I can’t remember a race weekend I enjoyed more. Weather was postcard perfect. Great food (thanks again to the Graces!) and great company. I was able to significantly improve on my HPDE-like times from last year’s event and dice around with a few others, especially on Sunday. And I’m grateful to everyone who traveled long distances, especially Ranger at 17hrs each way, to give us such a big field. Hope you’ll make the trip again next year.
Thunder at the Glen
PThibault
#36
I would first like to thank everyone that took the trip up north and how they were able to bring along some epic weather, great food, and great competition. Rangers road trip somehow gave me inspiration to make some road trips down south to some other tracks in the future. Anyway back to the racing.
Saturdays Race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvlZMlTKJ88
Sundays Race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_BY_KfNcFM
Ranger
#37
Chuck, thanks, but I’ve never been able to make axle straightening work. People around here react poorly when I even suggest it. Heck, I had a helova time even finding someone willing to replace axles.
Highlights from Sunday. https://vimeo.com/75927494
FishMan
#39
That Mustang looked like a complete PITA, but nice driven Scott! Those new cameras seemed to work out nicely as well.
cwbaader
#40
Scott, here it is not a problem. I even have e30 rear arms bent back to original specs when necessary. Certainly cheaper than replacing the axle.
Ranger
#41
Understood. You should have seen my goatscrew prior to replacing the first bent axle. The first 2 trailer shops wanted to replace all my “nonstandard” running gear. I was darn pleased to find a 3rd shop that said “sure, we can replace that axle”.
Here’s my Saturday video. Close racing throughout. My normal running commentary. https://vimeo.com/75986783
EdP
#42
Unfortunately, I didn’t record any video of Saturday’s race. Here’s the setup for Sunday: qualified 8th, but recognize I’ll be lucky to finish that high. The top 6 guys on the grid are way out of my league. So, I figure on making a conservative start, but things quickly get interesting in the esses. I resist the urge to follow the white car thru on the right, which would have ended badly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djFYrd9GE-s
Here’s the restart and last several laps after a long red flag (due to a different incident).
OriginalSterm
#43
Thanks to everyone for posting their videos, very helpful in finding a few of the many seconds behind I am from the pack.
2 turns I stay in 4th gear when most of you appear to shift down to 3rd. Might explain why I’m lugging along through those turns…
More speed into the bus stop, more speed through the carousel, more through the chute. Looking at speedos I’m not too far off at the ends of the straights, but exiting a few turns I have several MPH to gather up.
I still feel like the 1 quart per session oil consumption is related to some of the sluggish feel I have, but the bulk of my slowness is certainly driver.
Rob_in_VA
#44
[quote=“OriginalSterm” post=74262]Thanks to everyone for posting their videos, very helpful in finding a few of the many seconds behind I am from the pack.
2 turns I stay in 4th gear when most of you appear to shift down to 3rd. Might explain why I’m lugging along through those turns…
More speed into the bus stop, more speed through the carousel, more through the chute. Looking at speedos I’m not too far off at the ends of the straights, but exiting a few turns I have several MPH to gather up.
I still feel like the 1 quart per session oil consumption is related to some of the sluggish feel I have, but the bulk of my slowness is certainly driver.[/quote]
Racing is a different story and might require compromises. So don’t think that because someone downshifted to 3rd in a turn means that is what you should do all the time. For qualifying, I would stay in 4th through turn 1 and at the end of the laces. During the race, depending on the situation, I’d use 3rd when defending or 4th.
OriginalSterm
#45
[quote=“Rob in VA” post=74263][quote=“OriginalSterm” post=74262]Thanks to everyone for posting their videos, very helpful in finding a few of the many seconds behind I am from the pack.
2 turns I stay in 4th gear when most of you appear to shift down to 3rd. Might explain why I’m lugging along through those turns…
More speed into the bus stop, more speed through the carousel, more through the chute. Looking at speedos I’m not too far off at the ends of the straights, but exiting a few turns I have several MPH to gather up.
I still feel like the 1 quart per session oil consumption is related to some of the sluggish feel I have, but the bulk of my slowness is certainly driver.[/quote]
Racing is a different story and might require compromises. So don’t think that because someone downshifted to 3rd in a turn means that is what you should do all the time. For qualifying, I would stay in 4th through turn 1 and at the end of the laces. During the race, depending on the situation, I’d use 3rd when defending or 4th.[/quote]
I agree, but in situations where my car seemed to really bog down, downshifting looks to help keep the power on. Someone told me a few years ago that, even in my car, staying in 4th was the way to go for these turns. I resisted the urge to downshift because of this advise, I’ll definitely need to reconsider this next time out…
It’s worth a try, but the biggest thing for me will be seat time and growing bigger cajones for some of the turns.
