"Easily... turn # 5 is the most difficult with a continuous
and progressively tighter turn and a 'drop' in the middle of
it, which tends to throw out the rear end of the car as one tries
to power out of it" A summary of the two day event:
(Based on memory, no notes so the facts may be somehow off, feel
free to correct me as needed).
This was particularly interesting as there was the new GT3, a 911 Turbo and GT2 amongst the fastest cars, in addition to a secretive SAAB (or... was it an Audi ?) with a super tuned motor and a skinny body -2400 lbs or so; racing rubber (that wasn't racing rubber); ah yes, it reminds me of the old Torino Firestone tires, which the Formula Ford maniac brigade used... Firestone homologated as a 'street tire -in England- except that if used in a standard car... it would not last very long.... pure racing rubber that wasn't) First day the runs were fun but in my
particular case, somehow erratic as I felt very rusty...
I felt my brakes were not working as I was expecting them to
work... part of the problem was the track, which is certainly
never smooth -admittedly, part of the fun as well, since
it awakens your reflexes like nothing else can... Last
time I was here was June 2002 -at that time I barely had the
beast (GT2) in my hands for a scant 4 weeks, and certainly never
at these cornering speeds AND I had never been to the
Lewistown track before... while a tad narrow, incredibly
fun. (If they wanted to use this track for competition,
they would have to make it wider). On turn 5 I was trying the line I had learned in my first trip to Lewistown... it was not working... the rear end of the car simply was trying to get away and it felt very lose as soon as I was hitting the part of the corner where it drops, while the exit was 'ok' I felt I could go quicker, yet I knew if I gas it any sooner, the rear end would go, sending me on a alfalfa-cutting mission that the GT2 is ill-suited to execute... In the very first session, I was chasing the GT3, and I had to work to get it in my sights... finally I felt I was on for a pass. Coming out of turn 12 the rear end was sliding nicely, perhaps a tad too much. My sight was fixed on the wing of the GT3 and I saw it drawing away from me, I made a silly error as instead of waiting just a fraction more applying the power smoothly (and hence finishing the exit of the corner properly), I lost patience and I gassed it just an instant too soon... the car was not balanced and sent me gyrating into farmland cutting a little alfalfa in the process... rats... although the car was fine, I came into pits so the Capos of the event would not freak out and get me for misbehaving... I went out again and still, the 'feel' was simply not there.. We had one more session, I was trying and trying and it just was simply not there... it seemed the old feel was gone... all of a sudden I see this..... (no idea what it was as I had not seen the car before) a red thing with a 'white-ish hood coming at me fast... at first I was able to keep up, until we arrived at the dreaded turn 5... by the second time around it was plainly obvious he was faster than me through that turn.... I thought... how the hell can he go that quick through that corner ???!! (The SAAB is a front wheel drive car) Then I realized it was one of the instructor/Capos of the event... I knew I was in trouble... so through the rest of the turns and straights, we were more or less even... wait a minute... did I say straight ? what the hell... that is no GT2 and it is keeping up with me? Now I was in SERIOUS trouble... At turn 12, I noticed he gained more on me under braking and by the time we got around the pit area (the only place were one is allowed to pass), they showed me the dreaded blue flag.... more rats!!! for one lap more I decided to give it a try and see if I could stay ahead... it looked as though I had a chance as we went through the 'esses' (turns 1 through 4)... uh oh.. here comes 5 again.. yep... he is right on my gazziga piper... I think I need to let him go through this time and see if I can learn something... As we completed the lap, I was more or less able to keep up, but this time I wave him by... it was Gary and I could read his license plate... AERO... (I could also imagine his grin knowing full well... he was repeating to himself... Ah... I caught & passed the GT2) so I decided it was not going to be for free, and rain or shine I was going to give him a run for his fun.... I started following... through the esses
I felt I was gaining on him; I noticed myself braking later than
where I had been... so definitively I was getting a lesson
in Lewistown... I tried to follow him through 5, I was
able through the first part of the corner so speed and braking
point was not the issue... as soon as we arrived at the
'drop-off' part of the corner... it was bye-bye for me
as I simply could not get the car balanced as soon as he was,
he was applying power far sooner than I could (alfalfa cutting
being the alternative), so I decided the smarter route was, bite
hard as he was getting away from me and then make it up
in the other parts.... turns 6, 7 & 8 were absolute
joy for me as now I was determined to catch him and I was able
to start gaining, I noticed I started being more aggressive,
it was a little better, but there was no 'in-synch' feeling with
the car nor the track... I was "forcing" both
myself and the car, rather than letting it flow.... turn
nine.... it was almost flat out... (Hey, it
is a GT2 and you are absolutely flying in this part), this is
where I find that making a car lighter may have its advantages...)
