An early morning quick run up Hwy 2/Angeles Crest Hwy this morning before the tourists/campers/hikers get there.
Bedded-in the new brakes and just wanted to be sure that everything was running fine.
That is LA under a blanket of early morning clouds in the background. It was a nice morning and the road was empty!
Jealous that you live close to Angeles Crest Hwy. That's the one thing I do miss about my home town of Pasadena. Yes the traffic stinks in LA but there are so many awesome mountain roads close by with little traffic. Looks like you had fun.
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03 Carrera
02 Boxster S Guards Red, black interior with matching hardtop
89 Carrera 4
89 944 S2
78 911SC
Jealous that you live close to Angeles Crest Hwy. That's the one thing I do miss about my home town of Pasadena. Yes the traffic stinks in LA but there are so many awesome mountain roads close by with little traffic. Looks like you had fun.
Angeles Crest Hwy is pretty much in my backyard but I don't go there very often - too many yahoo's driving like its a race track. But it is a really nice place to got for a leisurely drive on a early weekend morning!
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
The lexan windshield manufacturer says not to use the stock rear view mirror because the adhesive could damage the lexan so I had to come up with another rear view mirror solution.
I looked at several aftermarket rear view mirrors and they generally mount to the roll bar but the top tube on my cage is stitched right up against the windshield frame so I can't get a hard mount around the cage tube.
After consulting with my friend Evan Fullerton, I cut a five panel Wink-style rear view mirror down to three panels for a better fit. Then used the 90deg brackets to mount to the top tube where there is just enough clearance to get zip ties thru between the top tube of the cage and the windshield frame.
Pretty sturdy. Perfect placement. More rear view angle than I've ever had before.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Drove up to Willow Springs this morning for an open practice/test day. This means that only race prepped cars/drivers are allowed on the track in an open format - meaning that you can drive whenever you want and as much as you want thru the day. I did four 20-min sessions in the morning and headed back home just as the temp was cresting 100F.
The goals - get back on the horse that spit me off into the dirt in May; work on a few corners where I'm giving up a lot of time; and test the car to make sure that everything is running well before I head up to race at Laguna Seca in two weeks.
Everything went great and the car ran beautifully in the heat - no problems whatsoever.
In the first two sessions, I slowly built up to qualifying times. Then in the 3rd session, I underestimated how slick the tires would get once the weather heated up and found myself in a big power slide on entry into Turn 2 at a bit over 100mph.
The video shows how easy it is to slide a Boxster - they rotate very quickly because of the mid-engine layout and so your hands need to be fast but smooth to catch the car. If your hands are slow, it will come all the way around. Just remember, quick-smooth, not lazy-smooth.
Ready for Laguna Seca.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Drove up to Willow Springs this morning for an open practice/test day. This means that only race prepped cars/drivers are allowed on the track in an open format - meaning that you can drive whenever you want and as much as you want thru the day. I did four 20-min sessions in the morning and headed back home just as the temp was cresting 100F.
The goals - get back on the horse that spit me off into the dirt in May; work on a few corners where I'm giving up a lot of time; and test the car to make sure that everything is running well before I head up to race at Laguna Seca in two weeks.
Everything went great and the car ran beautifully in the heat - no problems whatsoever.
In the first two sessions, I slowly built up to qualifying times. Then in the 3rd session, I underestimated how slick the tires would get once the weather heated up and found myself in a big power slide on entry into Turn 2 at a bit over 100mph.
The video shows how easy it is to slide a Boxster - they rotate very quickly because of the mid-engine layout and so your hands need to be fast but smooth to catch the car. If your hands are slow, it will come all the way around. Just remember, quick-smooth, not lazy-smooth.
Thanks. They don't all turn out that way, but its nice when they do!
You can see that I tend to shuffle steer by sliding my hands along the steering wheel rather than keeping my hands in one location and crossing my hands/arms over each other (although they do cross over when I have to move really fast). Shuffle steering isn't the preferred driving technique for a long list of reasons but it is what I was taught when I started performance driving and it seems to work for me so I haven't focused on changing it. This might be a case of don't necessarily do what I do; but I will also say that you need to find your own driving style that works best for you and not just blindly follow what the "experts" say.
