Old dog/New tricks---Learn to Drive RA

#1

Thank you, Robert Grace, for the video from Saturday’s race with Eric. Eric, thanks for hitting your mark, lap after lap.

Just as Eric’s tutorial at Charlotte helped me through the infield faster, his tutorial at RA will…Well, let’s see if it helps at all 'cause old dogs and new tricks don’t always translate into learning.

Grace does a shift at T3 and T5.
Skeen, depending on traffic, would not, so it appears to not matter. Likewise a shift to 3 at T6, or tractor-motor through and shift at T7 like Grace does?

Wait,don’t get bogged down on the shifting, watch how Eric, Robert and the others in the front of the pack do T3,5,7,10 and 1. Awesone.

Again, thanks. Any other tips, after all I’ll never be your competition, just want to inprove my game.

RP

#2

Ditto. From an even older dog…

#3

Thanks RP - I think if I had more time on that track and really got to dial things in I would do without the shift in both of those corners…but like you said, I didn’t feel that I was losing anything by shifting, and as a RA rookie 3rd gear made it alot easier to recover if I didn’t nail my marks or over-slowed.

#4

Those who have raced with Robert know how talented he is. But I have to say that his performance on Saturday was out of this world.

First time ever at Road Atlanta. Combined practice was useless. OK, maybe it was about as useful to him as a ride-along in a pace car. I believe his first clean laps in anger came in qualifying. What’s that, maybe 7 laps? Then he sticks the car on the podium in the race. I hope to see a number of EPalacio/RGrace rematches next year. They will be entertaining as hell!!

PS - Not that it matters, but my theory on shifting in T6 is that if the car is pushing and I need rotation, downshifting to 3rd helps. If the car is right, 4 feels settled and I’m not zinging the motor on the 4-3 downshift.

#5

Robert, here are some things that I picked up from Eric and from you:

Super-wide and late approach into T1

A jot out to the left prior to T3 so that turn 3 isn’t as much of a turn as you skip the curve.

A jot outto straighten up entry into T5 and then carry the speed all the way out to the dirt (sorry,I don’t have the nerve to duplicate that line)

Throw into T7 to rotate the car and set the left wheel down to prevent wheel spin. Track all the way out.

No regard for wheel bearings through T10a/10b.

Lots of speed through T12, especially if you can keep wheel spin through T10b in check

As I said before, I admire the talent of those at the front of the field. Also as we joked, you had been on track for 45 minutes compared to my 450 hours…again, great talent.

Thanks for comming down to RA.
Any tips you and others can pass on is appreciated.

RP

Really, others help out a fellow racer: DeVinney, Taylor, Switzer, Gress,Hey, Curran, Harness, Parkhurst… anyone chime in and we’ll all be faster at RA.
Isn’t this what our hobby/sport is all about?
Thanks in advance.

#6

Pretty much dead on, see comments below.
Looking forward to some more battles with Grace next year as that was a blast. We’ll be in reverse roles for VIR so I hope I’m as quick a learner.

[quote=“Patton” post=61623]Robert, here are some things that I picked up from Eric and from you:

Super-wide and late approach into T1
Ride the outside of the track, throw it in and expect the extra grip at some point (EP)

A jot out to the left prior to T3 so that turn 3 isn’t as much of a turn as you skip the curve.
I stay in 4th, but is dependent on keeping up the speed to not bog (EP)

A jot outto straighten up entry into T5 and then carry the speed all the way out to the dirt (sorry,I don’t have the nerve to duplicate that line)
Not sure whether it is or isn’t beneficial to ride right curb into 5. Was doing 4th gear in the enduro but 3rd in qual/race. Haven’t compared data but was more comfortable with 3rd (EP)

I’m with Steve D on T6. Don’t see too much a reason to be blasting that turn at 6k and if you are about to start pushing the fronts then you’re at max speed. (EP)

Throw into T7 to rotate the car and set the left wheel down to prevent wheel spin. Track all the way out.
There are two levels of curbing on exit for a reason :slight_smile: (EP)

No regard for wheel bearings through T10a/10b.
Outside of 10b is not the curb to be on. Take a walk on the track and you’ll see how nasty those curbs are (EP)

Lots of speed through T12, especially if you can keep wheel spin through T10b in check
Mat the pedal to the floor. When I raced the SM enduro I was following Randy Pobst and noticed he takes 12 super sharp to cut off distance traveled but you really get wide and loose on exit and I don’t know if it’s any better (EP)

As I said before, I admire the talent of those at the front of the field. Also as we joked, you had been on track for 45 minutes compared to my 450 hours…again, great talent.

