DarinB

Here is a short video of the last session of DE at infineon. Car is a 1978 SC with a stock motor and full track suspension, running toyo RA-1's. I just thought I would throw this out there and see if anyone can offer any tips. I'm still pretty new at this and this was my first weekend at infineon. I was a couple of seconds per lap faster at the end of the session, but my camera battery ran dead so those laps are lost forever lost.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIm-RsEalbo

Darin

Barfly

Hey that's my line...although I like to say that I set the record lap by 10 seconds, but my camera died.

mooty

what's the set up on the car and avg lap times?
the line is good.
i have just two comments. at carousel T6, i would say outside a bit longer, and then wind in to the apex, then come off the apex and aim for the right side berm. i dont know if 911SC can do that. but you are glued to the inside curb like how i drive spec miata and lotus. on my 996 and 996 GT3's i can't stay inside on the berm. if i did, i cannot put any power down.

T7 hairpin, your line is the normal line. but a very fast driver told me instead of staying way left then turn in then throttle steer around the turn, he told me to cut into the right side berm (think as protection the inside during a race), then throttle str across the tight turn. i didn't believe him at first, but it is faster.

karlooz

i agree with mooty. taking T7 as a 1 apex gives up too much position and too much distance. you will gain a lot of ground taking it as a 2 apex.

GUMBALL

I agree with Mooty. You have a tendency to turn and apex too early.
Also, you don't seem to be matching revs on downshifts, especially on the corner before the pit straight. An abrupt release of the clutch without matched revs will spin you.

DarinB

The car has 24/33's and big sway bars, mononballs, lots of negative camber. The car is relatively neutal, with some slight understeer under throttle, but the back end will step out on too fast of a corner entry. It does not yet have an LSD. Won't be a street car anymore, essentially. It is being built for the Toyo spec and ITE and the cage and motor will be done this winter. My average lap times were between 2:02 and 2:03 with my faster laps slightly under 2:01. The carousel is a tough turn for me. I am trying to let the car run out coming out of T5 so that I can eventually get through with the power all the way down, but that sets me up to the left of middle on T6. I end up slowing the car down and carrying maintenance throttle through the first half and start to put the power down as soon as I see the berm on the left of the track. I would like to be in about the middle of the track by mid-corner eventually, but I haven't figured out how to make it work. I also feel like I can make up some time getting the power down earlier starting at the left hander in 8a and carrying it all the way through 9. Of course I'm overslowing for 10 also, but I saw so many wadded cars from 10 it had me gun shy. Thanks for the input mooty.
Darin

DarinB

I agree gumball. I am trying to rev match, but it is more difficult for me in this car and I sometimes end up undershooting the revs. I don't know if it is because of the lack of throttle response with CIS or if I'm just not getting the pedal down far enough. This is my first event in this car, so hopefully this will get better. And I likely will be going to EFI or Carbs this winter, so that may improve it as well.
Thanks,
Darin

DarinB

Sounds good. Could you elaborate on that a little??
Thanks,
Darin

Circuit Motorsports

You seem to turn in early especially when you are following a car. It's tough to not pay attention to where the other guy is going when you are following them but if you are watching the car and not the course people often turn in early because they turn in at the same time as the guy they are following, even though you are several car lengths from the same spot on the track.

Also the rev matching will make you car more stable during braking. 911's are tough because there is a big drop from the brake to the accelerator so a big blip takes a lot of effort. There are a number of pedal extensions etc. that can be added to make it easier to blip the throttle.

I haven't been to the course so i can't comment on the details of each turn as well.

mark kibort

The "line" looks good. maybe an early apex in to 7 and 11 would work better, as those turns are faster as taken as double apexes. the biggest difference of your 2:00 times and the 1:50s that the spec 911s run, (and im assuming your HP is close), is that running up to turn 2 there is no need for a downshift, use the turn to slow you down and take it a lot faster , the downshifts happen as you hit the end of the left side birm, before the right turn at the end of the uphill section.
The rest is just running the car more agressively. down the carocel, you are very relaxed and in control. you have to be on edge, throttling to test the limits down the hill. as this pays big dividends for that straight to turn 7.

