Since racing in January was rained out (for me), I did a one-hour karting race last Saturday and then got sick again (3rd illness since Jan 1st!) I had planned to race tomorrow with the Alfa Romeo Club at Willow Springs but its going to be a weekend at home resting up so I can make it to Buttonwillow in two weeks.
In lieu of racing video from tomorrow, here is a race video from December's Willow Spring event with the POC.
In this race, the officials throw a yellow at the start but two cars behind me still go at the flag (even though its yellow) and come up fast through the field. We re-group and try again.
We get the green on the second try, but at Turn 1 another car passes me on the outside and I'm the filling in the middle resulting in minor contact with the car on the outside. We race on and everything was ok.
After the race, the officials reviewed the video and determined that the contact was a "racing incident" with too many cars trying to occupy the same space and neither of us was penalized for the contact. However, the same car was black flagged for being out of line at the start and had to go into the pits for a stop and go penalty.
This video also features the start of the entire field taken from the grandstands at Turn 1 to give you an idea of what it looks like as a spectator. Thanks to Andy Wong for capturing and sharing the video.
As usual, full screen HD with sound is the best experience!
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Yes, both the PCA and POC have 13/13 rules for contact. That is why it was important for the officials to review the video to determine root cause, fault, and penalty.
In this case, the officials decided that the minor contact was unavoidable with that many cars side-by-side in Turn 1. Thus, no penalties were levied.
The "damage" was pretty minor - I spent 5 mins buffing the rubber marks out of the right front wheel and spent $200 to have the alignment checked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by husker boxster
Do you own or rent your go-cart?
I rent a 270cc sport kart (Sodi RX250 with Honda 9hp engine). They are a lot of fun to drive and are great at teaching/reinforcing many of the fundamentals that transfer into a car on a track.
Quote:
Originally Posted by husker boxster
Get well. Drink lots of orange juice and get plenty of rest.
Thanks, I appreciate the good advice!
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Looking good Tom! It's a pain but recommend a rib brace / protector if you don't already have one under your suit. The edge of the seat does cut and slam hard into the ribs if you get stuck in a first corner pile up.....which can happen a fair bit if you routinely qualify midfield .
Looking good Tom! It's a pain but recommend a rib brace / protector if you don't already have one under your suit. The edge of the seat does cut and slam hard into the ribs if you get stuck in a first corner pile up.....which can happen a fair bit if you routinely qualify midfield .
Thanks for the advice! I have seen other drivers wearing those but do not yet have one. I will have to look into one.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Since racing in January was rained out (for me), I did a one-hour karting race last Saturday and then got sick again (3rd illness since Jan 1st!) I had planned to race tomorrow with the Alfa Romeo Club at Willow Springs but its going to be a weekend at home resting up so I can make it to Buttonwillow in two weeks.
In lieu of racing video from tomorrow, here is a race video from December's Willow Spring event with the POC.
In this race, the officials throw a yellow at the start but two cars behind me still go at the flag (even though its yellow) and come up fast through the field. We re-group and try again.
We get the green on the second try, but at Turn 1 another car passes me on the outside and I'm the filling in the middle resulting in minor contact with the car on the outside. We race on and everything was ok.
After the race, the officials reviewed the video and determined that the contact was a "racing incident" with too many cars trying to occupy the same space and neither of us was penalized for the contact. However, the same car was black flagged for being out of line at the start and had to go into the pits for a stop and go penalty.
This video also features the start of the entire field taken from the grandstands at Turn 1 to give you an idea of what it looks like as a spectator. Thanks to Andy Wong for capturing and sharing the video.
As usual, full screen HD with sound is the best experience!
Is it my imagination or are your racing speeds ( and competitors) getting incrementally faster with every video. The outside guys move appears to be a little too aggressive for the tarmac available ......on video anyway. It looks like you were holding a constant line.
Is it my imagination or are your racing speeds ( and competitors) getting incrementally faster with every video.
Yes, the level of competition in Boxster Spec is continually increasing. Track records continue to be broken running the same equipment spec. Lap times that used to put a driver in the Top 5 are barely middle of the pack now. When I first started racing, Boxster Spec was kind of a "starter" class, now its the class with biggest fields and the most competitive driving. Often GT class drivers will rent a SPB to race with us and they end up 4th-6th. The level of competition is really challenging.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaykay
The outside guys move appears to be a little too aggressive for the tarmac available ......on video anyway. It looks like you were holding a constant line.
Thanks, I was doing my best! And I assume that all of my competitors are doing the same. Starts are a great opportunity to make up a few positions and sometimes what looks like the perfect opportunity ultimately isn't so perfect. To grow as a driver, you have to try something new. We're all trying to improve our racecraft so I try to cut everyone a lot of slack and hope that they will cut me the same slack when the time comes. Racing is an incredibly humbling experience.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Yes, the level of competition in Boxster Spec is continually increasing. Track records continue to be broken running the same equipment spec. Lap times that used to put a driver in the Top 5 are barely middle of the pack now. When I first started racing, Boxster Spec was kind of a "starter" class, now its the class with biggest fields and the most competitive driving. Often GT class drivers will rent a SPB to race with us and they end up 4th-6th. The level of competition is really challenging.
Thanks, I was doing my best! And I assume that all of my competitors are doing the same. Starts are a great opportunity to make up a few positions and sometimes what looks like the perfect opportunity ultimately isn't so perfect. To grow as a driver, you have to try something new. We're all trying to improve our racecraft so I try to cut everyone a lot of slack and hope that they will cut me the same slack when the time comes. Racing is an incredibly humbling experience.
