My first day at the track...

[9doors]

Wow! what a day.

A 2.68 mile 17 turn road course that I shared with only 6 other vehicles. New hemlet is so great that I forgot I even had it on. My suspension mods seem to work very nicely on the track. Driver error was the only problem today.

2 oversteer events in an off-camber blind chicane and the back end wiggled out. :redface:

Then there was the minor off-road experience...blew an apex and tried to ride the radius like the novice I am, ran outta grip and track. Back end went off track and into the dirt.

Not one lick of damage though (besides my pride).

Perfect advice on my Falkens from this thread kept them from getting greasy.

I want to thank Billy, the "Captain", Ken and others for the many brilliant posts in this forum that I read before deciding to begin this long journey of playing on the track, they helped me immensely. :biggrin:

 

[TURBO2GO]

I don't want to sound like an ass but it sounds to me like you really need to slow down. This is a lot of action for a first day. You don't wanna get hurt.

 

[nsxtasy]

And it sounds to me like you went out there without an instructor sitting next to you, or classroom sessions. Which is a great way to learn bad habits that will be very difficult to unlearn later.

 

[Liquid]

Agree with both posters above me. Be safe and progress slowly!

 

[9doors]

Wow...a tad bit harsh on the posts (IMHO), but yes, I just want to get a little track time before the HPDE instruction I'll receive at NSXPO. That will be followed next year by a trip to Bondurant or Lotus driving school.

 

[Semnos_NSX]

Wow! Come on guys, he said it was his first track day. How about some friendly constructive feedback such as....

“Congratulations on your first track event, sounds like you had fun! You may want to consider attending a driving school to help prevent mishaps on the track. They are very beneficial and teach everything from safety to proper techniques.”

I can’t speak for the OP but I’m sure if it was his first day at the track it was to gauge interest to find out if tracking the car is a sport he wants to pursue.

-Steve

 

[Hrant]

To the OP, don't get discouraged.

On my first track day some 11 years ago, with the gestapo like HPDE (some of you will figure the group), I had an instructor and spun out three times (but stayed on the track) and was told to go home and cool my heels. Two of the spins were due to not realizing the speed that NSX had while messing up with an early apex track out. The third spin was due to the instructor - accustomed to driving a 4 cylinder Toyota GT and never been in an NSX - asking me to floor it. So I did :biggrin:

The overall mandatory sit down instructional materials were so out of touch with what novice students really need to know, be prepared for and focus on (as compared to engineering lingo of vector forces, angles, etc.) that after a few events under my belt, we - as in thanks to Jim Grinstead who some veterans may recall - developed our own much more student friendly instructional materials.

Bottom line, if you have never tracked before, it will take some time to adjust to the handling of the NSX. And a good instructor makes a huge difference in your learning curve and confidence.

 

[TURBO2GO]

Hrant, don't you think if it is your first day and you are spinning out on track you are going too fast? ANY of my previous instructors would have had my head if I was driving like that.

When I see people that spin at DE's, frankly I stay away from them. On two occasions at my last event, my instructor said "let this guy pass and stay away from him"... only for us to come around a turn and see them spun out, hit a wall, and throw a yellow flag around the course.

9doors, don't take anything personally man, we are all friends here. It's just better to take it slow and be safe. None of us want you to smash your NSX or worse, get hurt.

 

[TURBO2GO]

Here is a sample of exemplary track driving: :biggrin:

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[docjohn]

tough love is a good thing...nsx is not a joke if you bend something, proper and safe track driving takes lots of instruction/practice...the key is to surround yourself with the "right" group..good luck.

 

[RSO 34]

Wow...a tad bit harsh on the posts (IMHO), but yes, I just want to get a little track time before the HPDE instruction I'll receive at NSXPO. That will be followed next year by a trip to Bondurant or Lotus driving school.

As indicated by some of others, you will get tough love here just to make sure you become a safe driver. But I am curious as to whether you had an instructor with you. I have had instructors "push" me beyond the car's limits because that is what they were used in to their vettes or porsches.

Did you have an in instructor in your car? Did the event offer novices classroom instruction?

 

[Hrant]

Hrant, don't you think if it is your first day and you are spinning out on track you are going too fast? ANY of my previous instructors would have had my head if I was driving like that.

Fast for my level of skills at the time. One of the spins was due to taking a point by where I had to pinch the apex and in order to complete the pass I gas it instead of easing into the throttle not realizing that early apex and no room to save at the trackout is cause for a 360.

Now I worn all my students to respect that turn when a point by is given - and respect the throttle inputs. Gas it doesn't mean slam the throttle :wink:

 

[CL65 Captain]

As an instructor part of my job is reigning in a student as well as keeping an eye on the big picture. For example I'm there to remind students, especially in big hp cars, that when they are taking a point by that they are now approaching the next turn with more speed AND off line. As well, they are concentrating on the driving while I can look down track for things that are happening such as spins, yellow flags, etc. I can tell when someone is approaching a corner whether they are going to mess it up even before we get to the braking zone or where they are looking or placing the car. As an instructor I can point it out before it happens. I can also sit back and watch it play out so they can learn from it.

I see it time and time again as the Non-Flying Pilot in the plane, especially when doing sim work during high workload emergency situations. The non-flying pilot gets to sit back and see the big picture and remind the flying pilot of things he needs to take care of because they are so busy concentrating on controlling the aircraft.

It is valuable for anyone, even me, to have an extra set of eye in the car. One of my nice spin videos was a result of trying to stay up with a GT2 on Hoosiers. One of my friends who was following me asked later "what were you thinking, that you'd catch him?" He should have been sitting next to me in the car.... :wink: