Peter will suggest this I'm sure, but having a good data system and knowing how to use it are 2 very different things. Most (and I mean most) "instructors" at DE events are not qualified, so if I might advise 1) getting an ongoing set of tutorials from Peter and 2) get a qualified coach who has mastery of AIM systems. Some of the best money I spent was on a 1-day "how to use your SmartyCamGP" course. Peter, or many of us, can connect you. Chemistry with your coach is also a key element in my experience. Getting some time with Argetsinger was great, but it's very rare you get access to someone like that at most track days
What Peter says and you should consider a helmet fan. Do not consider the high end suit/helmet coolers that refrigerate by an internal fluid to liquid heat transfer system. I have seen 4 in action and none of them worked well and the price is usually over $6K fitted. Best application has been a large twin pump Cool Suit box mounted up fron with both helmet and shirt hoses routed through the front fire wall. Draw the helmet air from a NACA fitted to the hood or a helicopter air vent fitted to a rear side window.
Based on advice here I called Wine Country Motorsport and ordered the following. Racing suit: Sparco eagle suit http://winecountrymotorsports.com/sparco/sparco-eagle-rs-suit-p-1576.html Helmet: Stilo ST5 http://winecountrymotorsports.com/stilo-racing-helmets/stilo-st5-gt-composite-helmet-sa2015-p-1758.html with built in communications and with a top mount helmet cooler hose. Wine Country guy told me the top of the helmet mounts work much better than the ones that have the hose on the bottom side. 24 quart cool suit system for shirt and helmet Gloves- Sparco Tide Shoes- sparco Cross RB7 http://winecountrymotorsports.com/sparco/sparco-cross-rb-shoes-p-1581.html 2 cool shirts Hans 3 device http://winecountrymotorsports.com/hans/new-hans-iii-device-p-1574.html Chatter box system Wine country will build in the top mount helmet hose, the built in earpiece/communications, and attach the Hans clips. I'll have a local shop install the cool suit system. I'll get the AiM system from ProCoach. Thx for the advice you gave.
Based on advice here I called Wine Country Motorsport and ordered the following. Racing suit: Sparco eagle suit RS-8 (I liked the look of it better than the extrema) http://winecountrymotorsports.com/sparco/sparco-eagle-rs-suit-p-1576.html Helmet: Stilo ST5 http://winecountrymotorsports.com/stilo-racing-helmets/stilo-st5-gt-composite-helmet-sa2015-p-1758.html with built in communications and with a top mount helmet cooler hose. Wine Country guy told me the top of the helmet mounts work much better than the ones that have the hose on the bottom side. 24 quart cool suit system for shirt and helmet Gloves- Sparco Tide Shoes- sparco Cross RB7 http://winecountrymotorsports.com/sparco/sparco-cross-rb-shoes-p-1581.html 2 cool shirts Hans 3 device http://winecountrymotorsports.com/hans/new-hans-iii-device-p-1574.html Chatter box system I'll get the AiM system from ProCoach. Thx for the advice fellow Fchatters.
I can't stand instructors that point at things. So distracting. Chatterbox pro2 costs like $65. Sorry...but a pet peeve of mine. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yeah I know what you mean. This was my check out drive so no more instructors, but I will hire private coaches. The instructor had a chatter box system (and I just ordered my own as well). Can't wait until early Dec when my dedicated track car arrives. I'm very curious to see what that will be like compared to the FCar experience. I just ordered the AiM solo DL system with 2 smarty cams from ProCoach here on FChat. It will provide a bunch of data that will be interesting to analyze. The part I am most looking forward to is the +/- feature that shows instant feedback on the display showing whether you are running faster or slower lines than the benchmark lap (so it's like having some instant coach feedback) and lets you test out different lines and approaches and see if they are faster or slower.
Yup - that feature is super awesome. I just found out about it, and used it in my first race. I had it configured to show 1. fastest lap, 2. +/-, 3. PredT, and 4. LapT. The PredT is also awesome because it will predict your time as you progress in the lap, so you can see how a particular corner might improve or destroy the prediction. Incredibly valuable in realtime, and the data after is equally impressive. I bet the track car will shock you and make the 458 feel like a boat : ) Good luck! Have fun!
