NASA-SE: Pot-O-Gold Rush, March 11-13, Road Atlant

#61

steve and i have exchanged traqmate data, i’ve given it a once over and compared to mine. it’s clear that he did not beat me by having more power, he beat me by being faster in the turns, especially turn 5 where he’s flash gordon and i’m slowpoke rodriguez. admittedly, i’m not exactly known for having a power deficit but it wouldn’t have mattered. steve drove great all weekend and won, no two ways about it. now if you want to fault folks for bringing stickers to the race while you’re soldiering along on three or four weekend old tires that’s another matter. i for one absolutely do not want to see dynos brought into the equation.

#62

Here’s my secret…

Start with a factory built M20. Have some old lady drive it for the next 20 years and ~210,000 miles. Then run the crap out of it as a race engine for the next several years with nothing more than a crank scraper, timing belts, valve adjustments and oil changes. Be sure to never open it up, check the compression or measure oil or fuel pressure.

Matt

#63

But WAIT!!! That goes against everything Ranger has told us to do!!! :huh: :ohmy: :laugh:

#64

But WAIT!!! That goes against everything Ranger has told us to do!!! :huh: :ohmy: :laugh:[/quote]
And what is Ranger’s motor count in the last two years?

#65

Like Matt, the best engine that I’ve had in one of my cars was the junkyard engine from an automatic convertible car.

At the same time, I’ve seen 3 of them blowed-up after one weekend session at the track. It did not help, in all three cases, that the owners had some stupid cooling system problems.

tires.

RP

#66

I keep trying to get everyone together for a dyno day but I still haven’t gotten any takers. :laugh: Can’t even give this stuff away. Oh well.

Road A is a tough track to master. If you do not get turns 1, 5 and 7 right you will be slow. Its that simple. I suck at all three of those turns so I am slow. really slow. Steve drove a hell of a race both days. He deserves the wins.

I agree that the motor debate is getting old. Unless you are 20 hp down you still have a chance of running up top. I still remember the IFU back on 07 when Skeen embarrassed everyone coming from the back of the pack to the front at least twice while at the same time killing every mosquito in Savannah. I still think chassis set up and weight distribution is more important for these cars then the motor.

#67

Here’s the Saturday video that I was referring to.

Unfortunately, I forgot to clear the CF card Sunday, so only got the start. It was more of the same except I relaxed once in a comfortable second so as not to throw it away like in Saturdays race.

Hopefully you can see my point, but then again, this might be one of those things that you are unable to See until you can See.

http://vimeo.com/21133407

#68

I really enjoyed your instructional video.

#69

[quote=“Matt H.” post=55299][quote=“Jones” post=55295]
Matt Harness- Seems you are still running the Stock exhaust or is that aftermarket? Either way, nice driving to a fast rookie![/quote]

Totally stock (with the cat) to behind the axle. I just cut the muffler off and replaced it with some cheap tube. With the muffler on there I couldn’t hear it at all when running anywhere close to anyone else.

The spec exhaust was ordered and paid for about 6 weeks ago, but hasn’t shown up yet. Hopefully it’ll be on there before the next event.

Thanks, it’s great to finally get out there and run with you guys.

Matt[/quote]

Matt, PM sent about your exhaust!!

#70

[quote=“D Walsh” post=55404]Here’s the Saturday video that I was referring to.

Unfortunately, I forgot to clear the CF card Sunday, so only got the start. It was more of the same except I relaxed once in a comfortable second so as not to throw it away like in Saturdays race.

Hopefully you can see my point, but then again, this might be one of those things that you are unable to See until you can See.

http://vimeo.com/21133407[/quote]

Nice video. That is helpful info. Im still going with the horsepower theory…my ego just cant take that fact that someone may be a better driver than me. Not possible! :wink:

Im sure my car is down about 25 HP…at least. What else could explain me not winning every race Im in? :slight_smile:

#71

Very nice video, Mr. Walsch, thanks.

My belated rookie weekend recap:
As pre-ordained , the weather was idyllic.
Free lovey-sweetwater… aaahh
First race start, I witnessed an amazing, and perfectly executed T1 LM (Lawnmowing Maneuver):cheer: ; then I watched Johan make the T1 LM work again, on Sunday! :ohmy:
In race 1, under dbl yellow, I nearly went WOT when (it seemed) a flag station had no flags.
In race 2, L1, on back straight, I lost 2 spots by fu_!shifting 4-3, instead of 4-5 (never before, never again!):angry:
I inhaled the red mist deeply, but mostly kept the wits, and improved some lines.
Racing experience was intense, and sublime.
Needed for June: cornering talent, and a keulsoot.

