I found this clip of my own car going off of 8 from a couple of years back. My hands might be fast or they might be slow, but that corner can get very narrow at 120 mph. I don't spin -- but I don't stay on the track, either.

In my case we found that the rear driver's-side wheel had been knocked out of alignment and was toed out, while the rear passenger-side one was still slightly toed in.

 

I watched the video twice before reading all of the posts and my first impressions were that it was not smooth, but also that there seemes to be a lift before the spin. I'm not sure if its wind noise, engine noise, or just a sense that the car is going slower visually, but I' saying that I got the sense that the car was slowing before the spin. I watched it two more times and couldn't really nail down the lack of smoothness (or being overly-deliberate, or just the slightest bit jerky), but I still think the car appears to slow. Now, that may only be because of a change in wind direction, causing a change in wind noise that's not related to a change in speed...
I've never been to that track and I really consider myself to be a mediocre driver who can't hold a candle to several others who've posted to this thread, so please consider the source.

 

I was doing 160 through turn 8 on 3 wheels. I started to spin, saved it, and didn't spill one drop of my beer.

 

I didn't know that they had WSIR on Gran Turismo 4!

 

Ahh, maybe that's what it was. I get confused sometimes. I still saved it and didn't spill my beer.

 

If you look carefully, it appears that you do not unwind the wheel at all after your initial turn-in. As your speed increases through the turn, something has to give, and at those speeds it is usually the grip of the rear tires. Same as TD in DCs little escapade in turn 10 at the Glen. Just a few degrees of unwind can make a huge difference.

 

You saved it... just ran out of track. I had a near mishap through 8 myself. I nearly found out the hard way that I had a leaking left rear valve stem. I had 5 psi in the tire when I came off track.

Leaking valve stem, broken wheelstuds, blown tire...I have had all of these happen at some point at WSIR which can be a little scary at those speeds. Luckily, they never resulted in a spin or going off track.

I have also seen a lot of rolls at willow springs. We can all speculate, but the important thing is that you are ok, and that your neighbor's car is ok.

 

That's exactly how I "read" the video too.

 

Again, this is a very peculiar corner. It's taken flat. It requires almost no technical skill to get through it. It's scary to people as they're learning it, but after you get it down it functions more as a straight than anything else. To use up more than half the track on exit requires some very serious horsepower.

I've driven dozens of cars through that corner for over six years, now. There's really no way to induce a spin there in a sub-300 hp 911 unless you completely lift -- or if there's something wrong with the car or the track.

 

a bump in the track is FAR from a exceptable excuse........



i spun at sebring one time... but only cause i hit a bump...

 

I watched the video a bunch of times.

I sort of see the line.
I sort of see his hands.
I sort of see where the bumps are.
I sort of see color changes in the track just before the spin.
I have no clue how the car was set up.
I have no clue about tire condition or pressures.
I have no clue if the oil leak was happening on that lap.
I have no clue what the conditions were that day.

I have fully analyzed this extensive data and my unique understanding of it and have concluded:
"**** Happens"

Oh yeah, and he is an SCCA driver so he is drawn to the dirt. Lucky he didn't find another car to intentionally hit - we do that - it is in the rules.

 

Jack I liked your video alot. That is the kind of predictable slide I would like to see there. I also agree that once you get it, turn 8 can be done flat with relative confidence. Its braking for 9 that requires extra attention.

SundayDriver is right. SCCA American Sedan driver in a former life. Typically bounced off other cars on first lap (cold tires) of sprint races to save it in 8. That way you don't have to steer at all!

 

****, I think last time I spun 267 times during one lap!

 

Did you get kicked out the DE for excessive spinning and reckless driving?

 

of corse not... because it wasnt his fault... it was the bumps faults...



blame it on da bUmPz!