Yeah to me it looks like 318 came down on you and touched while you were constant with your direction, and at 3:30 when you went for the inside pass and got fully beside him? it looked like he came down and chopped you and you had to back out of the pass. Or did you have to slow due to holding the inside tighter line and not getting the full radius?
...and at 3:30 when you went for the inside pass and got fully beside him? it looked like he came down and chopped you and you had to back out of the pass. Or did you have to slow due to holding the inside tighter line and not getting the full radius?
Let me start by saying that competitive racing is pretty aggressive and none of us are professional so most of our moves have good intent but might not be perfectly executed.
With that being said, I don't think that I got quite alongside/door-to-door with the 318; I was still a bit behind him at turn in. Not a lot behind, but enough to matter. It would have been better if I had been able to get truly alongside or just a bit ahead of him at turn in. Regardless, I had a good run on him so I kind of stuffed my nose in there anyway (its aggressive) to see what he would do.
And he did exactly what he should do and that is drive his line and not just give me the inside line. So I don't think that he chopped me at all. He was ahead at turn in and his expected line was to come down aggressively towards the apex. I knew that and he knew that. So, rather than force the issue, after his initial move towards the apex, I backed out to avoid him and he actually opened up his line to avoid me.
Since I was on the inside and momentarily lifted, that killed my momentum whereas he was able to roll through the corner faster on the outside and was a few car lengths ahead of me after corner exit.
Aggression AND cooperation on the part of both drivers goes a long way to create a great racing experience. Without much aggression (or intensity or whatever you want to call it), all you have left is cooperation and that is more like time trialing. Conversely, aggression without cooperation will result in chaos and damaged cars. Put both together and it can be an amazing experience.
Also, I have raced side by side with Branimir in the 318 on many occasions and we both know and trust each other.
Quote:
Originally Posted by steved0x
... That looks intense!
The level of intensity is almost impossible to explain.
It's also one of the most rewarding feelings in the world. On most days, I can't believe that I actually get to do this.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
After seeing a few other Boxster's with the new 718-style LED tail lights, I decided to go that route. I think they give the car a bit of an updated look and they go with the black paint pretty well.
The new units appear to be very good quality. Installation was literally plug & play and I was done in less than 15 mins.
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
This thread was started to tell the story of how anyone could go from Boxster owner to Boxster racer. It's been an incredible journey and I really do appreciate all of the support from everyone here at the 986Forum.
I'm writing this from a hotel since I'll be racing at Buttonwillow this weekend!
Racing at Buttonwillow last weekend was great! I ran mid-pack in all three races but there were 20-some Boxsters so lots of competition all over the track. I had some epic battles and posted my best times ever (I still have a lot of work to do on that track but I'm seeing improvement every time I race there).
Here is a short video clip from the good folks at CaliPhotography to give you an idea of what it all looks like as we head into Turn 1...
__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Thanks for sharing Tom. Quick question - I see an early 911 and a 924 or 944 in that otherwise Spec Boxster race. I could see them being allowed to go out on the track but not part of the competition, but couldn't they also disrupt the competition if they are being lapped or multiple cars are trying to pass them? Asking as an ignorant non-racer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by thstone
Racing at Buttonwillow last weekend was great! I ran mid-pack in all three races but there were 20-some Boxsters so lots of competition all over the track. I had some epic battles and posted my best times ever (I still have a lot of work to do on that track but I'm seeing improvement every time I race there).
Here is a short video clip from the good folks at CaliPhotography to give you an idea of what it all looks like as we head into Turn 1...
Thanks for sharing Tom. Quick question - I see an early 911 and a 924 or 944 in that otherwise Spec Boxster race. I could see them being allowed to go out on the track but not part of the competition, but couldn't they also disrupt the competition if they are being lapped or multiple cars are trying to pass them? Asking as an ignorant non-racer!
Mixed class fields are very common (in fact I have never raced only SPB, even at COTA with 36 SPBs, we had a 65 car field) -- technically you are only racing within your class.
You are gridded based on lap times, which will typically congregate like cars together.
But it is not unusual for the classes to be mixed even at grid. Faster drivers of a slower class are often rear to mid pack of the next class up. This can create some interesting dynamics where
"slower cars" are side by side racing with their class, with faster cars who are also racing. Usually after a few laps, this sorts itself out.
During sprints, lapping typically only occurs with the fastest cars in a run group -- and that can have issues is folks don't play nicely, but you learn how to be lapped (or lap) and without significantly affecting either lap times. However, using traffic to your advantage is just part of the racing tool chest.
Mixed class fields are very common (in fact I have never raced only SPB, even at COTA with 36 SPBs, we had a 65 car field) -- technically you are only racing within your class.
You are gridded based on lap times, which will typically congregate like cars together.
But it is not unusual for the classes to be mixed even at grid. Faster drivers of a slower class are often rear to mid pack of the next class up. This can create some interesting dynamics where
"slower cars" are side by side racing with their class, with faster cars who are also racing. Usually after a few laps, this sorts itself out.
During sprints, lapping typically only occurs with the fastest cars in a run group -- and that can have issues is folks don't play nicely, but you learn how to be lapped (or lap) and without significantly affecting either lap times. However, using traffic to your advantage is just part of the racing tool chest.
(novice PCA racer, joe average endurance chump)
Mike
In fact in my NOLA Sprint 2 race, it was gridded by the Sprint 1 race times. I had some fuel relay issues, so my car would cut in/out at times -- so my gridding was behind some 944s. Somehow, probably same mechanical issues, a GT3 was gridded behind me. He passed me on the start but I tucked behind him through some slower sections knowing that he'd "push" open a path that I could slip stream behind him -- which is what happened -- unfortunately, the point where he broke through, I couldn't accelerate to keep on his bumper, and the door closed before I could get through. So much for good plans...
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