Quote from xlilsoldi3rx :

Im new too, and i want to keep up with the people who are at the front the people in the top 5 of the race. Can anyone help with improving lap times to a 1:35, thats the time i regularly see when people are in the top 5 of the race.

On the blackwood map after that long straight theres that bend. Do you guys harsh break at top speed then turn into the bend or soft break b4 the bend.

A lil advice would b helpful.

Which car are you talking about?
In either car, braking at the end of the back straight should be as close to impending lockup as you can get without sliding. In the xfg, a little trail braking at turn in will help, though you should be back into the throttle at or slightly before the apex.

You should approach corners in racing like you approach a stop sign or traffic light in real life. Don't focus on where you need to start you braking. Instead, look for where you need to be when you stop braking. Your mind will learn what it takes to get to that point and you will almost automatically brake at the right moment.

The rate at which you slow down does not affect your lap times as much as being able to get back into the throttle earlier. It's okay to give up a little as you approach a turn. It will allow you to concentrate a little more about being efficient through and off the corner.

I think the best advice I can give is to forget about the guys that are faster than you. Just run your own race and pick up a little bit here and there. Eventually you will find yourself running with those guys that used to run away from you. And don't bother too much with asking people for setups. Pick one and run it until you find that you can be consistant. You'll never be able to judge a setup until you can run a bunch of laps within a few tenths of eachother.

After six or seven months, you're still new. You need time to practice. If you can jump on a server and run without wrecking or going off track, then you'll be fine. Your speed will pick up as you figure out the little tricks. The tricks mostly focus on learning to be smooth, yet understanding that there are occations where you need to be a bit more aggressive.

Give it a year or two.

Bring back TNN!!! I wanna hear Ned Jarrett and Buddy Baker announcing.

Quote from mrodgers :

Can you guys over there just go to a track, register, and run all you want? That's what it seems like. Anyone? I'm looking around and it seems over here you have to take beginner classes and move through ranks and it would be forever before you would get more than an hour of track time.

I'd love to get a car and actually go to a track day, but it seems like it would be nothing but hundreds of $$$ for sitting in a classroom for several sessions which means very little track time for probably a year or better.

Mid-Ohio I am seeing that it is $750 in their Acuras or $650 in your car, and you get an hour of track time. I am seeing no "track days" where you would actually run on the track for any track anywhere near me. It's all mostly classroom and instruction stuff.

You guys really are making me jealous with all this track day talk.

Hmmm... The track days I do allow a good 2 hrs of track time per day with a single 1/2hr classroom session. I'd be happy to pass along any information that I have. Send me a PM.

Mike

Good point. The spotter does come into play. I'm not sure where the spotter's stand is at Daytona, but it's possible and likely that he was looking straight on at Kyle. That would make it tough to judge whether a car is along side or just closing in.

I still want to see a freight train of cars drafting at 230. I think another 40 mph would be wicked. They better put up a taller/stronger catch fence.

BTW. Ambrose finished 6th! Way to go Marcos!!!

PMD: That's a scary thought, but I see your point. Well said.

It really is a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

There are only so many ways to affect the racing at these tracks.
-Horsepower (restrictor plate, carb, camshaft, etc) They all do the same thing, limit the air flow into the cylinders.
-Aero (spoiler, roof blades, gurney flap) This slows them down, but punches a large hole in the air which makes pack racing even worse. Counterppoint: They tried a big blade across the roof several years ago. The result? The race went caution free.
-Rules governing blocking. No thanks. The drivers do a good job of policing themselves up until the last lap. I would rather not have a race determined by a stupid rule (i.e. the yellow line rule. It should be null and void after the last turn on the last lap.)

My fantasy solution. Let Goodyear bring a tire 1" wider with a wheel to match. Bring an ultra low downforce wing for the trunk lid (possibly without the airfoil profile?). Ditch the restrictor plate (or make the holes larger). That should let the cars run fast enough that the cars will race like they do at other tracks. They'll get spread out. Yes, they will draft, but more like they did back in the day. I wonder if the roof flaps are as large as possible? It's a tough thing to get right. We want good racing, but also safe. It's almost such that the tracks might be too fast for a safe race that is also entertaining for the fans. I think this was the issue for CART at Michigan, right?

