VIR! a long day, really beat but some info for others
12-05-2004, 05:34 PM
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VIR! a long day, really beat but some info for others
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59644/110_1023.jpg"></center><p>I was in the Beginner group for the weekend which in the end was perfect for me as i learned so much more than just going around the track all day and I had an incredible Female instructor whom I'd recomend to anyone in the eastern US wanting to try a track as she is from Pittsburg PA and attends many events throughout the year.
In the pic is a Red S4 sedan belonging to Thomas from Tampa Bay Fl, his is a 05 6sp only 6wks old and 3400mi so a good comparison against my Avant as it was his first event and he was in the beginners group with me. He also got assigned the head instructor of the event a plus.
On Saturday we had classes and then went to the skid pad, as it was so cold in the morning they were unable to wet down the pad and we had to run in the dry (tire wear yikes!) two runs inside the line with cones, one counter and one clockwise. Then two outside with out cones in both directions last one trying to spin the cars out. Highly recommend anyone to do this before going on a track as it teaches you very nicely the limits of your car without causing harm. I ran 1/3 with ESP on and counter, 2/4 ESP off clockwise, these cars are phenominal handlers way more than most will ever encounter in normal driving. Last run the instructor was trying to get me to spin with ESP off 2nd gear 4000rpm 45mph outside line and he would say WOT/lift/WOT/lift, rear would begin to swing but never let go, he was dumbfounded and amazed.
We found out that the Avant handles better than the sedan, pushes far less in turns and less front corner squat ( more on this later)
Afternoon two track times of 25min and about 6-9 laps, really rough for me as I have driven the track before, the others were not signalling to pass, very poor on following the line and some points very dangerous. A Porsche in our group hit the wall in turn 6 destroying the passenger side of his car and he had it only a few months and was very timid on the skid pad and while on the course to bad. A couple of corvettes were easy kills each time, one didn't even come back on Sunday, Thomas and his S4 were another story, I caught and passed him but was more evenly matched as his is 300lbs lighter, for a 1st timer a quik learner.
Starting up front made it easy for me to start lapping people after a little more than a lap fun!
more to come shortly
In the pic is a Red S4 sedan belonging to Thomas from Tampa Bay Fl, his is a 05 6sp only 6wks old and 3400mi so a good comparison against my Avant as it was his first event and he was in the beginners group with me. He also got assigned the head instructor of the event a plus.
On Saturday we had classes and then went to the skid pad, as it was so cold in the morning they were unable to wet down the pad and we had to run in the dry (tire wear yikes!) two runs inside the line with cones, one counter and one clockwise. Then two outside with out cones in both directions last one trying to spin the cars out. Highly recommend anyone to do this before going on a track as it teaches you very nicely the limits of your car without causing harm. I ran 1/3 with ESP on and counter, 2/4 ESP off clockwise, these cars are phenominal handlers way more than most will ever encounter in normal driving. Last run the instructor was trying to get me to spin with ESP off 2nd gear 4000rpm 45mph outside line and he would say WOT/lift/WOT/lift, rear would begin to swing but never let go, he was dumbfounded and amazed.
We found out that the Avant handles better than the sedan, pushes far less in turns and less front corner squat ( more on this later)
Afternoon two track times of 25min and about 6-9 laps, really rough for me as I have driven the track before, the others were not signalling to pass, very poor on following the line and some points very dangerous. A Porsche in our group hit the wall in turn 6 destroying the passenger side of his car and he had it only a few months and was very timid on the skid pad and while on the course to bad. A couple of corvettes were easy kills each time, one didn't even come back on Sunday, Thomas and his S4 were another story, I caught and passed him but was more evenly matched as his is 300lbs lighter, for a 1st timer a quik learner.
Starting up front made it easy for me to start lapping people after a little more than a lap fun!
more to come shortly
12-05-2004, 06:09 PM
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Today Sunday the 5th
Cold again this morning 30's, got to go out on track 4 times today for 25min each 6-10 laps each.
First one was early after the instructors had their runs so I started out slower and a little poorer than my last run on Saturday. 2nd run was better but I came up on Thomas and a nice red S4 and my driving went out the window as it became a competition between the two of us. I was way off my line at times and adding power too soon and many other mistakes, still I kept the pressure on and in the Oak tree turn was in a position to make my move down the back straight until a BMW 325 got in the way, waving Thomas by and not me so I had to brake hard and pass later in the front stretch catching back up just as the checkered flag flew but my line was near perfect as I had no car to concentrate on.
3rd run was even better as I was soon behind the dredded Red S4 again, seems he started toward the back of the pack because his instructor took his time to switch cars. My line had become effortless, turn 1 was at the limit but smooth, got praised for my good throttle modulation and control. Was held up for a lap behind Thomas because of other traffic and other reasons I didn't know about at the time, but was allowed to pass and left him behind.
