Track day at Mid-Ohio

[M0nk3y]

Finished up my second track day at Mid-Ohio! :happyanim:

 

Saturday was wet and painful to take the wet line. I only got 1 semi-dry run on Saturday.

 

Sunday was wonderful. Mid 70s, and track was starting to rubber in again.

 

Considering this was my first time on a completely dry track (last year I had wet and semi-dry sessions), it was actually fun to push the car. Car gripped amazing

 

I started in HPDE 1, moved up to HPDE 2. Instructor told me I could easily go into HPDE 3 if I was comfortable, but I may take a couple more track days before I make that move. We will see.

 

Here is my 4th and final session at Mid-Ohio. My first Solo run as well. I may post up my 3rd session where I was walking through HPDE 2 cars...we will see

 

 

The session was cut a bit short due to a race group that got all tangled up before HPDE 3/4 & 1/2 went out.

 

I also have a friend running w/a Spec E30 in Time Trials. I'll have to get that video up as well.

 

Comments and tips appreciated. I'm still new to the track game.

 

It looks like I'll need track pads now. I was tearing up the HP+s, but surprisingly they held up.

[cstmg8]

Nice, looks like a blast. What kind of speeds are we seeing there?

 

How much do track days like this cost?

 

Shaun

[M0nk3y]

Nice, looks like a blast. What kind of speeds are we seeing there?

 

How much do track days like this cost?

 

Shaun

 

I was trapping 125 down the back straight lifting off early and braking just before the 400 boards. There is probably room for 130 with dedicated race pads

 

Turn 1 and Turn 12 are the fastest turns, turn 1 was around 85 by the time I got out by the yellow, turn 12 (right after the second bridge) was around 75ish

 

For a weekend event w/NASA at mid-ohio it is $359, but you can volunteer and help out on weekends you aren't running and earn free track time that way as well.

 

This whole weekend was free for me by helping out.

[Tripleskate]

125 on the back straight? Pussssyyyy. Only joking, sounds like you had a blast. MidO is a fun one.

[Smokey]

Looks good. I would have choke slammed a baby to get that much open track. Constant traffic in my group.

 

I meant to stop by and say hi but sat I just sat inside my friends trailer.

[M0nk3y]

Looks good. I would have choke slammed a baby to get that much open track. Constant traffic in my group.

 

I meant to stop by and say hi but sat I just sat inside my friends trailer.

 

Yea, I was just lucky to get ahead of the whole crowd and it was the end of Sunday where alot of people were leaving early. Every other session was busy for me.

 

I was going to try and hunt you down (Andrew was suppose to help me) but we just forgot

[AudiOn19s]

Yea, I was just lucky to get ahead of the whole crowd and it was the end of Sunday where alot of people were leaving early. Every other session was busy for me.

 

I was going to try and hunt you down (Andrew was suppose to help me) but we just forgot

 

I felt bad too...we could quite literally see you guys from the trailer but the weather was soo crap on Saturday that we pretty much sat there the whole f-ing day trying to avoid the wet.

 

Sunday I was there for about 13 minutes before the janky RX-7 broke a brake rotor so we packed up and headed home.

[M0nk3y]

I felt bad too...we could quite literally see you guys from the trailer but the weather was soo crap on Saturday that we pretty much sat there the whole f-ing day trying to avoid the wet.

 

Sunday I was there for about 13 minutes before the janky RX-7 broke a brake rotor so we packed up and headed home.

 

Didn't even know you were there. Damn

[AudiOn19s]

Didn't even know you were there. Damn

 

not driving, just spectating.

 

So Critique.

 

- Your mechanics are very good. NO death grip on the wheel, shoulders stay in place and are quiet meaning you're not using your body to drive the car. Heel / Toe seems to be good for the most part and your steering inputs are like butter. Very well done here.

 

Line...I hate the corner number changes based on configuration. I think you guys call the end of the back straight 4, or 5 or something like that. I'm going to use historic numbers from club configuration. T7 is the turn at the end of the back straight for this discussion.