Ranger
#46
When you are relatively new to a track and still trying to figure out turns, the problem with going to 3rd in a borderline turn is that you no longer try so hard to increase your entry speed. If instead you go into the border line turn in 4th you’ll spend every lap trying desperately to go into the turn a little faster.
This doesn’t work as well with uphill turns because the engine will struggle with a steep uphill at 4k rpm.
EdP
#47
[quote=“OriginalSterm” post=74262]Thanks to everyone for posting their videos, very helpful in finding a few of the many seconds behind I am from the pack.
2 turns I stay in 4th gear when most of you appear to shift down to 3rd. Might explain why I’m lugging along through those turns…
More speed into the bus stop, more speed through the carousel, more through the chute. Looking at speedos I’m not too far off at the ends of the straights, but exiting a few turns I have several MPH to gather up.
I still feel like the 1 quart per session oil consumption is related to some of the sluggish feel I have, but the bulk of my slowness is certainly driver.[/quote]
FWIW, my game plan for the weekend was to really concentrate on T1 and T11, and basically just try to man-up everywhere else. I have plenty of HPDE time at WG, but only 1 day (last year) in my SE30. I found buckets of time in those two corners.
OriginalSterm
#48
[quote=“EdP” post=74268][quote=“OriginalSterm” post=74262]Thanks to everyone for posting their videos, very helpful in finding a few of the many seconds behind I am from the pack.
2 turns I stay in 4th gear when most of you appear to shift down to 3rd. Might explain why I’m lugging along through those turns…
More speed into the bus stop, more speed through the carousel, more through the chute. Looking at speedos I’m not too far off at the ends of the straights, but exiting a few turns I have several MPH to gather up.
I still feel like the 1 quart per session oil consumption is related to some of the sluggish feel I have, but the bulk of my slowness is certainly driver.[/quote]
FWIW, my game plan for the weekend was to really concentrate on T1 and T11, and basically just try to man-up everywhere else. I have plenty of HPDE time at WG, but only 1 day (last year) in my SE30. I found buckets of time in those two corners.[/quote]
T1, T9 I probably have the most to gain. Only a little to gain on each of the other turns.
Ranger, that’s a good point as well. I couldn’t build any RPMs in T9 in 4th gear and that’s one place people were walking by me.
T1 I’m slow through while in 4th (my fault) and going up the esses people get held up behind me then drive around, all while going uphill still. 
Rob_in_VA
#49
[quote=“OriginalSterm” post=74272][quote=“EdP” post=74268][quote=“OriginalSterm” post=74262]Thanks to everyone for posting their videos, very helpful in finding a few of the many seconds behind I am from the pack.
2 turns I stay in 4th gear when most of you appear to shift down to 3rd. Might explain why I’m lugging along through those turns…
More speed into the bus stop, more speed through the carousel, more through the chute. Looking at speedos I’m not too far off at the ends of the straights, but exiting a few turns I have several MPH to gather up.
I still feel like the 1 quart per session oil consumption is related to some of the sluggish feel I have, but the bulk of my slowness is certainly driver.[/quote]
FWIW, my game plan for the weekend was to really concentrate on T1 and T11, and basically just try to man-up everywhere else. I have plenty of HPDE time at WG, but only 1 day (last year) in my SE30. I found buckets of time in those two corners.[/quote]
T1, T9 I probably have the most to gain. Only a little to gain on each of the other turns.
Ranger, that’s a good point as well. I couldn’t build any RPMs in T9 in 4th gear and that’s one place people were walking by me.
T1 I’m slow through while in 4th (my fault) and going up the esses people get held up behind me then drive around, all while going uphill still. :([/quote]
T9 is def. a 3rd gear turn.
barkerdm
#50
I found a second going through the bus stop & outerloop. It was also where I was stronger than most of the guys I was running with. T11 is way faster than I think it is (probably cause I don’t like the lack of runoff). If I can figure that corner out I’ll be running with you Rob! 
Rob_in_VA
#51
Denny, you had some speed last weekend! Glad to see your car back in action. 
I kept some in reserve because my only goal last weekend was to bring the car home in one piece. Mission accomplished
OriginalSterm
#52
[quote=“Rob in VA” post=74273]
T9 is def. a 3rd gear turn.[/quote]
I knew it! Next year…