[TheRedhead]

So, here's my last session from Saturday.

I was told by the instructor I was doing well. I am not sure if it's simple words of encouragement and I genuinely stink, but he was very versed on the course. He is Pro Racer in the Porsche Cup, so I trusted his tutelage.

To start on a racetrack with this car is asinine. I should have something with half the power and half the weight. This car is a brick with a rocket behind it. You feel every pound she carries into every corner and brake zone.

My biggest mistake was not using the track tires. The Nitto G2's just didn't do the car justice, and the hotter it got the more greasy the tires got. At one point, the instructor pulled me off the track because of the smell radiating from under the car. It never rained until I was a third of way home.

I had swapped to MOTUL fluid and new Phastek lines on Friday.

Being a drag racer, thinking you can handle power on any road surface, you're fooling yourself. Trying to chase down a Miata in my "perfect track machine" meant nothing without experience.

I may need to put an order into BMR relatively soon for some new red pieces...

[Bye Bye Bye]

So I spent some time on your video, and hell yes the tires were holding you back. This machine can make a weak driver seem like a great driver, but it can't do it with the wrong tires on the rear end. Put the Goodyears on, let them warm up and you will see how much faster your trainer will let you run.

Keep going to the track, each time a little more is learned/taught and even though running 1/4 miles are very addictive, I personally don't find that it's anywhere as kick-ass as taking the ZL1 to a road course.

It's really home on the track!

[Badmojo]

There is a lot more......a lot more. Ease into it and get some more track time. I saw you at part throttle during most of the straights. Use the PDR data and videos to learn. You can send a lap to Racers360.com for a video tutorial.

I'm not an expert, but my vids are here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9j..._as=subscriber

I see you are just in drive mode "Track". You should do "Track, double tap traction, select Sport 1" to put it into competitive mode with Stabilitrac enabled.

[TheRedhead]

Originally Posted by Badmojo

There is a lot more......a lot more. Ease into it and get some more track time. I saw you at part throttle during most of the straights.

The instructor didn't want me to go wide open.

[Snakebt6]

Originally Posted by Badmojo

There is a lot more......a lot more. Ease into it and get some more track time. I saw you at part throttle during most of the straights. Use the PDR data and videos to learn. You can send a lap to Racers360.com for a video tutorial.

I'm not an expert, but my vids are here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9j..._as=subscriber

I see you are just in drive mode "Track". You should do "Track, double tap traction, select Sport 1" to put it into competitive mode with Stabilitrac enabled.

Great bunch of videos! Thanks for sharing the link.

[S.T.A.R.]

Miata? I was actually laughing when I read this...so true!

I went to my first track day at Pocono, I was floored by the fact that a good driver in an inexpensive car, can kick my ass in the twists.
Miata, Scion and Honda's did extremely well on the infield, my 4100 pounds and lack of driving skills made my 1LE look average. However that was my fault.

[RedHot18]

Heading over to Sebring this Saturday. This is not an easy track and takes a little time to get in the groove. I'm usually running 2:30 or better depending on the traffic and mine is only a regular ZL1. I've been going to this track for a few years now and it took me 2-3 track days before I started to get comfortable with this gigantic heavy machine on the race track. You have a great car so just keep getting to the track and you will get faster each time. I also would suggest running in Sport 1 for first solo, then work your way up to Sport 2 then race.

[Blast2hell]

I went for the first time this past spring and it was a great time. Definitely a lot to learn. I'm signed up to race again October 6th and 7th at sebring. Hoping this time I pay more attention to my tires as last time I didn't pay enough attention. Below is a video of one lap during my third session of the day, I think the lap was a 2:55

[BMR Sales]

Originally Posted by TheRedhead

So, here's my last session from Saturday.

I was told by the instructor I was doing well. I am not sure if it's simple words of encouragement and I genuinely stink, but he was very versed on the course. He is Pro Racer in the Porsche Cup, so I trusted his tutelage.

To start on a racetrack with this car is asinine. I should have something with half the power and half the weight. This car is a brick with a rocket behind it. You feel every pound she carries into every corner and brake zone.

My biggest mistake was not using the track tires. The Nitto G2's just didn't do the car justice, and the hotter it got the more greasy the tires got. At one point, the instructor pulled me off the track because of the smell radiating from under the car. It never rained until I was a third of way home.

