What you talking about willis, FDs in general are extremely rare so when one runs a 2.12 at vir that's like the second coming, just fooling

 

I'm not bailing out on my FD anytime soon, but I suppose I'm also not to GT3 competitive level yet either. My best friend tracks a C5Z with me and it's really hard to argue with those cars as far as money/performance/ease of use.

One thing I really miss about tracking my e36 M3 was the ability to show up and drive without worrying about anything....maybe that just means I wasn't going fast enough back then

 

No doubt the more the right foot mashes the gas to the floor the more you are knocking on your mechanics door

 

You guys going to do Chin or the Audi event in November at VIR ? I'm deciding between the two events although I'm strongly favoring the Chin event because of track time.

 

I vote for Chin as well

 

Fritz are you definitely going? I don't see you registered on the web site.

 

If you decide to sign up let me know and I'll go

 

Hey you guy see this? Didn't mitch piper start off working on RX7s?

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f68/...-nissan-61500/

 

^^^^

He worked with Peter Farrell in the IMSA days, yes.

 

Last Oct I was at Summit (shenandoah circuit) going 110 when the brakes failed on the back straight (fastest straight), I pushed the pedal and it was rock hard, the car literally didn't stop at all. I pulled the e-brake and jerked it sideways to take some speed off and hit with one thud into the concrete wall with no more than 2 rows of tires at probably 80mph. When I hit the wall I flew out of my seat bending the ebrake to the right, hitting the passengers helmet (passenger was fine) which may of saved my head from going further right and damaging or breaking my neck. I also had both feet on the imovable brake pedal one slid off hitting the clutch and bending it sideways, the impact forced the brake pedal to the floor shooting brake fluid out of the reservoir and all over the engine bay. While sitting in the car after the wreck I pumped the pedal a few times and it felt normal again This was in my daily driver which was mostly stock w/ Just seat belts and helmet for safety equipment. Following the accident I was dizzy for 3 months because of the whiplash and it could of easily cost me my life. Had I not scrubbed any speed and driven straight off I really don't think I'd be alive. I'm still a gong ho HPDE instructor who realized then and now the risk we all take but like Al Pacino said in Heat (one of my favorites) you can get killed walking your doggie.

BOTTOMLINE: Driving anywhere, anyplace is probably the riskiest thing any of us do and whether you are on a race track or on the street very bad things can and do happen. My wife hit an Elk on business out in CO in May and severly fractured her tibia and fibula and she'll be lucky to walk normally if and when it finally heals. Her accident included an emergency flight, emergency surgery (because of compartment syndrome) and 3 more surgeries to try and bolt her shatter leg together. She just started bearing a small amount of weight 3 weeks ago. This is the same leg she's had 10 (yes 10) knee surgeries on

The accident involving the 350Z was VERY bad but he was lucky to have tumbled dissipating the energy and as the driver noted if he drove straight into the sand and turned the front wheels hard to collect/plow the sand as I'm sure he was taught this may of been a non event.

 

Now back to our regular sheduled program

I was at VIR this weekend and lost my trans (main shaft bearing) so I may or may not make it for Chin. Fortunately it happened during the last session. In the FD try to avoid high revving heel toe shifting into 3rd gear. I think it's the countless down shifts into 3rd at the top of 14 that's hurting my gear box and this is the second one I've lost now.

I used some ADVAN A048 tires 255 out back and 235 up front and still ran some decent times compared to the 275 tires I normally run so I'd highly recommend them I found they get very greasy when inflated to 40 PSI hot but the side walls are nice and stiff so I started at 26 (hot day and track 90f) which took me to around 36 when pitting which seemed like the sweet spot.

 

Fritz,

after this accident, are you now running a full cage in your track car ?

What about Hans ?

I currently have a RaceShop roll-bar, but I'm thinking if I get 350+ RWHP FD, it better have a cage, and some upgraded brakes front & rear !

Glad to hear you and your wife are recovering well.

TIA,
:-) neil

 

Hey Neil,
I bought a hans a couple of years ago but I don't think the HANS will do much good unless you hit something head on which is usually not the case at the track. Sometimes my upper harness strap will slip to the side of it as well which could cause more problems than solutions but what I really need to do is buy a seat that's developed with the HANS in mind or has the little wings on the top side to keep the head from moving too far laterally.

I believe if this happened in my track car while wearing my harness I'd be worse off because my body would of been locked in as my head flew sideways.

