5.0 RACER

1. Get in the car.
2. Strap myself in (5 point harness).
3. Realize the keys to the car are in my front pocket.
4. Unstrap.
5. Get out of the car and get the keys out of my pocket.
6. Get in the car.
7. Strap myself in.
8. Put the keys in the ignition.
9. Notice my helmet sitting on the passenger floor.
10. Unstrap.
11. Put the helmet on the passenger seat.
12. Strap myself in.
13. Notice the driver's door is still open.
14. Wonder why the guy next to me on grid thinks this is so funny.
15. Unstrap.
16. Close the driver's door on the lap belt.
17. Try to strap back in.
18. Open the door to free up the lap belt.
19. Strap myself in.
20. Notice the driver's door is still open.
21. Getting irritated at guy next to me on grid who's cackling like a chicken.
22. Put helmet on head, scraping glasses down nose and onto the floor.
23. Take helmet off.
24. Unstrap.
25. Pickup glasses.
26. Strap myself in.
27. Notice my helmet sitting on the passenger floor.
28. Decide the guy next to me on grid is having a coronary by the way he's twitching and jerking.
29. Unstrap.
30. Put the helmet on my head.
31. Try to strap myself in but I can't see the latch because of the helmet.
32. Take helmet off, carefully putting it on the passenger seat.
33. Strap myself in.
34. Hope the coronary that guy is going through finishes soon.
35. Put helmet on.
36. Notice glasses on passenger side of dash.
37. Unstrap.
38. Put glasses on.
39. Strap myself in.
40. The guy next to me must be dead 'cuz I can't see him sitting up in the car anymore.

---
Tom
99 FRC
Open Track Instructor

Kanmer

I have had days like that

Bob

AU N EGL

Noooooooo That Nevvveeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr happens to any of us.

You forgot one.


After all the above is checked and recheck you go out on to the track and 1/2 lap into your session you notice there is no fuel in the car.

5.0 RACER

I was coming around at WGI and was loking at the fuel gauge. I'll stop next lap I said.

went into turn 1, and it died. fine on the straights, but the corners would wash it away from the pickup. Slow corners and fast straights....

John Shiels

for me I get in and ready to go. Then Edith yells did you bleed down your tires Then I have to jump out

yellow01

It's always so hot down here I always sit on the grid with the door open... I don't know how many times I've tightened harnesses only to undo them to close the door

I had an instructure one weekend who did it EVERY TIME I couldn't help but laugh.

freefall

LOL!!! I was just thinking yesterday that I'm getting good about checking the door before latching the shoulder harnesses...

Too Tall Bob

A couple of others that I've done too after strapping in:
-Forgot to close fuel door and put on the gas cap.
-"Let's see...did I torque those lug nuts?"
-"Crud...the hood (or trunk) isn't shut all the way!"
-Forgot to put a new tape in the camera.
-"Darn it! Wrong run group!!"

John Shiels

yea tape in the camera is another for me. I sit with the AC on at the grid. My friend took his out and he suffers. He has 600 RWHP like he needed the AC removed My finger tips can just catch the door to close when strapped in loose.

StArrow68

And that all is followed by getting up to the pregrid next to a friend who yells over, do you want to go out with your hood up? Leave the pregrid, slowly and go back up the line looking for an unsuspecting soul who you don't know to ask if they can push down and get to hood to catch. Wrong guy, non-Vette person, wrong place, too light a touch and takes them about a minute per side. Should have unstrapped. Again!

AU N EGL

Hmmmm some good info to yell over to the viper guy next you on the pregrid.

67 fastback

one time...at drivers camp

I had a instructor in my car and I was having trouble finding the apex...very late


seems my glasses where on the dash

I dropped 3 seconds when I put them back on

Too Tall Bob

Speaking of finding the apex:

Just once, I'd love to go out onto the track before they start the run sessions in the morning and move all the apex cones to a different spot on the corner and see what happens! hehe

67 fastback

I've raced karts for years.......YES it's fun !

even old hat's fall for it

the Alfa club in socal yank the cones

you won't belive what marks in the track, cracks,scrapes,rocks in the pavement that you can see @ 100mph

NEVER use skid marks or rocks on the side of the track
I've moved rocks {small ones} not boulders

and skid marks can get confusing when more get laid down

AU N EGL

Some clubs take the cones away on day two People complained up and down and few good ppl lwho earned not to use the cones on the first day, Never noticed the cones were gone.

Too Tall Bob

I would say that over half the people that I teach during a two day weekend STILL have no clue as to what those cones are for on Sunday afternoon no matter how many times I've told them what they are there for!!

And these are people with too much money, and not enough brains to drive a high performance car.

varkwso

I ran with a group at Roebling who set cones up and I still am not sure for what purpose -it sure did not match any line I know and I have hit most of them over the last few years...

Good news it seems most students do not know the cones are there for a reason and it did not throw them off.

I thought I was the only one going through the pre-track entry checklist and having to repeat the strap in several times!

vms4evr

1. Forgetting to close the hood completely. Numerous times...

2. Camcorder is powered up and I have the little remote in my hand. Move to grid and wait. I've gone past the 10min mark. Camcorder powers off to save battery. Can't reach power on switch.

3. It's hotter than heck here. So I wear a wicking t-shirt then I put on a long sleeve cotton shirt for my sessions. Drive up to grid. Grid worker says, " Hey you going for a tan or something? Might want to go back and get the rest of your clothes." Damn it!

Oh and Jeff. Some of us noobs actually know why they put the cones out there. It's cause they know some of us are autocrossers and we like to try and clip them And when you road with me at RA during the Chin event I knew some of those cones were in the wrong places It does get me lazy though and I start using the cones. I like that idea of yanking them on day 2. Forces you to use land/feature marks. Like squiggly tar worms on the track

Janet Curran

I guess that none of you share a car. Adjust seat, steering wheel, mirrors, harness and finally gotten all strapped in, everything done right, driven up to the grid, looked over and find Mike's helmet sitting on the passenger seat. I'm in the right lane, cars beside me in the left lane, cars in front, cars behind and I'm screaming trying to find someone to take the blasted helmet. Ugh!!!
Janet Curran

Too Tall Bob

Janet....that's an easy fix!
Just open the passenger window and toss it out as you leave the pit lane. Mike won't leave it in the car again! (Just make sure YOU never leave yours in the car again either!)