Laguna Seca improvements
12-22-2005, 08:16 PM
#16
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You know it's a bitch having to entertain clients. I have reservatinos at Gary Danko for later in the week!
When it's MY pocketbook, though, Rombi's sounds great!
When it's MY pocketbook, though, Rombi's sounds great!
12-23-2005, 02:16 AM
#17
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gary danko is good.
i am still trying to get reservation.
i hope you made a bundle off your client. my last dinner with our clients produced a bill that was quite scary.
i am still trying to get reservation.
i hope you made a bundle off your client. my last dinner with our clients produced a bill that was quite scary.
12-23-2005, 02:41 AM
#18
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somehow, all of us that race there missed that memo!
In World Challenge speed GT, still in the 1:34 race time, 1:30.xx qual time. Touring, top 10 race time, still in the 1:40.xx range.
ALMS still in the same range too. AND the cars are getting better too!!
In the club racing events, we are also seeing about the same times. (although, less rim bending!)
what is nice, is that you can use the birms a little more, especially turn 6 and possibly turn 4. the rest of the birms done really save you any time, as there is not as much grip there, and the trade off, is that after lap one of any race, any adantage is lost with 2x the amount of sand on the track due to everyone TRYING to cut the corners and drive faster.
Now, new pavement, that may help, but the old pavement is pretty darn good. Its not like the repaving of Sears Point, where they took out a ton of bumps and uneven pavement, as well as took the pucker out of the S's with with 100acre run offs!
Mk
In World Challenge speed GT, still in the 1:34 race time, 1:30.xx qual time. Touring, top 10 race time, still in the 1:40.xx range.
ALMS still in the same range too. AND the cars are getting better too!!
In the club racing events, we are also seeing about the same times. (although, less rim bending!)
what is nice, is that you can use the birms a little more, especially turn 6 and possibly turn 4. the rest of the birms done really save you any time, as there is not as much grip there, and the trade off, is that after lap one of any race, any adantage is lost with 2x the amount of sand on the track due to everyone TRYING to cut the corners and drive faster.
Now, new pavement, that may help, but the old pavement is pretty darn good. Its not like the repaving of Sears Point, where they took out a ton of bumps and uneven pavement, as well as took the pucker out of the S's with with 100acre run offs!
Mk
Originally Posted by Wreck Me Otter
With the previous improvements from this past summer, the track is 1-2 sec faster as it is...I wonder how much faster it will be after this work....
TD - I won't be back in town until 7:00PM on 1/13, so either a later dinner on that night or perhaps an earlier dinner on Saturday would be better. I'll see what others are up to.
TD - I won't be back in town until 7:00PM on 1/13, so either a later dinner on that night or perhaps an earlier dinner on Saturday would be better. I'll see what others are up to.
12-23-2005, 04:09 AM
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SMT dropped 1.1 second between 4/05 and 10/05 with the bulk of the field dropping in a similar manner. And over 2 seconds since the previous record (although that was back in 2003). The first race there with the flattened burms didn't show much improvement, but the second time it was quite dramatic. I knocked off 1.5 second and fell further back into the field.....
Perhaps with the low power of the SM's the changes are amplified.
T6 has definitely changed...the dip is not nearly as pronounced and the SM's are barely breathing off trottle (some are going flat through it now in 4th gear) there.
In addition, I've been told that the Skip Barber instructors were finding that kind of improvement in times also...although I didn' hear that directly from them.
Similarly, the widened exit burms (particularly in the esses and T14) at TH show 1-2 seconds throughout the SMT field also.
Perhaps with the low power of the SM's the changes are amplified.
T6 has definitely changed...the dip is not nearly as pronounced and the SM's are barely breathing off trottle (some are going flat through it now in 4th gear) there.
In addition, I've been told that the Skip Barber instructors were finding that kind of improvement in times also...although I didn' hear that directly from them.
Similarly, the widened exit burms (particularly in the esses and T14) at TH show 1-2 seconds throughout the SMT field also.
Last edited by Wreck Me Otter; 12-23-2005 at 12:49 PM.
12-23-2005, 12:53 PM
#20
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Just thinking more about this....SM's and Skip Barber cars probably improved more with the changes since corner speed is everything in these cars, particularly just before an uphill elevation change (ie up the hill to T7) . So if we can stay flat through a corner now (and up one gear), then we've made a significant improvement.
12-27-2005, 03:36 PM
#21
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I think you are right there. but as i said, world challenge didnt gain anything in either group. in fact, they have been faster at all tracks this year, as well as laguna for about the same amount.
I bet there is some time to be gained at turn 6, as i really didnt think much about it during my last few races there. all i really noticed is that nipping the birms didnt make all the noise! i think if you can get a dirt free lap, and nail turn 6, there could be a .5 or 1 second found for most cars. I think the Spec Miata SCCA pro racing group, ran about the same times too.
who knows, as by the time i get there again they will have all new pavement!
Mk
I bet there is some time to be gained at turn 6, as i really didnt think much about it during my last few races there. all i really noticed is that nipping the birms didnt make all the noise! i think if you can get a dirt free lap, and nail turn 6, there could be a .5 or 1 second found for most cars. I think the Spec Miata SCCA pro racing group, ran about the same times too.
who knows, as by the time i get there again they will have all new pavement!
Mk
Originally Posted by Wreck Me Otter
Just thinking more about this....SM's and Skip Barber cars probably improved more with the changes since corner speed is everything in these cars, particularly just before an uphill elevation change (ie up the hill to T7) . So if we can stay flat through a corner now (and up one gear), then we've made a significant improvement.
