Just got home from my DE weekend. This was
The Driver's Edge program, running at
MSR Houston. The whole weekend was really awesome. A lot of fun, and a lot of learning.
The car held up great, no random mechanical issues to solve over the weekend (which means the 100lbs of tools and spare parts I lugged to the event were mostly dead weight). The new brake stuff (Relentless 2pc rotors + Carbotech XP8 pads) were awesome. Brought the car down pretty hard, and never faded on me. The new oil pressure gauge worked fine. The new battery relocate didn't come apart or anything. The Conti DW's are still going strong, lots of tread still on 'em.
I was in the Green (noob) run group, since this was my first event. It was the right place for me to be I think, at least initially, as there was more classroom time and more coverage of basic track-driving mechanics. It was a big group though, and there were a number of cars there that just weren't "getting it" and kinda slowing us down. Still, even then while we were slowed down, it gave me the opportunity to practice passes (including some off-line passes near corner entries), and my instructor and I got to sit back and chat about where the guy in front of us was doing good or making a bad line or using the brakes when they shouldn't, etc. For my last run on the second day, my instructor went ahead and moved me up a group and let me run with the Blue group. In that group everyone's past the very basics and kinda knows how to handle themselves, cornering speeds and lines are closer matched between the cars, and passing was being handled a lot more efficiently. Everything just "clicks" better between the drivers in that group, and I was able to hold my own I think, at least on this track in this direction.
Planning to do more events with these guys (and at more tracks), and work towards being a consistent blue-grouper, although I may need to drop back to green on new tracks at least once to figure them out, we'll see how that works out. My instructor (Ginger) was awesome, she talked me through correcting a lot of my mistakes (and yes all the instructors at these use the in-helmet headsets to talk to you).
As my speed ramped up, things kept changing, that was something I didn't really anticipate. When you finally nail down a challenging corner and exit it significantly faster, then you're suddenly coming into the next faster than you've done before, and it changes your setup a bit. Might have to brake earlier, get further to the outside before turning in, etc. I had a few slip-ups from mistakes (e.g. not shedding enough speed before turn-in, or not unwinding the steering enough as I laid back into the throttle), which led to a few minor slides (a couple of throttle oversteers, and one sideways 4-wheel drift), but I managed to correct them gently and not go off track, and recover my line a little further down, so I think things are coming along well. Lots to learn yet, but it will come with time.
I still need to do a minor tear-down on the car for after-analysis and make sure everything's good (primary concern is if my new oil pressure fittings had a tiny slow leak, it might not be apparent until I get back in there and feel for the slick on the fittings or look for drip marks on the undertray).
I shot video of my 2nd day sessions (3 with green, and the final run with blue, although I forgot to hit the "record" button when we started blue, and then finally realized it and hit the button while we were on a straight a few laps in). I still need to get those edited and youtube'd. Either I'll get it done tomorrow, or it'll be a week, since I'm leaving the country for a week tomorrow evening.
I'll stop rambling now with one final note: If you've got a functioning Z and you've never been to a DE type event, you really owe it to yourself to do so. You're missing out on a big chunk of your Z's fun value
