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Sunday, Phoenix International
Raceway - the third of a three day NASA Advanced Performance Driving
School (called that for insurance reasons). I'm in a four car pack consisting
of a RT/10 Viper on Hoosiers (first in the pack), a Baby Grand (Yamaha
powered 1,200 lb mini-stock car on racing slicks), a E30 M3 (chipped
and on Kumhos), and me in a Solo2 BSP 1970 240Z.
At the start of the
session I spent a couple laps getting past the BMW and three more getting
past the Baby Grand. Both are really quick in the infield. I was able
to stay with them in turns 2 thru 9 and then power past them on the
oval. But the Viper is a different story.
I was able to go deeper
into turns 1 and 2 than the Viper and I could really push him hard through
the rest of the infield. He could out accelerate me so I had to get
my speed coming out of the corners and out brake him at the end of the
oval and the short straight between 7 and 9. So that was my strategy
for 6 laps. I never could quite get by him but I got my nose inside
of him in a number of turns. I was definitely worrying him and he did
almost spin coming out of 3. That was my chance but I hesitated 'cuz
I didn't know where he would end up. He caught it and continued on.
I got pinched behind
a Pro7 Rx7 and the Baby Grand got by me. The Viper pulled out a couple
car lengths. Onto the oval I passed the Baby Grand. At the end of the
front straight I was about 110 - 115 mph.
(BTW1... The entry
to Turn 1 is tricky because you are coming down off the banking into
the infield part of the road course. There's a pavement transition that
unsettles the car so you have to go through there straight and on the
throttle. After that transition you brake hard, downshift, and set up
for Turn 2, which is a decreasing radius.)
So... I brake checked
at the end of the front straight and went through Turn 1 at about 105
- 110. Squeezed on the brakes hard after the car settled and... Uh Oh!
(you Z racers know the feeling)
(BTW2... my car is
setup for autocross so I'm not allowed, per the Street Prepared rules,
to run brake cooling ducts. I do bleed and adjust the brakes after each
session but they only last so long when the outside temp is 104 degrees
and you're chasing a 400hp Viper.)
The car is pushing
out (my tires were pretty hot at this point too) and I downshifted and
braked with all I had. I was able to turn in a bit for Turn 2 but I
was way wide and the back end was starting to come around. I eased up
on the brakes and added some throttle to settle the car but by then
I was in the marbles. The car slid off the track and went through about
20' of dirt before bumping, completely sideways, into the tire wall
at about 10 mph.
Go into the accident
routine: Shut the car off, look around inside and out for smoke/fire.
Nothing. Give the corner worker a thumbs up. Start the car and check
the gauges. Everything's OK. Point at the corner worker and he signals
when its safe to go. Pull out and head back into the paddock.
Well... the car is
covered in dirt and every body panel on the right side is dented and
scraped. It was a really nice, straight, and clean 1970 240Z. But, no
real structural damage: door opens and closes fine, hood, door, and
hatch gaps are the same, crossmembers are square, check camber and toe
and they are OK, not a mark on the wheels or the bumpers, and the side
marker lights are intact. I got off lucky. Maybe $1,000 worth of body
and paint repair.
So, I clean the car
up, bleed and adjust the brakes, and run the next session without a
problem. I did stay away from the Viper though...
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