My day at Sebring
#1
10-07-2005, 11:55 AM
My day at Sebring
NASA membership: $40.00
1-Day entry fee to Historic Sebring Raceway: $285.00
Extra Maintenance Costs: $80.00 and counting
The chance to ride in a 911 racecar: Apparently $285.00 and some good luck.
Getting to drive my own G35 coupe around Sebring with an experienced racer coaching me: Apparently $285.00… But I thought the experience was priceless.
Around 4:00 AM the alarm clock rings to start one of the most exciting days of my automotive life…I was too cheap to pay for an overnight stay near the racetrack. My wonderful wife, full of fear of me being injured or killed, makes me some coffee and makes me a care package for the day. She just lost both of her parents in the last year and half, so letting me go was not easy for her. I leave with a kiss and a wave goodbye. After driving in the dark for almost 2 hours the first hint of light begins to show as I pull up to the gates of heaven ..uh.. Sebring Raceway. I arrive a few minutes early and am one of the first cars. That means I get to use/park in one of the track’s pit garages
I unload my goodies for the day, food, water, tools, brake pads, helmet, oil, brake fluid. Luckily I did not need any of the automotive supplies I brought. I checked all the fluid levels, tire pressure, say a little prayer. Put on my magnetic numbers I made with the help of my wife getting the supplies…take a picture. Am I really at Sebring with my own pit! I met some nice people, went through tech, attended my class, and then joined the line of cars on pit lane to meet our instructors.
Walt comes up, I introduce myself, we talk about my car, his past experience, and my experience and expectations for the day. I told him that I play a lot of simulation games… he was unimpressed. I told him I was comfortable pushing my car a bit around the local interstate ramps…he was unimpressed. I told him I could heel and toe and my goals were to have fun and not injure myself or the car. Walt said we would get along fine. So we get in the car and appreciate the extra headroom from not having a sunroof. We have plenty of room even with our helmets on. He drives for two laps, we switch and I proceed to drive like I must have had my eyes closed while Walt was trying to show me the line. But at 3.7 miles and 17 turns, it is a bit hard to remember the line in only two laps. After the 35 minute session that seemed like 10 minutes, we park the car. Walt asks me if I would like to ride with him during his session in his 911 racecar to see where the smoothest line is… HELL YEAH! That ride time really gave me a huge head start over my fellow drivers that had no experience like me. During my second and third sessions, I was certainly not the fastest driver, of course, but I did “pass” a Mustang Cobra, and two Corvettes… one of which was a Z06. During the last session when I caught the Z06 again, Walt said “You know the driver of that Z06 must be pissed he getting passed by an Infiniti G35.” Hehehe. About 15 minutes later in the session the driver of the Z06 caught back up and passed me. He had finally started to really learn the correct line. His instructor did not give him a 35 minute ride in his race car
I made a couple major mistakes, at least in my opinion. I just about dropped a wheel off the track just before the start of a rumble strip. Walt told me if I was any farther over there was a bit of a hole/dip before the start of the rumble strip that could have caused some damage if I hit it. Turn 17 was also the hardest for me to learn. So after passing an inexperienced driver in the Cobra, and keeping up with a somewhat experienced guy in I think a Porsche 926, Walt says “ok, we only need to get turn 17 right” as I’m going through turn 16. I then proceed to attempt 17 way too fast, forgetting that the 180 degree turn tightens up half way through. I let off the gas, the front end plows a bit, then I felt some quick hits on the brakes as the VDC helps the car rotate in the direction the front wheels are pointing. Yes, I left the VDC on and it interfered very little. At the Button Hole it came on fairly often and was annoying, but I realized I was trying to get on the gas too soon. Once my line was smooth, the VDC almost never came on, and I was very happy for the help in turn 17. This was the last time I really screwed up turn 17. During the third session Walt told me I finally figured out the turn and I was fairly consistent.
