[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by JD_

Oh yeah, without a doubt. I said up front I was solidly 10-15 seconds off the pace of the fastest guys. I'm out there to have fun, not scare the shit outta myself or worse, hurt someone else.





Thanks for this TrackClub. I certainly don't push the envelope like some here do and probably never will.

This is my personal best at VIR, a 2:13, and even I see so many places where I "could" be faster: uphill ESSes, turn 9 to oaktree and so on:

You are welcome!

Let's get something perfectly clear: you are NOT "solidly 10-15 seconds off the pace". You are 9 secs off the fastest recorded lap for a stock SS 1LE driven by Provoste, who is a national level PCA instructor, an active W2W endurance racer, etc. One of the very best on this forum! Maybe somebody had gone faster since the Fastest Laps are not up to date. So lets give it say 10 seconds off the fastest lap, to keep it in perspective. So, if you just knocked off 5-6 seconds you'd be in really good company and quite "competitive".

Getting into single digits should be relatively easy actually, looking at your vid. Beyond it, it may require chipping away. Your lap is very smooth, which is great! It is also slow on all corner entries, thru mid corners and not very fast on exits (even to the point of not using throttle to balance the car at times). In other words you slow down too early, apply power too early and exit too early - to point our major opportunities.

Now, the key is to have fun! Period and full stop. And i know many folks who come to a track just for that. I also know folks for whom pushing for a new PB, or a track class record is fun. It all depends on what makes us happy and how we define fun.

If you were interested in gaining pace and then being able to apply it at any other venue as well, i would suggest this:

1. Watch Proboste vid and yours side by side and focus on controls (brakes and power especially). That will give you a general idea, if you are an analytical type (not everyone is, or has the time, etc).

2. Send your vid to Racers360 and for $100 you will get a personalized vid assessment back, of your driving from a pro, including detailed suggestion how to improve. I highly recommend it, as it gives you permanent data points to access as many times as you wish. And almost always it takes several times (if not many times) of studing to get the most out of such analysis.

3. Find an instructor who is willing and delighted to take you in his/her car and talk to you for a whole session describing what the are doing while driving their car. Over and over each lap, while you simply sit in R seat, observe and listen, feel and momorize the flow.

4. Then take your car out with them sitting in your R seat while you drive and they do the talking. Without rushing, or trying to achieve any new track records.

These 4 approaches should give you sufficient info and feedback, on how to achieve biggest gains quickly and safely and be able to apply them at any track you drive at.

Hope it helps. Cheers!