Lime Rock Recap |  |  |
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| Lime Rock Recap grant - 9 years ago |
Well, NNJR opened its season at historic Lime Rock Park in the Berkshires Wed and Thursday. It was cold. Very cold. And it was wet. very wet. in fact it rained most of Wednesday, except when it snowed. Yes, snowed. Thrills and (truly) chills, both readily available on track. Chilly wet tracks provide lots of thrills, some unwanted.
What tires did i run? well, the ones that i drove up on have little snowflakes on the side-walls, and that seemed apporopos. Yes, boys and girls, i ran snow tires and others were jealous. That evening we were treated to a keg of ice-cold beer which, oddly, we enjoyed and took on our track-walk, guided by the head instructor of the Lime Rock Club - Simon Kirkby. Its always instructive to see the track, its camber and features by foot - you see soooooo much more. Especially with ice on your nose and a cold beer in your hand.
Thursday the skies were cloudy, but only a little snow fell, and essentially no rain. Its odd when that seems like a dramatic improvement. As the temperatures soared into the upper 30s, and the track dried, i got out real tires, many returned to the track, and we all actually had a terrific 2/3 of a day on track. With a little coaching from Simon (thanks Simon!) i ran some pretty good times - I'd estimate 1:08 ish, from a stopwatch sorta thing. I didn't have a timer going, so i cant say much more - but it felt very good too. I think i finally figured out the uphill, or maybe got brave enough to trust that the rising earth really will catch me.....as well as how to brake at "1" entering big bend - easier of course in a slow car.
So, to recap - two weeks ago i was skiing at 13000' in a t-shirt. This week i was driving with every article of clothing i had with me on simultaneously.
And had fun at both.
Grant
Grant
gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com
What tires did i run? well, the ones that i drove up on have little snowflakes on the side-walls, and that seemed apporopos. Yes, boys and girls, i ran snow tires and others were jealous. That evening we were treated to a keg of ice-cold beer which, oddly, we enjoyed and took on our track-walk, guided by the head instructor of the Lime Rock Club - Simon Kirkby. Its always instructive to see the track, its camber and features by foot - you see soooooo much more. Especially with ice on your nose and a cold beer in your hand.
Thursday the skies were cloudy, but only a little snow fell, and essentially no rain. Its odd when that seems like a dramatic improvement. As the temperatures soared into the upper 30s, and the track dried, i got out real tires, many returned to the track, and we all actually had a terrific 2/3 of a day on track. With a little coaching from Simon (thanks Simon!) i ran some pretty good times - I'd estimate 1:08 ish, from a stopwatch sorta thing. I didn't have a timer going, so i cant say much more - but it felt very good too. I think i finally figured out the uphill, or maybe got brave enough to trust that the rising earth really will catch me.....as well as how to brake at "1" entering big bend - easier of course in a slow car.
So, to recap - two weeks ago i was skiing at 13000' in a t-shirt. This week i was driving with every article of clothing i had with me on simultaneously.
And had fun at both.
Grant
Grant
gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com
Laz - 9 years ago |
If your snows are the Porsche spec type, they give very good street performance, and are probably less prone to snapping than summer tires in those conditions. By the way, the Michelin PA4s might be good in snow if they weren't sooooo wide. Next winter set I'll try the recently available Continentals.
Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?
Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?
| Mine were not *actualy* snow tires. They are... grant - 9 years ago |
Y rated, ultra-high performance, 340 treadwear, very soft and crummy dry grip, but with the snowflake rating for use < 40 degrees, and a very open tread pattern.
yes, they are vastly more predictable in wet and cold. i also used them during the deluge at VIR last fall - much warmer, but ebough water to have me asking "what's a cubit"?
But everyone was calling them snow tires :-) Gallows humor at the track.
G
Grant
gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com
yes, they are vastly more predictable in wet and cold. i also used them during the deluge at VIR last fall - much warmer, but ebough water to have me asking "what's a cubit"?
But everyone was calling them snow tires :-) Gallows humor at the track.
G
Grant
gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com
This week i think i *finally* learned, and learned to trust myself, for "the uphill". The uphill is an extremely tight right-hand turn at the end of a crooked straight ("no name") which, after about 30 ft, rises abruptly at a 30-degree or so angle (pretty much a cliff) for maybe 60 feet of elevation. The key to this turn is using the compression of the turn, and trusting that it will roughly double your grip (ok, ok, i know, cos30deg = 0.5, so its 150% of grip.....). Its really hard to drive in deep and fast with a wall *right there*, trusting that once you begin the rapid ascent, you'll have lots an lots of grip. This makes for an interesting pucker factor - but IT WORKS. Once i did it right ( with SImon Kirkby's encouragement) my speed in that section increased dramatically - very, very important in a momentum car like mine since it put me into the following straight and West bend maybe 15 mph faster (data to prove that: none).
There are just so many complex turns in only 1.52 miles of asphalt.
G
Grant
gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com
There are just so many complex turns in only 1.52 miles of asphalt.
G
Grant
gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com
| Alas, i will be in Torino during Mid-Ohio. grant - 9 years ago |
Having started a new firm, i will likely have an abbreviated track schedule this year - no LRP, no Mosport (likely not) no Thunderbolt in June....
I am trying to protect VIR, and will bet at NJMP for the advanced event end of April. Sleet maybe? Raining frogs?
Grant
Grant
gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com
I am trying to protect VIR, and will bet at NJMP for the advanced event end of April. Sleet maybe? Raining frogs?
Grant
Grant
gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com
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