Sebring Full Course PDX Video

[BimmerBum]

[mohaughn]

Weather looks great. Good lines for first time out..

Only comments are to turn in slightly sooner for T1 and get closer to the left side wall. Takes confidence and time to build up to buzzing the wall, so totally normaly for first time not to be up against the wall.

For T5, maybe slightly sooner turn in to get yourself closer to the left rumbles for apex. This is a tough corner as so much of the line depends on how load and turn in you can get the car to do before you go into oversteer. Real common to see power on oversteer/spins in this corner. Your second lap through this corner is pretty much on the money. On the last lap, if you find yourself out on those rumbles, make sure the wheel is straight and just drive forward. You kind of pulled the car to the left to get off the rumbles and there is a bump at the end of the rumbles that can upset the car if the wheels are not straight.

T17, I buzz the corner worker on the right hand side. If you straighten up a bit there, get closer to that right side wall, and go out a bit further before doing your final right steering input, I think it sets the car up a bit better for the exit. Before you passed the subie, your line into this corner was good, I'd just go a bit deeper so you can brake later, and open up the exit more. I like that they were not teaching you to pull down to the t17-B apex like some clubs do which can really kill your exit speed. I gauge myself in this corner by how soon I can get back to full power. If I try to pull down to that apex in front of the last corner worker, I really have to delay on the power. Watch the spec miata guys and they do these huge arcs where they are right up against the wall on the left hand side at the exit of the corner. There used to be a strip of grass there, all paved now, so you can run right up to the tire wall. Kind of scary as you are moving through there and the car is bouncing along and on the edge of grip..

Again though, those are all minor corrections and comfort things that you will pick up with more time there. Definitely better lines than a lot of my first time students.

[BimmerBum]

Thanks for the tips! I certainly have a lot of room for improvement and for that I think it is good to be in something with a not so good power to weight ratio. There was no in car instructing at this PDX... only a classroom session with a Skip Barber instructor after the first 2 sessions. Towards the end of the day I was figuring out that I could brake later and put the power on sooner which helped me keep up a lot better.

Turn 1 and turn 17 I feel may have different lines depending on whether or not you are driving your ride home. I look forward to getting back out there as soon as possible!

[mohaughn]

I definitely have mixed feelings about the SCCA development program. For their race schools, the do very little driving instructions, and some people go to that program with no experience and expect to walk away with a license.

I can't see how any organization can let somebody on track without an instructor, but that is just because everything I've been involved in absolutely requires it. That subie driver would have been getting pulled into the pits or would have given a much faster pass signal if he had an instructor with him.

While CHIN is the most expensive offering, they really give the best amount of track time, and their instructors are some of the best that all of the other clubs have to offer. NASA also has good instructors, but not as much track time as CHIN. However, first time NASA participants can get a discount, so it ends up being well under 50% of the cost of a CHIN weekend.