The concentration required is unbelievable, even at my noobie pace. You are directing and controlling your car at high speeds, looking in you mirrors for people catching you to let them pass, trying to look at the corner workers to make sure no flags are being waved, looking ahead, hearing and feeling for any signs you car is starting to go away…like the brakes and tires. I was being as easy as I could on the brakes and did not rev the engine above 5500. I usually had the revs no higher than 5000. I didn’t want to break the car, especially at a track event. I can’t wait until I can go again
I was so busy looking at where I was going, I couldn’t even tell you my speeds in the corners…just the gear and an approximation of rpm’s. I can say there are four places you can easily exceed 100mph. So turn 1 your in fourth gear, apex near the wall and floor it at apex drift out and hold fourth gear through turn two & reach about 5500rpm. Brake, keep to the right, shift in to third and don’t turn in too early. Left into 3, right into 4, stay to the right and if you don’t turn in too early to the left going into 5 you can floor it before you even reach the apex. I shift through fourth gear, fifth around turn 7 at full throttle, but shifting around 5000. This is where I am catching some inexperienced people in faster cars, because my instructor had me going through the previous esses so smoothly. Trying to be easy on the brakes, I start to slow before the bridge, fourth, third, and should be second gear but I’m getting on the gas too early in the buttonhole hairpin and upsetting the VDC so I stayed in third. You are then full throttle through turns 8 & 9 reaching about 100 again. Slow for turn 10, fifth, fourth, then get into third gear, don’t apex early and ease on the gas at the apex… drift to the left. Its gas on, shift into fourth gear through the left hand turn 11, touch the rumble strip on right at 12. I then straighten the car, brake, third gear as you let the car drift to the left side of the track. If you once again don’t turn in too early, you can get on the gas at the apex of the right hand turn of 13. Full throttle, fourth gear, fifth gear and ease off the gas just a bit and fly through the left turn of 14 and remember to let the car drift out to the right after 14’s first apex because there is another left apex coming…because if you can’t turn for the second apex there is a wall waiting to greet you. You need to stay on the left side of the track after the second apex, straighten up and brake for turn 15, shift into fourth gear. Another set of esses which I love…right, left and continue to drift out to the left wide. If you do this right, you can get a pretty straight shot at the right hand turn 16, get on the gas before the apex, let the right side tires get on the rumble strip and out to the left as you enter the longest straight at Sebring. You will go through fifth gear and get into sixth if you are short shifting like I am to be as easy on the car as possible. I brake, fifth gear, then fourth and finally learn to take turn 17 kind of like a three apex turn. Fastest at the first apex, and continue to SLOW DOWN with a tiny hint of trail braking. If you succeed at this, at least to some degree in my case, you can start getting on the gas just after you pass the second apex. I was not getting much of a launch out of 17 since I kept the car in fourth gear, though I should have been in third. But I took so long to learn a smooth and quick line through the long right hander I didn’t want to change anything. You then accelerate out of 17, get into fifth gear, move to the right side of the track, brake, shift into fourth…start all over again
I leave the track about 5:30PM and try to drive like a normal law abiding person on the 2 hour drive home playing in my mind over and over the wonderful day I had with my Infiniti G35 coupe
1-Day entry fee to Historic Sebring Raceway: $285.00
Extra Maintenance Costs: $80.00 and counting
The chance to ride in a 911 racecar: Apparently $285.00 and some good luck.
Getting to drive my own G35 coupe around Sebring with an experienced racer coaching me: Apparently $285.00… But I thought the experience was priceless.
Around 4:00 AM the alarm clock rings to start one of the most exciting days of my automotive life…I was too cheap to pay for an overnight stay near the racetrack. My wonderful wife, full of fear of me being injured or killed, makes me some coffee and makes me a care package for the day. She just lost both of her parents in the last year and half, so letting me go was not easy for her. I leave with a kiss and a wave goodbye. After driving in the dark for almost 2 hours the first hint of light begins to show as I pull up to the gates of heaven ..uh.. Sebring Raceway. I arrive a few minutes early and am one of the first cars. That means I get to use/park in one of the track’s pit garages
I unload my goodies for the day, food, water, tools, brake pads, helmet, oil, brake fluid. Luckily I did not need any of the automotive supplies I brought. I checked all the fluid levels, tire pressure, say a little prayer. Put on my magnetic numbers I made with the help of my wife getting the supplies…take a picture. Am I really at Sebring with my own pit! I met some nice people, went through tech, attended my class, and then joined the line of cars on pit lane to meet our instructors.
