I forgot our agreement to post vids in this section, I also forgot to post the story, well here is the vid and I'll post the whole story later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqNiWJvmuts

 

Here is the story:


Yeah, he beat me by .054 to win TTU today. I didnt get a grip on the car untill our third session. First session the track was cold and had no grip. I was taking it easy as well because it was my first session. There were some pro drivers in some older M3 race cars blazing on the first few laps. Guy ran a 1:36.5 or something. My best was a 1:39.9 that session, going about 8/10ths because of braking and traction issues. I was in 6th at this point behind a Raced out Mustang (3400 lbs w/ driver/ 550 rwhp) the Z06, a 996 GT3 cup car, a GT Camaro tube chassis and two others I cant remember.

Second session, we started off on a gentlemans agreed warmup lap for the first lap. However the guy in the cup car didnt want to wait (which he didnt have to because they did wave the green flag) and took off and left everybody who were warming the tires up weaving back and forth. We get to the start line and take off, I'm in 4th at this point, when I pass turn 5 I notice something out of the corner of my eye, the Cup car buried in the tire wall on the left hand wall. Well once we get to turn 10 they are waving the red flag (stop where you are) so we stop, several cars came flying around turn 9 well over 100 mph the corner and couldnt see us till the last second, they were pulling evasive manuevers trying to avoid contact. We sat for a few minutes and then got a black flag (pit immediately) and that was the end of the session not to be made up either (session lost) laps completed 0.

Third session, we have one less car but somehow I'm still gridded in 6th but the only cars in front are one of those M3's, the Z06 and the Mustang. On the warmup lap the M3 took off like the cup car did earlier and left everyone else warming up. Once we got to start finish it was the Z06, the stang and then me. Probably one of the most evenly matched groups I have been in. The three of us were never more than 10 carlengths between the whole session (which lasted 3 laps BTW because we were behind schedule) I didnt manage to pass anyone but bested the stangs best lap time by 2.5 seconds and was behind the Vette by .054 which turned out to be the fastest lap of the day in TT.

Last session, I'm gridded behind the vette this time and determined to get him. I think he knows it too because he comes out blazing. He gains a bit on the first lap because I was still feeling out the tires. However after that I started reeling him in. Getting closer and closer each half lap. Finally I am on his bumper and ready to make an attempt to pass, but I get stuck behind him and have to lift going into turn 6, messing up my time (I'm fairly sure I got the fastest time of this session, but it wasnt the fastest of the day). So I am riding his tail for another lap, I try to get a run on him going into turn 5 and my ABS kicks in hard core and I cant stop, I have to evade off line to keep from rear ending him. and lose a lot of ground, by this time the camaro GT car has caught up to me but I manage to keep him at bay and get catch back up to the vette only for him to pit half a lap later, my traqmate magnetic sensor flew off and a car stalled on line at 10b so I did a cool down lap and took to the pits dissapointed, but still excited from having a great time. Our cars we nearly dead even on the straights, I may have pulled a bit and could have more but he exited off camber turn 7 MUCH better than I could so I couldnt get by him by turn 10a at the end of the straight.


After the session had a brief conversation with the Z06 owner. Very cool guy (older guy too, very good driver). We talked for a little while about the cars at which point he asked me how much power I had on the car to which I responded (439 at the wheels ) (I guess surprise he couldnt pull me on the back straight, but his car turned better than mine in the off camber turns and sweepers) we swapped info on the cars and turns out his car weighs 3210bs with himself and full roll cage in it (he didnt tell me how much power it made but it was no where near stock, easy to hear that, but neither is mine) All carpet removed, one racing seat, new hoosier, gigantic wing, front lip spoiler (end excuses). My car weighed 3590 with me in it, weighed 150 lbs more without me in it. After hearing that I wasnt so dissapointed. My car with 300 less lbs (winter mods a coming), some good downforce in front and back and some fresh R6's would be MEAN AND NASTY.


so there is my spillon today, tommorrow we do it all again. Hopefully I can best the fastest time from today.

 

Don't just love the Corvette's at events like this? I could tell you were held up. Driver seemed pretty good, couldn't hear him blip the throttle on downshift, sounded like he was rolling through the corners. We need to ride 1-5 together. Your line looked pretty good once you got some room.

 

I've never ran the time trials. Can you come in the pits, get room and go back out during the session?

 

Yeah the vette screwed me a little bit because I had to do some extra braking going into 2 and 3. Because it's time trials if I'm not on a clean lap, I immediately go down to 8/10ths because there is no need in going full out on a lap that you know for sure is off pace. Not to mention I dont ride too close to the car in front until I'm ready to make a run on them.

I'm experimenting with turn 5, cant really decide if I like using all of the curbing or not, I have put laps together on traqmate and they seem to be identical. Turn 1 plagues me w. some pushing and so does 10b and that costs me time being able to get on the gas.


I acutally pitted during this session but this was after passing the two cars in front of me. I was told there really was no open space but about 4 seconds on some cars that were more than 5 seconds slower per lap, so I called it quits.

 

fun vid, thanks for sharing!

 

Very cool video. That STi likes to be very quick.

 

great video... thanks for sharing