Most important mod is still the driver mod
8/25/10, 07:27 AM
#1
GT Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: April 23, 2010
Location: Va. Beach, Va.
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Most important mod is still the driver mod
Did the one-day NASA Hyperdrive at Summit Point over the weekend...This was my first time ever on track, and for whatever reason, finding the proper racing line during my session was much, much harder than I thought (evidently all my years of knowledge accumulated from the Gran Turismo games means very little when I'm actually behind the wheel
)
Turns 5-6-7 seems to trip me up the most, which gave me crappy lines on 8-9and bad exit speed on 10...My instructor, bless him, was trying to tell me the proper way, but it just seemed to go against my (WRONG) natural instincts on where the car should be...
Still I had a wonderful time and would recommend it to anyone -- I had some reservations about driving 4.5 hours for a 25-minute session (13 laps), but it was SO worth it...I'm planning to do the whole weekend at VIR in October so I can get more out of my abilities and more out of the stock 5.0...
Other thoughts:
Driver skill can overcome huge deficits in performance -- I saw a Toyota Tundra on the track faster than all but a few cars...
The stock brembos held up flawlessly, but the Pirellis were kind of gooey and a lot worse for wear afterward (maybe due to my hamfisted noob driving style)
)Turns 5-6-7 seems to trip me up the most, which gave me crappy lines on 8-9and bad exit speed on 10...My instructor, bless him, was trying to tell me the proper way, but it just seemed to go against my (WRONG) natural instincts on where the car should be...
Still I had a wonderful time and would recommend it to anyone -- I had some reservations about driving 4.5 hours for a 25-minute session (13 laps), but it was SO worth it...I'm planning to do the whole weekend at VIR in October so I can get more out of my abilities and more out of the stock 5.0...
Other thoughts:
Driver skill can overcome huge deficits in performance -- I saw a Toyota Tundra on the track faster than all but a few cars...
The stock brembos held up flawlessly, but the Pirellis were kind of gooey and a lot worse for wear afterward (maybe due to my hamfisted noob driving style)
8/25/10, 07:31 AM
#2
Cobra Member
Sounds like a good time! A friend of mine (Jon) was there with a black 370Z... I think I saw your car in a few of the pictures his wife took.
As soon as I get my Mustang I'm going to start going with him to some HPDEs at Summit/VIR. Should be fun and I'm sure we'll see you there!
As soon as I get my Mustang I'm going to start going with him to some HPDEs at Summit/VIR. Should be fun and I'm sure we'll see you there!
8/25/10, 10:27 AM
#3
GT Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: April 23, 2010
Location: Va. Beach, Va.
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sounds like a good time! A friend of mine (Jon) was there with a black 370Z... I think I saw your car in a few of the pictures his wife took.
As soon as I get my Mustang I'm going to start going with him to some HPDEs at Summit/VIR. Should be fun and I'm sure we'll see you there!
As soon as I get my Mustang I'm going to start going with him to some HPDEs at Summit/VIR. Should be fun and I'm sure we'll see you there!
8/26/10, 02:09 PM
#5
Let me sum it up quickly:
8/27/10, 08:39 AM
#6
GT Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: April 23, 2010
Location: Va. Beach, Va.
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Photos are on my FB page (you don't have to friend me to see them) -- See my profile for the link...
Advice?? This is all elementary stuff, but very useful lessons I learned:
1. Study the track extensively before driving it; look for youtube clips of pros using the proper line...
2. When going to an event, bring a chair, umbrella, change of clothes, towels, food/drinks and some basic tools...
3. When coming off the track after a session, if possible AVOID driving on gravel roads -- My tires were hot and gooey, and picked up thousands of little rocks which got embedded...For a full hour on the drive home, I had to hear the constant pitter-patter of those pebbles coming loose in the wheelwell...
4. Vision and awareness are very important (front/back/side); many times beginning drivers get so concentrated on what's going on in front they can develop a hard tunnel vision which blocks the mind to potential danger (i.e., corner flag wavers)...You have to look far ahead and think 2-3 turns in advance sometimes, I was so worried about getting through one turn it screwed up my lines for the next ones...
5. Be polite and point people by to pass in designated zones...
6. If you've never done performance driving on a track, don't come in with false illusions of your driving skill -- If you're like me and most of your racing experience has come from Gran Turismo, then everything you know is probably wrong...
7. Try to be in tune with what the car is trying to communicate to you -- Remember to trust your instructor, even when he tells you to do something against your own (wrong) driving instincts...Remember this is a continually learning experience...
8. The people who do this for a living and makes tens of millions of dollars make this look so much easier than it is to regular people...
Advice?? This is all elementary stuff, but very useful lessons I learned:
1. Study the track extensively before driving it; look for youtube clips of pros using the proper line...
2. When going to an event, bring a chair, umbrella, change of clothes, towels, food/drinks and some basic tools...
3. When coming off the track after a session, if possible AVOID driving on gravel roads -- My tires were hot and gooey, and picked up thousands of little rocks which got embedded...For a full hour on the drive home, I had to hear the constant pitter-patter of those pebbles coming loose in the wheelwell...
4. Vision and awareness are very important (front/back/side); many times beginning drivers get so concentrated on what's going on in front they can develop a hard tunnel vision which blocks the mind to potential danger (i.e., corner flag wavers)...You have to look far ahead and think 2-3 turns in advance sometimes, I was so worried about getting through one turn it screwed up my lines for the next ones...
