Slipstream - April 2006

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The Best Value in Driver Training By Micky Ray Photo by Charlie Davis What is a late apex? How do you throttle steer a 911? What is trail braking? Is the line for a front engine car (e.g. 944) different from the line for a rear engine car (e.g. 911)? Prior to the Autocross/Time Trial school weekend I could not have answered these or a slew of other questions about high performance driving. The weekend was advertised as the best value in driver training, and in my opinion that was an understatement. For only $70 (I can’t even change my oil for $70) we got two days of individual instructor-led driving training and a lot of seat time, not to mention donuts in the morning and deli sandwiches at lunch. The amount of work put forth by the organizers and instructors was amazing, and resulted in a smooth running, fun weekend for all. Michael Fricke putting the car through its paces. Saturday, Time Trial Saturday was Time Trial 103. For the morning the field was divided into two sections, each running a different half of the normal time trial course. The class was divided into two groups, each running on a different section. One section emphasized coming from a late apex sweeper into a high-speed straight, followed by a relatively sharp hairpin. This section emphasized hitting the apex correctly in order to carry as much speed as possible into the straight as well as threshold braking in order to bleed off speed at the last possible moment before going into the turn. An interesting lesson for me was that my 1985 Carrera’s brakes far exceed the capabilities of my tires (great, now I need sticky tires). The other section of the morning concentrated on a more “curvy” section of the track, including the timing gate and the track entry point. Having autocrossed before, I found these parts of the course difficult to navigate due to the density of cones and the speed of the course, but my instructor did an excellent job of giving me pointers about how to keep my bearings and get through this section. After the morning training sessions we broke for a quick lunch (included in the price for the weekend!) while the course workers combined the two training sections into the full Time Trial course. The afternoon was spent again split up into two groups, however one group worked corners while the other drove. While nobody looks forward to working corners, we learned that Photo by Charlie Davis Photo by Charlie Davis The “pink ladies” took on an honorary member... being the first group to work affords the opportunity to watch the other cars and get a feel for what line works and what line does not, providing a distinct advantage at least for the section of the track that the worker can see (plus we got to see a BMW 330 spin 3 times and punt a cone 30 yards). Sunday, Autocross Sunday was Autocross 102. This time the field was divided into three sections for the morning training, each covering different autocross challenges like slalom, skid pad, chicane, etc. Groups of about 10 cars trained on each section, spending about an hour on each part. Skid pads were something new to me, and learning to steer the car with only throttle input was a real thrill. I have a tendency to just push my front tires through turns, and my instructor spent a lot of time teaching me to steer the car with a combination of throttle as well as steering inputs, and consequently carry more speed (as well as preserve my front tires). The slalom section was also very interesting learning how to enter and exit slaloms with constant, decreasing, or increasing spacing without unsettling the car too much. Following lunch (again included), the field was reconfigured into a full autocross course. We split up into two groups again, and took turns working corners or driving. They had the timing lights set up, so I got to see my instructor’s time driving my car and compare it to my time. Turns out I’ve still got a lot to learn, Jan Mayo pointing the way... with style! 24
ut I think after this weekend I have a good foundation to build on this season. Attending these classes was a very rewarding experience, if for nothing else than to have the opportunity to spin my 911 in a controlled environment. I always knew my car was capable of amazing things, and I was finally able to experience some of them. I also discovered that in the hands of an experienced driver my car is capable of much more than I had imagined. Thanks to everyone involved for putting on a great weekend, my instructor, Eric Erz for showing me what my car was capable of, and of course Porsche for building my car. Like they said, it’s not how fast you drive, it’s how you drive fast. Photo by Gray Cat Graphics Micky Ray getting the approach to Start/Finish down pat. Photo by Porter Smith Photo by Gray Cat Graphics Photo by Gray Cat Graphics Photo by Charlie Davis Photo by Gray Cat Graphics Jeff Atkins, Andrea Bell, Lisa Steele, and Cliff Van Haren Joel Nannis helping Barry Weinman to look further up track while in the hairpin. Mitch Williams and Joe McGlohen hard at work during the exercises. Patrick Kuypers getting “faster in the fast parts”. Mike Lockas Bryan and Andrea Bell Kevin Hardison Joel Nannis and Charlie Davis 25
Page 1: http://mav.pca.org Upcoming Events
Page 4 and 5: 2
Page 6 and 7: 2006 Maverick Region - Board, Offic
Page 8 and 9: What inspired the design of our new
Page 10 and 11: Maverick Minutes by Jan MayoMarch 7
Page 12 and 13: From The Driver’s Seat by Wendy S
Page 14 and 15: PCA Club Racing 2006 Update by Keit
Page 16 and 17: 14
Page 18 and 19: Neither Snow, Nor Rain... by Phil H
Page 20 and 21: 1033 N. Henderson St. Fort Worth, T
Page 22 and 23: Snow and Ice? Who Cares? Photo by G
Page 24 and 25: ISTOOK’S MotorSport Services PORS
Page 28 and 29: Financial Statement - Yearly Totals
Page 30 and 31: Happy Hour at Uncle Julio’s by De
Page 32 and 33: 30
Page 34 and 35: Unclassifieds Unclassifieds are ava
Page 36: Glen Gatlin is moving offices. Unti

Slipstream - April 2006

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?