Mark Dreyer

Just completed another DE day with Suncoast region of PCA. My instructor was Dennis O'Keefe. I really really enjoyed having him ride with me. He is quite a nice guy and obviously a very experienced driver, having raced for many years. He gave me a lot of useful info, and BTW, he is one of these instructors that grabs the wheel, and shields you from shifting if he doesn't want you to shift. He warned me in advance that this was his style, and I didn't find it objectionable. Rather, I took it in a learning sense as to what gear I needed to be in at a specific speed, and it also helped me learn the line. After the first session, he didn't touch the wheel or shifter again all day.

I had my first DE spinout....into turn 10. I think I was just carrying too much speed and put too much steering input into the corner, but Dennis thought I might have lifted. Anyhow, I spun at least 2 times...wish I had a camera. Fortunately I didn't hit anything but forgot to put the clutch in and killed the motor. It didn't want to restart but finally did. Dennis said I almost saved the spinout, but added that it was a beautiful spin-he gave it an 8 out of 10! He said that if someone never spins out that means they aren't going as fast as they can. BTW, the car stayed in the center of the track after the spin....I was lucky.

Dennis said I was a bit rusty first session, but the next two were so good that if he gets me next time and I drive as well he's signing me off to solo. I told him I'm in no hurry to go solo as I learn something valuable every time I have a different instructor. This hobby rocks!

BTW, I enjoyed talking with fellow Rennlisters Tom Kerr and Christian Engle. I meant to say hi to MDrums but I was just too lazy to do much walking around today......it was just too dang hot-spent a lot of time in a/c between run groups. One of the best aspects of this hobby is meeting such nice people.

mdrums

Mark, I looked a little for you in your red GT3 but when Iwalked by you were not there. I also looked a little for the #29 GT3 but wow was it hot there. My prosthetic leg socket kept filling up with sweat and I had to empty it 6 times today! What a pain in the azz.

I had an awesome time too and my instructor was Ray James and I learned a lot too. During the 3rd session after 2 laps he told me to pull into the pits and I was going to go for my check out to solo and he felt I was ready. I had no idea, ew I wa having a great drive today, (safe smooth fast) but he though I was good to go. Off I went on my check out to yellow and did great. The check out instructor, never got his name but I think he was pitted down my Tom Kerr, told me we can either go in or continue in blue and I can show you some things. I wanted to keep going and get some instruction from another point of view...you can learn from everyone! We kept going and he told me he was going to grab the wheel coming out of 10 and through 11. This was fine by me and the line he had me take which was about 1/4 of a car width difference made all the difference in the word. This was the 1st time I experianced this teaching method and it really worked for me.

Did you see the silver 996 Carrea the guy in solo waded up in turn 16? I was out in solo when the rain started to really come and some of these guys were flying like it was dry.

Mark Dreyer

Mike,

I was either in my truck taking a catnap or up in the media room trying to stay cool....sheez what a hot day! Sorry I didn't get to say hi.

I backed it off quite a bit in the rain. I have absolutely zero experience in driving in the rain on a track and didn't want to learn any tough lessons. Is the car you are talking about a cab? I saw a cab in pit lane about to be hooked to a tow truck but it didn't look damaged.

mdrums

Mark, yes it was a silver cab I think it was a 996 but might have been a 997. I back off also to the parade lap speed but kept going just for memory sake of a few parts of the track I was working on. They black flaged our segment after the crash and we never got to go back out.

The cab did not flip over but the rear roll bars deployed and were almost sticking up through the cab's top fabric....the car was a mess.

Mark Dreyer

Wow, I didn't check it out closely enough then. On casual inspection it looked ok to me. Well sounds like it could have been way worse.

BTW, here's a great video taken in an RSR at Sebring. This is particularly fun to watch a day after doing a DE there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UjnbIuJNuI

mdrums

Yep, got that video and a few others I watch before and after Sebring. Funny thing is if I try to take the GT3RSR line from that video my instructors keep telling me I am turing in to certain corners too early ! I think that RSR is taking the racing line and we are tought the DE line which is much safer.

I really felt bad for the guy that wrecked his car. I wanted to go up and talk with him so I could learn from his mistake but I just did not feel that was the right thing to do. I did not think the anti-roll bars would pop up in a Cabriolet unless the car was tipped sideways and going to roll over.

There was a report that some hit the wall in turn 3 early in the day just before I was going out in Blue. they held us up for 5 minutes while they checked out the wall. That was the Red group. Did you hear anything?

techno99

A 70s targa had his throttle linkage break during the second session going into Turn3 and had to be towed back to the pits. A corner worker picked up the part after the session. The driver put the part back on and ran the third session.

mdrums

Good that is better to hear than what I was told. There was a yellow 911 race car there but I never saw it run and really wanted to.

tkerrmd

Good to see you guys! Mark sorry about the spin, guess it happend after we talked. Glad no damage.
Mike, congrats on solo, that is awesome!!!!
The DWR yellow 911 had fuel pump issues they could not fix at the track, it was ashame.
See you guys soon?
Drive safe!!
tom

VERBOTN

Mark great to see you, more opportunities in July (www.flcitrusregion.org July 22) to run and shake off more of the "rust" and I too am glad you did not mare the 3. Had chance to run on Sunday I opted for 5 out of the 7 hours possible .

Car at shop getting new rotors, SRF and pads in prep for next weekend with PBOC. Tom look for the big green neon X on the back of my car and I will gladly give way.


See you at the track

Mark Dreyer

Christian,

Going on a Mediterranean cruise during the Citrus region July event, so I'll definitely try to catch the October event we are doing at Roebling Road. Hopefully I'll pick something up in August also so I don't have so much rust this time!

uscarrera

Just a few updates on Sat DE, yes there were a few contacts with walls but no one was hurt other then in the pocket. I left the full course yellow up during the rain to add a safety factor to the session, in PCA we error on the safety side every time. Larry in the blue 74 targa did lose his throttle rod it was found by a corner worker and back out he went, for those who don't know Larry I don't think he is truely happy unless he gets to fix at least one thing at each event. The yellow 993 RS #000 actually injested rain on the trailer ride over on Friday and when they went to start it up it was a no go, a lesson for everyone who trailers in an open trailer make sure your carb or FI bodies are covered or some other way protected from the rain that can be intense. Mike, again congrads on moving up to solo, you and a few others made that move this weekend. It was indeed a hot one but I think most still enjoyed their day. Our next event is Aug 4 for all instructors and invited solo drivers, Aug 5 will be a DE for all run groups, See you there,
Rich
Chief Track Instructor
Suncoast Region PCA

agio

Is the Aug 4/5 w/e a permanent replacement for the usual SunCoast Nov instructor w/e? Why did SuncCoast change it from Nov to Aug?...or were you forced to by Sebring?

uscarrera

We are at the mercy or, lack there of, of Sebring, it was the only 2 day event opportunity left.

agio

Rich, thanks...understood.