5. Be polite and point people by to pass in designated zones...
6. If you've never done performance driving on a track, don't come in with false illusions of your driving skill -- If you're like me and most of your racing experience has come from Gran Turismo, then everything you know is probably wrong...
7. Try to be in tune with what the car is trying to communicate to you -- Remember to trust your instructor, even when he tells you to do something against your own (wrong) driving instincts...Remember this is a continually learning experience...
8. The people who do this for a living and makes tens of millions of dollars make this look so much easier than it is to regular people...
8/27/10, 08:42 AM
#7
GT Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: April 23, 2010
Location: Va. Beach, Va.
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
10/11/10, 09:30 PM
#8
GT Member
Join Date: February 5, 2004
Location: VA
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Photos are on my FB page (you don't have to friend me to see them) -- See my profile for the link...
Advice?? This is all elementary stuff, but very useful lessons I learned:
1. Study the track extensively before driving it; look for youtube clips of pros using the proper line...
2. When going to an event, bring a chair, umbrella, change of clothes, towels, food/drinks and some basic tools...
3. When coming off the track after a session, if possible AVOID driving on gravel roads -- My tires were hot and gooey, and picked up thousands of little rocks which got embedded...For a full hour on the drive home, I had to hear the constant pitter-patter of those pebbles coming loose in the wheelwell...
4. Vision and awareness are very important (front/back/side); many times beginning drivers get so concentrated on what's going on in front they can develop a hard tunnel vision which blocks the mind to potential danger (i.e., corner flag wavers)...You have to look far ahead and think 2-3 turns in advance sometimes, I was so worried about getting through one turn it screwed up my lines for the next ones...
5. Be polite and point people by to pass in designated zones...
6. If you've never done performance driving on a track, don't come in with false illusions of your driving skill -- If you're like me and most of your racing experience has come from Gran Turismo, then everything you know is probably wrong...
7. Try to be in tune with what the car is trying to communicate to you -- Remember to trust your instructor, even when he tells you to do something against your own (wrong) driving instincts...Remember this is a continually learning experience...
8. The people who do this for a living and makes tens of millions of dollars make this look so much easier than it is to regular people...
Advice?? This is all elementary stuff, but very useful lessons I learned:
1. Study the track extensively before driving it; look for youtube clips of pros using the proper line...
2. When going to an event, bring a chair, umbrella, change of clothes, towels, food/drinks and some basic tools...
3. When coming off the track after a session, if possible AVOID driving on gravel roads -- My tires were hot and gooey, and picked up thousands of little rocks which got embedded...For a full hour on the drive home, I had to hear the constant pitter-patter of those pebbles coming loose in the wheelwell...
4. Vision and awareness are very important (front/back/side); many times beginning drivers get so concentrated on what's going on in front they can develop a hard tunnel vision which blocks the mind to potential danger (i.e., corner flag wavers)...You have to look far ahead and think 2-3 turns in advance sometimes, I was so worried about getting through one turn it screwed up my lines for the next ones...
5. Be polite and point people by to pass in designated zones...
6. If you've never done performance driving on a track, don't come in with false illusions of your driving skill -- If you're like me and most of your racing experience has come from Gran Turismo, then everything you know is probably wrong...
7. Try to be in tune with what the car is trying to communicate to you -- Remember to trust your instructor, even when he tells you to do something against your own (wrong) driving instincts...Remember this is a continually learning experience...
8. The people who do this for a living and makes tens of millions of dollars make this look so much easier than it is to regular people...
All good tips.
I went through the HPDE program with NASA starting in '01 and starting racing American Iron in '05. Spend your money on track time. The first mods your car needs are brake cooling ducts and brake pads. You probably don't need these until you've done a few events. Your instructors will help guide you. Modern Mustangs are plenty fast enough and plenty fun enough in stock form.
Looking forward to meeting you at a future event.
Last edited by Mystic_Cobra; 10/11/10 at 09:39 PM.
10/11/10, 09:43 PM
#9
Bullitt Member
Join Date: January 18, 2010
Location: Woodland Park, CO
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
I did Watkins Glen this summer and also had a blast and learned a lot. The instructor was my brothers best friend, and I was getting four sesions, so he gave me the choice during the first session to drive my car and have him try to explain the line or ride in his car and SEE the line. I choose his car and it made all the difference. I highly recommend this type of activity to improve the skills that can save your life on the street. Besides, it's fun as all get out! A shot coming through the esses at about 90 on the way to 150 down the backstretch.
10/14/10, 09:26 AM
#10
GT Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: April 23, 2010
Location: Va. Beach, Va.
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did Watkins Glen this summer and also had a blast and learned a lot. The instructor was my brothers best friend, and I was getting four sesions, so he gave me the choice during the first session to drive my car and have him try to explain the line or ride in his car and SEE the line. I choose his car and it made all the difference. I highly recommend this type of activity to improve the skills that can save your life on the street. Besides, it's fun as all get out! A shot coming through the esses at about 90 on the way to 150 down the backstretch.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Evil_Capri
Mustang Motorsports
1
9/11/15 08:39 AM
tj@steeda
2015 - 2023 MUSTANG
0
9/8/15 10:45 AM