I had swapped to MOTUL fluid and new Phastek lines on Friday.

Being a drag racer, thinking you can handle power on any road surface, you're fooling yourself. Trying to chase down a Miata in my "perfect track machine" meant nothing without experience.

I may need to put an order into BMR relatively soon for some new red pieces...

Let us know when you need the BMR pieces.

I watched your video, but let me say that I have over 10,000 laps at Sebring as I have been an Instructor for over 25 years( Skip Barber, PCA, Panoz, GM) and been racing longer.

You car has a lot left and the Tires are hurting you.

What I observed from your last lap,

Turn 1, you went way wide and that can cost you as the Track narrows significantly at Corner Exit. The Apex is difficult to see as the Apex Cone is at the Top of the Fence. If you the Line wrong you can easily be off track, Drivers right. Also it takes a lot of practice & big brass ones, but I very rarely brake going into T1, just a downshift.

Turn 2, you over-cooked that & got crossed up

Turn 5, you crabbed in to the left & turned in early. Like T1, if you get this turn wrong, you run out of room on Drivers right. This will kill your Lap Time as you need to be accelerating up the straight, not fighting the corner.

Turn 7 (the Safety Pin), again you turned in Early ( I see a pattern). You can also brake a lot later

Turn 8 (the esses), the right turn you were on line, then crabbed over to the left before the left. Round this out more, because with more Speed you will need it.

Turn 10, Early Again.

The Curves between 10 & 12 you had a nice line especially into the Braking Zone of 13

Turn 12, Early again, this hurts as this leads to a straight

Bishops Bend (13 & 14) you looked good, but be careful here, because with greater speed your car will get light

Turn 15, Early again but it doesn't hurt you much here.

Turn 16, Early again and because it leads to your longest straight, it robs your acceleration.

Turn 17, every Instructor will tell you a different line to take though here as I don't think there is a perfect line and an ideal line can change from car to car. However, I do not like to be close to the Inside wall as you approach the Bridge as it is very bumpy there. The Apex is way past the bridge, so I like to be 15 feet off the wall going in and close going out. Then track out to build up speed (feather it in) for the Front Straight.

Now I know I said you turned in Early a lot and that is very common for people that are beginners to a Track especially a long track like Sebring that can be tough to memorize. So the next time you, try to work on turning in later.

With the proper line, tires and more confidence, I think you can take 20 seconds off your Lap Times.

The one question I didn't ask - have you wiped the Smile off your face yet? I hope you had fun!

T.C.

[Blast2hell]

Originally Posted by BMR Sales

Let us know when you need the BMR pieces.

I watched your video, but let me say that I have over 10,000 laps at Sebring as I have been an Instructor for over 25 years( Skip Barber, PCA, Panoz, GM) and been racing longer.

You car has a lot left and the Tires are hurting you.

What I observed from your last lap,

Turn 1, you went way wide and that can cost you as the Track narrows significantly at Corner Exit. The Apex is difficult to see as the Apex Cone is at the Top of the Fence. If you the Line wrong you can easily be off track, Drivers right. Also it takes a lot of practice & big brass ones, but I very rarely brake going into T1, just a downshift.

Turn 2, you over-cooked that & got crossed up

Turn 5, you crabbed in to the left & turned in early. Like T1, if you get this turn wrong, you run out of room on Drivers right. This will kill your Lap Time as you need to be accelerating up the straight, not fighting the corner.

Turn 7 (the Safety Pin), again you turned in Early ( I see a pattern). You can also brake a lot later

Turn 8 (the esses), the right turn you were on line, then crabbed over to the left before the left. Round this out more, because with more Speed you will need it.

Turn 10, Early Again.

The Curves between 10 & 12 you had a nice line especially into the Braking Zone of 13

Turn 12, Early again, this hurts as this leads to a straight

Bishops Bend (13 & 14) you looked good, but be careful here, because with greater speed your car will get light

Turn 15, Early again but it doesn't hurt you much here.

Turn 16, Early again and because it leads to your longest straight, it robs your acceleration.

Turn 17, every Instructor will tell you a different line to take though here as I don't think there is a perfect line and an ideal line can change from car to car. However, I do not like to be close to the Inside wall as you approach the Bridge as it is very bumpy there. The Apex is way past the bridge, so I like to be 15 feet off the wall going in and close going out. Then track out to build up speed (feather it in) for the Front Straight.

