BEZ06

Having a GREAT time at Daytona this weekend!!!

A number of local forum members came out to spectate, and I met a bunch of forum guys from Birmingham that are running the event.

I'm running in the student group. This event didn't allow any "novices", but I'm not a real experienced track guy. However Craig, my instructor, did sign me off for solo after the first session (maybe he didn't want to ride with any more!!). Thanks Craig! I had a ball during the other sessions.

Here's a video of a couple laps:

http://vimeo.com/2129031

We've got another day today (Sunday Nov 2nd), so I need to head to the track!!!

Bob

AU N EGL

Great to see the use of turn signals for passing indicators.

Kanmer

Actually its great to see what we are in for in Dec. We signed up to run Daytona with Audi. Not sure if I like the turn signal thing or not.

Bob

BEZ06

Bob K

Looking forward to seeing you in Dec!!

Both PBOC and the Audi group use regular hand signal point-by signal in the infield (they're the only 2 groups to run HPDEs at Daytona).

On the banking you're in a pretty good left turn. Also, it's bumpy - you really need both hands on the wheel when you're bouncing along in a turn.

Another factor is the speed. If you're going 135 and somebody going 150 wants to pass, you don't need to be taking a hand off the wheel and sticking your arm out and over the car into a 130 mph wind blast.

Finally, you'll be passing on the right on the banking. When you come up behind another car you'll be looking at him up in the upper left of your windshield. You'll be to his right rear and it's kind of hard to even see their arm if they stick it out the left window and try to point over the top of the car - but the right turn signal is easy to see.

I think you'll see the turn signal works just fine for a passing signal on the high banked oval at Daytona.

Bob B

dvandentop

great video looks like a fun layout

BEZ06

Thanks Derek - yeah, it was REAL fun on Saturday!!

Unfortunately today was RAIN!!

The forecast was for possible rain late in the afternoon so I left my rain tires at home.

The first session was damp, but really slippery on the infield with the Hoosiers. The banks were pretty good, but I don't think I got over maybe 130 on the straights.

The next session was raining. I went out but really ran slow. It was good experience running in the wet, but not much fun (i.e. a lot of work correcting the rear end wiggles, even when I was really slow feathering on the power).

A lot of people packed up and left by 3:00 but my last session was at 3:45 and the weather started getting better. I had time to go home and my rain (i.e. street!) tires, but things were looking good so I didn't. Butt.....just when we left the grid and pitted out to the track it started raining pretty hard. The wipers were throwing water into the window and the infield was real slick. The first lap I pulled out onto the banking and got a fish-tail with my 3 to 4 shift (and I was only doing about 85, wasn't shifting at redline or hard). That was it - I went about 80 around the bank (you've got to stay above about 75 or you feel like like you're gonna fall off!!).

So, I came in after one very slow lap. As I was driving out I saw a bunch of flashing lights from some crash equipment and an ambulance was entering the track. I think it was in the infield so somebody must have banged a tire wall or some armco, and I hope they weren't going very fast.

So.....Saturday was great, Sunday was a "good experience", and overall it was a good event. I'm already looking forward to the Audi event at Daytona in December!!!!!

Bob

sperkins

Holy **** 167mph in the tri-oval. No wonder your instructor got out as soon as he did.

Man I have to get a dry sump.

Did you hit a cone or something at 1:06?

BEZ06

There's a chicane ("The Bus Stop") on the SuperStretch (the back straight) to slow down the sports cars so they don't go into NASCAR T3 at 180+ mph. There's rumble strip curbing on the edges of the enty and exit to the chicane.

I had to take a look at my raw video that has better resolution to see what you were talking about, and I can see the cones on the left coming out of the chicane. They are actually out in the grass.

No, I was well clear of the cones, just using all the track!!

Bob

Cloaked323

Great Video you were really moving I wonder the difference in banking between your track and Cal Spd wy as far as degree and length on the Roval layout.

Jason Staley

I would love to try Daytona some time. Looks like a lot of fun.

BEZ06

Daytona Int'l Speedway has 31 degree banking, and the tri-oval is 2.5 miles. When you add in the infield turns and chicane on the back stretch it makes the Rolex 24 course 3.56 miles long.

According to http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/track_info/track_facts/ , Fontana has 14 degree banking.

Bob

vette6aut0x

Hey Bob,it was nice meeting you at Daytona. I was the spot parked in front of you. I drove the Mustang and my brother drove the the c6 with the z06 body panels. Was a great weekend. And the turn sig is a must in the banking. David

BEZ06

Hi David

Yes - it was great meeting all the Birmingham crew!!

Post up some video from your running your 2:01 laps doing 178 mph!!!!!

I think people would love to see it, even if you are in a Pony-car!

Bob

vette6aut0x

I will get Tom to post the vid. The top speed at the tri oval was 182.4 and that was at the limiter. In the video you can see the s.light com on before I exit nascar turn 4 and all the way down the front till the brake zone. It has a TKO 5 speed and a 3.73 diff. I am a vette man but Toms stang is verry fast

MNCrystalRed2011

Wow, thanks for the great video. I'm getting mine ready for the loong trip down in December. This video is really getting me pumped. I'll have my camcorder along to capture the 3 days.

I do have a question. What tires get the most work/wear? Most road courses go clockwise, so generally the left front gets the most wear. How about Daytona? Left or right front?

Also, what were you using to get the telemetry on the video.

Blocktrdr

Here is a lap from the test we just did last week with Grand-Am. Pace is off by just a bit but the shift linkage broke at the end of the lap and I had just gone out. Unfortunately this is the only session the engineer sent me. Sorry about the beeps. Don't know why, but at the end of every radio transmission I make there is a beep in the video. Anyway the line is pretty much on, aside from 6 where I wasn't up to speed and the car didn't track out enough. Hope it helps.

Daytona Prototype at Grand-Am test video

vette6aut0x

To me, this was one of the least difficult tracks to learn. Not much road course just a lot of banking but fun as he&!.

BEZ06

I'm sure the trip down will prove to be well worth it - you'll have a great time!!!

Don't expect to go quite as fast as Blocktrdr in the DP car!!!

The right tires definitely get more of a workout at Daytona. You can see from the videos that you spend quite a bit of time up on the banking. You're at high speed, the banking gives you an increased downforce, and you are in a left turn all the way around.

My data-logger is a Traqmate. The "dashboard" on my video came from Traqmate's software (TraqStudio) that integrates your video and data together and displays those instruments onto the video.

You can see that "friction circle" on the dashboard display. The yellow line shows the direction of the G-load and next to the circle is a numerical display of the G's. All the way around the banking the yellow line is sticking out to the right indicating you're in a good left turn.

You'll also notice the yellow line is bouncing around quite a bit - that's because it's kinda bumpy up there on the banking. I was running with the AH in Comp mode and was planning on turning it off all together. However, I could occasionally see the DIC flashing that AH was active. I couldn't feel any weird slipping of the tail end, but I figured the AH yaw-rate and G sensors were feeling something strange going on. I decided to leave it in Comp mode if it might help me stay off the wall!

Look forward to seeing you here next month!!!

Bob

Cloaked323

big difference between the two trackes Daytona more than doubles Fontana in degree of banking that must be something special to drive on for sure. Thanks again for posting

RoganR

Loved the vid. Is that an IS350 or IS-F at 1:51?