spazegun2213
04-02-2007, 01:27 PM
I got back from my second race weekend at vir and i figured i would post about it. The weekend went something like this, Old track, new race car, new tires (i was running hoosiers and not RA-1's like I'm used to), and 2x more 944's on track then the last race.
Saturday started great, but, practice was really slow for me, i mean 10 seconds off the pace of my old car, and i could not figure out how to compensate for the understeer in turn 1. I qualified 11, with a 2:29, out of 13 not really getting a clean lap, and still learning the car. As for the race, i did well on the start and moved up a spot going into turn one. I quickly began battling with this #3 car, who i could just not shake for the life of me. He'd put his car in the most interesting locations resulting in 2 wide though the rollercoaster and other turns. He eventually spun coming out of hog pen and i was closing on another car when the checker flew. I was glad it was over, but i know i still had a lot to improve on. I finished 9th or 8th (i cant remember) but both are in the points.
Sunday after talking with a good friend of mine about tire pressures i found out that i was running my hoosiers at 5-7 psi OVER what they were supposed to be at.... OOPS! So we became each others crew and after his qual i checked his pressures. He gave me some pointers about qual and how important it is to be 100% warmed up for the first lap. So thats what i did and I pulled out a 2:27.4 which was good enough for 6th, but my pressures were still a little high when he checked them when i came in. I messed with them a little and then it started... will it rain... should i get my rain tires.... should i rainX the car? Just before griding it was coming down fairly nicely, but none of the other 944's were putting on rains so neither did I. the rain stopped while i was on grid, so it was to be a dry race :). I went out and botched the start losing 3 places. I passed the 35 car (for a net of -2 spots) but race was REALLY close between him and I (i have the video of him all over me). I really late braked into 1 which scared him enough to lock them up and go off. I was chasing #24 and by that point in time i was making a ton of mistakes. This was not a very pretty race for me at all as i was missing apex's a lot and every time i did i just got more angry. The #24 and I swapped spots a few times and as the white flag flew he was in front, but i cut to the inside in 1, only to overshoot the apex and he crossed under me. We were closing rapidly on a lone slow spec E30 in 3 and i said "eff it" and went by the e30 with the 24. Then i saw it, a rookie i know driving an e30 m3 in GTS2 (faster than me) was closing FAST with an Audi in tow. I knew they had a close race, and so did we... so i kept my foot in it and the m3 was quick enough to get by before the climbing esses. I shut the door on the audi and pressed hard though the esses. The #35 had caught back up so as the audi passed me on the outside going into Oak tree.. so did the #35. I said no way and tried to early apex onto the straight, which resulted in my hitting the tires on the inside and really rotating my car. The number #35 pushed me to the edge of the track and i put a wheel off.. and then all 4 off at 100+! I came back on REALLY pissed, almost caught him in 14 and then botched the breaking for hog pen going straight off and coming back on almost in the pits! By that time a slower super cup car had repassed me and i finished the race.
After all of that, I loaded the car up, talked to the drivers of 35 and 24 and figured it was another good weekend. The car is no worse for wear (even after the tires) and I feel great that I no longer have a provisional license! Because this was my 4th race I officially hold a NASA racing license :disco: :banana:
Saturday started great, but, practice was really slow for me, i mean 10 seconds off the pace of my old car, and i could not figure out how to compensate for the understeer in turn 1. I qualified 11, with a 2:29, out of 13 not really getting a clean lap, and still learning the car. As for the race, i did well on the start and moved up a spot going into turn one. I quickly began battling with this #3 car, who i could just not shake for the life of me. He'd put his car in the most interesting locations resulting in 2 wide though the rollercoaster and other turns. He eventually spun coming out of hog pen and i was closing on another car when the checker flew. I was glad it was over, but i know i still had a lot to improve on. I finished 9th or 8th (i cant remember) but both are in the points.
Sunday after talking with a good friend of mine about tire pressures i found out that i was running my hoosiers at 5-7 psi OVER what they were supposed to be at.... OOPS! So we became each others crew and after his qual i checked his pressures. He gave me some pointers about qual and how important it is to be 100% warmed up for the first lap. So thats what i did and I pulled out a 2:27.4 which was good enough for 6th, but my pressures were still a little high when he checked them when i came in. I messed with them a little and then it started... will it rain... should i get my rain tires.... should i rainX the car? Just before griding it was coming down fairly nicely, but none of the other 944's were putting on rains so neither did I. the rain stopped while i was on grid, so it was to be a dry race :). I went out and botched the start losing 3 places. I passed the 35 car (for a net of -2 spots) but race was REALLY close between him and I (i have the video of him all over me). I really late braked into 1 which scared him enough to lock them up and go off. I was chasing #24 and by that point in time i was making a ton of mistakes. This was not a very pretty race for me at all as i was missing apex's a lot and every time i did i just got more angry. The #24 and I swapped spots a few times and as the white flag flew he was in front, but i cut to the inside in 1, only to overshoot the apex and he crossed under me. We were closing rapidly on a lone slow spec E30 in 3 and i said "eff it" and went by the e30 with the 24. Then i saw it, a rookie i know driving an e30 m3 in GTS2 (faster than me) was closing FAST with an Audi in tow. I knew they had a close race, and so did we... so i kept my foot in it and the m3 was quick enough to get by before the climbing esses. I shut the door on the audi and pressed hard though the esses. The #35 had caught back up so as the audi passed me on the outside going into Oak tree.. so did the #35. I said no way and tried to early apex onto the straight, which resulted in my hitting the tires on the inside and really rotating my car. The number #35 pushed me to the edge of the track and i put a wheel off.. and then all 4 off at 100+! I came back on REALLY pissed, almost caught him in 14 and then botched the breaking for hog pen going straight off and coming back on almost in the pits! By that time a slower super cup car had repassed me and i finished the race.
After all of that, I loaded the car up, talked to the drivers of 35 and 24 and figured it was another good weekend. The car is no worse for wear (even after the tires) and I feel great that I no longer have a provisional license! Because this was my 4th race I officially hold a NASA racing license :disco: :banana: