I have plenty of those days as well.

I am going to race Monday at Leguna and will be leaving Sunday to drive down.

I can't believe that this will be my fifth trip there.

I just got back from Laguna Seca. I have not had time to review my video and times. I do know I set a personal best, beating my last best time by 1.5 seconds. It may be even better upon review.

I even got a good review from the head race director. To me this was the highest praise around. I didn't even think he'd pay attention to me, yet alone compliment me.

:tup: good job!! Feels good to be recognized by people you admire! I think it is way cool that you drive at Laguna Seca!

Kinda like you guys giving me so much help and attention:tup:
I am still amazed that i have such a cool car and that you guys "admire" me for driving it:tup: aww shucks. :o

Well we do.

The more you do it the simpler and faster it becomes.

This is my best day ever at Laguna Seca. I had worked some things out in my mind, and upon reflection. It worked.

The first two sessions were marked by 15 minute black flagged interruptions. After each my gal said I drove like I was pissed. I wasn't.

The third run has me dogging an M3 until he let me by. My camera fell loose from it's mount so it bounces around filming down in the trunk. I am not posting this. I then set my best lap times ever by beating my previous best time by a second repeatedly, and once by 1.5 seconds.

My fourth was better still. After tightening the set screw on the camera mount and drinking a 5 hour energy. We three set off nearly last, a M3 a Lotus and myself. We wanted to run together if we could. No passing under first lap yellow. Tell that to the yellow lotus but who cares when right after the yellow came off we came up on a Miata that spins first right then must apply full left lock. The next thing I see is the car spinning left. Whoa. It plagued my mind as I wasn't sure what I'd seen, was it two spins or only one. That is why video helps.

Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca - 370z Fourth session - YouTube

This was the last session. All groups were in this final event. Still not many ran. I am hot and sweaty and tired. I start to suffer fuel starvation. I should have had enough gas based on past experience but now I have a new experience to draw upon. In less than 30 minutes, 5 gallons of gas in 38.5 miles at $6 per. Best money ever spent on gas too.

I had my best lap by 1.75 seconds over my previous day last year.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Nissan 370Z - YouTube

By the end of the day, 3 fires, a Caterham, hit the tire wall. A broken bearing on a new Arial Atom on his first run. Other bad things happened making this the worst day from a damage point of view. Still nobody got hurt at all. Just pocket books took a beating.

Can't wait to get some time to check out the videos! :tiphat:

Nice vids!

The Miata spin: More for the Lotus and Mustang than you, but in a spin situation like that you really can't slow down and stare like that. I assume you honking was a reminder for them to get back on the gas. Stopping for someone else's spin is a sure-fire way to cause a pileup. Soon as you're sure you can get by them safely, get back on pace and get outta there.

As long as we're talking about spins, I exported a couple small clips from other parts of my last weekend's track data:

This first part is me making a big error. I was off-line and couldn't hold it, was inevitable I'd drop two wheels on the outside, but I kept trying to hold it on track instead of safely driving off. This resulted in me re-crossing the track, which is pretty damn dangerous. I've done better about this in past incidents, but my mind wasn't in the right place this time around:

Me going off-track on both sides - YouTube

And then here's another guy doing the same sort of thing right in front of me, in a different session. Notice that I brake a little until I'm sure where his car is going (well that and dropping a little speed gives you some excess traction for emergency corrections), then push on through immediately:

Spin in front of me: TWS CW - YouTube

I would love to see the Mustang camera footage. That Miata looks pretty close to his grill from back here.

I agree. Do not dally after a spin. I was not staring for sure. I first turn down into the turn (three) to get out of the way and I was going to pass bye on the inside but did not want to close the door on the two cars ahead. I knew where they were. I doubt they knew where I was. On review the Lotus may have waved me bye but I never saw that in the moment. He gesticulates while driving as well, so I need to ask.

The Mustang was faster on reset than the Lotus. This is point bye passing so I was not sure what I was supposed to do. I honked to tell him get going and get back in front. I thought about it more later and perhaps I should have just gone but the Lotus and I have a history together. I look out for my friends. We both needed to get out of here, you first. I knew we were at the back so we had a few seconds plus the flaggers to hopefully wave off the others.

Yeah it's all tricky judgement calls out there, and you were kinda put in a bad situation given the passing rules and the two cars slowing way down in front of you.

Given time to watch a video over and over (which says nothing about what you might do in a split second on the track), probably the ideal call was to blast on past that whole scene on the far right as soon as it was obvious the Lotus and Mustang were braking down to like 10mph. At that point you may as well consider them part of the incident rather than cars to obey passing rules with. But it all depends on the group and the drivers and the track marshal and how the weekend's been going and that conversation 20 minutes earlier in the paddock and and and... :)

It's just good to analyze afterwards and think these things through and prepare your mindset for the inevitable next 10 or 20 times you'll be placed in situations that require that sort of judgement call.

