In racing it happens

Last weekend did not end as well as I'd hoped.

515 was a rocket. Turning in lap times what were considerably faster the last year. 2013 = 1:53 2014 = 1:48. I changed some of my shifting patterns and was really able to use the cars strenghts to over come the gap down the back straight. Through the corners she was incredible.

That said I got caught off guard exiting turn 9 and had an "off."

As a driver nothing pisses you off more then making a dumb error. However I'm happy I was able to bleed off enough speed and keep the car from re-entering the track in front of other drives. Classic if I'd had another foot I bet I would have missed the wall.

The damage is limited to the right front fender and hood. All of which I have back ups for. The local community came out swinging. Amazing people.

So this week I will start the repair process. I suspect I wont be able to go racing again in 2014 since I will need the budget to afford some paint work.

Enjoy the video...

http://youtu.be/vprqtS8GKQA

Sorry to see that, look forward to the repair thread!

Such a little off...at most of the tracks I race at, that would have been nothing because there is significantly more run-off and the wall usually has tires as a barrier. Glad it wasn't worse.

I know the standards in vintage are higher for appearance, but right there is the reason I painted my BMW myself with a roller. Paintwork costs me nearly nothing!

Yeah I'll keep everyone posted on the repairs.

Should be a learning experience for me.

On the paint yes I agree but the car is due for a paint job.

50 footer for sure ;)

Race 2 http://youtu.be/cGyc-j4h9j8

Race 3 http://youtu.be/WvibVE0Nq4c

I've enjoyed following your thread on the car but that is a bummer to see. I'm sure you'll have it back together soon.

That looks repairable. Being T boned by an MGB back in the day bent my Spitfire in half. But we still were back on the track the next season.

I missed the final race. We had considered battling to make it to the last race but I was sore and decided to pack up and head home.

It was a 5 hour drive so that put me home at 9 pm vs 10/11pm if I'd run the final.

This weekend I should have my hands on a newish fender and hood.

That was exciting ! Great video in spite of how it ends ! ! !

You seemed to be sawing the wheel back and forth a lot, was the car slippery/twitchy or the rack loose? Just wondering as the movement was fairly constant throughout.

Rebuildable? I hope so, love your car.

Oh no! Sorry to hear this and glad you are not hurt.
Scott

Hate to see this. A beautiful car and I've really enjoyed the various videos. I applaud your attitude: In racing it happens.

I watched about 10 times and still not clear what went wrong? The lotus looks to have dived in and from there it all went wrong.

That stinks Andre, but I guess the saying goes in racing "it's not if you're going to wreck, but when..." And it's the #1 reason why I'd want to buy an already built car like you did vs. building one and having tons of emotional attachment to it.

Looking forward to the "rebuild" thread.

I'm sorry to read this Andre- I too have followed your posts and videos, they have been great!

I crew for a Spridget driver who races vintage. In the last Saturday race, first event of the year, the guy in front of him spun out in his own oil (forgot to tighten the drain plug) and in avoiding him my driver ended up facing the wrong way on the track. The guy who spun forgot to apply his brake after spinning and backed right into my guy. He's about where you are now.

Not to mention his starter died, he has a leaking head gasket and a leaking rear hub...

E36 M3 happens! But keep the great attitude- this is all for fun in the end!

Why it happened?

A lot of theories but pure simple my error. I over reacted to the move by the Lotus and did not catch the back end stepping out.

The corner had seen a lot of action over the weekend and may have been slick with oil but I'd hit my marks all weekend through that turn.

Mosport it by no ways smooth. Track moves around a lot but the car is very stable I'm just reacting to cornering and trying to maximize my exit speeds. You'll notice it when I hit the little bump at the bottom of turn 2 and so on.

I'd manage to get my times down 1:54 to a 1:48 and expected to see a little more.

For me yes the car will repaired but I will have to access my future. I'm done for the season due to the funds needed to repair the car (all cosmetic and then paint) but also the time. Need to pull the motor and so on.

So knowing I wont hit the black top again this summer means I can take my time.

Further to the drive. I call this my 2nd real race. Last fall at the Mont Tremblant track and then this year at Mosport I was finally competitive and that unleashed a whole new learning experience.

