Track Bug Revisited

[TigerNSX]

Hello,

As a fresh newbie who has just experienced track days at Lime Rock and New Hampshire International Speedway, I am afraid to say that I may have been beaten by the track bug.

I am writing the following log so that 1) a lot of experienced drivers can reminisce their first day at the track, and 2) potential drivers can be encouraged.

My first event was at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.

I could not sleep the day before. I kept on waking up in the middle of the night finding myself putting my helmet on and off and checking my watch million times. At 3am, I gave up falling asleep, and left for the track (I know. I know. Many people have told me that taking as much rest as possible the day before the track is one of the key elements, but I was too excited!!).

Although I could not sleep much, and three-hour drive to the track burdened my body, I felt refreshed as soon as I entered the track that was filled with fresh air (i.e. exhaust fumes) and excitement. Never in my life, could I imagine myself driving my car to the actual track. It was a place in my mind that was only reserved for people like Senna or Schumacher. It was a place that I could only see on TV. Then, there I was, driving my car into the pit-lane. Suddenly, I became one of them.

My first run began right after the in-class instruction which was taught by a previous Formula Ford racer. Sitting in my emptied-out car with my body closer to the steering wheel, and my face squished by the helmet had a magical effect. I felt like a race car driver. I felt as if I was going to drive fast. I felt like I would be the next Schumacher by the end of this year (hey, I can dream what I want!). I waited anxiously for my instructor to arrive at the pit-lane, I felt as if I was going to vomit inside my helmet (it would then be the talk of the day). I regretted that I had a McGriddle sandwich that morning. I could even hear my heart thumping. I felt more nervous and excited than the first time I had ever learned to drive, use a credit card, and kiss (not necessarily in that order). My instructor finally arrived, and my first day at the track began.

I attended all the chalk-talk classes and rode with my instructor as much as I could. I took all the notes, and reviewed materials that my instructor (both in-class and track) emphasized before and after the each driving session. Unfortunately, I was one of the slowest in the novice group. However, I comforted myself by saying that my goal of the day was to focus on learning the proper lines and braking points as many of you recommended, and it did not bother me much that basically everyone in my run group passed me by (fine, I admit that my pride was hurt when two Minis passed me back to back).

I came home exhausted, and I fell asleep on the dining room table while my wife was arranging the dinner (I even drooled on the table).

The next morning, I told my wife, ¡°Honey, I am better off as an economist. You don¡¯t have to worry about my dream to become the next Schumacher anymore.¡± (before the event, I told my wife that I may be the hidden-gem of the future F1 driver).

My second event came 3 weeks after at the New Hampshire International Speedway (to be continued)

 

[RSO 34]

Unfortunately, I was one of the slowest in the novice group. However, I comforted myself by saying that my goal of the day was to focus on learning the proper lines and braking points as many of you recommended, and it did not bother me much that basically everyone in my run group passed me by (fine, I admit that my pride was hurt when two Minis passed me back to back).

Sounds familiar. But first, never regret being the slowest in your group. Take pride that you were not the fastest into the rail in the downhill at Lime Rock or into the wall at NHIS. Speed comes with time and practice (lots of it) but accidents will come faster with a lack of patience or an exhibition of testosterone levels.

I was very nervous my first day at Skip Barber's racing school and that "fear" was enhanced by hearing a crash ten minutes into my first classroom session. Believe it or not, a highly self-confident driver crashed into the rail at Lime Rock while doing the initial slalom exercise in first gear. Needless to say, hearing someone go FGR ("freakin' guard rail") during the very first slalom exercise is more than a little disconcerting.

That fear disappeared almost immediatly after I got into my first Formula Dodge and realized that I enjoyed climbing in so much that it could only get better on the track.

The first time I tracked the NSX was my first event in 2001. I had never met anyone with an NSX before and decided to take a little drive (to Wisconsin) for NSXPO 2001 with Peter Mills and several of the other northeasterners whom are now among my closest friends. I had graduated both the Skip Barber Racing School and Advanced 2 Day School and was turning laps at Lime Rock at an average of 1 minute, 4 seconds thereby causing me to believe that I knew how to handle a car.

When I got on Road America I was, by far, the slowest car on the track despite my rather expensive training and experience with Skip Barber. Rather than being discouraged, I became hooked and now have 25 track days under my belt and I am looking forward to another 10-12 days this season in the NSX. Those little Neons no longer pass me at Lime Rock and I feel comfortable and confident passing Z06's at the Glen.

Take it slow, learn the lines and the track etiquette and never be ashamed of having your arm out the window early and often to give point-bys. Be safe, be aware and enjoy the thrills of high performance driving where speed becomes secondary to the goals of the overall educational environment.

 

[TigerNSX]

My second event was at the New Hampshire International Speedway. The track was originally intended for the NASCAR races, but it added road courses diverging from the Oval courses. Since it was only one and half hours away from me, I did not have to get up super early, and become drowsy throughout the day. Unfortunately, however, I still had a trouble falling asleep, and got up occasionally in the middle of the night.

