44 replies to this topic

[Danica Davison]

To put it in perspective. A couple years ago at Daytona, we finished 2nd to the "Glazed and Confused" Todd Buras team by about 40 seconds, after 14 hours of racing. So sometimes conserving doesn't work

[Chris Lefferdink]

Since I am definitely one of those guys that like to compete for best lap time both on and off the team, you can still do both get the lap and conserve the car in the same stint, imo. Some laps, you will have slow moving chicanes out there that are going to mess the lap up anyways.  In a big chump car race, like we have in the Southeast, you pass multiple cars almost every lap. Typically what I do, is if I know I'm catching slower cars or I am in traffic, I tend to short shift it and roll on/off power more gradually. And if I find myself getting more open track, I tend to lay on it to either catch other class competitors, create a gap to the ones behind, and try to set a good time .  After all, we are racing.

 

And don't forget mode 3, when you get near another spec miata competitor...

[Jim Drago]

Since I am definitely one of those guys that like to compete for best lap time both on and off the team, you can still do both get the lap and conserve the car in the same stint, imo. Some laps, you will have slow moving chicanes out there that are going to mess the lap up anyways.  In a big chump car race, like we have in the Southeast, you pass multiple cars almost every lap. Typically what I do, is if I know I'm catching slower cars or I am in traffic, I tend to short shift it and roll on/off power more gradually. And if I find myself getting more open track, I tend to lay on it to either catch other class competitors, create a gap to the ones behind, and try to set a good time .  After all, we are racing.

my take from the outside looking in.. Fire the guy trying to set the best lap time    

Set a bogey lap time and try to run it.. manage fuel... save car

 

But that is the armchair QB version

[Danica Davison]

And don't forget mode 3, when you get near another spec miata competitor...

 

Now that my friend, is an ALL OUT sprint race

[Danica Davison]

my take from the outside looking in.. Fire the guy trying to set the best lap time    
Set a bogey lap time and try to run it.. manage fuel... save car
 
But that is the armchair QB version

 

Let's see when you get in the car We all take gentleman bets of who will run a faster time on our team, although that's not the goal, and doesn't really matter. For us, the stuff that goes wrong isn't really due to driving hard I wouldn't think. 

 

Our races in the last two years:

 

Daytona '17: A Class Win and 3rd overall (out of 127 cars)

Daytona '18: Cam sensor backed out (or whatever) at Daytona and I got stuck out on the trioval and put us several laps down. Battled the whole way back and the alternator wire got frayed or something so we stopped with an hour to go.

 

Sebring Jan '17:  Nick Soriano wrecked it all by himself and wasn't even going that fast lol (what a Larry)

Sebring Sep '17: A Class win and 6th overall.

Sebring Jan '18: Motor just let go with 45 min to the stint. We had like 5 races on the motor which was just sitting in a garage before we put it in. Who knows what was on it.

 

NCM June '18: A Class win (Claimed national champ) and 6th overall, 6 laps down. We were on lead lap in P3 when the alternator took a dump on us 8 hours in. Put us 10 laps down. Still managed to make 5 laps up before we messed up a pit stop and lost another lap to finish 6 laps down.

 

 

 

My goal with that is not to brag or anything like that, and it sure takes some luck. But besides Nick maybe wrecking (it was more of a lack of talent in that moment lol), I don't think any of our issues were due to driving too hard.  Can't say alternator issues and an old engine letting go are due to driving. 

[Danica Davison]

And Jim, if you still feel that way. Never let P-Money drive your car. Because he is an ANIMAL in that chump. This year at Daytona, he somehow went 2 seconds faster than me, Buras, hille, wilding, Soriano, and the list keeps going ... all of the rest of us ran a time within the same second. P$ crushed us and they went on to win.

[Jim Drago]

I read all that  and still say in order to finish first, first you must finish.

A team full of fast guys who like to measure their Johnsons IMO is not a good scenario for a 12-24 hr races.

 

Agree, it may be hard to do.. But I still feel you need to set a bogey lap and run it while saving fuel and saving the car.  My guess 1-1.5 seconds off best lap car is capable of.... No slow poking around, but not 10/10 either

Jim

[Danica Davison]

I'm just saying ... I'd rather watch Women's Basketball than drive less than 8/10ths for 2 hours

[steveracer]

Jim is absolutely correct.

