Not that it had anything to do with my whooptidoo in T8. But with A C4 behind me a bada$$ 993 next in line and Chris in the screaming yellow vette pushing them, I was kicking my little 160 horses to the max! When the right front caliper froze up and I was locking up the left front at 6 and 8 every time I decided I had better let the big boys go. That was when I decided to back it into the grass on the inside and wave to everybody..........yeah that's it....
New brakes are in.....watch out at Sebring!
Rich, we do miss you but remember you don't have to run home at the first sign of rain like the racers.....stay and have a beer next time.........kidding guys ;-)

BrokeAss

who me? I'd would never go for a cheap laugh at the expense of my friends!
Let's face it, the bottom line is you've got bigger 'nads than me!

I've got a better idea! Let's put the camera in Erik's car and point it backwards at you! That we can see how often you're sideways.

I liked it better when I thought you were letting go of the wheel to cover your eyes from the terror of the rapidly approaching corner!

Go ahead and send the whole thing. I'm sure I'll find plenty of material!
...or do like you did with the "sphincter clenching moments" clip and give me a list of the start/end points.