Walt comes up, I introduce myself, we talk about my car, his past experience, and my experience and expectations for the day. I told him that I play a lot of simulation games… he was unimpressed. I told him I was comfortable pushing my car a bit around the local interstate ramps…he was unimpressed. I told him I could heel and toe and my goals were to have fun and not injure myself or the car. Walt said we would get along fine. So we get in the car and appreciate the extra headroom from not having a sunroof. We have plenty of room even with our helmets on. He drives for two laps, we switch and I proceed to drive like I must have had my eyes closed while Walt was trying to show me the line. But at 3.7 miles and 17 turns, it is a bit hard to remember the line in only two laps. After the 35 minute session that seemed like 10 minutes, we park the car. Walt asks me if I would like to ride with him during his session in his 911 racecar to see where the smoothest line is… HELL YEAH! That ride time really gave me a huge head start over my fellow drivers that had no experience like me. During my second and third sessions, I was certainly not the fastest driver, of course, but I did “pass” a Mustang Cobra, and two Corvettes… one of which was a Z06. During the last session when I caught the Z06 again, Walt said “You know the driver of that Z06 must be pissed he getting passed by an Infiniti G35.” Hehehe. About 15 minutes later in the session the driver of the Z06 caught back up and passed me. He had finally started to really learn the correct line. His instructor did not give him a 35 minute ride in his race car
I made a couple major mistakes, at least in my opinion. I just about dropped a wheel off the track just before the start of a rumble strip. Walt told me if I was any farther over there was a bit of a hole/dip before the start of the rumble strip that could have caused some damage if I hit it. Turn 17 was also the hardest for me to learn. So after passing an inexperienced driver in the Cobra, and keeping up with a somewhat experienced guy in I think a Porsche 926, Walt says “ok, we only need to get turn 17 right” as I’m going through turn 16. I then proceed to attempt 17 way too fast, forgetting that the 180 degree turn tightens up half way through. I let off the gas, the front end plows a bit, then I felt some quick hits on the brakes as the VDC helps the car rotate in the direction the front wheels are pointing. Yes, I left the VDC on and it interfered very little. At the Button Hole it came on fairly often and was annoying, but I realized I was trying to get on the gas too soon. Once my line was smooth, the VDC almost never came on, and I was very happy for the help in turn 17. This was the last time I really screwed up turn 17. During the third session Walt told me I finally figured out the turn and I was fairly consistent.
The concentration required is unbelievable, even at my noobie pace. You are directing and controlling your car at high speeds, looking in you mirrors for people catching you to let them pass, trying to look at the corner workers to make sure no flags are being waved, looking ahead, hearing and feeling for any signs you car is starting to go away…like the brakes and tires. I was being as easy as I could on the brakes and did not rev the engine above 5500. I usually had the revs no higher than 5000. I didn’t want to break the car, especially at a track event. I can’t wait until I can go again
I was so busy looking at where I was going, I couldn’t even tell you my speeds in the corners…just the gear and an approximation of rpm’s. I can say there are four places you can easily exceed 100mph. So turn 1 your in fourth gear, apex near the wall and floor it at apex drift out and hold fourth gear through turn two & reach about 5500rpm. Brake, keep to the right, shift in to third and don’t turn in too early. Left into 3, right into 4, stay to the right and if you don’t turn in too early to the left going into 5 you can floor it before you even reach the apex. I shift through fourth gear, fifth around turn 7 at full throttle, but shifting around 5000. This is where I am catching some inexperienced people in faster cars, because my instructor had me going through the previous esses so smoothly. Trying to be easy on the brakes, I start to slow before the bridge, fourth, third, and should be second gear but I’m getting on the gas too early in the buttonhole hairpin and upsetting the VDC so I stayed in third. You are then full throttle through turns 8 & 9 reaching about 100 again. Slow for turn 10, fifth, fourth, then get into third gear, don’t apex early and ease on the gas at the apex… drift to the left. Its gas on, shift into fourth gear through the left hand turn 11, touch the rumble strip on right at 12. I then straighten the car, brake, third gear as you let the car drift to the left side of the track. If you once again don’t turn in too early, you can get on the gas at the apex of the right hand turn of 13. Full throttle, fourth gear, fifth gear and ease off the gas just a bit and fly through the left turn of 14 and remember to let the car drift out to the right after 14’s first apex because there is another left apex coming…because if you can’t turn for the second apex there is a wall waiting to greet you. You need to stay on the left side of the track after the second apex, straighten up and brake for turn 15, shift into fourth gear. Another set of esses which I love…right, left and continue to drift out to the left wide. If you do this right, you can get a pretty straight shot at the right hand turn 16, get on the gas before the apex, let the right side tires get on the rumble strip and out to the left as you enter the longest straight at Sebring. You will go through fifth gear and get into sixth if you are short shifting like I am to be as easy on the car as possible. I brake, fifth gear, then fourth and finally learn to take turn 17 kind of like a three apex turn. Fastest at the first apex, and continue to SLOW DOWN with a tiny hint of trail braking. If you succeed at this, at least to some degree in my case, you can start getting on the gas just after you pass the second apex. I was not getting much of a launch out of 17 since I kept the car in fourth gear, though I should have been in third. But I took so long to learn a smooth and quick line through the long right hander I didn’t want to change anything. You then accelerate out of 17, get into fifth gear, move to the right side of the track, brake, shift into fourth…start all over again
I leave the track about 5:30PM and try to drive like a normal law abiding person on the 2 hour drive home playing in my mind over and over the wonderful day I had with my Infiniti G35 coupe
Last edited by dothemath; 10-07-2005 at 06:05 PM.