But it was all instinct - I never "thought" about what to do, just did it automatically. For me, I don't think its necessarily talent - just lots of seat time. And while I'm no where near the 10,000 hours of practice that is supposedly required to become expert at something, concentrated practice of a skill definitely helps one to improve.
So maybe all I need is another 9,800 hours of track time and I'll be racing at Le Mans.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Are yo sure yo were in your Boxster and not your 911 and lifted before the corner?
Good thought Jay!
I wish that I had a throttle position sensor to say one way or the other because its really hard to know for sure exactly what I may have done or may not have done to induce the rear to come loose.
Things that I know for sure;
1. I got a great run out of Turn 1 so I came into Turn 2 about 4-5 mph faster than on a typical lap.
2. I know this because I was working specifically on carrying more speed thru Turn 1 and was using Turn 2 entry speed as the gauge as to how well I was getting through Turn 1.
3. The rear broke loose as soon as I started turn in at Turn 2.
However, it is very possible that I lifted off the throttle for a moment before turn in once I saw the high corner entry speed and that may have either caused or helped cause the rear end to get loose.
I'll have to repeat it and see what happens next time at Willow!
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Bit over 100mph power slide?! Said easy lollll holly clap, scary stuff on-vid!
3rd session, slick tires, warm weather..... ruled out sand accumulation? wind pushing sand all over between a session or something?
old car now (chassis, etc), careful man
Thanks mate!
I don't think that there was any sand or debris on the track as there was only a light breeze that day.
In regards to the "old car", I've decided to refresh all of the suspension bushings this winter as some of those parts probably have 160,000 miles on them by now.
And yeah, learning high speed car control is what its all about!
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
In my continuing quest to become a better driver, I have decided to start a karting program and spent yesterday at the kart track.
Yes, that means that I was at the race track Friday and kart track Saturday. All I can say is: My name is Tom Stone and yes, I have an addiction problem.
The karts are gas-powered Honda 270cc sport karts with about 9hp. I'll be honest and say that I used to joke about karting being "all of the racing you want at 37 mph!". And yes, I was being sarcastic.
So, why will I be spending time in a kart?
1. Car control
Its a relatively safe way to learn to find the cornering limit and drive there consistently without going over the limit. I believe that I will need to be able to keep the car at the friction limit continuously to get faster.
2. Momentum
Karts are relatively low powered to teach momentum driving which seems like it could translate well to Boxster Spec racing. Less brake, more throttle, maintain maximum momentum.
3. Racecraft
Passing is an art and karting provides nearly continuous opportunities to practice the skill of planning ahead and setting up a competitor for a pass along with defending your own position. This is an area where I definitely need more skill.
As you might have figured out by now, I am pressing hard to improve my racing performance and will do whatever it takes to get there.
Even karting.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Agree with Karting as it hones your race craft. My brother and I did that for several years but haven't been lately. Even Louis Hamilton can be found on a kart track in the off season keeping his reflexes sharp.
Nice save in turn 2. I have been backwards once in that one and it can be hairy. Tires and track get a little greasy mid day, maybe a slight lift just after turn in with tires side loaded and... See ya!
Turn one looked awesome so you carried a lot of speed into 2. Good driving Tom!
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2009 Cayman 2.9L PDK (with a few tweaks)
PCA-GPX Chief Driving Instructor-Ret.
Agree with Karting as it hones your race craft. My brother and I did that for several years but haven't been lately. Even Louis Hamilton can be found on a kart track in the off season keeping his reflexes sharp.
Nice save in turn 2. I have been backwards once in that one and it can be hairy. Tires and track get a little greasy mid day, maybe a slight lift just after turn in with tires side loaded and... See ya!
Turn one looked awesome so you carried a lot of speed into 2. Good driving Tom!
Thanks Dave. Come on out and join me at at the kart track sometime. It'll be fun.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
2004 Porsche Boxster S
2004 Porsche 996 Targa
Lil Red
2009 Porsche Cayman 2.9L
Hybrid Mode