So, that would be 2 seconds for the main straight, 1 second for the carrocel, 1 for the straight to turn7, and 4 more just for getting comfortable with the car and track. There, a 1:52.

however, as an idea how fast even 1:57 is, Kevin buckler ran some 911 turbos , including a 959, on street tires to this time, and some of the cars were 996 turbos, 993 tubos with 500+hp, etc. so, you definitely are running the track well. Now its time to start finding the limits. following the spec 911 guys or running with us in a ITE race will drop the times in a hurry.


mk

DarinB

Thanks Mark. I think the "getting to know the car" part is one of the biggest things. As to finding the limit and driving more aggressively in the carousel, I think that is very important and I am yet unable to do it. I am worried about hitting it too fast and having the back end step out, needing to get into the throttle going wide and running out of track or a spin. Off track and spinning at Infineon has me a little spooked with the lack of runoff. Maybe next time I'm at T-hill I'll use turn 2 to get the feel of the car better as a spin or off there really isn't that big of a deal. For turn one I started off the weekend staying in forth and downshifting two gears for two, but as I got faster the two-gear change started to feel a little frantic, so that is still a grey area for me as well. As to power, I currently run the stock 180 hp motor, but that will change soon. Thanks Mark for the great input. Have you posted the full ITE final race on youtube yet? I enjoy your videos.....keep it up.
Darin

mooty

The carousel is a tough turn for me. I am trying to let the car run out coming out of T5 so that I can eventually get through with the power all the way down, but that sets me up to the left of middle on T6.
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maybe i dont understand your description of "let the car run out..."
T5 if a tight right hander. i need all the track on the left side after apex, as soon as i hit the left edge (end of exit berm, not sure it it's a berm, but just before you hit dirt), point the car toward the right side as you go up the hill. you will get to about 1 car width away from right edge, then you have to brake for T6 turn in. this way you use up all the rev before braking and you will be just right of track center.

i am just "talking" here. i know what to do, but it's not easy to place the car there. but at least we have a goal to aim for.




I end up slowing the car down and carrying maintenance throttle through the first half and start to put the power down as soon as I see the berm on the left of the track.
___________
i never walked the track but T6 carousel FEELS like it's off camber. so when you get on the throttle unwind a bit more than what you think you need.




I also feel like I can make up some time getting the power down earlier starting at the left hander in 8a and carrying it all the way through 9.
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i know some nuts with big ***** go flat out for T8 esses. but most ppl with self preservation would tap brk of left for the first part ot T8. your car should be on the right berm as the essese starts, lift, then accelerate slowly and smoothly throught the essess and wot for T9, getting very close the right side wall, then by T10... my ***** shrink and lose all the time i gained. yeah, unless you are racing, dont gamble on T10... i am sure you know that ;-)

btw, lifting and braking 1/2 through the esses will make you car very ugly and hard to buff out the wrinkles.

mooty

got it, at first i thought you wanted to take T2 in 4th gear in your 928, that would be a hell pucker turn. when my tires are feeling good, i enter T1 1 car width from right, get parallel to left berm, down shift to 3rd, pray, and turn in for T2.

top spec 911 runners: rich walton had a 1:51:9 and richard allen smith had 1:50:9.... very impressive. my lucky lap was 1:54 in a stock cayman with RA1 and montons.


following the spec 911 guys or running with us in a ITE race will drop the times in a hurry.
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even just following them. my best time came from trying to keep richard allen smith in sight for more than 2 corners

DarinB

LOL.....agreed

Don Plumley

Darin - I think we were there at the same time - were you running in HPDE 3/4? You are a few seconds faster so you probably passed me at some point.

Tom Weber rode with me and really helped in the T5-Carousel complex. Just flooring it from the apex to the crest of the hill. Car felt like it was going to leave the surface of the earth, hitting triple digits, total e-ticket ride!

Great track - thanks for posting the video.

Don