Planning and passing. Timing everything and dealing with cars with out pace you in certain sections and hold you up in others.

My driving coach cut me down to size for the pass on 95 and I agreed with his assessment. He also pointed out about 3 other spots I could have gotten around the TR3.

Ah mentors. Nothing like being told to go faster through turn 2 :)

In reply to AndreGT6:

Andre it looked like you were momentarily distracted and just got behind the car. You could review the video 1000 times and come up with 100 different things to do different but of course these things come with experience. As for passing it takes time to learn to hang back that extra 15ft so you get a run up on people. You have the right attitude repair the car so you're happy with it and then just go to the next event you can, whether that is September or April.

Tom

I nearly gave up racing two years ago. It was SO expensive, and I wasn't even a strong mid-pack contender. I had my car up for sale this past winter, and had a buyer interested.

I instructed a weekend at the track, and in using the race car for my sessions and just driving hard and having fun I turned my best lap times ever at the track I was at. With a student in the car. Hmmmm. You'd think being an instructor I would figure out that it takes practice to become better. Here I was, ready to bail on the entire operation and go back to a street car just because a) I couldn't do eight events a year and b) I wasn't able to hang with the fast guys. Like you, however, I found some remarkable improvements via just paying attention and buying some (expensive) pro instruction. Plus, I decided going to the track in a vehicle with full safety equipment would continue to allow me to push myself to improve, whereas I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that in a car with no cage and factory seats/belts. So I decided to keep it and try to do at least two races a year while working on my driving at a few other events as an instructor.

What's my point? Well, this is a long, slow process to become a better driver. I think what was discouraging was I didn't see improvement just on race weekends. I probably got too involved in the whole qualify/race 'seriousness' and just kept doing the same things, so nothing changed. When I didn't care, I turned competitive lap times in a car that weighs 60# too much with a 200# passenger riding shotgun. That you were able to trim so much time off your laps is a real sign of improvement. So what if we don't have the money to fix a wrecked car every weekend? I'll still take a couple times a year on track over sitting in the bleachers. My goal now is to incrementally improve my driving. If I happen to do better in a race at the same time, bonus. Just keep plugging away.

Andre - I had a similar off at Sears Point about 3 year ago while racing in heavy rain. It was the longest 12 hour drive home in my life. All I could do is contemplate what I should have done different. It ended my season as well. While making the repairs, I also made some big improvements to my car which I've been very happy with.

Even the best drivers have their moments:

http://youtu.be/tPCkbIVR7vg

Good luck with the repairs.

Andre, what tire is that on your car in the pic there?

Toyo R888

;)

In reply to AndreGT6:

Andre, great video thanks for sharing. Mosport is not an ultra smooth track especially in some of the transitions where old and new pavement meet.

Some observations knowing knitting about your car or style :).

1. Seat position. While I know many people that swear by the hand shuffling in your case it appears to me that you are too far from the wheel, one can see your head and shoulder positioning change when you "reach" for 12 o'clock. The reason this is relevant is comfort, you can not drive confidently if you are not comfortable and in many points on the film you look uncomfortable especially corner entry and mid corner. It also impacts your ability to drive and scan with your peripheral vision.

2. The other thing I notice you doing is pushing the wheel up rather than pulling the wheel down, ie on a right hand corner pulling down with your right arm 80% and pushing up with your left 20%, by doing this you can use your muscles more effectively and you will see better precision particularly at the end of a race...racing a vintage racer is hard work!

3. based on the video it looks and sounds as though you are slowing the car down with the engine rather than the brakes. Try braking harder, later, then getting on the power ASAP

4. chassis setup, you need to optimize your rear end, the hookup does not seem ideal and there are lots of places on the track you sound like you are sliding or spinning one or both wheels which is slowing you down. A vintage car , particularly a vintage small bore car needs every bit of grip , I would be interested to know hot pressures and temps as well as any funny tire wear. Also what tuning aids you have front and rear (ie sway bars).

Sorry about the damage to the car but racing and wrenching one a vintage racer (especially with the support of an enthusiastic community) is a great way to spend your time and money!

Again thanks for sharing, let me know if any of that helped.