blaucoupe

When I had instructors they always said I was really good through bishops.

Here's some random lapping if you want to see, I was messing around a bit at the hairpin and turned in early after bishops. I also take a tighter line through 17 and a wider one through 10 since then.

I don't claim to be a pro, but I handle myself fine. I don't think 2:35 is a bad lap time for a stock M coupe on street tires...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmifn1fwns (for the ones who can't read descriptions these are no where near good laps)

LDadrenaline

John you really shouldn't post your videos... You are turning a good lap time, but anyone who has been doing this for a few years can see that the car can do about another 5 seconds a lap faster than the times you are turning. You are not smooth at all, and you definietly need that in say.... bishops bend...

I have never heard you say that the supercharger wasn't for the track...ever... In fact, you were upset when the car *only* made 430whp or whatever it was.

2:35 was not "stock" either. You have wider tires on the car, star specs (which are one of the stickiest street tires available), upgraded brake pads, and coilovers.

To answer your other question, I was doing about a 2:36 in the subaru... But the car never ran 100%. Losing about 50hp after 2 laps from heatsoak kind of makes a difference. Am I the fastest driver? no. Do I ever claim to be the "track king"? haha hell no. The one thing I do pride myself on though is consistency. I can go out and stay within half a second of a laptime for the entire session. Sure I'm about 2 seconds a lap slower than my dad, but I am perfectly fine with that.


As for this thread, I am done. There is no reason to bring drama to this board as I'm sure the regulars really don't want to hear about it. Unless you say something retarded again like "stock m coupe", this thread is pretty much done.

blaucoupe

Uh those videos are barely out of the 2:40s, notice I tagged them as "interesting" most people would be bored with someone just driving around the track smoothly so I picked the laps later in the day where I was messing around or trying different things for the entertainment value. Only ones I had to link but the demonstrate what they are meant to which is that I'm not just some nut.

An M coupe with coilovers running 2:30s at Sebring? You are off your rocker with that statement. 2:35 is a dam good time for that car let alone with a driver with 3 weekends in the car, and only another 3 or 4 in a tank of daily driver. You just don't want to acknowledge it. I had a couple people in the car that day who had a hell of a lot more experience then you and they all said the same thing, which is very different from your constant, consistent and baseless belittlement. Turn in sooner, get better tires and adjust the line around a few corners (17, 10).


I will take their more experienced and first hand advice over yours if you don't mind.

And as for bringing drama to the board? You followed me here trying to get the video, that's all you. And it just goes to prove your intentions are as usual. I'm not sure if you even realize it yourself?



Inexperienced in the relative sense, yes, a little inconsistent, sure. Slow? No, advanced for my seat time, uh yea.

blaucoupe

Come to think about it though you were saying 5 seconds faster then THOSE laps, and you're completely right actually, it is possible to run a few seconds faster then THOSE laps since that would be the range of my normal laps. So I AM running at the capability of the car, thanks for compliment.

But knowing that I'm sure you would go on to say that you could actually run another 5 seconds faster then my good laps, because it doesn't matter with you, that's all you do is try to belittle people regardless.

mdrums

From the video I would say you are driving the typical late apex (SAFE) line on the track. However you are going through Bishops very wide...too wide and you are having to turn the wheel furth to the left in order to hit the rumble strip/cone to your left and get ready for the brake zone into 15. When you go through Bishops you should set the steering wheel into the turn and not have to move it...especially not have to turn it furhter to the left. You should be accellerating through Bishops.
Your style and lack of seat time (only 4 weekends) and trying to pass in Bishops attributed to your crash. I am no racer but even after 4 years at Sebring I do not pass in Bishops unless I can drive the proper line if I am at speed....I have made passes in Bishops but they were done extremely safe and not at my top speed through this bend. Also never force the car tighter at the end of Bishops or let off the throttle.

blaucoupe

I wasn't trying to pass through the corner. That's actually the point I was making. I wave off 99% of the point bys that would result in passing in the corner. I thought I would have been well around that s2000 but he was a lot faster then I expected/kept accelerating and it caught me off guard. And normally I do have one steering angle through the corner, I was actually entering really slow in that video because I had a passenger, you can see the same on some other corners where normally the car would track out by speed but I had to steer it out instead.

Video was just meant to demonstrate that I'm not a complete novice all over the track like someone would have you believe.

insuranceadjuster

stock!? You already know all the answers. Too bad you may actually learn something if you open your mind. Come to think of it there was a white bimmer there with tape over his plate with "all stock" or something like that. No way was that car stock I said something to him about it and he said it was a joke. Must be
Bimmer humor but he was a pretty good driver.

blaucoupe

That's true actually, sorry you don't like that fact. That's the one thing I've always hated about the track community is people are all to eager to assert their opinion on you whether you want or need it. And in this case it is neither wanted or needed.

mdrums

OK sorry, just going on the reports we got in the pits from the driver behind you. Just for reference, I never take the car any wider that that black tar strip in Bishops. So on your video you are going way widered all the way to the white line. Do you not usually do this? Where exactly in Bishops did you get into trouble?
Thanks for discussing this. It is a learning experience for all.

FLA997

mdrums- agreed - I dont like Bishops for passing -...call it what you will, but it never feels right!

John- FF to the 1:50 mark of this vid...I think this is the same S2000 you passed before your incident - he didnt really "lift" for me either, and I wasn't very comfortable pinching Bishops (even tho by the video it doesnt seems like that big a deal - after the lift at turn in, I just kept it hammered).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCwBhv9KrK4

insuranceadjuster

You just don't get it. Be sure the forklift is gassed up for your next track event.

blaucoupe

Yes I do take it that wide all the time, and it may be better not to, but to do so would require entering at a lower speed. I have always said there is no room in that corner for the power vs tire my car had. Unless I made a conscious effort to enter more slowly I have to track out. I settled into entering at a speed that took me to the line. Yes it would probably have been safer to enter slower and not go out that far. But are you saying not going that wide is faster?


As I said before when I entered the car was a little unsettled but if I was at my normal entry speed it would have been manageable. Trouble was that In order to get around that s2000 I had floored it all the way to the turn in, stock I barely ever did that. IMO that was the main causation, followed by after running out of track lifting way to hard and sending the back out.

blaucoupe

That looks very similar to the positioning I encounter, but I kept it floored into the corner and moved in front of him.


And may I point out my willingness to discuss it with people like you and mdrums who don't have such obvious predispositions and ulterior motives.

FLA997

We can all learn something from unfortunate incidents, while being civil. Some just prefer not to be civil, unfortunately.

mdrums

Not saying it might be faster but it sure is a lot safer and for our street cars at a DE safer is priority #1. I always stress that with my students. It could be faster as you will be accellerating through Bishops and have a faster exit speed. This is the way I was taught and I have seen from pro drivers and been told from pro drivers. Also keep in mind that different cars...street cars of different makes and mods and race cars will all take a slightly different line plus driver comfort an style plays a part too.