Mt Tam I am's Driving Journal

Mt Tam I am

I have told myself for days be good, and do not pass at that one spot anymore.

I was stuck behind a slowpoke and was quite mature thinking this doesn't bother me at all. After two minutes of saying to myself "be good", "this does not effect me" mantra, I snapped.

It was seamless in it's appearance. I came round a turn, looked down the road, it was empty, and as the car ahead went slightly right following the road, I rolled on the gas and went very slightly left, and was past the hybrid.

I now had a road that was empty. I had a blast all the way home.

Moral of the story. Don't be mature. Hey wait! I need to work on me.

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JARblue

Situations like these always make me think of this video:

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blackcherry20

then then then then

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Grand Sport Corvette Arctic White

Mt Tam I am

OUCH! Maybe if I thought of this, I'd wise up.

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blackcherry20

Hi Mt Tam!! I thought about you on my morning drive but it was so boring I won't be writing about it! LOL

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Grand Sport Corvette Arctic White

Mt Tam I am

I have plenty of those days as well.

I am going to race Monday at Leguna and will be leaving Sunday to drive down.

I can't believe that this will be my fifth trip there.

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Nissan Motorsports 34R Oil Cooler. Stillen CBE. Hotchkis Sport Sway Bars. KW Variant 3 Coilover System. Stillen Gen3 CAI. Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Stillen Brake Ducts. Carbotech™ XP10/XP8 Pads. Z1 Front Rotors. Z1 Stainless Brake Lines. Two degrees of camber

Mt Tam I am

I just got back from Laguna Seca. I have not had time to review my video and times. I do know I set a personal best, beating my last best time by 1.5 seconds. It may be even better upon review.

I even got a good review from the head race director. To me this was the highest praise around. I didn't even think he'd pay attention to me, yet alone compliment me.

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Nissan Motorsports 34R Oil Cooler. Stillen CBE. Hotchkis Sport Sway Bars. KW Variant 3 Coilover System. Stillen Gen3 CAI. Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Stillen Brake Ducts. Carbotech™ XP10/XP8 Pads. Z1 Front Rotors. Z1 Stainless Brake Lines. Two degrees of camber

blackcherry20

good job!! Feels good to be recognized by people you admire! I think it is way cool that you drive at Laguna Seca!

Kinda like you guys giving me so much help and attention
I am still amazed that i have such a cool car and that you guys "admire" me for driving it aww shucks.

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Grand Sport Corvette Arctic White

Mt Tam I am

Well we do.

The more you do it the simpler and faster it becomes.

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Mt Tam I am

This is my best day ever at Laguna Seca. I had worked some things out in my mind, and upon reflection. It worked.

The first two sessions were marked by 15 minute black flagged interruptions. After each my gal said I drove like I was pissed. I wasn't.

The third run has me dogging an M3 until he let me by. My camera fell loose from it's mount so it bounces around filming down in the trunk. I am not posting this. I then set my best lap times ever by beating my previous best time by a second repeatedly, and once by 1.5 seconds.

My fourth was better still. After tightening the set screw on the camera mount and drinking a 5 hour energy. We three set off nearly last, a M3 a Lotus and myself. We wanted to run together if we could. No passing under first lap yellow. Tell that to the yellow lotus but who cares when right after the yellow came off we came up on a Miata that spins first right then must apply full left lock. The next thing I see is the car spinning left. Whoa. It plagued my mind as I wasn't sure what I'd seen, was it two spins or only one. That is why video helps.

Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca - 370z Fourth session - YouTube

This was the last session. All groups were in this final event. Still not many ran. I am hot and sweaty and tired. I start to suffer fuel starvation. I should have had enough gas based on past experience but now I have a new experience to draw upon. In less than 30 minutes, 5 gallons of gas in 38.5 miles at $6 per. Best money ever spent on gas too.

I had my best lap by 1.75 seconds over my previous day last year.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Nissan 370Z - YouTube

By the end of the day, 3 fires, a Caterham, hit the tire wall. A broken bearing on a new Arial Atom on his first run. Other bad things happened making this the worst day from a damage point of view. Still nobody got hurt at all. Just pocket books took a beating.

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Nissan Motorsports 34R Oil Cooler. Stillen CBE. Hotchkis Sport Sway Bars. KW Variant 3 Coilover System. Stillen Gen3 CAI. Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Stillen Brake Ducts. Carbotech™ XP10/XP8 Pads. Z1 Front Rotors. Z1 Stainless Brake Lines. Two degrees of camber

JARblue

Can't wait to get some time to check out the videos!

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wstar

Nice vids!

The Miata spin: More for the Lotus and Mustang than you, but in a spin situation like that you really can't slow down and stare like that. I assume you honking was a reminder for them to get back on the gas. Stopping for someone else's spin is a sure-fire way to cause a pileup. Soon as you're sure you can get by them safely, get back on pace and get outta there.

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wstar

As long as we're talking about spins, I exported a couple small clips from other parts of my last weekend's track data:

This first part is me making a big error. I was off-line and couldn't hold it, was inevitable I'd drop two wheels on the outside, but I kept trying to hold it on track instead of safely driving off. This resulted in me re-crossing the track, which is pretty damn dangerous. I've done better about this in past incidents, but my mind wasn't in the right place this time around:

Me going off-track on both sides - YouTube

And then here's another guy doing the same sort of thing right in front of me, in a different session. Notice that I brake a little until I'm sure where his car is going (well that and dropping a little speed gives you some excess traction for emergency corrections), then push on through immediately:

Spin in front of me: TWS CW - YouTube

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Mt Tam I am

I would love to see the Mustang camera footage. That Miata looks pretty close to his grill from back here.

I agree. Do not dally after a spin. I was not staring for sure. I first turn down into the turn (three) to get out of the way and I was going to pass bye on the inside but did not want to close the door on the two cars ahead. I knew where they were. I doubt they knew where I was. On review the Lotus may have waved me bye but I never saw that in the moment. He gesticulates while driving as well, so I need to ask.

The Mustang was faster on reset than the Lotus. This is point bye passing so I was not sure what I was supposed to do. I honked to tell him get going and get back in front. I thought about it more later and perhaps I should have just gone but the Lotus and I have a history together. I look out for my friends. We both needed to get out of here, you first. I knew we were at the back so we had a few seconds plus the flaggers to hopefully wave off the others.

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wstar

Yeah it's all tricky judgement calls out there, and you were kinda put in a bad situation given the passing rules and the two cars slowing way down in front of you.

Given time to watch a video over and over (which says nothing about what you might do in a split second on the track), probably the ideal call was to blast on past that whole scene on the far right as soon as it was obvious the Lotus and Mustang were braking down to like 10mph. At that point you may as well consider them part of the incident rather than cars to obey passing rules with. But it all depends on the group and the drivers and the track marshal and how the weekend's been going and that conversation 20 minutes earlier in the paddock and and and...

It's just good to analyze afterwards and think these things through and prepare your mindset for the inevitable next 10 or 20 times you'll be placed in situations that require that sort of judgement call.

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7AT Track Car!
Journal thread / Car setup details