I was running grid during several of the sessions...letting out cars ...trying to evenly space them. Anyway, Paul Lambert came in several times to give rides to students....two times when he came in I put him almost right in front of Corey in Sharon's yellow beast. I knew Corey would appreciate doing some lead/follow with Paul in the race car. He did. From what I can tell, and Corey can comment on this, Paul had Corey in a few spots...braking into the new turn #9....going from turn 4-5....but Corey had Paul on the straight from turn 6-7..and would catch up again. They got to do this for several laps. There was a twin Turbo Porsche driven by Chris Rooke that was close to them...but they would pull on him....Todd Serota in his yellow cabriolet was definitely in that same caliber, but didn't get to play with them in these two hot lap sessions..he was several cars back...and passing zones were not frequently found...so he stayed out of the mix.

All in all in was a good event...the rain on Thursday morning added a bit of humility to the event..and made everyone slow down for the rest of the event...which was actually a very good thing.

With a few exceptions...I think the majority had a great time.

Sears Point, even in construction, is very fun. Slippery? Yes..but the fun doesn't happen until you lose traction..and fight to get it back. :-)

Until next time....

I gotta go clean my car RIGHT NOW. Later...good seeing you.

that night found a self service car wash to hose off the wheels. Looking good in the pits is important for my sponsors ;-)

<ul><li><a href="http://www.funkadelic.org/gallery/qc_sears_point_2001_d1">Link to Funkadelics website...the Sears Point event</a></li></ul>

. . . although I was certainly exhausted by the time I got home at 11:30 p.m. on Friday night. I had students in both B and C, as well as Mike Hoppen in that marvelous RS4 on Saturday (just to show him the track). On Friday, there weren't nearly enough A sessions to get everyone in my car who wanted a ride, so I started going out in D as well (with permission, of course). I was on the track for pretty much 4 hours straight after lunch on Friday, followed by a 5 hour drive home. Talk about collapsing into bed.

I seem to recall seeing Cory on track only once on Thursday before he was pushing hard. On Friday, I got caught in a lot of traffic and saw Cory a ways back in my mirrors, but then the session ended. Otoh, I saw Paul in the Stasis World Challenge car quite a bit. On Thursday he was running on the Toyo street tires that he has to use in the World Challenge series and I was a bit faster (even after he got his new engine broken in and was pushing hard). On Friday, though, we went out together at the beginning of a session and I couldn't get away from him. Hmmmm, I thought, something is definitely different here. Indeed, I found out that what I had suspected was true. Paul slapped some Kumhos on the car on Friday and that made the difference. I'd say he was a bit faster than me with the Kumhos. Either way, though, we had great fun playing tag (or at least I did!). I only had to give a passing signal once during the entire event and that was to Paul at the end of those few laps. I was really looking foward to following him after that, but unfortunately, he went in to switch passengers. Super nice guy, too.

Speaking of passing signals, I'd like to thank most of the instructors in the A group and most of the drivers in the D group as well. For the most part, folks made good effort to let me by as soon as we got into a passing zone, which was really important, given the lack of same.

Finally, speaking of Kumhos, this is the first time I ran the new Ecsta V700 R compound tires (which replaced the Victoracers) because they just came out in 18's. For those of you running R compound tires or who are thinking about it, 3 words: GET THESE TIRES! They were absolutely fantastic! The warmed up quickly for R compound tires (1/2 lap or less), they continued to stick great the whole time, even though I drove hard every lap (where I got the opportunity), and looked great at the end of the event. I was running 245/35 x 18's in the front and 285/30 x 18's in the rear with my previous P-Zero C's, but Kumho isn't making a 245/35 x 18 so I had to go to 225/40 x 18's in the front. After having my car set up very well, I was concerned that this would add understeer and I'd have to spend more time balancing the car again, but to my amazement, the car was perfectly balanced even with the smaller 225's up front.

I look forward to seeing some of you at my TracQuest events at Sears Point in 2 weeks and then Laguna Seca next year. For those who weren't at the event, or missed my announcement at the driver's meeting on Friday, Laguna Seca has moved my dates from February 6-8 to the weekend of April 20-21. It seems CART decided they really liked my dates. It was a tough choice for the track between TracQuest and CART, but CART just edged me out. :-) Anyone who has already signed up will have first priority for the new dates, or a full refund, at your choice. I'll post a separate announcment about the Laguna Seca date change on the board tomorrow.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

I'm considering them but wondering about how they were during the wet session and as a replacement for my Pilot Sports later this spring.

. . . I always use the same set of tires for street and track. They were ok in the rain, not great, as were my previous P-Zero C's, Kumho Victoracer V700's long before that, and most of the tires that were there at the event. If you want an R compound tire to run on the street and track, I'd recommend the new Kumho Ecsta 700 highly based on my experience so far. I didn't realize you were were considering them. It's a shame you didn't get a ride with me, so you could have observed them in action first hand.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

I too want one tire for street and track use.

THANKS!

I think the mark on my right shoulder is from your passenger seatbelt! :)

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend it!

and pointed them by. Good to see you again Todd.