Here is my first event. It was raining and a Z comes on track with, I assume cold tires. Goto 7:50 please.
My first HPDE day: Racing 370Z at Sears Point in the rain Part 1 - YouTube


Let's keep tracking the 370Z!!!

Great analyses, y'all! :tiphat:

:tup: your excitement is contagious Tam!! LOL!

Dang it. My Z is home in the garage!! pffft.

In the moment the Miata was three cars ahead and I must admit to paying less attention to him. On the video it starts sooner than my brain realized. Not by much, but moments earlier. Then much vision was blocked too by the two cars. I was not sure if the Miata was spinning towards the inside or what. I kept telling the little lady about what had happened and I just could not figure it out. I kept bringing it up trying to replay it in my mind. She made fun of me a little bit.

After 27 hours I got to see the video. It was the switch back that I didn't get. I thought it more than a 360 degree spin and must be 720 but is that what happened? No. Thank goodness for film.

There are a lot of subtleties going on in that situation though. Around the apex and beyond, I really was at the traction limit of my fading front tires, but maybe not the rear, hard to say. If I had *just* lifted the throttle, the back end might've come around on the left and made things worse. In the moment, I didn't think that the amount I could safely lift the throttle by would be enough to save it. Not that what I did do was much better: I tried to hold the throttle steady and force the car to stay on the road with the steering wheel, which almost never works.

If I had straightened the steering wheel first (to avoid the back end stepping out on throttle lift), and *then* lifted and hit the brakes, I might've shed enough speed (heading in a straight line towards where my wheels went off) that I could've slowed and turned back onto the line at reduced speed. And if I didn't shed enough speed, at least I'd have been more likely to keep going straight off the track instead of what I did.

Either way, at the moment just before the wheels went off the pavement, I should've had the steering wheel dead straight to avoid getting ripped back across the traffic path on the track like I did (due to the pavement wheels suddenly having a lot more grip than the grass wheels). A straight drive off into the grass would've been fine, but cutting back across isn't.

:tup: I'm learning as you guys experience! TY!

It's a tough call sometimes. You blew the apex and you knew it right away, there are a couple of choices. You can straighten out the wheel and apply a bit of brake to get yourself slowed down enough to get around the corner, you can lift a little and hope you have enough rear traction (okay for very minor corrections but wouldn't recommend for this one), or if you are damn sure you aren't going to make it just get the wheel straight and lock them up and go off in a straight line if you have the run off. The last thing you want is to go 2 wheels off and then spin back across the track. Not only are you unpredictable to the traffic behind you but I've also seen a lot of nice cars collect concrete barriers on the inside of a corner from such spins.

Speaking of spins, here is my latest attempt. Only went 180 and then brought it back. Jump to 1:35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45OBCtEmYQk

Nice job.

You my friend like to push it to the limit and would recommend staying off the paint later in the vid but I am now talking to the master and should not be making suggestions I am sure.

I did save myself once with a three wheel off by keeping my hands at 3 & 9. Watching a wall approach is no fun either. I came back on straight and not across the track. Knowing where straight is helps.

:tup: knowing the track and where you are=imperative...must keep your wits about you. My dad taught me: NEVER stop driving. (I.E. letting go of the steering wheel and screaming like a girl is NOT what to do!)

In the rain I'm usually the fastest car on track, although a lot of that is having real racing rain tires. In this particular case I was already lined up for the time trial with slicks on when it started raining so it was a lot slower for sure and very sketchy. The exit of turn 3 was the only time I would put wheels on the paint as it was more worn down there, anywhere else would result in instant wheel spin.

I've been impressed with the pace you've quickly shown on track, you've definitely picked it up very quickly. I'm also very jealous that you get to drive Lacuna Seca!

:iagree: :yum:

Thank you. I would love to extend an invite to you if ever you want to go with me to Laguna Seca. To add to your jealousy, I will be back on June third. This will be the last Laguna till next year.

Sears Point in September, if you are out here by some miracle.

I too have said that my whole life. But keep driving even though you want to quit and hit reset. The last saved game mentality won't work.

Years ago my friend actually threw up his hands and waited for the impact. I grabbed the wheel and swerved away from the telephone pole and into a ditch/field. We drove out with us four guys lifting and pushing, and I was a hero initially.

He blamed me later at a party in front of others and wanted compensation for his air dam. Until my 30 year high school reunion, I never spoke with him again.

I had my car detailed this weekend. It absolutely needed it after a couple track days. I'm back to the track on Monday in style.

I had dinner with mom tonight, and as I left a Prius pulled out in front of me and I used those brakes hard. He waited at the light till it turned yellow (this is not the first time either a hybrid) and took off. I went with him through the light. At the next light he tried to drag race me to my favorite turn. I love this perfect 180 degree turn and usually get stuck behind another who doesn't see the beauty I do. I fully enjoyed this turn to myself.