#3
10-07-2005, 03:26 PM
Feels good to find out how competent your 3500 lb "luxobarge" is on the track doesn't it? One of the pleasures of running track days is that you're with a bunch of regular guys/gals chasing each other around in a huge variety of cars that all go roughly the same speed. Learn the line, be smooth, patient & consistent - you'll move up through the run groups pretty quick. You may have found already that the G is an easy car to drive moderately fast, faster and more forgiving than most. You may want to do some minor component upgrades after a few sessions (sway bars, etc..) but for the most part you're good to go as is.
If you're interested here's a link to some generic info on setup, driving technique and such that you may want to think about before your next event;
http://www.turnfast.com
Good Luck & Have Fun!
If you're interested here's a link to some generic info on setup, driving technique and such that you may want to think about before your next event;
http://www.turnfast.com
Good Luck & Have Fun!
#4
10-07-2005, 03:51 PM
Yes... it did feel good. I was impressed by the way my car handles the interstate ramps! When you have someone telling you the correct line to drive and there is room for error....I was amazed the handling of my car
This is going to get expensive. Thanks for the web site and info. Here a few pics, though none in motion. Nobody went with me and the regular photographer for NASA was not there I believe.
This is going to get expensive. Thanks for the web site and info. Here a few pics, though none in motion. Nobody went with me and the regular photographer for NASA was not there I believe.
#7
10-10-2005, 05:08 PM
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10-10-2005, 07:34 PM
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#11
10-13-2005, 12:16 AM
In the hands of a good driver those little Miatas can eat up some high hp cars. They may not have the hp and torque, but some of them just corner like rats, and their higher corner entry, mid corner and corner exit speeds destroy the big boys. It takes a good chunk of straight to catch up when the little guy pops out with a 5-7mph advantage at the start of that straight. And when you get by, they are all over your rear bumper two turns later. They deserve respect.
#12
10-13-2005, 08:56 AM
You shouldn't be stuck behind any slow cars. It is not competetive, so you are supposed to waive by the faster car. If they have caught you and are behind you, they are faster. I caught the Cobra and other cars and got waived by, then waived other faster cars by me...I did not pass them in a late braking manuver into the hairpin Schumaker style!
#13
10-14-2005, 07:54 AM
Originally Posted by Eagle1
In the hands of a good driver those little Miatas can eat up some high hp cars. They may not have the hp and torque, but some of them just corner like rats, and their higher corner entry, mid corner and corner exit speeds destroy the big boys. It takes a good chunk of straight to catch up when the little guy pops out with a 5-7mph advantage at the start of that straight. And when you get by, they are all over your rear bumper two turns later. They deserve respect.
I was talking to a guy who built one last year; he bought a '92 with over 100K on it, joined Mazdaspeed to get all the setup info, and threw one together over the winter. He's now running club races & time trials and having a blast. He decided to do this after a few track days in his Viper convinced him that dropping another 10K on suspension,tires, and brakes wouldn't get him around the track any faster than a Miata. He sold the Viper and didn't look back.
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