Miata Mailing List: June 1998, Message #240

sponsored by

Craig Boyle wrote:

<snip>

> Later in the day Jason  (Idaho plates) and I were running nose-tail for
> several laps, Jason went past me in 6A, I closed up going into 7. Jason
> braked hard, I saw the nose dive sharply and the inside right light up, he
> had overcooked it but still tried to turn and did a beautiful sping 10' in
> front of me as if staged for my (forward facing) video camera.  Certainly a
> highlight!  That said, Jason seems to have great talent, I was disappointed
> to hear that he didn't have a turbo, or any race tires on his car, at the
> rate he was catching me I figured that he must have something extra....
>

Gee Craig, I don't know what to say, besides I'd love to get ahold of that
video!!!  It was my 2nd time on a race track, and I was just trying to be
consistant, lap after lap, session after session.

> For me the only frustrations of the day were trying to pass slower cars.
> Although this was repeated in the drivers meeting, a few slower cars
> consistently didn't move over on the straights - or were extremely
> indecisive about lines/pointing.  This indecisiveness is dangerous. It isn't
> any kind of dishonor to let a car by, nor is it a bad thing to change your
> run group.  Please think of those of us with truly stock 1.6's trying to
> pass anything else on the track - you need to move over and lift. One reason
> for this might have been the shorter straights at SP (vs. LS) and some
> vagueness about passing left or right at the drivers meeting.
>

I have to agree with you there, that's why I promoted myself from group C
(beginners) to group B (exp. track drivers).  There were lines of 8-10 cars
backed up in group C. Speeding out of turn 5 at over 80 mph, only to find a car
going 30mph, off line, on the other side of the hill, was all the reason I
needed to 'promote' myself.  The experienced track drivers that were in group B
were much better about letting me pass, and I gladly waved by John Anker's FM2
powered beaut, who should have some video of me in the last session.  You
reading this John?!?

> The bumpiness of the track made it difficult for my Koni's and R1's to get a
> good grip. Maybe I'll try a softer setting next time.

> This was probably the truly last event for my 91, it sounded great with the
> exhaust echoing of the hillsides, a veteran of a zillion autox's and track
> events, its time to retire.
>

Satori turned 79,000 miles while driving through the essess, and the thought of
Satori's retirement is taboo!!

> I'll let someone else explain what happened to Dennis and Aaron's cars as I
> did not see these incidents firsthand.
>

Some things are best left unexplained!! LOL :-b

> Thanks Aaaron - what's next? Sign me up!
>

<A>Aaron did such a great job that you gave him /another/ A?!? LOL


Sorry, I'm still hyped from 500 miles of driving.....excuse my excitement!

Jason and Satori
Riverside, Ca