Miata Mailing List: June 1998, Message #147

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Day 16 & 17, May 31 & June 1, 1998

Ruth and I have both been battling colds so we didn't doo much yesterday
except attend Aaron's Sears Point Track Day dinner, where we got to meet
many of the Miata.List folks.  It was great.

But today was a day to be remembered.  Today many of us got to drive on
the challenging Sears Point Raceway.

The day started very early for us.  The sky was overcast and the radio
announcer said it was 5:59 a.m. as we pulled out of the parking lot.  From
the motel in Vallejo we had to travel almost 15 miles west on CA 37 which
we were warned would be pretty well clogged with commuters.  Fortunately
the traffic was not as bad as predicted and instead of taking an hour, the
trip took us only about 20 - 25 minutes.   

When we got to the track we had to wait until 7:00 for the gate to be
opened.  Tech inspection started as soon as the first cars were ready and
was completed by about 8:00.  There were 65 cars which had been subdivided
into three groups based on the driver's high performance driving
experience.

I was in the A group which included the most experienced drivers.  I
really should have been in the B group but it had filled up before the A
group did and I told Aaron that I thought I could avoid embarrassing
myself in the A group.  As it turned out I was somewhat outclassed by all
the other drivers in the group, as indicatd by the fact that I was
overtaken and passed several times and I never passed anyone. But my
intention was to hone my driving skills and have a good time, not to try
to impress anyone, so I waved by anyone who looked like they wanted to
pass.

The first couple of sessions on the track the drivers followed the
instructors who demonstrated the proper line.  The way that traffic-cones
had been positioned to indicate turn-in, apex and track-out points for the
turns simplified following the line.  However, just because it was easy to
see where the line was didn't mean it was easy to keep your vehicle
properly positioned and oriented.  Aaron told us it was a technically
demanding track, and it was.

Let me try to describe my impressions of a lap around the track.

Leaving the pits there is a short straight which leads to a fast left hand
turn (#1) where cones had been set up to reduce the speed through the
turn.  You're in third gear on the right edge of the tack as you climb the
short straight toward another fast left hander (#1A).  Still in third gear
and letting off on the throttle you cross the track to the rumble strip on
the left at the apex of 1A and turn in for a sharp right hander just over
the crest of the hill (#2).  You're back on the throttle and crossing back
to the right side of the track (#2 apex).

You drift out to the track-out point for turn 2 on the left side of the
track and head for where you think the turn-in point for turn 3 is.  It is
in a ravine and can't be seen until you're on top of it.  You're back near
the right edge of the track; you touch the brakes and make a hard left
hand turn as you start up a steep grade. Your'e back on the gas and up
against the left edge rumble strip (#3 apex).  Now your'e in a fast right
hander over another crest of a hill and you can't see the track-out cone. 
If it had been about 10 ft. tall you might have been able to see it when
you really needed it.  (In an early session I got a little wide at this
point and put two wheels off the pavement; fortunately there was room to
slow down and get back on the track without incident.)  When you finally
see the cone, if you're on the right line, you continue full bore into
short straight that leads to a really hard, off-camber right hander (#4). 
You get on the brakes hard and perhaps down shift to second.  

Accellerate out of the turn down the hill and around the fast right hand
#5 which starts up another hill.  Here you may get into fourth gear for a
short time, but the  carousel (#6) is just over the hill and too much
speed is scary in this 180 deg.+, off-camber, down hill left hander.  So
you brake cresting the hill, down shift back into third gear, and enter
the turn near the outside.(Right side)  The apex of this turn is about 75
- 85% of the way around and you're certain that one more MPH and the rear
end is going to come around and pass the front. (It never did.)

As you pass the apex of the carousel you get back on the throttle, drift
right across the wide part of the track where the dragstrip is, come back
across to the left side, upshift into fourth and prepare to brake hard for
the hairpin turn to the right (#7).

As you brake hard  for turn 7 you down shift into second gear.  You
accellerate out of turn 7,  upshift into third, make a fast left hand bend
(no number), start down a slight grade, make a fast right bend (no
number), upshift to fourth,  then a fast left hand turn (#8) and another
fast right hand turn (#8A).  These are the esses.  A series of very fast
late apex turns which can be brutal if you are not following the correct
line at the beginning, but when you get them right it is very satisfying. 
You rhythmically swing back and forth across the track.  As you exit turn
8A  you come to the bottom of the grade and enter a very fast left hander
(#9) and a very fast right hander (#10).

After turn 10 there is another straight which leads to the second right
hand hairpin turn (#11)  As you brake hard for the hairpin you downshift
to second.  You give it just a little gas as you round the turn and get on
it as you unwind.  Coming out of turn 11 is a short straight which passes
the pits.  There is a traffic-cone chicane set up to keep the speed down
here.  So just after you upshift to third you let off in order to get
through the chicane.

As you exit the chicane to the right, you drift right across the start end
of the dragstrip, ushift to fourth and prepare for the fast turn 1 to the
left.

After you repeat this a few dozen times you notice that it getts easier
with every lap. What an incredible rush.

Toward the end of the day I invited Bill Cardell to take Drifter out for a
spin to get his evaluation of my car.  He invited me to join him.  He
demonstrated the I was not as close to the limits of adhesion as I thought
I was.  In the faster parts of the circuit
 where I had been going 75 - 80 mph he was doing 85 - 90.  I think I need
a lot more practice in a place that is more forgiving than Sears Point.  I
was quite pleased that Bill thought Drifter handled very well. (It's good
to get some independent confirmation like that.  Thanks, Bill)

There were a few mishaps, relatively minor damage to cars, but no
injuries.  In an early session Aaron broke a sway bar end link which put
him into the mud and almost up on an embankment at turn 8A.  He left some
scarey looking skid marks on the pavement.  Nice recovery Aaron. 
Unfortunately left tie rod was also envolded so the car had to be towed
from the track.

Then Judy (Simpson I think) spun into the tire wall at turn 2 ( think)
denting the right front fender on her Merlot and leaving tire scuffs along
the whole right side of the car.  Her car was checked out and found to be
sound, so she went back out on the track as if nothing h