All this talk about safety goes out the window when you're instructing because you'd better be happy w/ just a seat belt and hopefully airbags as that's what's going to be your safety net in 50% of the cars you sit in and I see more instructors wrecking in student cars than in their own. I'll still take my daily driven type cars on track however I do dial it back and lift early on the straights and at this point even in my track car the only time I really reach for my 10 10nth is for time trials.

 

That sucks about the trans. At least you made it through most of the event and didn't have to drive it home. Mine was missing teeth from 3rd gear and the bearing was gone. I'm much more careful downshifting at the end of the straights now.

 

I tell you Joe It's just rediculous, we have to operate these FDs like we're doing brain surgery and it's very stressful. I'm about 45k short of getting a lotus exige and kicking my baby to the curb

Fortunately I have that sweet jspec trans so I'm excited to get that baby rocking

 

Funny you should mention that.

Since I've been instructing almost 2-years now, I know what you mean, esp. with students and tail-happy early 911's . . .

We had to "black flag" an entire group of instructors once, because they were bunched-up like a NASCAR train with no room for error, and remind them this was not a race!

My FD is a daily-driver as well, so when I'm out in the instructor's run-group, I'm only running about 7 or 8/10'th.

Of course, they use these times to qualify for the end of day time-trial, so last time I placed in the back of the pack, but during the time-trial ended up 3rd overall, and 1st in class.

With two young children and being the sole "bread-winner", I'm thinking about getting a cage, race-seat, and Hans . . .

:-) neil

 

I love hearing you guys talk about safety, makes me realize how aware you have to be of things when operating at speed.

 

When you're instructing and a little voice says, "I think I'll wait one more lap, before I have this student "pit" and have a little talk", you've waited one lap TOO long . . .

:-) neil

 

So true

Most of todays high performance cars have some serious HP and lateral grip which can really cause someone with a lack of experience to get into trouble in hurry.

 

True that, especially when I see newbies with their brand new c6Z's out there going 150+ down the straight, but parking it in the turns, getting trains behind them etc. It just stinks for people with slow cars like me.

 

RATS,

Mr. Flynn, I had no idea you were doing VIR this past weekend. I would have come down and kept you company with a Red 993 in your mirror. Got new coil overs and ran some proper race tires last time and I knocked out a 2:15 first session the second day I need to work on the setup a little, but overall is was great. I might play around w/ the sway bar settings this next event. I think there is a 2:12 in that car! I'm getting eaten alive tho my 280 Flywheel HP isn't cutting it against the GT3 and Vettes

I was there during Fritz's accident and my buddy was the passenger. They are both very fortunate and since that accident I have bought a bunch of new safety equipment. I still haven't bit the bullet with the full cage, but I think I'm going to build a full-out-track car this winter. It's plain scary to see a car go off and hit the wall at speed. Fritz, that 350Z guy was very fortunate to have that HANS spec Race Tech seat with the head wings.

Fritz, I'm doing these events:

October 4-5 Summit w/ Track Daze
October 13-14 Thunderbolt w/ Chin
November 2-3 VIR w/ Chin
November 8-9 Shenandoah Car guys
November 15-16 VIR Potomac Audi
December 6-7 VIR w/ Chin

 

Wow that is an aggressive schedule! I will see you at the Oct 4-5 event as you streak by in a blur like I'm standing still ;P

 

Morgen and Erin kept me company this time and Hoi took great care of us, thanks again Hoi for the great hospitality, I love you man

Did you get the phone message from Erin?

That seat in combination w/ the HANS for sure saved the 350Z driver from possible serious injuries and it's definitely the way to fly. I'm considering a t1 Z06 again but I may just have Mitch put a cage in the FD.

I'll sign up for the Chin event now if you're positive about going

 

Like the rest of us Pats appetite for track events has always surpassed his cars ability to feed him lol

 

Ouch, that's harsh.

While you guys were flying down the long straights at VIR, I was down puttering around the banking at Rockingham. SCCA PDX. Great event, 2 novice groups with 20+ drivers each (large for that track), and a third group for the rest of us.. Lots of good rotary power (a couple RX-8s and 7 or 8 RX-7's). The only incident was at the end of the last session when an S2000 in the novice group blew an engine going down the front straight. Spun in his own oil, but didn't hit any walls.

If Pat wants to fill out his dance card a little more, Asphalt Ventures is running a lapping day at VIR Full on Dec. 1.

-b