At the speeds a street 458 can reach, I'd be a little nervous once you get more days under your belt and the speeds start creeping up. Don't get me wrong, the car is *very* safe, but it's also *hugely* capable. Here's a couple laps at Sebring while I was shaking down to 458 GT3 car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv7BnYWbJFE It's a lot easier to drive hard when you have proper safety equipment. Keep up the good work and have fun! edit: my car is for sale if anyone's interested in stepping up into a proper race car. it's fast and easy to get 99% out of with the race ABS and TCS. it's at Scuderia Corsa in Beverly Hills at the moment if you want to check it out in person. -mike
Thanks guys! That was actually the first time I had ever driven a car with race ABS or TCS. Also the first time I had driven a car with that much downforce.. before that it was all Porsche Cups, Rolex GT spec 458 and 458 Challenge cars (pre-Evo). I missed a few apexes while learning how to make it work, but was still a lot of fun and pretty quick. JvO had me by a second or so that day in the same car on the same tires. Anyway, to keep on topic -- the Cayman, 458 Challenge or 458 GT3 will make fine tools to learn the trade. Just make sure you get the proper coaching and you'll have fun and get better. Also, make sure you get help setting up the car. It's no fun trying to get better when your car is terribly difficult to drive and when you're just getting started you probably won't have a feel for what's "right" or not. -mike
Only 10 looked like a good sized miss... T3, T5 and T16 is where I might imagine JvO was a little bit quicker. Your T17 is beautiful!
Went to Sebring this weekend and brought Chris Hall http://www.racingcoach.org/ in for some coaching. Chris had me do a session in the Cayman, then he drove the car for a session and we analyzed the data from the AiM Solo Dl comparing our two best laps by overlaying the data and he provided feedback. In my first session my best lap was 2:31, after coaching I was running 2:28 regularly unless we had traffic slowdowns. In short Chris shaved off 3 seconds and gave me some good long term advice and skill improvement. Chris was a great coach and well worth having. I'll be using him more in the future. On Sunday I took the 458 out for 1 session and did a 2:22 on street tires. That was 1-2 seconds faster than my previous best. Also hit 160MPH on the back straight right before turn 17. The Cayman has much better cornering but is somewhat of a dog in regards to power. The 458 will still turn in a faster lap time simply because of the huge HP difference.
Actually, Mike is changing the vector angle of the car, then braking in a near straight line as he goes by the wall and the first worker station on the other side of it, slows enough in a straight line (to be able to SEE the nose go down as he applies, and stay down as he progresses through the braking zone is VERY strong!) so that he actually makes the progression from "off brakes" to "beginning power on" before he begins to sustain much cornering load. My point is, not much, if any, "trail braking" or using the brakes to introduce rotation quicker than what the car wants to do, like you would want to do in T3, T7, T10, T13 and T16. In fewer words, he maximizes tire grip very well with little drop in gSum in the transition between full throttle on the back straight, makes the direction change, gets the braking done deep enough so he doesn't have to come off it before reaching the point to turn and applies power before the bumps get a hold of him! I spend days working with drivers on just this transition, and that's just the work before the bridge...
I can see that now, thanks for the detailed break down. I change my comment to simply.. WOW!. I would love a a few hot laps with him. He's got a good 10+ seconds on me.
So I had my fist real race over the weekend. 4 day event. It was the Stuttgart Cup/ Maranello Cup http://www.stuttgartcup.com/ that was run at Sebring during the Spring Vintage Classic http://www.svra.com/events/2016-spring-vintage-classic/. There were Ferrari's, CUP cars and Caymans running together. What an incredible experience! I had my race Coach Chris Hall, a 3 person support crew-- BGB Motorsports. My original car had a mechanical failure on Thursday (test day) that couldn't get repaired in time. I didnt want to miss out on my first race weekend so I bought a new Cayman Friday morning at 8:30am -- 2 hours before my first ever qualifying event and race weekend. It turned out to be a blessing because the new Cayman is a much better race car. My best lap was a 2:18 and I was turning regular 2:19's! I got to the podium and placed third. The guy who won was Jack Baldwin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Baldwin_(racing_driver) who was driving a championship Cayman he placed third in the Pirelli World Challenge. I'm in the white race suit. I'm hooked! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Greg was right. Did 2:22 in my 458 with street tires (all out, 160 mph down the back straight, 4 wheel sliding some corners) and did 2:18 in the race configured Cayman. Even though the Cayman is a much slower car (only would reach 135-140 mph down the back straight, but it is much faster around a track). Once you try a true race car, you won't really have any interest in driving a street car on a track-- Ferrari or not.
John Tecce is the man! Chris is a great bloke, too. I was right across from you with the lineup of vintage Porsches at 901 Shop all weekend.
Congratulations on your result. Im curious what you feel the difference is between the 2 caymans. Are they from same race shop? What are you going to do with the first one?