Although I saw the new Jaguar F type today, it was a supercharged XK that attempted to school me on the way home tonight. When the limit hit 55 MPH he nailed it and you could tell he was surprised I stayed with him. I could see him looking at me instead of looking at the hard left approaching. He only handled the turn by cutting it, which is a no no for me on that turn. He pulled off shortly thereafter.

This left the road wide open on a beautiful warm day. I assure you I used my car to the fullest.

sigh.
:tup: I can feel a new story coming on...patience grasshopper.

Attachment 70122
Part of my drive this week.

Attachment 70123
Another day I saw this-a man on a riding mower.

Today, an older model red mustang pulls out in front of me to go a couple hundred feet and turn left.

The challenges of daily driving.
Be defensive out there ;)

Does the double yellow prevent passing these types of vehicles?

:tup: not sure-probably legally but in the Z (because they are going sooo slow) i do pass if i have enough visibility ahead. And they get way over on the berm too to help out.

Autocross again next sunday :happydance:

Driving driving driving…what?!?!?
It wasn’t supposed to rain today-I wonder what the Griots will do on my windshield…oh, not too bad. Probably should’nt do that anymore though. LOL
No cars, out we go. OMG. This guy is so slow. 40? Really? And I don’t dare pass, way too many large creatures about. Sigh, yepp, following him for another 5 miles now. Down to 20. OMG. Trying not to tailgate. He COULD go a bit faster. I am passing at the next chance for shure. Look! No cars-zee ya!! Ahhhh, speed limit…wait. How did that guy get back in front of me. Sigh. Here we go again. And HERE we go again….yepp-passing you too. what is up with the slow drivers in dually pickups today? I wonder is God watching out for me. Annnnnd, here is the next candidate. At least he is driving more than 40. And it is only a couple miles till the four lane. :wtf: WHY do these guys driving huge trucks think they need 14 headlights to see! Blinding? Uh-YES! That’s ok, I will dump him as soon as I hit the four lane. Ohhhh-you want to play eh? OK-I’m game…but not THAT fast, nope. Not worth it- hit the road jack! I’m cruising to work safely. Best part? My favorite parking spot is open. Sigh. Another lovely drive in my Z. :)

...do you guys type this stuff as you are driving? o.O

These have to be the strangest posts on the board lol

:tiphat: yea-it may be an odd little world but we like it ;)

I basically always drive my truck now unless I'm test-driving something on the Z. I have similar internal monologues, but now a lot of it's things like "OMFG, I'm in this big-*** boat of a truck and your little wannabe race-car has to take this corner 20mph slower than I can? You should just use a bicycle if you're gonna go that slow, it'd save a lot of gas".

:icon18: :tup: Morning!! love it-you should come back and visit...with more internal dialogue!

Please do return.

Can't speak for BC20 but no excuse for my typing. :hello:
We do it here away from the main discussion board so we don't offend everyone with this stuff.

Do you have a driving story you'd like to share? If so please do so here freely. :tiphat:

:tup: I usually type it up in Word or email then copy/paste...it finds all the misspelled words (the ones I don't want misspelled anyway) that way I don't look like a totally uneducated enthusiast! ;)

Just got back from Laguna Seca and once again had a personal best, 1:53.009. What my goal was two weeks ago is now an average time. I am improving, just won't get back here until next year. Sears Point in September is my next long awaited track day.

370Z Chasing a Cayman at Laguna Seca - CFRA - YouTube

Last chance at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway - YouTube

Black Flagged again at Mazda raceway Laguna Seca - YouTube loading at 8 AM 6/5/13

It didnt offend me lol. Just thought they were humorous is all.

My commute usually goes like this:

*hops on motorcycle*
Aw yeah, 3 miles of almost perfectly flat/straight road that is never policed, and I still do only 5-10 over the limit (50). SWEEEEET long right hander that I can get a lot of lean in, coming up....YOU A$$HOLE WHY DID YOU CUT IN FRONT OF ME, I can take this corner at 65, and Im stuck behind you practically comatose doing it at 40! And your line friggen sucks, douche. Ughhh....fine, wake me up when it's over.

*insert 20 miles of nothing but highway commuting here, where speed limits are never enforced (I regularly do 70-80 and it's 55 the whole way, but I'm doing it to keep pace with traffic...everyone does it here :-/ )*

Break that up with completely random stop-and-go due to congestion and nothing more (DC/Baltimore is a busy area, what can I say)...

....and now I'm at work. Oh, I get one fun round-a-bout that lets me get some nice high-speed leaning action going on with the bike. And that's it.

My commute blows, except for the first 3 miles of it, really.