Want to drive Sears Pointless PRIOR to March? Probably a good idea...

Sound advice. Sears is unforgiving, and some of the danger zones are less obvious than others (for example: the "opportunity" to wind up in a wall if you blow the exit of 8A, which is less obvious than the wall staring you in the face at the exit of 10).

Anybody know what track configuration will be used?

I agree 100% with driving Sears prior to the event, hopefully in your Lemons car to get a feel for it......  Sears is a well know "car killer" with all the walls & it claims its fair share of racecars every year.....so be extra careful.....

Sears is indeed daunting and has little forgiveness, if Thunderhill is a 1 in "driver error forgiveness" Sears is probably a 7 or 8.  Hopefully Jay will run the "Indy car / motorcycle" T9 which takes the most dangerous corner - T10 - and turns it into a slower and safer, probably flat out in a lower gear corner.  T10 in the normal configuration has no room for error and is damn scary fast, too fast for Lemons IMHO.  The "other" series is running the Indy car / motorcycle T9 just for that reason, it is safer.  T8, 8a is a whole lot better than before now that the hill has been cut away and again if Jay uses the "other" T9, 8a will be a whole lot easier and safer too.  Also Jay has basically 4 different corner configuration options for T7 each resulting in a different entry speeds into the famous Sears Point "essess".  Over the years Burton Smith has made Sears MUCH safer than before, but it can still bite hard if you go off track.  Doing a Hooked on Driving day is a great idea as is the test day prior to the event

Your team didn't seem to have any problems finding the fast line at ThunderHill.

You actually got  a clean run in T8-9....  I'd say in the two hours I drove on Saturday that I might have had 1 clean run on 8-9.....there ALWAYS was traffic taking away the ideal line.....so not knowing the ideal line doesn't hurt as bad with all the traffic we have..... 

I gotta admit the few times I got a good run at T8 I was impressed at the speeds I could carry through the corner....not flat like a spec miata, but close....

The one thing I can say with authority regarding HOD- NO OPEN PASSING.

All passing is with a signaled point-by, in designated 'passing zones'- left side only.

Run groups are between 30-40 cars, so you'll get a chance to learn the track without being held up in traffic.

Here's my best lap at Sears on video. it's a 2:01.
Lemon's cars will be hard pressed to get below 2:10-15's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ7uz7I4qfY

KT

No PLEASE don't suggest that for the race cuzz the normal T11 is a safe and clear place to pass, the abreviated IRL T11 is "too short" betweem T10 and T11 for a safe pass and/or out-brake move.  Sure the exit of T11 is a concrete wall, but it is the slowest turn on the track and most will be mellow through there I'm sure.  That straight between T10 and the normal T11 is one of the best and SAFEST areas to pass, the IRL T11 eliminates this essential passing area. Without some good and safe passing zones drivers may resort to "forcing" the pass on slower cars, resulting in contact.

I've got a few laps in at Sears.  If there's anyone who understands turn-in, apexes and exits but isn't familiar with Sears, shoot me a PM and I can send you a "guide" I wrote up a couple years ago describing the line and some of the unique aspects of the track.  It's written from the perspective of driving a spec miata, but there's probably still something to learn in there if you read it and then watch some in-car of someone driving the proper line.

I've got a few race videos up from Infineon at www.molaps.com/videos too.

Cheers,

Dean

I have no doubts that my time driving a spec miata (much slower than dean) has made me a better driver......

Trackmasters racing will be there on Sat Feb 6th.....$265 for 2.5 HOURS on track!!!!  I'm already signed up and will be there in the "estate"....  Who else will be there?

This is SO TRUE....theres nothing better than watching the "real" racers walk by with their looks of disdain on their faces...only to PASS them on track!!! 

Its a win-win for us...."if" their car is faster, we say its a "real" race car.....if WE are faster...what can they say?????  Then when they realize they got passed by a crap can on STREET tires they really will start to cry