so I was keeping up with Gary and in places gaining...
into turn 12 (I could not see in the absolute last moment,
but I caught a glimpse of 130 mph) the bouncing at this
point is tremendous, there is a 'bump' right before the corner
and finally I was able to start breaking after the bump, I felt
I started to gain on him... and as we went around the pits he
waived me by, so I went ahead... Once again, we arrived
at turn 5 and it as pathetic to see him coming up right behind
me again... At this point I decided I would let him go
by next time around and simply learn by following to see if I
could learn his magic trick for turn 5... so next time
around, it was Gary's turn to pass me again, form that point
on I followed him and there was nothing I could do about turn
5, he just disappeared in that corner.. We ended the session (and day) with a big grin for having an absolute blast... we were flying through these corners making these cars do what they are suppose to do... Next day, Gary and I analyzed what had been going on the previous days and Gary started pointing out a number of details that he thought would help me... We had the opportunity to go around the track placing some cones that had been knocked off the day before. This gave us the opportunity to see in real action where the improvements could be made, we even had a chance to increase the speed (not full speed), but enough to further make improvements where needed. We decided that he would jump in with me and observe as I drove... We let the GT3 and the Turbo go ahead in front of us, as we [intended] not to go fast at first... [YEAH RIGHT!]... So off we went.... all of a sudden, something happened... the stiffness and out of sink feeling of yesterday was gone, slowly the car felt right (even the brakes, in spite of all the bouncing), as I got into it... I felt quite smooth, almost no effort, Gary was pointing out a few things; to my delight, on that second part of turn 5, he said to turn sooner than what I was doing... (I thought WHAT??? that was MY old line... it will be easy next time around....) so next time around, I started using my old line and immediately I felt better (in spite of my earlier admission that my line was not the best.. I was working on it but this just simply felt a lot better.... more natural (to me). I was able to apply the power sooner, gradually, and I felt that I could do better, cautiously as the rear end does want to come around... I believe that I can improve on that one corner, so next time -September- we will give it another try.... Gary also showed me how to squeeze some more out of turn 12 (my favorite turn) by entering a little wider... then aiming at the second set of markers and then exiting wide, wide... it was working and I was flying... a lot faster than the day before.... soon I passed both the turbo and the GT3. Curiously enough it seemed with a lot LESS effort... a sure enough sign that I was going faster than the day before..... Gary and I discussed the differences
between front and rear wheel drive, making the entire experience
highly positive and productive... I felt in seventh heaven...
this is what driving a Porsche is supposed to be.. A big thanks to all the Big Sky region Porsche Club members, particularly to the Capos and instructors Bob, Dick, James and Dave who make the event possible and do a great job setting things up... special mention to Gary who gave me a valuable lesson and allowed me to learn Lewistown a little better, September ought to be even another blast.... Also Jean and Bob... chasing you guys was part of the fun.... Jean enjoyed my execution of the 360 degree ballet on his rear view mirror... (I can also imagine his big grin as he saw me cut the alfalfa fields, front row view)... We'll meet again in September... After the first session it started to rain... I could not run in the wet as I had prepared these tires to be absolute slicks -no thread left in them) so I would not have been able to go out in the rain... I decided not to wait as I had a previous engagement in Kalispell... so I decided to bail the horrible weather... dreary, cold, wet and windy... which reminded me of old England at its best racing weather in the spring and fall.... Thanks to everyone who showed up, we'll meet again in September for an encore, see you then... Roberto. |
