Drivers School Oct 8-9

[1996 328ti]

Notice how many people mention how much they like meeting people with similar automotive addictions or complain about how the costs associated with attending a DE. Autocrossing is much less expensive, more frequent and also has a great group of people out there.

Ever since split heats there doesn't seem to be the large number of people hanging out all day.

[Dirichlet]

Just a few pics from the paddock Sunday AM
http://community.webshots.com/album/473594950musRbb
n-joy

[AlfaEric]

Ever since split heats there doesn't seem to be the large number of people hanging out all day.

But the people that are there seem to be happier that they don't have to stay all day. I don't blame people for not staying all day especially during the summer heat. The spring events had a lot of people staying all day and I think many people will stay for the next events - depending on how far they have to drive and the weather.

---Eric

[Jenson Button]

First I get a personal thank you from SharkD, and then I notice a picture of Vader posted by Diriclet. Maybe I need to check out these forums more often!

I would like to state that this was one of the most outstanding schools I have ever attended. I have driven the Jeff many times in the rain, but I don't ever remember it being this slick. Even staying off the dry line, it was like an ice rally school in my car. Never have so many drivers exhibited such large yaw angles. I have never seen anything even close. An urban legend was even born about peanut oil...

The BBQ Saturday night was also great. Too bad too few stuck around for the fun. The bench racing was fast and furious.

Sunday was a nice cherry on top of a great season. Everyone seemed to be driving their best after practicing on the 1.7 mile skidpad on Saturday. I hope those who were worrying about rain in this thread before the school will now save up for a head dress and start preparing for schools by joining me in a rain dance.

See everyone at the holiday party!

[Barry]

An urban legend was even born about peanut oil...

It's no urban legend.
Three years ago I was instructing at the NASA Hype-R Fest. I was one of the Drifting School Instructors and we were on the Jefferson. Someone came up with the bright idea to coat the first four turns of the track with peanut oil to help the students get oversteer. It worked well for the school, but the events that came after suffered. Now, three years later, we're doing the drifting school on a dry track.

The sun has baked away most of the peanut oil, but the trees shade a lot of turn one. In the rain, turn one becomes treacherous as the residual peanut oil rises to the surface.

If you talk to the full-time BSR instructors they'll tell you that, in the BSR Crown Vics, they've figured out what the maximum speed is you can do in the rain, in turn one. One mile per hour more than that and you'll lose it.

It's no urban legend.
Barry

[OwnedbyDuncan]

The Jefferson was slick in the wet the first time NCC had a school on the track. We also had a freak November snow storm Saturday night. Go back to my hotel from dinner on track tires on I 81 was fun with the lanes just beginning to become snow covered.

[SharkD]

Hey, the Hokies weren't on TV on Sunday so there was no need to be on the couch that day.

And who knew I'd be able to catch the end of the Astros-Braves game when I got home around 6:30pm? Were you even done packing up by then?

I knew the Hokies weren't ready to play back-to-back games (I have a feeling, however, that the Blue Devil football team could have posted a performance similar to Saturday's, had they played on Sunday), but the NFL was calling...

And, yes, I was finished loading all my tools, the jack, tires and roof-rack by 6:15pm. Home by 8:00. Asleep by 9:30.

Sunday was a nice cherry on top of a great season. Everyone seemed to be driving their best after practicing on the 1.7 mile skidpad on Saturday. I hope those who were worrying about rain in this thread before the school will now save up for a head dress and start preparing for schools by joining me in a rain dance.

Bob, next time, I'll glue a few feathers to my HANS and join you in a rain dance...

[M-technik-3]

SNOW, yipes it's too early for that.

[Bimmer3]

Saturday was the most fun I have ever had on a race track. Even more fun than the drifting competition at HypeRfest in 2003, BEFORE I hit the tirewall in the infield.
As far as the peanut oil resurfacing, I can't imagine why it has not been washed away by now. The entire track was slick, turn 1 was no worse than turn 4, 5, or 7. Surely by now, with all the rain and numerous events held on the track, it's gone, and the track is just slippery when wet.
Too bad we cannot schedule rain events like Saturday, the students and instructors learned far more in the wet than they would have in the dry.
It also showed the difference that tire condition and compound can play in handling on a wet track. Those on well treaded R tires were passing everyone. Worn R's were getting around pretty quickly, though sliding a lot, and those on treaded or worn street tires, were also struggling for traction. My student was on full tread all-seasons, in an underpowered car, using 3rd gear, and he had no forward bite. The rubber must be soft to stick in the rain.

Sorry I missed Sunday.

[SharkD]

I also wanted to thank Glenn Speakman for the loan of some spare lug bolts -- Murphy's law kicked in on Saturday morning... all week I kept thinking that I needed to get out to RRT and grab some spare studs & lug nuts, but never did.