370z crashed at VIR? member here?

RCZ · 12-08-2009, 06:10 PM

He was being told to trailbrake around that corner on his first track day ... that should've been slow in power out his first time there..

Needed to countersteer more and faster to try and save that.

Mike · 12-08-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCZ

He was being told to trailbrake around that corner on his first track day ... that should've been slow in power out his first time there..

Needed to countersteer more and faster to try and save that.

Sorry Bobo!

Trailbraking or not, he turned in way too early for that particular corner. You need to hug the 2nd half of that apex to make the turn correctly and set up for the next corner.

speedworks · 12-08-2009, 10:17 PM

Yeah, I don't think he came in too hot, if so he would have gone off driver's left, not right - I've done it, the momentum throws you off the track, down the hill. And trailbraking at a first HPDE is not a problem; as an experienced driver, there is nothing wrong with promoting/teaching that early on. I do agree he turned in too early, and he forgot the all important, when in a spin, 2 feet in. It is a track day, not a race, so once you are out of control, don't risk trying to power out of it, just hit the brakes.

As for iracing.com, I agree to do that, it actually has my race car as an option (spec racer ford), and I have tested that system before and it is probably the best out there.

At least he had a positive attitude, and will fix it, and hopefully have fun again.

KillerBee370 · 12-08-2009, 10:23 PM

Yeah watching the in-car footage again and again, he most definitely wasn't coming in too hot. I swear besides turning in a tad early (if that) it looks as though he hits some oil or something.

Strange but there will be other track days!!!!

Sharif@Forged · 12-09-2009, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedworks

Yeah, I don't think he came in too hot, if so he would have gone off driver's left, not right - I've done it, the momentum throws you off the track, down the hill. And trailbraking at a first HPDE is not a problem; as an experienced driver, there is nothing wrong with promoting/teaching that early on. I do agree he turned in too early, and he forgot the all important, when in a spin, 2 feet in. It is a track day, not a race, so once you are out of control, don't risk trying to power out of it, just hit the brakes.

As for iracing.com, I agree to do that, it actually has my race car as an option (spec racer ford), and I have tested that system before and it is probably the best out there.

At least he had a positive attitude, and will fix it, and hopefully have fun again.

I think this most accurately summed it up. Obviously, I don't think anyone is critisizing the driver, but we can all learn from mistakes and make this a teach-able moment as our President is fond of saying.

When you track your car long enough, it's only a matter of time before you go off-roading and hit something....hopefully something soft.

Here is one of my laps at VIR a couple months ago. Forward to 1:40 to view the same section of track.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r-xvHyuTXs
Just a hair later on turn in, gradually apply power and the car will naturally track to the outside.

It's hard to gauge speed in the video, but I am inclinded to think there may have been something on track or slippery. Either way, a quicker lift of the throttle, a faster correction and/or full lock braking if needed would have kept the car off the barrier. Live and learn, and get back in the saddle quickly.

speedworks · 12-09-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharif@Forged

When you track your car long enough, it's only a matter of time before you go off-roading and hit something....hopefully something soft.

And this is why I have a dedicated race car - I just don't want to wreck my DD. Think about all of things that could happen: you spin, someone spins you, you hit someone whose spun, you have a car failure, a tire failure, .....

Here is my racetrack DD

KillerBee370 · 12-09-2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedworks

And this is why I have a dedicated race car - I just don't want to wreck my DD. Think about all of things that could happen: you spin, someone spins you, you hit someone whose spun, you have a car failure, a tire failure, .....

Here is my racetrack DD

That's all fine and dandy but mostly the point of driving your DD (even if it's not really a DD as in my case) at the track on a day of hotlapping is really to see what your individual car will do and what you are comfortable with. If I had a dedicated race car, I would be doing just that... racing. Hotlapping and racing are two very different things.

speedworks · 12-09-2009, 08:12 PM

^^ I agree, but it is a lot of wear/tear on a car that you hope to drive the next day, every day, which is the point I am making. Plus the red mist will always get to you, as this example shows, and now you are in a rental car. You can always find the limits of your car in slower speed events like auto-x (did that for 5 years), and really tighten your driving skills, and find the limits of your car, in the typical speed range you would be in on the roads.

If you really looked at the dollars you put into a DD to put it on the track, you could easily buy a dedicated race car - there are cheap ones out there, and I guarantee you will have just as much fun, and it will be safer. I have seen too many DD's wrecked at an event, either poorly instructed, or poorly insured, and the car is totalled, and the driver is injured - no 5 point seat belts, no rollcages, firesuits, fuel cutoff, HANS, etc.

12-08-2009, 06:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
RCZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami Posts: 6,403 Drives: '09 370Z Rep Power: 1119	He was being told to trailbrake around that corner on his first track day ... that should've been slow in power out his first time there.. Needed to countersteer more and faster to try and save that. Last edited by RCZ; 12-08-2009 at 06:14 PM.

12-08-2009, 10:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
speedworks Track Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 550 Drives: PW purchased 01/09 Rep Power: 18	Yeah, I don't think he came in too hot, if so he would have gone off driver's left, not right - I've done it, the momentum throws you off the track, down the hill. And trailbraking at a first HPDE is not a problem; as an experienced driver, there is nothing wrong with promoting/teaching that early on. I do agree he turned in too early, and he forgot the all important, when in a spin, 2 feet in. It is a track day, not a race, so once you are out of control, don't risk trying to power out of it, just hit the brakes. As for iracing.com, I agree to do that, it actually has my race car as an option (spec racer ford), and I have tested that system before and it is probably the best out there. At least he had a positive attitude, and will fix it, and hopefully have fun again. Last edited by speedworks; 12-08-2009 at 10:25 PM.

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12-08-2009, 10:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
KillerBee370 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: So Cal baby! Age: 52 Posts: 5,964 Drives: with passion Rep Power: 322	Yeah watching the in-car footage again and again, he most definitely wasn't coming in too hot. I swear besides turning in a tad early (if that) it looks as though he hits some oil or something. Strange but there will be other track days!!!!

12-09-2009, 08:12 PM	#8 (permalink)
speedworks Track Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 550 Drives: PW purchased 01/09 Rep Power: 18	^^ I agree, but it is a lot of wear/tear on a car that you hope to drive the next day, every day, which is the point I am making. Plus the red mist will always get to you, as this example shows, and now you are in a rental car. You can always find the limits of your car in slower speed events like auto-x (did that for 5 years), and really tighten your driving skills, and find the limits of your car, in the typical speed range you would be in on the roads. If you really looked at the dollars you put into a DD to put it on the track, you could easily buy a dedicated race car - there are cheap ones out there, and I guarantee you will have just as much fun, and it will be safer. I have seen too many DD's wrecked at an event, either poorly instructed, or poorly insured, and the car is totalled, and the driver is injured - no 5 point seat belts, no rollcages, firesuits, fuel cutoff, HANS, etc.