I agree with you about Pete.

I only have my memory to go by on HD over here. But I did get two good sessions with Ray and a few with Paul which helped me alot.

Turn 1 at the end of the front straight is still my scariest moment. I was hitting the picks in the mid 190s on the road tyres (should be a bit faster with the 221s) and heel and toeing 5th to 3rd under brakes trying to scrub off enough speed to beable to swing the wheel right while still being able to stay partially on the gas. Its another almost double apex like the sweeper before the straight but its technical in a totally different way from that other sweeper because you come into it hot and heavy after the straight. If there's a really big "off" that's where it would be. If it does go wrong the only consolation is there is a bit of tarmac run off......I think I will be learning that one for a while yet....

I reckon the car needs to be well set up to be fast and flat in turn 1. A low 911 needs a proper Geo here. This is where I found my car squirming under brakes a bit which technically its shouldn't do with the Motorsport locking LSD (decel/accel). Im certain its the front tie rod angles and the inherent bump steer. When you get to RS height in a 964 or 993 the factory designed a different front upright/carrier. It has different pick up points and tie rods so the tie rod stays level to the ground even when the car is very low (which it is under brakes). Im fitting the RS carrier and tie rods and Im sure it will address that issues which will give back some confidence. I thin Sean has identified similar issues with his rig.

Of course its very easy to analysis this all AFTER being on the track but getting back out there and trying to apply what you know you should be doing and just takes time I suspect...

 

The problem with these in soft compound is they only last about 4 or 5 laps on full noise when it's hot then they start to go off. The other issue is that HD wears the left side only really.

I think you'll get a summer out of them on soft compound if you swap them left to right half way through the summer.

I have about 30% left on the left rear after doing 4x 8 lap races and 1x Rennsport Gruppe session.

What we really need is the medium compounds. I hope this feedback has been taken on board by Hankook and they have them en route.

 

From the last session, 215km/h. Probably another 2-3km/h available with the wing set less aggressively and without a passenger.

Running around 4 seconds faster than the 964, big difference but the 964 was still on (sticky RE11) road tyres rather than semi-slicks. There's probably another "easy" second left and then maybe 1-2s more that'll be very hard to pin down. The front tyres aren't doing their share of the work yet, so might still be some setup tweaking to be done... but I'll wait until I'm on fresher tyres before I start looking at that (my Cups were manufactured in 2007).

Thanks, that's all very useful info! I was looking at the same rental company, the Stage 2 Swift looks perfect for this.

 

Hi Matt. Those data points make sense given you have some enhancements over a stock 996 GT3. 4-5 seconds is quite an improvement over the 964 and the top speed down the straight demonstrates the difference to some degree. Id imagine with an experienced/talented driver our 964/993's would not make much better than 200kmph. I don't think they really have the aero to pull off any more than that safely....

 

Really interesting day at HD, for me good learning. Very interesting the various lines each instructer has, last guy was giving me the double apex on the sweeper, I hated it. Turn 1 a doozy, different every time. One great lady in a Boxter did a high speed entry,chickened out out half way and got all crossed up, into the inside armco head first... luckily most of the speed scrubbed off, and only a blood nose really..right in front of me, and all I can hear is the instructer going.'break, break'.. I'm looking and lining up for Racing Rays 'go for the gap'..!!.. Prudence prevailed.
Bit unhappy with Pete passing me..those HKs make so much difference on the turns v my street tyres, chasing him into the sweeper after LETTING him by, he just drove away from me with so much more grip, and bigger nuts too I think. He was driving well, and the car is going great.
Best speed I saw was 213km, always over 200km on the straight, exit speed from sweeper makes a big difference, and Dave Ms late turn, 1 apex line worked best for my car..
I'm glad I'm over my compulsive disorder, or I'd be buying race kit immediately..such good fun.
John, thanks for the screen banner, I'll pop over soon and look at your splitter, and fix you up the $$

 

Hey Matt

Any good lap times?

 

I spent the day with Racing Ray yesterday, as always money well spent and lots of good stories and tips shared while waiting for the next session. I hadn't timed myself around HD in the new car, but from the GoPro a clean lap was a high 1:19 before... now in the mid 1:16s thanks to Ray's coaching and having more confidence in the car. It was so cold it was a struggle to get the tyres hot enough... probably had one or two sessions out of the whole day where the tyres came up to temp.

Had a nice spin coming in to turn 2 on a cool down lap... decided to try throwing the car in more aggressively but was off rhythm/cooling down and also timed it badly, turning in too early... tried to catch it but failed... Ray graciously called it a "controlled spin".

 

Ditto that! I had Ray in the last session and my only condition was let me drive my own line in the sweeper. Start 3/4 out, stay a bit wide and then really wind it in towards the apex keeping the tyres at their limit. Still only gets me 188 max on the straight

Turn 2/3 was also a revelation with Ray getting us to brake later then come in sharper to the apex at 2 (almost making it a hairpin) then setting up wider out (to the right) for 3 and straightening through the apex getting a far better shot out for the short straight.

What else did I learn?

Stop shuffling the hands on the wheel! I could keep them at 9/3 and still make all the turns.

Brake first and then downshift. Plenty of time to do both and I have been rushing the downshifts. Still takes a bit of mental concentration to break that habit though!!

 

Similar thoughts.

Keeping hands at 9 & 3 all of the way round was a valuable tip. Shoulders back and roll the wheel where it needs to go. No need to take the hands off or shuffle at any point on HD.

According to Simon I was ok at turn 2 [not deep enough before turning], good at 3 [balance and line good for accelerating to turn 8], excellent at 8 [got the apex and unwound the steering wheel correctly], ok at turn 9 [not wide enough point to start the turn in and on the throttle too early, pushing it wide], pretty average on turn 10 [Simon took the constant sweep approach - I couldn't get the line or speed right] and a girl's blouse on turn one [washed off too much speed, inconsistent lines].

On the 20th I'll be working mostly on turns one and ten. Although I'll have to contend with gear shifts as well, so may go backwards in speed - I don't want a 'money shift'!

 

I should add that Simon was definitely looking for aggressive braking in a straight line then carrying a constant speed and balance through to the apex [balance car front/rear balance with brake or throttle as necessary], then rolling on the accelerator.

Great in theory, but you have to get the initial braking correct. I was overdoing it, leading to average cornering speeds affecting the exit speed. Previously I'd been progressively braking, which masks the lack of technique.

 

Good to hear you LET him by, otherwise he would have been sent home

No hurry for the banner and splitter. Not sure mine is any better than yours so pays to look at it first.

 

Sounds like a good day chaps. I was visiting the folks in TGA and my old man told me about the AMG merc day he was invited to at HD in June. I was quite the man telling him that we were knocking on the 190 door, and he said "is that all, we were at 200". Bummed me off, mind you them 6.3's would crank it up along there even if you muffed the sweeper.

 

mate dont feel so bad. A C63 AMG must be over 500 bhp. Your 964 is around 250 and 20 years older...speed on the straight is about torque, power and a bit of ***** (weight helps keep it all nailed down too)...

 

200km/h indicated is only 190km/h actual with the standard 5% speedo error, so don't feel too bad. Your car will do at least 195km/h actual.

 

yea, well I probably held him up for a wee bit, he was so much quicker into and out of the corners, TT power kept him at bay in a straight line..that is a nice car of his and he was driving well, his comment in this thread re line in the sweeper..I was right behind there watching and could not have done what he did..those tyres sure hang on..