Just food for thought: How much of this do you guys think is a product of two hard-nosed drivers (Tony and Kyle) going for the win? Though, last time it was (Carl and Brad)

My biggest issue is that they let people in who weren't college students. All the little kiddies ruined the site.

And the all the different apps. I just deleted all of mine last weekend. I wanted to make my profile nice and tidy.

At this point, it's just an easy place to host pics.

Quote from TagForce :

The irony is that his injuries resulting from the crash itself weren't that serious. A broken rib, and some minor bruises. The serious condition he was in (he's expected to make a full recovery) was a result of inhaling the chemicals used in the fire extinguisher that was used to put out the fire in his car. Or so I understand.

*I'm assuming that you have made a true statement here*

The chemical that is most typically used is Halon. The way it works is by displacing oxygen. Fire won't burn without oxygen. Unfortunately, humans have trouble breathing without the stuff, too. There are other issues with its use, but the downsides are outweighed by it's fire suppressing ability. I installed a Halon system in my track car a year or so ago. Thank GOD, I never had to use it. It's effective, and has no clean up after use (it's a gas, unlike foam based products that are corrosive to metals).

Quote from Forbin :

Why would you want to watch American racing? Especially with the talentless hacks we have doing the commentary?

The one exception to that is our F1 comentary team. Should come as no surprise then that 75% of the team is of British origin.

Try the radio broadcasts for NASCAR. Far better than those TV guys. However, I do prefer the TNT crew over the FOX team (Digger must DIE!!!).

For the Nascar races covered on TNT, you can see a live stream at TNT's website. I've been doing that for the past couple weeks. It's a nice setup they've got there.

nice save!

Get those thumbs outside of the wheel. That's a good way to get them broken. I always rest my thumbs on top of the wheel. Once you get used to it, wrapping them around will feel wrong and you won't have to think about it.

It takes time to get smooth. Looks like you'll get there fairly quickly. Good job!

Quote from UncleBenny :

Now I'm hoping Pocono doesn't get rained out on Sunday, don't want to make the drive down there for nothing.

Looks like it should be clear. We had rain all day yesterday yesterday (ended in central PA a little after 2am or so). What a great day it was for me to spend at the Ford show at Carlisle. lol

Mackie-

Well, Tony Jr. is out for good. I'm not sure if he will take another position in the company, or just retire. The new guy (at Dover) has been with Hendrick for a long time, and has been in this position before. I do recall that he spent a few weeks as crew chief for JJ when Chad Knaus was suspended a couple years ago. The guy that is coming in this weekend at Pocono is supposed to be perminant for the 88 team.

I don't really know the logic behind the temporary solution at Dover, but I suppose it has something to do with the new crew chief being unavailable due to other obligations. What do you think of the chances that he had a salon appointment that weekend?

http://www.jayski.com/stats/restrictor.htm it's not what you're looking for, but it's an interesting look at the evolution of rules, events, and qualifying speeds over the course of restrictor plate racing.

As far as I know, this is still typical...
At Daytona and Talladega, the cars run a 390 cfm carb. At other tracks, 750 cfm carbs are the norm.

Quote from JJ72 :

Woah MARCH! The name alone gives me a tickling feeling, so much nostalgia.

YES! YES! YES! Lola as well. Maybe not F1, but I welcome the nameplate.

Let's see Jag, Lotus, and Tyrrell!!!

They'll have to add in some gratitious 70's music and old, fuzzy camera work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncrROmVJT2s The soundtrack for the 2010 season. Bellbottomed driving suits, anyone?

Back when I had an auto in my SHO, I had a chip that let me program the transmission. I had upshift and downshift tables for each gear. I could plot out how and when I wanted to shift based on throttle position and wheel speed (measured at the differential). I could also modify line preassures to affect how hard or soft the trans would shift as well.

Then again, I did swap in a manual gearbox when I got serious about track days...

