Well, I'm home a day late. More on that later

The weather held up nice all day except for about 15 minutes in the afternoon.
It rained for about ten minutes toward the end of one of my sessions. I stayed out on the track tires ( no tread ) until it started loosing grip. As soon as I came in it started hailing. This caused all drivers to come off immediately.

That was it! Dry conditions all day.

After that rain I put my street tires on expecting more rain.
Nope. No more, so I put the slicks back on for the rest of the sessions.

On the final open session, I broke my throttle cable on the first lap as I was approaching turn 8. This turn is very fast with no where to hide. Because I was parked right in the run off zone the course went full black flag.
End of day...

My best lap was 2:23.
Last time I ran here my best was 2:30 something.
Point of reference: the session I ran on street tires yielded a best lap time of 2:36.
13 seconds!!

Video coming.


KT

Clockwise or counter clockwise?

Turn 8 when running counter clockwise....going up the hill towards turn 9.
I have run that turn at about 96 mph in 4th gear in my Boxster. No brakes just a little lift at turn in and hang on. Very high speed and as you say no place to hide if you go off. Most folks that do go off on drivers right end up going back across the track and backing off on drivers left.
In 4 cylinder BP 914s turn 8 in 4th gear foot to the floor....don't lift...

CCW. Ran the bypass for the first time.
Car really gets "light" there.

I saw a Miata spin there today. He ended up quite a ways up the hill and off the track on the left side of the road. He did a full 360°, at speed


KT

MMMM bypass....lets get very light

Your description of the miata sounds pretty much typical..
Once you start to go at that turn you are just along for the ride. He is lucking he didn't stuff a tire in that nice sticky mud off track and put it on it's lid...

I was asking how to drive the bypass.
People just said " get used to it ".

I saw two spins there.

KT

Using the bypass the car gets light and then you hit the off camber portion of the bottom of turn 5.
Yeeeehaaaaa

If you must brake, do it before the crest.

If you brake late, the car is not planted on the right hand side. Hard braking only effects the left wheels...SPIN.


KT

Thanks for the update Trekkor. That bypass freeks me out...car gets light, blind landing and off camber right hander after your car settles down...I always have to take a deep breath just before cresting in order not to hit the brakes...I'd much rather do the cyclone section personally. Does the bypass add or subtract from lap times when going ccw ?
Greg

It's supposed to be a couple of seconds faster.


KT

QUOTE

In 4 cylinder BP 914s turn 8 in 4th gear foot to the floor....don't lift...

Right about that going counterclockwise; however I was in 5th.

The following corner is the tough one for me to figure out. Every time I went around 9, I felt I had slowed down way to much.

Running the other way it is 7 that is flat out. John Sidel thought me that. He said "Don't lift," I thought, OK, guess it'll work out and did it. Of course it did, but that was a new spectrum.

You'd never know how well these cars actually handle if you didn't have quality instructors like Dan and John!

Turn 7 flat to the floor both directions.
Turn 9 CC direction....4th gear up the hill, if you did turn 8 correctly.
Quick stab of the brakes and downshift to 3rd. Late turn in and back on the gas before the apex. The incline of the hill slows you down so you don't have to brake as much as you think.....
Once you hit the apex and crest the hill you look for the water tank across on the other hill on the other side of the track. Aim you car at the water tower and you won't have the tendency to want to put the car to the right...the track actually goes a little more left there than most think and you might end up going 2 wheels off on the right if you don't look for the silver water tank.

QUOTE

4th gear up the hill, if you did turn 8 correctly.

Guess I was OK as I was flat out in 5th going around 8.

The first time around, during any session, it definately makes you think, but there is plenty of track and it was always fun to see how far you pulled in front of the 911's taking that corner flat out.

OK, so moving up the hill, in 5th, I downshifted to 4th, braked and took the line you suggested, but again, the car didn't even act like it went around the corner. Think there is lots more time in that corner.

Either of you gonna be there on the 31st?

I will...


KT

QUOTE

Either of you gonna be there on the 31st? I will...

He who gets to drive wins. All the others cry.

My first event with the 914 on the track will be Mid April with CDS.

I will have to try trackmasters later in the year.

video looked pretty good Trekkor.

you lucked out with the weather.

Did you get any instruction at TH?

right now you need to get a good 914 pilot in you passenger's seat to help you with the fine points.
Your general lines are not bad....need to work on staying out a little longer before turn in....braking a little later, back in the throttle a little sooner.

All things that come with seat time, and/or, good 914 jockey sitting next to you.

As Randal says....it doesn't matter because you were on the track and rest of us were sitting at home....wishing.

Thanks, Dan.

I would love to hear a turn by turn critique of the video.

Asking a lot, I know.


KT

I'll work on it and send you a PM.

GGR instruction coming


KT