This time when I got to the track, I felt less sick and nervous. I tried to stay calm during the tech inspection session, and before my run group session. Nevertheless, when the time came for my first run, my heart was thumping, and I had a hard time breathing.

My instructor asked me if it was my first time at the NHIS, and I told him, yes. He said that the track was a bit technically difficult, but should be fun. All I could say was, ¡°uhh¡¦ okay¡¦¡±

My first run group session was terrible. Unlike at Lime Rock, there was a lot of difficult turns, and having to avoid crashing into the walls did not make things better. As I predicted, I basically finished the last in the group. Nevertheless, I became best at ¡°point-by¡± signaling since I had to do so many (one time, I had to pass 5 cars all at once). I felt really terrible for my instructor who had to bear with my slowness. However, he was very patient with me, and kept encouraging me to follow my own lines.

In between the first and the second session, I observed carefully how folks in other run groups make turns in which I made mistakes. I noticed the differences between how fast cars (in terms of cornering speed, not of horsepower) made turns and how slower cars made turns. When it was time for my second session, I felt little more confident, and decided to apply what I had learned and observed. I tried to brake little later, accelerate little faster, use more roads, and make the steering input less abrupt. At the same, I kept on practicing mastering the proper line.

By the end of the second session, I got to pass two cars (both E36 M3s). By the end of the third session, I passed 5-6 cars. By the end of the last session, there was no car ahead of me. It just felt amazing. The instructor complemented how drastically I improved throughout the day, and told me that I drove through the proper line.

I thought that he was just being nice, but I was shocked to find out what happened at the next event (to be continued).

 

[TigerNSX]

My third event was again at the NHIS in the following week. The day before the event, I decided to run a fresh set of front brake pads. So I had to stay up a bit late to change and bed them. Thankfully, however, this allowed me to have a deep sleep, and when I woke up the next morning, I felt really fresh.

When I got to the track, and received the instructor assignment and the schedule, I was shocked to find that I was no longer in the beginner¡¯s group anymore. They promoted me to the intermediate group. I was not sure if I was ready to run with the intermediate group, but I decided to give it a try.

My first session of the day had to be the worst ever. I had an instructor whose teaching and driving style were completely different from my previous one, and I had a hard time adjusting to his style. I was running 15/16 (91-93) stock setup tires instead of the 17/18 aftermarket setup, and it took me some time to readjust to how the car behaved. I got yelled at by my instructor, and he told me that I did not know where I was going. Before my first session, all these Miata, and BMW guys were commenting how my car was too pretty for the track, how fast my car could go at the track, and how amazing my car was. During my first session, these guys were passing me left and right, probably thinking, ¡°What the heck? The NSX is so slow!!¡±. They were obviously faster than the folks at the beginner¡¯s run group, and it was only my first try at this run group. However, it was quite embarrassing how my instructor was yelling at me, and how those cars were mocking at me.

I had to do flagging before my second session. During the flagging, I reflected upon what I really did wrong. I did follow the line, braked and accelerated at the proper points. I could not figure out what I was doing wrong. Nevertheless, I also thought that perhaps, I ¡°thought¡± I was doing everything correctly when in fact, I was ¡°not¡±.

In the second session, I went back to the track and tried to learn everything from scratch just in case, I really was not following the line, braking and accelerating properly. In fact, I was not. My heel and toe was all out of tune, I braked too late at the point where I was supposed to brake a little earlier, I accelerated hard at the point where I had to be smooth. For each lap, I tried to fix such problems one by one. Again, the result was great. My instructor regained confidence in riding with me (later, he told me that he felt scared riding with me during the first session). Then, I started to pass cars that had passed me during the first session.

Before the beginning of my last session of the day, my instructor told me that I did well, recommended to go a little faster, and see what my car and I could do. And I did. By the end of the last session, there was only one car which I could not pass in the run group. Most of all, I felt very confident and safe in putting a little more speed.

When we got out of the car, my instructor told me that he would recommend me to be promoted to the next run group (for the NHIS). I did not think that he liked me, but I thought that it was really encouraging me to hear that I won his heart at the end.

By the end of the track day, the sun was blazing at 75 degree. I took the T off, and drove home simply enjoying the day admiring my car as others admired my car at the same time.

(to be continued)

 

[Peter Mills]

Got a tiger by the tail

Tiger:
I plan on being at Watkins Glen instructing on June 21-22 with the BWM Patroon club. I suggest you request me as an instructor.
I have some concerns about your development from reading your posts. Just a suggestion.

 

[jadkar]

Peter would like you to attend a special track day on Sunday May 2nd at WGI

All kidding aside, thanks for sharing your experience!! I can't wait till' my first event.

 

[Nimbus]

Try catching a ride with Francis Gan ('00 silver coupe) if he's there at NHIS next time. I'm sure you can learn alot more about the NSX potential from an experienced driver like him.