Topic: Walking the Track

Okay... so we're NOT going to pony-up and do the track test day on Friday.

We're cheap. 

More than that, we want to save every possible minute of life that our car has for the race.  The odo reads 236,000 and everything is original... which may be good or it may be bad.

My question is... will there be a time when the R-F folks let us out to walk the track?  I mean, other than after 9:30pm... after they leave and go home?  Walking the track by flashlight is really crappy for trying to determine race lines, off-camber turns and run-off areas.  Besides, that's when the snakes and tarantulas come out. 

Also, will R-F allow us to do a 10mph sedan conga-line session for 2-3 laps?  If Lemons HQ could arrange for the track to be available for walks and 2-3 slow parade laps between 5:00pm and 7:00pm on Friday, that would really help.

Just a thought...

Thanx for listening.

John

"Age only matters if you're a cheese."  Helen Hayes

Re: Walking the Track

professional.dreamer wrote:

Also, will R-F allow us to do a 10mph sedan conga-line session for 2-3 laps?  If Lemons HQ could arrange for the track to be available for walks and 2-3 slow parade laps between 5:00pm and 7:00pm on Friday, that would really help.

Isn't that what the first 30-45 minutes of the race under yellow usually is?  I guess what you're talking about would benefit the *other* 3-5 drivers...

Re: Walking the Track

Yeah -- I have 3 team members who've never driven the track.  I'd like to make sure that they leave the pits in the right direction...

"Age only matters if you're a cheese."  Helen Hayes

Re: Walking the Track

where'e the fun in that?  None of our drivers saw the track before their turn at the wheel, although they all had the benefit of a yellow flag to get used to it... of course, I had to see it under a green flag for my first time out...yikesssss

Dirty Some Beaches - Lemoncello Racing - Honda Wag-O-Van
Team Red Bear - BMW 320i
Inglorious Bastards - Ford Thunderbird, Mazda Miata, the other Mazda Miata

Re: Walking the Track

The practice session is amazingly useful to get to know the track but it doesn't help with getting to know the traffic. There's a big difference between running the racing line all the way around the track with little interference and running three abreast into a turn that is wide enough for one car.

Regardless, I'd recommend for novice drivers like the ones on my team to get all the seat time they can get. BTW, our ODO reads 360,000 and hasn't moved since we bought it last year off of some dodgy looking crystal meth addicts, so it could be in excess of 400,000 for all we know.

The Sharks
Home of the E28 Turbo Tuner Fish and the Hammered Head 944 Turbo

Re: Walking the Track

I Know the feeling. I had only previously run dragstrip & 1/4 mile dirt tracks. When I got in the car for the first time it was scary as hell. The flag was green & I had very little idea where I was going, but I had picked out a couple of cars that looked like they knew what they were doing and jumped in behind one of them & followed the best I could. This was at the first YeeHaw Texas race & I had been on Google Earth & checked out the layout of the track & also watched some of the videos on the MSR track website. Just an idea in case you don't get a chance to see the track in person before getting out on it in race traffic.

Jim B
Los Diablos Flamed Camaro

Re: Walking the Track

Walking the track can teach you more about the racing line than taking 50 laps at any speed.  I've got a few laps on most of you... trust me.  You'll see where the grip is, where the bumps are, where the camber changes, where the run-off is smooth and where it's deadly... all the little stuff that will save your arse when you think you know what you're doing.  Walk the track.  Study the pavement.  Think.

John

"Age only matters if you're a cheese."  Helen Hayes

Re: Walking the Track

professional.dreamer wrote:

Walking the track can teach you more about the racing line than taking 50 laps at any speed.  I've got a few laps on most of you... trust me.  You'll see where the grip is, where the bumps are, where the camber changes, where the run-off is smooth and where it's deadly... all the little stuff that will save your arse when you think you know what you're doing.  Walk the track.  Study the pavement.  Think.

John

I would bet at each race there are maybe 10 drivers who would actually benefit from that. If you have never driven on a racetrack, you are in over your head, walking it first or not. At the first Houston race, the show of hands of people who had never driven on a racetrack looked like more than 75%.

Team Lost in the Dark
Winner " I got screwed" and "Jay's dream car"
2012 Gulf region champs

Re: Walking the Track

Walking the track is something I definitely try to do. Like John says, you can see the "grooves" and all sorts of little things that you may not notice until you're a few laps in when behind the wheel.

Plus you have a chance to have your candid photo of the team walking the track humorously edited (only funny if you watch South Park).

http://www.ltdlx.org/albums/24hrslemons/faithplus1.sized.jpg

The Homer: Powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a Nerf ball.

Re: Walking the Track

professional.dreamer wrote:

Walking the track can teach you more about the racing line than taking 50 laps at any speed.  I've got a few laps on most of you... trust me.  You'll see where the grip is, where the bumps are, where the camber changes, where the run-off is smooth and where it's deadly... all the little stuff that will save your arse when you think you know what you're doing.  Walk the track.  Study the pavement.  Think.

John

That would be nice, but I'd really just like to know if the next turn is left or right. I've been at speed without this basic knowledge and it gets very interesting. Luckily the runoff at Road Atlanta is smooth and grassy.

-Dave

Re: Walking the Track

Eyesoreracing wrote:
professional.dreamer wrote:

Walking the track can teach you more about the racing line than taking 50 laps at any speed.  I've got a few laps on most of you... trust me.  You'll see where the grip is, where the bumps are, where the camber changes, where the run-off is smooth and where it's deadly... all the little stuff that will save your arse when you think you know what you're doing.  Walk the track.  Study the pavement.  Think.

John

That would be nice, but I'd really just like to know if the next turn is left or right. I've been at speed without this basic knowledge and it gets very interesting. Luckily the runoff at Road Atlanta is smooth and grassy.

-Dave

So, Dave... when you walk the track, do you not memorize the corners (left and right), similar to when you're driving?  I, too, have driven Road Atlanta (without the benefit of any practice laps)... thank gawd I walked the track early that morning!  Maybe I'm missing your point?

John

"Age only matters if you're a cheese."  Helen Hayes

Re: Walking the Track

My poorly articulated point is that walking the track for the purpose of analyzing the texture and grip of every square inch is beyond my level. I hope just to remember which way each turn goes on my walkabout and figure the rest out in my 2 hours behind the wheel.

One Lap of America, 1999, I took a van ride around Road Atlanta, in the back seat, then had to do my run a few hours later. One warmup lap, three hot laps. First hot lap I guessed wrong about which way a blind turn went. Luckily I was driving a WRX (in 1999 that meant RHD) so I didn't really lose any time cutting across the grass.

-Dave