 

This was almost 10 yrs ago, but, we won 4 of 8 races entered, never had the fastest car.

 

Won an 18 hr race by 12 laps running an average of 4 seconds a lap slower than 2nd place, best lap to best lap.

 

Won a 2 day 18hr LeMons race with 2nd place 1 lap down right in front of us, followed him for the last 1.5 hrs because he had already run us off twice.

 

Consistent, reasonable laps, clean pit stops, no contact, no penalties.

 

We started last 2 races 7 laps down thanks to Chumpcar margin of victory penalty from the 18hr, finished on the lead lap both days. 

[38bfast]

The Miata trans doesn't like 10/10 for 24 hours. Hell it doesn't like it for a 30 minute sprint race. Your milage may very. So Danica keep with the 10/10 plan. 

[Lizard Hands]

Thanks for the feedback. Now more questions.....the car is set up for Toyo RR's. We are looking at a much different tire for this race. Probably a Rival or Maxxis VR-1 or something of the like. Do we adjust the alignment for less camber? Adjust ride height for some reason?

[Michael Novak]

my take from the outside looking in.. Fire the guy trying to set the best lap time    

Set a bogey lap time and try to run it.. manage fuel... save car

 

But that is the armchair QB version

Hille is off the team....  He claimed he was just driving---the tires off the car......

 

Jim is correct...  We told Todd at about 4:00am to just run 1:20 and he clicked off about 7 right in a row.

[Michael Novak]

Thanks for the feedback. Now more questions.....the car is set up for Toyo RR's. We are looking at a much different tire for this race. Probably a Rival or Maxxis VR-1 or something of the like. Do we adjust the alignment for less camber? Adjust ride height for some reason?

We have a SM setup in the car and the tires work great--little less grip. If you start sliding the car the tires peel little worms of rubber-bigger then Hoosier ones.

[Richard Astacio]

If anyone needs a driver for a enduro race....I am available....Very consistent and follow team orders...Since I always run 8/10 I will be a perfect enduro driver...

Also funded.

[JRHille]

At Nelson, we had to run 4-5 seconds off what the car was capable of to save tires, it was crazy.  Even at 1:20 when capable of 1:17's the tires were getting shredded

[John Wilding]

How rough is the surface at Nelson? I've always heard it was very rough, but wasn't sure if they repaved it or not. NCM was tough on tires too, we went 16 hours on new tires without issue, but I suspect our tires had 4-5 more hours left in them, and woudn't have gone an entire 24. 

 

Also, we're dummies and like to drive 9.8 tenths every lap. 

[Danica Davison]

The Miata trans doesn't like 10/10 for 24 hours. Hell it doesn't like it for a 30 minute sprint race. Your milage may very. So Danica keep with the 10/10 plan.

 

This may seem like a crazy thought to some. But, you know, you could ... just get better at shifting ...  

[tburas56]

We have 2 cars running the 24 Hr of VIR full course. 156 and 256, we have a blast! It about fun, but this is sad...Hille, just got word you are out, sooo there's a new open driver spot,

Only Jokes, we love you Hille, you get to wear the ballerina shoes this next race.

We call Mike N Coach! Leader of the Pack!

 

 

about 1:24 it gets fun..

[Michael Novak]

We need Halderman (and the rest of Texas), Steyn, Drago, Advanced, Flatout (WHOLE GROUP), Rest of OPM Group to get some cars built----only Miatas ready for the Sebring New Years. I am sure I missed a few others.... so add your names to the list.

 

So here is the call out.....  

[John Wilding]

We need Halderman (and the rest of Texas), Steyn, Drago, Advanced, Flatout (WHOLE GROUP), Rest of OPM Group to get some cars built----only Miatas ready for the Sebring New Years. I am sure I missed a few others.... so add your names to the list.

 

So here is the call out.....  

 

Now we're talking, the other 90 cars on track won't know what to do with themselves with all these Miata's whooping up on them. LOL!