Now I know I said you turned in Early a lot and that is very common for people that are beginners to a Track especially a long track like Sebring that can be tough to memorize. So the next time you, try to work on turning in later.

With the proper line, tires and more confidence, I think you can take 20 seconds off your Lap Times.

The one question I didn't ask - have you wiped the Smile off your face yet? I hope you had fun!

T.C.

Turn by turn advice, pretty awesome.

[TheRedhead]

Originally Posted by RedHot18

Heading over to Sebring this Saturday. This is not an easy track and takes a little time to get in the groove. I'm usually running 2:30 or better depending on the traffic and mine is only a regular ZL1. I've been going to this track for a few years now and it took me 2-3 track days before I started to get comfortable with this gigantic heavy machine on the race track. You have a great car so just keep getting to the track and you will get faster each time. I also would suggest running in Sport 1 for first solo, then work your way up to Sport 2 then race.

I was told much of the same. The group I ran with was somewhat of a cluster****, so my track time was somewhat limited.

I definitely need another day or two out there to get the groove.

[TheRedhead]

Originally Posted by BMR Sales

Let us know when you need the BMR pieces.

I watched your video, but let me say that I have over 10,000 laps at Sebring as I have been an Instructor for over 25 years( Skip Barber, PCA, Panoz, GM) and been racing longer.

You car has a lot left and the Tires are hurting you.

What I observed from your last lap,

Turn 1, you went way wide and that can cost you as the Track narrows significantly at Corner Exit. The Apex is difficult to see as the Apex Cone is at the Top of the Fence. If you the Line wrong you can easily be off track, Drivers right. Also it takes a lot of practice & big brass ones, but I very rarely brake going into T1, just a downshift.

Turn 2, you over-cooked that & got crossed up

Turn 5, you crabbed in to the left & turned in early. Like T1, if you get this turn wrong, you run out of room on Drivers right. This will kill your Lap Time as you need to be accelerating up the straight, not fighting the corner.

Turn 7 (the Safety Pin), again you turned in Early ( I see a pattern). You can also brake a lot later

Turn 8 (the esses), the right turn you were on line, then crabbed over to the left before the left. Round this out more, because with more Speed you will need it.

Turn 10, Early Again.

The Curves between 10 & 12 you had a nice line especially into the Braking Zone of 13

Turn 12, Early again, this hurts as this leads to a straight

Bishops Bend (13 & 14) you looked good, but be careful here, because with greater speed your car will get light

Turn 15, Early again but it doesn't hurt you much here.

Turn 16, Early again and because it leads to your longest straight, it robs your acceleration.

Turn 17, every Instructor will tell you a different line to take though here as I don't think there is a perfect line and an ideal line can change from car to car. However, I do not like to be close to the Inside wall as you approach the Bridge as it is very bumpy there. The Apex is way past the bridge, so I like to be 15 feet off the wall going in and close going out. Then track out to build up speed (feather it in) for the Front Straight.

Now I know I said you turned in Early a lot and that is very common for people that are beginners to a Track especially a long track like Sebring that can be tough to memorize. So the next time you, try to work on turning in later.

With the proper line, tires and more confidence, I think you can take 20 seconds off your Lap Times.

The one question I didn't ask - have you wiped the Smile off your face yet? I hope you had fun!

T.C.

This is all new to me.

I've been drag racing for the past 20 years, so it's like reprogramming your brain.

I appreciate the help! Definitely taking those advice pieces. I went with a group that wasn't really...the best. I only got maybe 10 laps on the car the entire day, which wasn't enough to really hone my skills.

Also, I don't want anything made my Colt. He makes fun of me. :(

[mlee]

Originally Posted by Blast2hell

Turn by turn advice, pretty awesome.

Can't beat that... I could only hope someone with this much experience could do this for me on my home track.

Good stuff..

Track Mode may be a little much for the 1st few times out. Sport 2 or 3 may help out a lot.

[Sub]

Drag racing is intense concentration for about 30 seconds. Track racing is intense concentration for like 3 hours. I hate when people compare the two, or say that drag racing is harder. Its just ignorance!

Ok, one more rant. I hate when drag people say they're going to the "track". Is it just me or should a track have a start and end in the same place? They should say "strip."

ok rants over. Thanks for sharing your video and point of view.