When we were back in the paddock I found out it was his instructor toying with me because he couldn't figure out why i was able to keep up, ketch up, and overpower a 300lb lighter sedan and after I passed they tried to keep up to see why I was so much more stable in the corners and transitions than the sedan. Answer better weight distribution on the avant, more in back also more side surface to resist turning motion against the wind. His instructor had seen it on the skid pad watching both cars, the sedan was more unstable and plowed the front outside tire way more than my Avant. He also had way more brake wear, some white spots on the rotors, signs of beginning fade and more pad deposits as well as much more brake dust. Both of us are still stock brakes/pads/rotors, mine however already have 13200mi and one track event, 3 drag events, and a fun drive all with hard braking with less wear, no white spots, little deposit and amazingly little brake dust for 140mi of track driving? We could smell brakes for a few laps and thought it was from my car but the brakes showed no signs of fade wear or anything and after I passed a modded 5.0 mustang the smell went away whew! Had only one car pass me and that was a Porsche 911 from a advanced group doing a few quick laps and off again, scared the hell out of me as I had been effortlessly passing all and all of a sudden there were projector beams on my tail, let him go but was able to keep up, maybe after a few more laps I would have been able to hold him off?
Final run was the best 135mph in the straights, 65mph in turn one very little braking going up the esses at 110mph (last time I only dared 80mph) good shifting which gave me 10-15mph more per lap and allowed even 5th gear down the back stretch. This was at 4:45 to 5:15 and we had to run with headlights really fun, harder to see some of the cones though.
Enough for me tonight enjoy!
Allan
First one was early after the instructors had their runs so I started out slower and a little poorer than my last run on Saturday. 2nd run was better but I came up on Thomas and a nice red S4 and my driving went out the window as it became a competition between the two of us. I was way off my line at times and adding power too soon and many other mistakes, still I kept the pressure on and in the Oak tree turn was in a position to make my move down the back straight until a BMW 325 got in the way, waving Thomas by and not me so I had to brake hard and pass later in the front stretch catching back up just as the checkered flag flew but my line was near perfect as I had no car to concentrate on.
3rd run was even better as I was soon behind the dredded Red S4 again, seems he started toward the back of the pack because his instructor took his time to switch cars. My line had become effortless, turn 1 was at the limit but smooth, got praised for my good throttle modulation and control. Was held up for a lap behind Thomas because of other traffic and other reasons I didn't know about at the time, but was allowed to pass and left him behind.
When we were back in the paddock I found out it was his instructor toying with me because he couldn't figure out why i was able to keep up, ketch up, and overpower a 300lb lighter sedan and after I passed they tried to keep up to see why I was so much more stable in the corners and transitions than the sedan. Answer better weight distribution on the avant, more in back also more side surface to resist turning motion against the wind. His instructor had seen it on the skid pad watching both cars, the sedan was more unstable and plowed the front outside tire way more than my Avant. He also had way more brake wear, some white spots on the rotors, signs of beginning fade and more pad deposits as well as much more brake dust. Both of us are still stock brakes/pads/rotors, mine however already have 13200mi and one track event, 3 drag events, and a fun drive all with hard braking with less wear, no white spots, little deposit and amazingly little brake dust for 140mi of track driving? We could smell brakes for a few laps and thought it was from my car but the brakes showed no signs of fade wear or anything and after I passed a modded 5.0 mustang the smell went away whew! Had only one car pass me and that was a Porsche 911 from a advanced group doing a few quick laps and off again, scared the hell out of me as I had been effortlessly passing all and all of a sudden there were projector beams on my tail, let him go but was able to keep up, maybe after a few more laps I would have been able to hold him off?
Final run was the best 135mph in the straights, 65mph in turn one very little braking going up the esses at 110mph (last time I only dared 80mph) good shifting which gave me 10-15mph more per lap and allowed even 5th gear down the back stretch. This was at 4:45 to 5:15 and we had to run with headlights really fun, harder to see some of the cones though.
Enough for me tonight enjoy!
Allan
12-05-2004, 06:09 PM
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go wagons go!
Allan: You lucky sack of @#$%! Wow. The red S4 came up from Florida for the event. That's a pretty good trek. Porsche wrecked after a couple of months. Ouch. I have a buddy that had a 1997 993 making 500+ HP. Gots to know what you are doing with those things. Very light, lots of powah, and all the weight back there. Looking forward to some car cam.
12-05-2004, 06:17 PM
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A GT3 RS instructors car wrecked on 1st lap in turn 4 on slicks with ice crystals still on track sat
Marc who helped put this event on spun his Audi in turn 14/14a saturday as well. 6 accidents non severe on first day, Marc had only one incident report left for Sunday. A Carrera4 lost a rear rim, all 5 spokes just broke in the middle, not much damage on the car though but his event was done. The porsche in my group was an aquaintence of Wes and me from Raleigh feel so bad for him.
One owner had a new Porsche 911 05 picked up on Friday 12/03/04, 30 day tag and completely shot PS2's and that was Saturday afternoon :-)
Allan
One owner had a new Porsche 911 05 picked up on Friday 12/03/04, 30 day tag and completely shot PS2's and that was Saturday afternoon :-)
Allan
12-05-2004, 06:26 PM
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How is the sedan 300lbs lighter?
Although the avant should handle better, remember that the weight difference isn't nearly that much, and the guy is only at 3,400mi.
Cheers Allan.
Cheers Allan.
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12-05-2004, 06:36 PM
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Glad to see you got home safe.
It was definitely a blast!!! I have a few pics of that rim, so I'll see if I can grab it off.
also, I have about 10 minutes of good video from today I'm hoping to have on later tonight. I'm working on it now.
also, I have about 10 minutes of good video from today I'm hoping to have on later tonight. I'm working on it now.