Thanks for comming down to RA.
Any tips you and others can pass on is appreciated.

RP

Really, others help out a fellow racer: DeVinney, Taylor, Switzer, Gress,Hey, Curran, Harness, Parkhurst… anyone chime in and we’ll all be faster at RA.
Isn’t this what our hobby/sport is all about?
Thanks in advance.[/quote]

#7

Eric, thank you for the commentary. It is good to know that I am looking at the right things/nuances. I can only say that I’m good at T12 at RA.(and I’m only good through threre 'cause I don’t got no speed to worry about/carrying from 10b.)

RP

#8

I’m not saying this is why Grace got up to speed so quickly, I’m just saying… :laugh:

[attachment=1699]andgrace.JPG[/attachment]

PS - I won practice!! I won practice!! :woohoo:

PPS - Art Racing dot com has posted some good photos.

#9

Eric and I instructed at the Chin event at RA on T-giving weekend. I installed the passenger seat back in the 919. Had Eric ride with me in the 919, then we switched sides.

He drives RA exactly as he outlined in his note above. My feedback: effortless driving, very fast, extremely confident, on the very ragged edge but controlled.

His comment: “see Dad, not a whole lot to it.” Mine: “%$#@$#*%$!”

Switched sides again and did everything I “could” to follow his directions (ok he was screaming). Felt much better (ok uncomfortable) but faster.

Applied my “training” to the races this past weekend (I also stayed back in the Toy Race and used the entire session for hot-lapping). Picked up almost 2secs in race pace over my previous PB and I know the 2 areas that I really need to improve at RA.

Oh yeah, the passenger seat in the 919 stays.

We have science (equipment) and we have art (talent). Science will only get you so far, art gets it over the top.

#10

I still have my printed out notes that Eric sent me in a PM after watching one of my videos from Road Atlanta.

#11

And while we’re all scrambling for our notes and this-that-and the other, remember that Robert Grace, your almost 2-time National champ, has 45 minutes on this track.

Actually, he’s up to 1:30 on track.
Threre’s something to be said for natural talent.

RP

#12

New tracks are less of an issue these days. “Virtual” tools exist to help one quickly learn and race on new tracks - very useful for us old dogs.

We’ll see how it works at VIR, Summit and WGI next year. :slight_smile: They need to “scan” CMP and RRR…

#13

I found the elevation profile for Roebling online:

I don’t know if iRacing would do it justice. :laugh:

#14

LOL. Looks like it may not be an issue for TPR as we’re prolly only going to race “scanned” tracks in 2012. :wink:

BTW, Little Pissant posted this on NASA forums for those free tomorrow night…
http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=51264&sid=277e6b798cfadd6dbe707f7d4c74fcea

#15

dont think anything virtual would help with RA…

#16

Agreed. I have never used video games or ‘simulators’, personaly I’ve found time is better invested in reality…although everyone has their own methods I suppose.

Thanks for the kind words Steve and RP…and yes, you hit the nail on the head with that picture Steve. The warm-up lap from pactice really set the pace for the entire weekend!

#17

It’s really helped us (me) with race craft, testing setups, multi-class racing, and managing pace (qual and race). It was interesting to see Eric’s different lines for his flyer in qual compared to the race on Sat. I’ve also really enjoyed and learned a bunch iRacing with regulars such as Eric, Nate Sparks, Justin Hille, Eric Foss, the Skeen-machine and a host of others.

Driving/racing the worlds’ coolest race tracks? Been there, done that, got a t-shirt. :slight_smile: This old dog will continue to learn new tricks.

We also want to express our thanks to James Clay, BimmerWorld, and PFC for their 2011 contingency sponsorship of SE30. Really appreciate the support from a great sponsor. IIRC, the winners this past weekend were Eric (P1), Robert (P6) and me (P11). Thanks again guys (and Evan)!

Hope everyone has a great and safe Holiday Season, looking forward to 2012.