Quote from JO53PHS :

If you live in America, and your car has the option of a V8 engine, and you don't have one, you get laughed at

lol. Very true.

If you don't take the V8, you're gay.
If you don't take the hybrid, you're a redneck.
anything in between is just wrong. You've either got to have the econo-box, or the top-o-the-line. It's the American way. We're EXXTREEM!!! The extra 'x' is for awesomeness (or Exxon).

It really is sad now that people see a 3.5L V6 as a big engine. We've lost what made American cars great. I still want a 1970 Caddy Eldorado with the 8.2L. V8. 20 feet long, low, wide, and classy. They say it rides like a boat, so I'm going to paint a name on the stern and keep an anchor in the trunk. Portholes? Maybe...

Quote from james12s :

likes the discovery td5 or v8? im guessing v8

I don't think we have the TD5 here in the states. The V8 makes me happy. Not quick, but I can still make a bit of noise before the TC cuts in. :mischievo

Am I the only one that doesn't understand why cars like this get so much attention. If I were able to afford a car like an R8, I would rather put my money and time into building my own car. To me there is much more satisfaction in chasing down the Germans and Italians in a homebuilt track car than worrying about putting your $100k sportscar into the weeds.

I also happen to like the looks that I get when driving around town with a roll cage, big brakes, open exhaust. Something about a Taurus passing a Porsche just gets me all tingly inside. Same goes for the guys that bring e30's, Mustangs, Mazdas, etc. to the track. Pretty much anything will get around a track well enough with a good set of tires and a decent driver.

Then again, I wouldn't mind having a Morgan for a nice sunday drive. lol. I'm sure there are reasons that people like "mass produced" supercars. It's just not obvious to me.

*I say mass produced not in the literal sense, but as a production comparison between a team in a factory versus me in my garage with a welder. I can engineer to my own tastes and not based on what the public wants to see.

2002-2009: 1993 Ford Tauus SHO. Started as my daily driver. Ended life as a barely street legal track car. I miss it every day
2008-present: 2004 Land Rover Disco II. It goes over stuff...

ahh. Too much fun. We're not getting anywhere. No use in restating what has been said. I will make my exit...... now.

Quote :

As for PA, please do not feed the troll, you'd better be careful or he might launch into a prepared speech about how brilliant America is, that all Americans seem to be able to recite off by heart.

I believe I shall...
America, F*ck yeah!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXsTjBMuBmo

Which wall are we b*tching about now? The one that separates the track from pit road, or the one that separates the pits from the garage area?

The outer wall is plenty high. Typically the same height as the wall on the oside of the track. The inner wall is high enough to protect the crews while being easy enough for the crews to jump over. All professional tracks in the US have a wall to separate pit road from the crew and the rest of the infield. I know for a fact that the one at Watkins Glen is high enough. Having stood behind it, stood on it, and sat on it I can say that I felt safe during a Grand Am (Motorola Cup at the time) race. Other tracks appear to have similar wall based on comparisons to what I have experience with.

Besides, the pit entrance at Indy is quite long. You have to slide for quite a while to end up amongst the pix boxes.

Heck, at Charlotte (which, IMO, is the more entertaining of the two US races this weekend), there is no wall to separate the track from the pits. Yes, cars have ended up wrecking on the front straight and hit pit road wall. But hey, we are supposed to be grown up, tough, men. Right? We can handle a little danger and take the proper steps to protect ourselves.

Perhaps Americans just handle the risks associated with racing a bit different than others around the world. Racing is dangerous for everyone (drivers, crew, fans, press, hotdog vendors, etc). You'd have to be a bit dense to not pay attention to what might be coming at you. Then again, stupid people inhabit every corner of the globe. lol

BTW, I won't be watching any racing this weekend. I have no TV and no interest in going out just to watch a race, LOL.

Tape a sign on it that says "out of order". Works pretty well for vending machines.

Better as a grill than a car. Think of how much fun it brings to any meat (pun intended... booyah!).

I think I may have to do that with the back half of an SHO. You do tow that beauty with another Nissan coupe, right?