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WDCR 2011 Spring Comp School: Day 2a
Posted by
davecarama
,
03-22-2011
·
1,711 views
Day 2 was interesting...
My friend Brent showed up Day1 in the evening (Fri at about 5:30) and brought his toterhome for us to sleep in. That was a HUGE help not having to drive back and forth every day. But there was a trade-off, he wanted to hang out all night and drink beers. Assumably what you all would be doing on a normal track weekend. But this was not a normal track weekend and I was TIRED! I ended up in bed by 11PM, and didn't sleep very well. We did not have the heaters on, and it got pretty cold that night.
Soon after waking up, I noticed the second down side to the day, John wasn't there. I walked over to the car, early enough still, and warmed it up, checked the oil, and added some, and I shut it down and went to class. When I got out, I got myself dressed and Brent mentioned that I needed to clean off my windshield and torque my lugs... thanks buddy
... With that done, I took off and went back on track. The morning sessions were fun, more battling, more at'a'boys for #63 in the class and then it was time for mock starts. We went over the procedures in the class and when I got out, my family came up for lunch... but I needed to prep for the starts! Luckily everyone split and went to find their spots to watch and I was left alone with... I think it was Tom (yet another rock star with the pit crew duties). I was good and nervous, asked a lot of questions about the procedures to my instructor... they went something like this "I know I will be nowhere near the front but..." and the procedural questions commenced... (a little foreshadowing there if you didn't catch it).
Once group 2 was about half through their session, I started getting ready. I pulled up to the pits first and was told "You are on pole". Shit. Good thing I went over the procedures in the class with my instructor... that bastard
He knew all along! As I was sitting there, I paid close attention to who was around me. I had my nemesis next to me (#3 CRX) who I knew was faster than I was in a straight line... lets face it, my car was the slowest in a straight line and that was why I was on pole. There were GTP cars and others that I knew could take me on the start. So I started thinking strategy... or a better way to describe it... scenario options. A bunch of "If-Then" went through my mind.
Me on pole (see the #1)
Finally I was asked what side I wanted. I chose inside, because I wanted that CRX to be stuck outside as I took the pole... or that was my plan anyway. About that time all of group 2, spec Pinata was off the track and they were flat bedding the last few cars and cleaning up. We were about to be released. And then... off we went!
We went out, took our sides and I immediately started scrubbing my tires. Later I was teased "Ohhh, look at dave warming his tires in a Miata... fancy" Whatever schmuck. You scrub your tires to get the pick-up off jack-ass, not warm up your tires. Anyhow, I did drag my brakes and brake hard when I could (because THAT is how you get heat into the tires). We tightened up as we passed turn 9 and made our way to ten. Pace car turned the lights off and went into the pits and the speed was mine to decide on. We pulled around 10 and approached start finish between 30 and 35 mph... and then the flag dropped!
I was first on the gas, but it didn't matter, Even though I led the pack, I didn't start at the RPM I should have (lesson learned) and the CRX got a HUGE jump on me. A few of the other cars did too, but I have watched Bret de Pedro do starts in just this way, so I felt fine with what was happening. I would get those spots back.
No, not this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4hwL7EukGM&feature=player_embedded
As we approached turn 1, I held CRX guy outside as long as I could. I stayed to the middle of the track mostly to keep CRX outside and the other guys inside. I was able to pass everyone back except the CRX and we went extremely close through 3 approaching 4 where we were full course cautioned and lined up in single file, I dropped down to P2.
All lined up, we went around again, the pace car dropped out into the pits again, and we approached start finish... again. This time, the pace was quicker (about 40 actually). When the flag dropped, I was first on the gas again, and took a draft onto the CRX. Knowing I could out brake him by between 100 and 200 meters, I stuck into the draft until he put his brake lights on at the 450 mark. I pulled out, broke at the 280 mark, and STUCK THAT PASS!!! We pulled around 2, then 3, and I was back where I belonged. P1!
This time, the CRX lost spaces down to P3 or even 4. he was no longer in the mix, but I had an Acura Integra (ITS Well prepped) and other bigger bore cars around me. No worries, I needed the final start to be good, and if I could pull that off, I could potentially stay to the front!
We pulled into the grid, and they "re-racked" us for the start, we pulled onto the track and followed the pace car around. Turn 9 the pace car runs into the pit, around ten, approaching start finish, green! Again, I was quickest to react to the flag. We went MANY wide around 1. I was passed on the straight, but gained spaces back to about 3 or 4. It was a solid battle with me and the Acura ITS car, a Z06 vette, CRX, RX7, and others. we finished that lap, I was close to the ITS car and ended up squeaking a pass in 1 after drafting him down the straight. I think the field had underestimated the brakes the Miatas have. That pass turned out to be the all important pass, it kept me with the vette (or was it the Porsche GT3), and put me in front of the rest of the field. eventually someone got by me, but someone plugged up turn one in that pass and I had 5+ car lengths on the 4th place car (the ITS Acura Integra). a few laps later, and I won 3rd place in the first school's Big Bore race!!! Oh, Hell Yeah! More on this later
I think the next best part, next to getting 3rd, was the reactions in the classroom debrief. The corvette Z06 guy said, and I quote "I just tucked in behind the Miata and followed him through traffic"... A Z06 Vette... followed a Miata... through traffic... in order to get 2nd place... Awesome!
We had a cold-cut sandwich and lot of sides ready to go when we got off track as well as about 20 spectators who came to see my race. We talked story for a short bit, but I had to go back to class for the second half of day 2, which was the beginning of school 2.
School #1 was complete! Car was still in one piece, but while I was scrubbing in the tires, I noticed that I had play in my front wheels... Wheel bearings were not looking good!