#72

I managed to do that at Road Atlanta in December. I figure I barely got the clutch back in before major engine damage occured. Consequently I slowed my 4 to 5 shift down quite a bit at this last event.

#73

[quote=“Gilles” post=55596]Very nice video, Mr. Walsch, thanks.

My belated rookie weekend recap:

In race 1, under dbl yellow, I nearly went WOT when (it seemed) a flag station had no flags.

[/quote]

Congratulations on completing your rookie weekend. Racing wheel to wheel sure is a blast isn’t it.

This is the second instance I have heard of yellow flag trouble. Where on the track was it? I was working corner 6 and I thought we did OK…I realize in watching the vids though, drivers are not necessarily looking at the corner station when the workers think they are. Additionally, at the moment we deploy double yellows it takes several seconds for the drivers to acknowledge. In 6 that can be an issue if traffic is stopped in 7!!.

Don

#74

The struggle I’ve had with flaggers is that occasionally they forget that it’s the car 1-200yds away that is looking at them. This isn’t so much about “waving” but about “holding”. The flagger will often focus on a car next to them and orient the flag such that the car zooming by mere feet away, can easily see the car. That’s where the confusion lays. When you are abreast of a flag station at speed, you’re not looking at the flagger. The driver’s eyes are well ahead so when that flag station well ahead has their flag oriented best for the car next to them, the guy 100m back can’t see the flag at all.

From the perspective of the guy 100m back the flag disappears when the flagger orients their flag on the zooming car next to them. The guy 100m either won’t see the flag, or interprets it as the withdrawal of yellow…only to reappear when the tower reorients their flag.

Full disclosure. During the DE days I used to flag SCCA races, so I’ve been both places.

#75

I think there are times we Flaggers forget about “Line of Sight” and thus proper positioning of flags.
Then again there are instances where the driver blatantly disregards flag conditions.
The dead giveaway of this is no acknowledgement at the Black Flag Stations, Start/Finish Station. And Then there is Full Course Double Yellow violations.

I flag both NASA and SCCA events.

#76

[quote=“DDO” post=55608]I think there are times we Flaggers forget about “Line of Sight” and thus proper positioning of flags.
Then again there are instances where the driver blatantly disregards flag conditions.
The dead giveaway of this is no acknowledgement at the Black Flag Stations, Start/Finish Station. And Then there is Full Course Double Yellow violations.

I flag both NASA and SCCA events.[/quote]
There’s no question that drivers miss flags, but it’s not a matter of assigning blame. I was throwing out some more thoughts on the previous idea that drivers aren’t necessarily looking at flaggers when the flagger thinks they are.

#77

[quote=“Ranger” post=55609][quote=“DDO” post=55608]I think there are times we Flaggers forget about “Line of Sight” and thus proper positioning of flags.
Then again there are instances where the driver blatantly disregards flag conditions.
The dead giveaway of this is no acknowledgement at the Black Flag Stations, Start/Finish Station. And Then there is Full Course Double Yellow violations.

I flag both NASA and SCCA events.[/quote]
There’s no question that drivers miss flags, but it’s not a matter of assigning blame. I was throwing out some more thoughts on the previous idea that drivers aren’t necessarily looking at flaggers when the flagger thinks they are.[/quote]

I agree, I try my best to find every flag station every lap and clear it, as soon as it comes into vision. For example turn 5 comes into vision around the bottom of the esses if no flag is displayed then the station is clear. I’ve had times where the flag came out after I’d cleared a station and in that situation Soft eyes really helps the driver not get into trouble!!

#78

Actually, I think the burden of good communications and therefore safe course conditions lies more on the Flagger than on the Driver.

#79

As long as the flaggers don’t wear yellow t-shirts, I am happy.

At one point, the flagger at T2/3 was holding the yellow but the shadows from the catch fence made it look like a debris flag at first glance.

There was a flagger at the top of the esses a few events ago who was holding the yellow by his side - ready to wave, but not out - rather than behind his back. Very confusing to come around 4 and see a little yellow…

It can be hard juggling the double yellows, but anything you guys can do to pull them in quickly and demonstrably would help us know that the restart really happened.

Workers rock. I just hope we can put on a clean, close show to keep them entertained!