03.05.10 - CMP DE 2010
CMP DE WRITE UP
FRIDAY
We arrived at the track on Friday afternoon, unloaded, went through Tech, and
set up camp. From there we headed straight to dinner since it was approaching
7p. After it was to the hotel to unload, decompress and hit the hay and get
ready for Saturday.
SATURDAY
It was a little chilly at the Driver’s meeting was at 8; I think it was 30*F. My
first session in White was @ 10 (?) (SCAN SCHEDULE) I did my usual prep with
removing all the loose items from the car and checking tire pressures.
SESSION #1
I could already feel myself getting a little excited. New car, new track, both
known to be technical, and neither were like anything I had ever experienced
before. I asked Dell for a ride along for the first session, which he of course
agreed to do, but he had a check ride, then his mandatory Red session right
before.
He was a little late getting to my car, so the group had already gone out, and
the first lap under Yellow had already expired, so I’m getting onto a hot track.
Need less to day I was flustered and I couldn’t dial it back. I was either too
slow or too fast almost everywhere. There are fast cars all over me, which I am
pointing by almost continuously, and while I wasn’t worried about being passed,
it was quite overwhelming with all of the other stimuli from the car and Dell.
I make my way to T14, 2 cars are on my tail, I am ready to let them by of course
on the front straight, one of our passing zones for White, and as I make my
turn, I soon realize that T14 is not done with me, it keeps turning, and
turning…I took it a little early (wrong) and went in too hot (wrong) and then
gave more input when I realized there was more curve (wrong)…..the back end
started to slide, and while I tried to correct it with opposite lock, it just
wasn’t enough, soon enough. I looped it, on the first lap of the first session,
on the first day.
Luckily, it was a good spot to miss it; I did a big 180, across the track, into
the grass, and wound up facing the turn I had just completely hosed.
Dell is laughing over the chatterbox, and I am speechless, trying to process
what just happened.
I’m OK, Dell is, obviously, and I didn’t hit anything. I look at the corner
worker at T14, and of course Yellow is out. He is waving me back onto the track,
and its at this point I realized I had stalled, (yes, I know, because I didn’t
go both feet in soon enough) so I start up, make sure there are no funny sounds
or feeling coming from the car, check with the corner worker at T14 again, and
he of course is furiously waving me onto the track, so I get back on, and I am
just a single shift into 2nd before going into the pits.
I have a brief conversation with the pit guy about what happened, he looks over
the car, and I am trying to clear my mind and refocus.
I get waved back on, and I ask Dell for some specific information, and in the
next couple laps, I managed to string a couple of good turns together and get
some clarity back, but the session soon ends, and I am relieved.
Honestly, I had been told on numerous occasions by several guys, ‘You’re gonna
loop it; you’re gonna loose control at some point…’ And while I knew eventually
I would, I didn’t think it was bee so soon. It was a perfect storm of events,
and I should have recognized them sooner and backed off. Eh, lesson learned, no
damage, and I feel like I got it out of my system. Let’s move on!
SESSION #2
I decided to go out on my own again, and try to implement some of the pointers
that Dell gave me earlier. I’m still a little jittery because I can’t quite get
my lines down, and the rear end is very ‘active’ shall we say :).
I do a tank slapper as I am leaving T12 and get a little loose again at T14. I
feel like a fish out of water and an frustrated buy also concerned that if I
spin again, I’m out of the event (2 spin rule in effect), so I really back off
and walk on egg shells for the rest of the laps, with my arm out the window
quite a bit of the time.
This is a tough friggin track!
SESSION #3
I grab Dell again, and get the play-by-play for each turn. After a lap or two,
it’s starting to click, and I am feeling more comfortable. I’m also starting to
pick up on the language the GT3 uses to tell the driver what happening. It was
talking to me before, but I couldn’t hear it for all of the other crap going on
in my head. The steering feedback, the engine note, the rear end
movement…..OK…..I hear ya…..let’s dance. Dell and I are good friends, but
seriously, he’s a fantastic instructor, at least for me. He knows when to talk
and when to not talk; he knows what to say and how to say it.
SESSION #4
Another good friend of mine who is also and instructor and knows CMP very well
is Krista W., and she offers to also go out with me for a session, which of
course I oblige because I am hungry for more instruction and tips. I offer that
I take a few laps first so she can see what I am working on, and then she can
provide her feedback. Hers is slightly different than Dell’s but after the
session when we debrief I think a little was lost in the chatter box relay
because we soon realize when me, her and Dell chat, I was just missing an apex,
or two :D
Overall for Day 1, I am pleased. The first two sessions were rocky, but the last
two, I started to listen to the car, and combined with the instruction, it was
just what I needed to understand what was going on, and how to start down the
road to actually having fun on the track in the GT3!
CLEAN UP (IN PROCESS)
CLEAN