More to come on Day 2 school 2 soon!
My friend Brent showed up Day1 in the evening (Fri at about 5:30) and brought his toterhome for us to sleep in. That was a HUGE help not having to drive back and forth every day. But there was a trade-off, he wanted to hang out all night and drink beers. Assumably what you all would be doing on a normal track weekend. But this was not a normal track weekend and I was TIRED! I ended up in bed by 11PM, and didn't sleep very well. We did not have the heaters on, and it got pretty cold that night.
Soon after waking up, I noticed the second down side to the day, John wasn't there. I walked over to the car, early enough still, and warmed it up, checked the oil, and added some, and I shut it down and went to class. When I got out, I got myself dressed and Brent mentioned that I needed to clean off my windshield and torque my lugs... thanks buddy
... With that done, I took off and went back on track. The morning sessions were fun, more battling, more at'a'boys for #63 in the class and then it was time for mock starts. We went over the procedures in the class and when I got out, my family came up for lunch... but I needed to prep for the starts! Luckily everyone split and went to find their spots to watch and I was left alone with... I think it was Tom (yet another rock star with the pit crew duties). I was good and nervous, asked a lot of questions about the procedures to my instructor... they went something like this "I know I will be nowhere near the front but..." and the procedural questions commenced... (a little foreshadowing there if you didn't catch it).Once group 2 was about half through their session, I started getting ready. I pulled up to the pits first and was told "You are on pole". Shit. Good thing I went over the procedures in the class with my instructor... that bastard
He knew all along! As I was sitting there, I paid close attention to who was around me. I had my nemesis next to me (#3 CRX) who I knew was faster than I was in a straight line... lets face it, my car was the slowest in a straight line and that was why I was on pole. There were GTP cars and others that I knew could take me on the start. So I started thinking strategy... or a better way to describe it... scenario options. A bunch of "If-Then" went through my mind.Me on pole (see the #1)
Finally I was asked what side I wanted. I chose inside, because I wanted that CRX to be stuck outside as I took the pole... or that was my plan anyway. About that time all of group 2, spec Pinata was off the track and they were flat bedding the last few cars and cleaning up. We were about to be released. And then... off we went!
We went out, took our sides and I immediately started scrubbing my tires. Later I was teased "Ohhh, look at dave warming his tires in a Miata... fancy" Whatever schmuck. You scrub your tires to get the pick-up off jack-ass, not warm up your tires. Anyhow, I did drag my brakes and brake hard when I could (because THAT is how you get heat into the tires). We tightened up as we passed turn 9 and made our way to ten. Pace car turned the lights off and went into the pits and the speed was mine to decide on. We pulled around 10 and approached start finish between 30 and 35 mph... and then the flag dropped!
I was first on the gas, but it didn't matter, Even though I led the pack, I didn't start at the RPM I should have (lesson learned) and the CRX got a HUGE jump on me. A few of the other cars did too, but I have watched Bret de Pedro do starts in just this way, so I felt fine with what was happening. I would get those spots back.
No, not this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4hwL7EukGM&feature=player_embedded
As we approached turn 1, I held CRX guy outside as long as I could. I stayed to the middle of the track mostly to keep CRX outside and the other guys inside. I was able to pass everyone back except the CRX and we went extremely close through 3 approaching 4 where we were full course cautioned and lined up in single file, I dropped down to P2.
All lined up, we went around again, the pace car dropped out into the pits again, and we approached start finish... again. This time, the pace was quicker (about 40 actually). When the flag dropped, I was first on the gas again, and took a draft onto the CRX. Knowing I could out brake him by between 100 and 200 meters, I stuck into the draft until he put his brake lights on at the 450 mark. I pulled out, broke at the 280 mark, and STUCK THAT PASS!!! We pulled around 2, then 3, and I was back where I belonged. P1!
This time, the CRX lost spaces down to P3 or even 4. he was no longer in the mix, but I had an Acura Integra (ITS Well prepped) and other bigger bore cars around me. No worries, I needed the final start to be good, and if I could pull that off, I could potentially stay to the front!
We pulled into the grid, and they "re-racked" us for the start, we pulled onto the track and followed the pace car around. Turn 9 the pace car runs into the pit, around ten, approaching start finish, green! Again, I was quickest to react to the flag. We went MANY wide around 1. I was passed on the straight, but gained spaces back to about 3 or 4. It was a solid battle with me and the Acura ITS car, a Z06 vette, CRX, RX7, and others. we finished that lap, I was close to the ITS car and ended up squeaking a pass in 1 after drafting him down the straight. I think the field had underestimated the brakes the Miatas have. That pass turned out to be the all important pass, it kept me with the vette (or was it the Porsche GT3), and put me in front of the rest of the field. eventually someone got by me, but someone plugged up turn one in that pass and I had 5+ car lengths on the 4th place car (the ITS Acura Integra). a few laps later, and I won 3rd place in the first school's Big Bore race!!! Oh, Hell Yeah! More on this later
I think the next best part, next to getting 3rd, was the reactions in the classroom debrief. The corvette Z06 guy said, and I quote "I just tucked in behind the Miata and followed him through traffic"... A Z06 Vette... followed a Miata... through traffic... in order to get 2nd place... Awesome!
We had a cold-cut sandwich and lot of sides ready to go when we got off track as well as about 20 spectators who came to see my race. We talked story for a short bit, but I had to go back to class for the second half of day 2, which was the beginning of school 2.
School #1 was complete! Car was still in one piece, but while I was scrubbing in the tires, I noticed that I had play in my front wheels... Wheel bearings were not looking good!
More to come on Day 2 school 2 soon!
