A small over correction at that speed while suddenly lifting off all the power = lift off oversteer Can be hard to recover if you aren't ready for it. A lot of guys have no idea just how easy it is to lose it like that...can be fatal taking the foot off the accelerator suddenly in any turn.....the tail will go around.

 

Agreed. I just didn't expect to see that happen in a Boxster (as compared to say a 911). Maybe he was closer to the limit, and his throttle lift more severe, than is evident from the video. Something I need to keep in mind with the Cayman.

BTW, nice to see people getting along. Shouldn't be that hard given how much common ground car enthusiasts have.

 

He looked like he was way over his limit...the visible irregular steering movements etc.. with him knowing BW was hot on his heels, so just the slightest increase on that already erratic steering was bound to see him take a spin. I've seen a few boxsters in the grass that were better drivers that got too brave. I guess that overconfidence thinking the mid mount will forgive you can be a mistake if you're not familiar with the characteristics and limitations of the car. It's learning the limitations in a more controlled environment before hand....such as a skid pan event...can save a nasty surprise on a dry surface. Once you have experienced it and have practiced correction you at least have half a chance of recovery. But it is wise not to operate at your limit particularly when you have someone monstering you from behind. Best to just wave them past and have fun rather than stress yourself out. Some guys must just like to be a nuisance i guess..

 

L.O.Oversteer - ahh the joy of sudden unplanned changes in inertia. Good avoidance - but it looks like you could have taken the inside track on him instead of the grass. Hard to tell how fast you were going other than the understanding that the Boxter spun out..

As aforementioned it's hard to impress upon a newbie track driver that, no matter how scary, even acceleration pedal would have avoided the spin (rather than pulling off the pedal). I liken it to teaching someone to drive in the snow and telling them to steer into the slide. It's counter-intuitive.

Question - are you guys running with PSM on/off?

 

Or maybe ego or overconfidence. After all, we're all Porsche-driving manly men!

 

Turn 12 at NJMP is hairy...I've seen more cars hit the concrete wall there than nanywhere else. A pro driver practicing for a Grand Am race literally split his car in two upon hitting the edge of the wall. One half of the car was placed in two separate garages.

I didn't trust my talent to make the correction to the inside.

I had PSM on...not sure what he had on.

thanks for the advice

 

Oh, no advice - I was just curious about the inside track option but you cleared that up. No reason to ruin your baby.

(and newbie driver being him, not you, obviously)
Cheers.

 

I felt no offense and sincerely took it as advice, which I welcome. You got me thinking as to how I could have gone inside. MIght be needed in the future.

Thanks

 

The problem with being behind someone that oversteers is that their front end points inward towards the apex of the turn. It appears as though they might regain control and dart towards towards the inside of the track. If you pause your video the millisecond you hear his tires give way it's hard to consider the inside of the track as an option for you to take in avoidance (even though it is typically the proper line). And I doubt any of us have a lot of track-based accident avoidance experience.

 

I actually don't think I had anything to do with the spin. The driver told me he was experimenting with increasing exit speeds. So I believe what happened was he did just that and he felt the slip angle, he didn't understand it and then tried to compensate.

 

Some more good stuff to ponder...thanks

 

I'm surprised no one has suggested a very hard application of the brakes to avoid the trouble in front. After all, this is a DE, not a race, so all you have to do is avoid him. If you give up a position or two to the cars behind you, so what? A car breaking at threshold in a straight line will slow down a lot more quickly than the one spinning around out of control in front. Best,

 

Not sure what you mean.

I should have braked hard to avoid him?...I'm going about 100 coming out of that turn, I don't think I would have stopped in time.

Also, I'm on line and have several people coming from behind me that are still in the turn and haven't yet seen what is going on entering the straight.

 

This is what I was thinking... But you've got to be level, already tracked out, or heavy braking will take you off anyway (and maybe not straight anymore). We can only speculate now, because we weren't there, inside the car.

I, however, will take a different position about the Boxster driver (leave it to me) - I like that he lost control. It means he is still learning something about his car (3-4 years, 30 years, or 3 days, irrelevant). HPDE's are fun and educational. If you aren't pushing the a limit (your own or the car's), what are you doing? Making circles? I'd rather he learn on track, than on the streets.

BUT - if he is trying something, the rest of the run group would benefit from knowing what that is BEFORE hand. "Hey guys, I'm trying something different, watch out for me, if you're behind me, give me some space, etc..."

 

good advice..

I will say I never went 4 off until I got the the white run group and began to push myself and the car a little harder.