Fortunately there hasn't been a ban on winter testing ... yet. I plan on racing at the new track in New Orleans on New Year's Eve, which I believe is scheduled to be our last stop of the 2012 FCRA season. NASA has scheduled the very first track event there - ever. It will be very challenging to go there without a track map, much less video to learn from ahead of time! If I can get the camera to work in the car (it isn't right now) I'll capture a few laps for everyone. Probably taking the 996 instead of the 355C though. I have a bunch of tires I won during the season that I would like to get rid of before concentrating on the 355C, and free tires is the closest any of us will get to buget racing! Here is a pic of that car, mixing it up with Rob's 355C and a pesky Viper that insisted on impressing us with his ability to accelerate in a straight line. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ferrari of Central Florida/Ferrari of Tampa Bay trailer. More likely cars inside are from last week's event on South Beach and waiting for a tractor to take them home. BHW
Nope, other Ferrari-logo'd private trailers were already behind the pits unloading as we left Saturday evening from the Rahal event. Cosmo bragged on FB about working with some P-car and F-car drivers at Sebring before heading up to Daytona to drive the ESM Grand Am 458GT's. You can't fart without the intarweb knowing ALL about it!
Rob, the way to learn a new track is the same, worldwide and car-independent. 1) Hit EVERY inside curb, moving the apex back gradually as you become familiar with the geometry. 2) The slower and/or more acute the corner, the later the apex. 3) Utilize all the width of the track, unless it's a leading curve in a complex that requires sacrificing position to get out of the complex optimally. 4) Utilize "the Procedure," as outlined by Skip Barber Racing School and specifically, Carl Lopez and Bruce MacInnes, to determine position, amplitude and finish points of braking (in relation to cornering) for EACH corner. 5) Have fun!
Peter, too funny, I actually carry a similar list with me in my gear bag so I can remind myself of the protocol. I have two more procedures I follow, with thanks to Pat Long for the lesson. 1) in order of priority: find braking points, roll apex speed, reach WOT sooner 2) Remember that you've driven every corner before, just on some other track in some other order. Relate each corner to one you have driven before and follow similar approach. Before I arrive I always try and memorize the track so figuring out if a left or right comes next is no longer the issue. That will be the challenge here. There isn't even a track map out yet for this track, I may have to draw my own. Lol
If you have the resources to truly run tests, document the results and make managed, measured and appropriately derived changes then I agree with you. My amateur experience is that much of "testing" has been complicated by a lack of familiarity with the track, its conditions and the car to that the test value is devalued and much of my seat time was practice or learning rather than testing and reacting. My few Pro experiences of the former were remarkable but obviously much more costly to sustain. The need to have a coach familiar with my style and how I should deal with the different sectors; his/her interpretation of that for deployment by a sophisticated crew chief; combined with data capture for which there is time for all involved to review - adds up to much more than I have been able to bring to my table. But I wish it were so !
