JimB

This is a sore subject for Greg.

Larry, I think you did just fine in your car. Next year I'm coming with a bigger gas tank. When I ran low in the enduro and had to pit I had a 30 lead in C. Oh well. I can't imagine a better weekend and I won nothing. Well, maybe a couple class records.

DrJupeman

Well rules are rules and if you start making personal judgements based on what you perceive is an advantage or not, the system breaks down...

Greg Fishman

Larry,
Right you are but the scruits don't see it that way. Both myself and Bill W. got the if you aren't a 993RS to the "T" you aren't legal and must add weight to run as a C prepared speech. Another one of the idiotic PCA rules IMO. I believe PCA should allow the reduced weight, to match the Euro or ClubSport version, as a prepared option. Terry Heath made his 944S2 into a E car for one race by changing it to run as a Firehawk car. The scruit at a race wouldn't allow it because he hadn't changed out the side mirrors to plastic ones like the Firehawk cars had... Probably a big reason that many are racing and considering racing in NASA.

Just the same, great race to you! You deserved and earned it.

Larry Herman

Agreed Charlie, but it seems like PCA is one of the only organizations that I know of that prohibits you from running less than what the original car had. I'm not complaining though, the less 993 RSCSs the better.

DHinkle

Greg:

My RS doesn't have the same hp as Phil's. I was behind him and we accelerated at the exact same time and he dusted me. We studied my data and the best lap I could turn at Daytona would have been an 2:08:5. I don't have the ponies to run w/Phil's car or the X51's. I tried to draft w/Chris (we're good friends and have raced together in PCA and Panoz). I got on the radio and said "I'm coming with you". And I did, for about 200 yards. It will be interesting to see what changes are made for 07. Though down on hp, I still got as much as I can out of my car and had a blast. I've ran an RSA like Larry's and it's a harder car to drive fast than my 993 RS or any 996. He did a great job.

JimB

Does anyone have a place to post a video? Karen took some pretty fun video of the infield.

karlooz

try google video uploading and sharing is free. you just have to register.

Greg Fishman

Not all engines are the same, that is for sure. You are lucky to have a real RS, they are a great car. Another issue is I think the times are considerably quicker than they were for RRII. I believe they repaved the infield section, it seemed to have more grip than I remembered.

JimB

Didn't Berard run a 2:05 or 2:06 at RRII?

Larry Herman

I've got a place. You can e-mail me the file & I'll post it for you.

Greg Fishman

Jim,
Here are the race results. 2:07.8 in the race Not sure what was done in qualifying. I was faster in the race as I actually had some clear track and more time. We had about 4 sessions before the race and they were shorter than what PCA alloted.
When I see Karl Poetl's best lap time in the race is almost 3 seconds slower than what I did my first time in Mike's car it makes me think the track must have been faster.


http://www.gorace.com/rennsport2/res...Cup%20Race.pdf

JimB

Greg,
Berard says he thinks they opened up the bus stop. Did you notice a difference?

We're, of course, fighting over who is faster.
Jim

Greg Fishman

Jim,
The track was the same format/layout as it was for RRII. Only difference I noticed was more grip in the infield. In my RRII video you could see that I was fighting getting traction to the rear wheel at almost every turn. The track seemed much grippier to me even in a lower hp car. Several years before RRII the bustop was different in that you came out if it looking right at the wall in NASCAR 3. It was a much faster and dangerous turn IIRC.

Since we are bench racing I would say that Bill would have been faster with the new surface. Comparing Chris Cervilli's time to yours and Phil's is a big indicator to me. Also look at Jay N.'s times, they dropped considerably as well.

38D

The time drops could also be attributed to the significantly more track time we all got at this event vs. RRII.

Greg Fishman

Yes that could be a difference but I don't think it was the biggest one. The track was repaved prior to this years 24 hour race.

"After falling off a bit last year due to the spec tires, the lap times at Daytona are already at a record pace after just one day of testing, likely due to the repaving of the infield. Colder weather tomorrow could likely bring the fastest DP's times in the 1:44s and I wouldn't be surprised to see a 1:43 by the time qualifying rolls around. And 1:54.1 in GT is insanely fast."

Here is a the reason and date of the chicane/busstop change.

"Here is the skinny. The total project did not alter the entrance to the chicane at all.
The difference comes at just after the right turn. The old configuration straightened out after the right turn into another right hander that forced a literal climb into the banking after exit. The difference? You now get a flying start into the banking because the chicane blends into the strait.

The reason they changed it? Safety.

Especially for motorcycles. The gradual blend into NASCAR 3 makes for faster times but a more safe entry into the banking. Joe Hish's HSR accident in 2002 would not have been as severe or may not have happened at all with the new configuration. Hish's Buick Spice went almost head-on into the wall exiting the old chicane.

By sheer design the new chicane is faster but also safer for competitors."