Comp School Advice

#1

After instructing for two years with NASA it’s my turn to learn. This weekend I’ll be in my first comp school at Pueblo, a track I know well. I imagine that my main issues will be learining the car that I haven’t driven yet(!), controlling my adrenaline, learning to use my mirrors more and off-line car control. But, I thought I would seek the advice of those that have gone ahead of me.

Any words of wisdom on the comp school, how about advice on dealing with the gaggle of spec 944s when I’m the lone e30 flagbearer in the region (so far)? I really want to be a student this weekend, but I would so much like to embarrass a few of 944 drivers and help grow the e30’s in our region!

#2

I’m in the same boat as you :woohoo:

from what I’ve gathered from friends that have done SE’s and MA’s CS, keep your nose clean, stay on the track, don’t spin, be predictable, and don’t be too terribly slow

#3

Yeah, and Ken, don’t hit the black #401 during the exercises. I’ll be out there mixing it up with you guys. The surest way to flunk is to hit something or someone.

The big learning curve is situational analysis. Your actual driving technique will become secondary for awhile as you concentrate on survival and knowing who/what is around you. You will almost immediately discover that ‘the line’ is wherever somebody else ain’t.

Spend a few minutes getting your mirrors just right, eliminate the blind spots, try not to make sudden, unexpected moves. For example, if somebody catches you mid-corner, don’t spaz and change your line midcorner, just track out and they will get by you.

Most people set pretty modest and attainable goals for their first race: Keep it on the track, don’t hit anything, finish, and if an opportunity presents, carefully mix it up a little. Colorado, don’t worry about embarrassing anyone but yourself the first weekend. There’s plenty of time to smoke the cursed 944s in future weekends:laugh:

#4

Great topic I will be doing competition school at VIR in March so any more information would be great!

#5

Comp school wasn’t mixed with race series when I took it. We had to learn how to share the road with other two cars, one on each side, practice starts, follow the leader and pass before each corner safely, see the flags (OMG that was one of the most difficult parts for me), and don’t hit anything. Lots of learning in a weekend, but lots of fun.

#6

Like the others have said, stay clean/aware and you’ll be fine.

One thing that I can add, if you happen to have something break, don’t freak out. Just let instructors know and go and fix it as quickly as you can but just keep a level head. Every school is different and some might say your day is done, but others won’t.

The reason I know this is because it happened to me :slight_smile: . The whole story is rather long but the short version is a brake line broke during the first session on ratty old Honda I was driving. Borrowed another students truck that I just met (since I drove the racecar to the track) to go to an autoparts store. They had one line left, got it, went back to the track, put it in and got back out with class. And still passed. Hopefully you have better luck than me though.

#7

Thanks for all the advice.
I’ll try and leave the 944’s as fodder for another weekend. I’m headed down in the morning to get some test and tune seat time on Friday; it’s probably a good idea to at least have driven the car once before the school! I’ll report back after the school.

#8

Well I survived comp school and my first race. I’ve been around enough Time Trail events, HPDE and open track days that I thought I had a pretty good idea what to expect - WRONG! I can’t believe how different it is to be dicing with a half dozen cars all around you.

Highlights and random thoughts:
The car is 60 puds underweight. But I’m running an open exhaust. I hope when i get the spec exhasut on and put in a passenger seat I’ll be about right.

The autozone brake pads installed by the PO gave up their life In SUnday morining’s practice session in a display of sparks. A quick trip to Autozone got me another set of these fine $19 brake pads - I don’t know why all of you need Hawks and Carbotechs.

My partner for the first two on track exercises in the comp school is 14 years old. His SCCA racer dad is grooming him for bigger and better things. He had a lot of karting experience and did very well - even when some of the instructors were trying to rattle him.

Right front OEM sway bar mounting bolt fell out sometime before the Sunday morning. Tightened up the otehr one a crossed my fingers that it would suffice.

Here’s a youtube video of my first, bad reaction time start:


here are the results:
http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=284668

I look forward to working out the little kinks in the car and the driver. I also look forward to growing beyond a class of one!

THanks,
Mark

#9

Great Job on the comp school

It was weird watching that video, because there are no visual markers on the side of the track(desert), it is very hard to judge the speed your are going in the video.

Good post!

#10

lt1_man wrote:

[quote]Great topic I will be doing competition school at VIR in March so any more information would be great![/quote]Know the flags
don’t hit anything
do not hit any one
do not miss classroom
do not run out of gas on the track
have fun, and relax

#11

nasaregistrar wrote:

[quote]lt1_man wrote:

[quote]Great topic I will be doing competition school at VIR in March so any more information would be great![/quote]Know the flags
don’t hit anything
do not hit any one
do not miss classroom
do not run out of gas on the track
have fun, and relax[/quote]

Sounds like a DE !!! :woohoo: :stuck_out_tongue: :blink: :unsure:

#12

NOT_MPOWER wrote:

[quote]nasaregistrar wrote:

[quote]lt1_man wrote:

[quote]Great topic I will be doing competition school at VIR in March so any more information would be great![/quote]Know the flags
don’t hit anything
do not hit any one
do not miss classroom
do not run out of gas on the track
have fun, and relax[/quote]

Sounds like a DE !!! :woohoo: :stuck_out_tongue: :blink: :unsure:[/quote]

In a way it is a lot like a DE. Only at the end, they’ll tell you whether you passed or failed.

#13

and it is more challenging to not hit things …

#14

Word.

#15

Coloradomark wrote:

[quote]
The autozone brake pads installed by the PO gave up their life In SUnday morining’s practice session in a display of sparks. A quick trip to Autozone got me another set of these fine $19 brake pads - I don’t know why all of you need Hawks and Carbotechs.

Mark[/quote]

You’re pulling our leg re. the pads, right? I tried some OEM pads a while back and they faded to nothing by lap 3.

#16

Nope - I REALLY perfected my trail-braking technique.

#17

Coloradomark wrote:

Lol, if I used OEM pads again I’d be working on my no-braking technique.

#18

Coloradomark wrote:

You’re fooling yourself if you think oem pads are anywhere close to Hawks or PFB’s.

Outside the fact that you are going to go through so many more oem pads that you’ll void any savings… you will be smoked as soon as that second Spec E30 shows up. There’s just no way you can carry the same speed or go as deep with what you’re running.

So if a mythical creature ever shows up, don’t mistake his lap times for magic. He’s just got the proper equipment.

A good set of pads are as important as almost any other piece on or in your car.

#19

I’m not - I just went with what I had for the weekend so I could judge what needed to be fixed and improved on the car for next time. I ran Pagid orange’s on my Carrera so I appreciate what a good set of brakes will do for me. I’ve ordered caliper rebuild kits for all four corners and I am looking for the best place to buy pads from (suggestion?).

#20

Coloradomark wrote:

It always best to support those who support your local racing and/or those who sponsor our series. Check the sponsors links… they all seem to sell pads.

Personally, I like the Hawk HT10’s on all 4 corners. They are the best bang for your buck IMO. I’ve heard really good thing about the Performance Friction Brakes that Bimmerworld sells but those are quite a bit more $$$.

Now rotors… that is a different story. I pay $20 +/- a rotor