Gary R.

You hit the Miata twice and then the E30, all before turn 3... nice job!

d15b7

good morning, gary!

it definitely wasn't 'hit'; as i said, it was 'help'. i understand in PCA club racing there is a 100% 'no touch' policy, which i can respect. when we race in PTx, or spec miata, or spec e30, many of the cars are extremely close, and you will find that many many of the drivers will line up and 'bump draft' and push each other down the course.... as was said earlier, one can't afford to lift or one will hemorrage positions. too many times to count i have 'helped' slower cars during races, especially when there is no opportunity to pass (due to traffic, etc). it moves both of us forward, instead of holding both of us up, and allowing cars behind to close in.

i am very selective about the cars that i bump draft, especially when in mixed classes. see here, for the start of both of the weekend's previous races:

http://www.vimeo.com/2200764

http://www.vimeo.com/2202917

please note that in front of me is the Diasio sports racer (no structure whatsoever to bump into; obviously i won't 'help' that car, or i would hurt it). also in front of me is a PCA club racer E car, who is racing for his first time in GTS-2. this was his first ever round of standing starts, and he was still learning. i know the PCA rules, and i figured that he would not appreciate being 'helped' at all during the start (although it would have really helped him and me -- the 911 was really slow out of the blocks. the combination of the Diasio and the 911 definitely made me get way out of the throttle and that really hurt my start both times. watch and you will see what just a little lift out of the throttle does; i practically get swarmed on that second race. BTW, both the black and the white cars on my left are in my class, PTE, so losing positions to them is serious).

hope that helps to clarify things! happy holidays, guys!

todd

Wreck Me Otter

I'd have given you the thumbs up signal for both bumps....always good to get a nice bump draft...when not in the braking zone that is...

SM drivers are generally used to bump drafting...it is critical on many tracks...

BostonDMD

Was that Goodhands or Streak driving the "slow" red carrera in the video? (Both RLs)

I know that both have almost identical 911s..........

Is bump drafting punishible under PCA CR rules?

Circuit Motorsports

It's punishable in pretty much every racing organization.

However some more readily throw a black flag for it. PCA seems to be one that frowns on bump drafting as much as anyone.

Gary R.

Yes, and you would almost certainly get a 13 if it was spotted/reported. As both my front and rear bumpers are fiberglass they would crack at the least and more than likely explode on impact like that. At $500 per + paint it wouldn't make me very happy, and I like to be "happy"...

C.J. Ichiban

just submit your spec miata paperwork now...there is another way to race!



lol

d15b7

hi guys!

that was 'good hands' in front of me in those vids; 'streak' was right behind me! both are in near identical red 911 carerras. 'good hands' beat streak in the first two sprint races, and streak beat good hands in the 1 hour race.

i bet the 911s would be great as standing-start cars; lots of power and rear engined, rwd should really launch hard! give them a few more races and those guys should be jumping out strongly on the starts!

i've got an unfair advantage there; i've got almost 10 yrs of standing starts under my belt, plus years and years of bracket drag racing. i'm a tough customer in a standing start!

todd

prg

Some of the best times I've had racing have been in spec miatas. However, you have to accept the fact that you'll leave the track madder than Hell once in a while. While most drovers will race you clean, (albeit with the contact inherent in spec closed wheel racing). A significant minority of spec Miata drivers will make overly aggressive, low percentage moves that at the very least will definitely screw up your race, probably your car, and almost never your person. This is likely to happen to you at some time whether you are at the head of the pack, middle of the pack, or back of the pack. If you can accept this fact, you'll have a good time most of the time.

Carrera GT

I'm thinking GTL. I know BSR is a lot of fun and cheap, but I want to drive a 911.

skl

As prg says- mid pack at Heartland Park some moron tries to win the race at the start line. The front straight is lined with concrete and the above mentioned moron spins me around and into the wall backwards and also takes out 3-4 other cars... engine still running I keep going but the wheel isn't straight and it feels a little funny. With the yellows I catch up to the pack and find myself in 3rd, my son telling me on the radio I'm "ok"... he's being a little optimistic to keep me going. Pass a car on the last lap and finish 2nd, amazed I'm not blackflagged. Then 1st place is demoted for passing under yellow and I win the race! Welcome to spec Miata...
It is definitely momentum racing- lots of fun but not exactly fast especially if you're driving a 911 on the street. Was planning on getting a F1000 for next season, but the stock market crash took care of that plan...

Veloce Raptor

Wow, sorry to hear. Was his name Frank Lin, by chance?