 

T7 - Your turn-in point is good, you can use more curb on the inside to get a wider arch though. Gas MUCH earlier, apex much earlier and track out all the way to the left. In doing so Stay full throttle as you begin to charge up the hill. You're then on the inside for T8 but it doesn't matter cause the guys that pinched the exit never got to full throttle and you just made up time in leaps and bounds on them. PLUS despite you carrying more speed your braking event is now done in a straight line up the hill.

 

T8 - 2 tires up on the inside curb, get the car pointed then full throttle over the top of the hill as you charge down the other side. Don't track all the way out over the top of the hill just over 1/2 way is fine. You also don't have to get all the way back to the left for the entry of 9...the road on the very outside falls off camber and reduces grip on turn-in.

 

Your exit of 9 and run through 10a / 10b is great...as is your willingness to use gas through that whole section. I do see one thing through there that will hurt you as you get really near the limit of traction with the car. You charge through 10a and up the hill very well, when you come over the top you come completely out of the gas to set the car for 10b then go full throttle again for a second then brake for 11. What this will do when you get near the edge in terms of grip is really cause huge swings of weight shift in the car upsetting it quite a bit. Come over the top and just breath the throttle for 10b then a slight roll back into the gas before your braking for 11. Nothing abrupt keep everything smooth and you will be rewarded with ultimate traction. In my M3 I got to where I was comfortable enough to stay full throttle all the way to the braking zone for T11 but it took some time to work up to that. I can't stay flat through there in the GT3 I have to breath throttle just a little for 10b.

 

Overall well done for no more experience. Keep at it, make a couple tweaks and it'll all come to you.

[AudiOn19s]

Shit...forgot Keyhole.

 

Everyone has their opinion on corner entry for Keyhole for the Pro configuration. With club configuration there's right and wrong, with Pro configuration there's some dispute over what's best.

 

What I ran...and what Tommy B. taught us in our advanced instructor day is the following. As you run up to Keyhole entry on the pro course just aim for the pole on the huge sign up on the hill. This will actually point you towards the inside of the turn...not completely inside but you don't follow the outside of the track. What this does is allows you to brake later, brake in a straight line much longer and past the turn in point if you kept to the outside of the track. Now if this wasn't a 180 degree turn this line would be stupid. But the first half of the keyhole is just setup to drive off and get great speed off down the back straight. Once you get into the keyhole track out about 1/2 way and WAIT WAIT WAIT. You're too far inside too soon in the keyhole and it's hurting your drive off. You don't diamond the keyhole quite like you would the carosel but you have to stay out and make your final cut from the outside to get the best run possible down the back straight. Exit of the keyhole makes or brakes your vMax at the end of the straight.

 

Hard to describe...watch my video and how much time I make up on this Viper in the brake zone for the Keyhole. Note I point for the pole putting me towards the inside of the track in the process

[M0nk3y]

Thanks for the pointers Andy. Next time I'm out i'll practice that. The 10a/b throttle makes sense, as well as keyhole (to me it felt like I was out far enough, but after the video I realize I am not)

 

Heel/Toe needs improvement a bit, it got better throughout the weekend but just needs more practice. Partial street braking heel/toe is a different animal than track, as you know.

 

As far as T7/8, in HPDE1 they told us not to take that line. I should of tried it when I went solo, but it just escaped my mind. I agree that is a much faster line, as when I was riding with Andrew we were flying into T8

[AudiOn19s]

Thanks for the pointers Andy. Next time I'm out i'll practice that. The 10a/b throttle makes sense, as well as keyhole (to me it felt like I was out far enough, but after the video I realize I am not)

 

Heel/Toe needs improvement a bit, it got better throughout the weekend but just needs more practice. Partial street braking heel/toe is a different animal than track, as you know.

 

As far as T7/8, in HPDE1 they told us not to take that line. I should of tried it when I went solo, but it just escaped my mind. I agree that is a much faster line, as when I was riding with Andrew we were flying into T8

 

They tell us to teach beginners differently too...I really don't get it. It's only marginally safer and to me we see too many people who loose it off the outside of T8 because they arch it over the hill way too wide and have nowhere to go.