Putnam Park Recap And PSM/ABS Disconnection
10-07-2005, 12:28 PM
#122
Originally Posted by ColorChange
TD, Can you answer my question please?
Honestly, I think that the track choice is sorta irrelevant.
At any of these tracks, an unforeseen mechanical incident or debris on the track can create a dangerous situation.
Apart from that, I think safety is largely in the hands of the driver, provided that you are using a properly prepped car.
How do you define a "dangerous" track? I don't know.
Watkins Glen has armco walls within inches of the track, and these could be intimidating if you let them. Nonetheless, the very close armco walls might well be safer than VIR, which has loads of runoff but where I have seen cars slide way off into the woods and nearly into the river.
I guess every track might have one or two corners that are more dangerous than the others. If you know this and are concerned, you can just make sure that you drive those corners particularly well.
I guess what I am saying is that I would not avoid any particular recognized track under these circumstances, particularly since you made the challenge.
I don't know Gingerman or Putnam, but I do know Mid-Ohio. I love Mid-Ohio, and never felt unsafe there at any time. I think Mid-Ohio would be a great place for the challenge!
TD
10-07-2005, 12:31 PM
#123
Cows-4-Rent
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This is a long post so I'll highlight my suggestion from earlier...no addition cost, driving own cars, no risk of set-up excuses, etc. etc.
How bout this for a format...get a pro driver (Norm or Rick, sorry to bring you guys back in...) to lay down a baseline in each of your cars...Then each of you drive your own cars and see who is closer time/percentage wise to the cars limit? No reason to make excuses for setup/tires/etc since the pro will be driving with the same conditions????
The "test" is who is closer to the potential of the car in a persentage basis.
How bout this for a format...get a pro driver (Norm or Rick, sorry to bring you guys back in...) to lay down a baseline in each of your cars...Then each of you drive your own cars and see who is closer time/percentage wise to the cars limit? No reason to make excuses for setup/tires/etc since the pro will be driving with the same conditions????
The "test" is who is closer to the potential of the car in a persentage basis.
10-07-2005, 12:41 PM
#124
Three Wheelin'
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Wow TD, we have very different views. Gingerman has one armco wall, tons of run off room, is flat for great visibility, has almost no trees, and slow (125 mph tops). To say that this is the same risk level as a Mid Ohio, or a coarse like Road America where my car may hit 165, has notorious turns, armco and cement, etc. is just "crazy" IMO. I believe track selection is a huge factor in safety.
Jeff:
That's not a bad idea but it's still difficult to directly compare due to so many variables.
What is wrong with taking the same car - w DAS of course
(not his but another fully race prepped car were the last excuses he used, so fine) around for a few laps and see who is faster?
Jeff:
That's not a bad idea but it's still difficult to directly compare due to so many variables.
What is wrong with taking the same car - w DAS of course
(not his but another fully race prepped car were the last excuses he used, so fine) around for a few laps and see who is faster?
10-07-2005, 12:45 PM
#125
Tim,
I may simply be too inexperienced to understand fully the risks. I am just not certain that there necessarily is a direct correlation between physical safety and runoff room. I think that there are a lot of other variables at play. Take Shenandoah Circuit, for example. There are a lot of things to hit, and it would be easy to wad up your car there. Nonetheless, I think that you "may" be as safe there from a physical standpoint (assuming you are in a car with proper safety equipment) as you are at other tracks since you are running at lower speed with more corners.
I still stand by my opinion that Mid-Ohio does not strike me as a particularly dangerous track. Moreover, I thought you would be using a neutral car, and preferably one that doesn't hit 165. I mean, this challenge should be about relative skill, not top speed. You could race in 924s and prove the same point.
Also, managing potential dangers around the track is one aspect of driver skill, isn't it?
TD
I may simply be too inexperienced to understand fully the risks. I am just not certain that there necessarily is a direct correlation between physical safety and runoff room. I think that there are a lot of other variables at play. Take Shenandoah Circuit, for example. There are a lot of things to hit, and it would be easy to wad up your car there. Nonetheless, I think that you "may" be as safe there from a physical standpoint (assuming you are in a car with proper safety equipment) as you are at other tracks since you are running at lower speed with more corners.
I still stand by my opinion that Mid-Ohio does not strike me as a particularly dangerous track. Moreover, I thought you would be using a neutral car, and preferably one that doesn't hit 165. I mean, this challenge should be about relative skill, not top speed. You could race in 924s and prove the same point.
Also, managing potential dangers around the track is one aspect of driver skill, isn't it?
TD
10-07-2005, 12:50 PM
#126
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Why does it have to have DAS? All you need is a stopwatch. A faster lap time is a faster lap time regardless of how it was turned (as long as the car doesn't completely cut off a corner and go through the grass, which is unlikely to result in a faster lap time anyway).
Brian
Brian
10-07-2005, 01:28 PM
#131
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Hey TD:
I had one of those! Then I got the slope-nosed Audi, which is too slow to hurt myself in. Wait- I promised my dog that I wouldn't be away for more than a few hours, so you'll have to run someplace locally, and I can't drive anything other than under-powered slow cars, so, so...oh, rats!
Alan
I had one of those! Then I got the slope-nosed Audi, which is too slow to hurt myself in. Wait- I promised my dog that I wouldn't be away for more than a few hours, so you'll have to run someplace locally, and I can't drive anything other than under-powered slow cars, so, so...oh, rats!
Alan
10-07-2005, 01:59 PM
#134
Still plays with cars.
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CC - You are missing the point he is "droving" (sic) home. I believe he refers to a colorful character who once frequented these parts who goes by the handle "ghettoracer". He had the misforture to crash a car belonging to one of his students as I recall.