sonny Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I usually show video in my classroom sessions. Some of the studs recently mentioned they could not find any good video on-line of the school line at Road Atlanta. OK, so here it is as I teach it -- The only thing about the vid is on the back straight, I'm staying track right to stay out of the way of the Enduro Racers that day when I shot the vid. Ideally, you should stay track LEFT until T9 (the little kink that goes to the right just before the downhill). Then turn in gently to the right & get lined up straight track RIGHT for the brake zone of T10a. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny Posted December 24, 2013 Author Share Posted December 24, 2013 Wow! Over 200 views & not one comment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowDawg Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 People are probably just curious why you ended up with a "special" trophy instead of a real one, if this really is the perfect line. Sorry Sonny, I'm at the office trying to finish some stuff up and flipped over here while taking a break. Guess I'm in a perfect smart-ass Christmas-time mood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny Posted December 24, 2013 Author Share Posted December 24, 2013 People are probably just curious why you ended up with a "special" trophy instead of a real one, if this really is the perfect line. Ha! This isn't the "perfect" line. This is the school line. It's slightly different from the "perfect" line. Speaking of which, I've never run a "perfect" line - which probably explains where I finished for the season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmmotorsports Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Much easier to just run the line Jim Pantas doesn't…that is the "perfect" line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockerbill Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Well, Sonny, I am a neophyte who has only run two PDX sessions at RA (out of three PDX total) and the video is really helpful for me. The only corner that I think I have ever managed with a level of competency that may exceed 20% of the car's capability is turn 6. The rest are very mysterious and I still have major pucker every time I go under the bridge headed to 12. Turn 4 has confused me every lap too. Your video definitely helps visualize the course and, most importantly, identify landmarks to watch for the next time I attempt a session, so for that, thanks! I guarantee I will watch it many more times before I make my next event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowDawg Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Bill, that's exactly the reason he posted it, so I'm glad it helped you out (as I'm sure it will help many others as well). The rest of us are just being smartasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowDawg Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Much easier to just run the line Jim Pantas doesn't…that is the "perfect" line. Bazinga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny Posted December 30, 2013 Author Share Posted December 30, 2013 Well, Sonny, I am a neophyte who has only run two PDX sessions at RA (out of three PDX total) and the video is really helpful for me. The only corner that I think I have ever managed with a level of competency that may exceed 20% of the car's capability is turn 6. The rest are very mysterious and I still have major pucker every time I go under the bridge headed to 12. Turn 4 has confused me every lap too. Your video definitely helps visualize the course and, most importantly, identify landmarks to watch for the next time I attempt a session, so for that, thanks! I guarantee I will watch it many more times before I make my next event.In my classroom sessions, I also have a running commentary that goes along with the vid to explain the finer points of the line that aren't readily evident in the vid. For T2, as you go up the hill, aim for the trees over the top of the hill & then as you crest the hill, turn-in. T4 isn't all that mysterious -- right after T3, get the car to the left as quickly as possible without sacrificing too much speed to set-up for entering the esses. The more you straighten out T3, the easier it will be to get to the left for T4. At some points of the vid, it looks like I'm missing an apex or two (eg, T1 & T6). But I'm actually staying away from the curb at both of those turns on purpose to maximize grip. T1 has the concrete patch on the track surface that you want to keep your left side tires on. The concrete patch (when dry) is stickier than the regular track surface. T6 has camber that you can only maximize if you stay 2-3 feet to the LEFT of the inside curbing. If you stay too far inside, you don't get onto the camber there. Using the camber, you can get back onto throttle well before apex. Entering the top of the esses, aim for & get onto the curbing on the left to widen the track as much as possible. That curbing is actually completely flat & should be driven on. To set up for T12, you aim to be under one of the squares at the bridge -- Yellow, White or Red. The yellow square creates the largest arch & gives you more time to spot your turn-in point. But bc it creates a larger arch, you're traveling a greater distance & therefore, slower into the turn. The red square (far right) creates a relatively straight line & provides the least amount of time for you to spot the turn-in as you come down the hill. Because it is straighter, it is the fastest line there. There are more nuances that I cover in the class that are more difficult to describe here. (One great one is the dip at the turn-in for T12.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockerbill Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 I haven't been to any NASA HPDE events yet, just PDX which doesn't include any classroom instruction. The ride-along instructors I have had are good, but I really need a comm link between driver and instructor. I don't hear worth a darn and don't see hand signals when on course. I am going to try to attend as many driving experience events as possible this coming year. Thanks for the course descriptions. I don't know what it is about 4 that messes me up except that your video is the first time I have ever seen that curbing on the left side of 4, if you can imagine that... my entrance to the esses must be a disaster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowDawg Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Your instructors haven't had radios for you to use? I can't imagine trying to communicate without them. I would assume most NASA instructors have them (or at least know someone they can borrow a set from). Sonny will have to chime in on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny Posted December 30, 2013 Author Share Posted December 30, 2013 I haven't been to any NASA HPDE events yet, just PDX which doesn't include any classroom instruction. The ride-along instructors I have had are good, but I really need a comm link between driver and instructor. I don't hear worth a darn and don't see hand signals when on course.It is a requirement for our NASA Instructors to have a comm link for their student. I highly recommend you attend one of our NASA-SE events! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnsonRod Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 +1 on the NASA instructors. i have done HPDEs for 6 years and i even help with instruction at VIR. i ran my first NASA event at Rd Atlanta in december and i signed up for HPDE 1 because i had never ran rd atl before. the guy i got was cool and helpful. he had fun riding with me and bumped me up the first day. he never acted like a know it all. he talked to me with respect and i am glad i found nasa. ill be back in march to shake down the new cage, seats, harnesses i add this winter. go to one of these guys events. you will love the grass roots racing feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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