Laguna is one of the big things I have been looking forward to, and now I have to wait until April? Stupid CART. Are there any other events in the works in the interim?

. . . and your comment just made me realize why Corey and Sharon decided to make Sharon's car the serious track car. It's Yellow, so it's faster! :-)

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

. . . if so, glad to hear it. If not, stay safe over there.

If you're back, TracQuest's event at Sears Point is coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 18 and 19. If you're not, I'm figuring out what I'm going to do before April, and will advise everyone when I know.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

Hopefully, I'll be back some time in January. I need my fast driving fix....

Thanks for giving me that ride. I really took note of entry points and apex points, which were different for 2/3/4 when you did them versus myself. I did notice that the apexes were a bit late as I felt that I needed to make more of a sharp turn in to get to the apex, rather than the car just flowing to it.

I had to notice the trail braking you did to let the P-car's tail hang out at 7 so you were pointing straighter at the entrance to the esses, but I can't do that. But it was good to see the line once more.

Until next time. Great event. I'll be sending in that registration for Laguna.

For once Steve S.'s car looked dirty. Thank god!

Fun stuff Steve! BTW, do you have the name/contact info for the guy who was taking pictures (Not Mike)?

I'm expecting some pics so will post his name when I receive the contacts.

. . . any nocturnal activity concerning my life would be a nightmare! :-) It's not easy to give up a partnership in a big law firm to become a struggling entrepreneur, especially when something like Sept. 11 happens.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

The apex cone for Turn 2 was way too late - a good 10-15 feet. Same for the apex cone for Turns 3a and 4. And while we're talking about late apex cones, the apex cone in Turn 6 (the carousel) was a good 30-40 feet late! The correct apex is right under the bridge.

I'm assuming that whoever put them there knew they were too late, but did it for safety reasons. If so, I understand the theory, but don't agree with it. Students will drive the cones, and it's important for them to see - and feel - the track on the correct line. Hitting apexes way too late prevents students from doing this, and in the long run, I feel, slows down their learning curve.

As usual, my $1.380.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

And the one on 3 (but I didn't play with that one until the latter half of day 2). I could feel that the car didn't like the super late apexes, much like how it doesn't like early ones. I can't explain better, but the car somehow "resisted".

I also wish I had a gear called 2 1/2 on T3.

There's a good reason why your car doesn't like late apexes, Jyoteen. It's because you have to turn more in the initial part of the turn if you wait to turn in, and your car pushes more.

Re gearing, do you really wish you had different gearing for Turn 3? Turn 2 is where the problem is. For most cars, 2nd gear is on the high side (I used 2nd and am at redline right at the exit at the very end of the exit curbing) and 3rd gear is too low, leaving you with not enough torque to pull strongly out of the corner. Gearing for Turn 3 is solidly 3rd, as it's a lot faster than most people were taking it. It's a lot more banked than people realize and when you turn in, your car really "bites" against the side of the hill. Turn 3a, at the top of the hill, is also solidly a 3rd gear corner. Then Turn 4 is back to a decision. I use 2nd and again shift at the exit, but 3rd works better here than in Turn 2 because you're going downhill and pick up rpms more quickly. When I'm there for my event, I intend on trying both 2nd and 3rd through Turn 4 and noting my rpms/speed before I brake for the carousel. Using 2nd, I'm very close to redline in 3rd before braking, which is 102 mph. I'll see if I can duplicate that using 3rd through Turn 4. If so, why downshift?

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

Dave complimented the driving skills of Todd (as he described a real fast yellow Porsche, Sharon and Corey who he mentioned hauls azz and definety the fastest S4 on track! :) And Paul Lambert and the Stasis A4 which I had to correct him - that is not an S4 but my car on steroids! :) as he was lapping so fast!

He did get to ride with Mike Hoppen for a 15 min lap and they were duking it out with Todd at one point - lucky bastard - His jaws drop when the MTM RS4 opens up. He said they ran a 1:45? Ok, so this is the fastest R-S4 on track ;P

And he has videos! we'll try to get them uploaded to his website later. He's got quite a bit of pictures and some short clips. They looked pretty good when I viewed them on the TV.

Next year - I'll be there with them Kuhmo Ecsta V's - good to read Todd's review.

c'mon...SOMEONE had a timer didn't they?

our best was 1:30:7 in the Civic on that track config.

(insurance y'know). For a lot of the event it was too damn wet or cold to sneak one out to the wall.

what a nightmare...I still wake up screaming at night ;-)

traffic as you all know does get in the way.
This was on friday.

I got to touch the RS4, and know a couple of guys who actually got rides. What a car.

<ul><li><a href="http://www.funkadelic.org/gallery/qc_sears_point_2001">http://www.funkadelic.org/gallery/qc_sears_point_2001</a</li></ul>

I don't think I ever got a complete clear lap during the entire event.

. . . I practically begged Dean to open up the passing zones in the Instructor group on Sunday, but in the end he said no, blaming it on Larry. Still, and just between the hundreds or thousands who read this board and me, towards the end of Sunday, some people pointed me by in non-passing zones because the speed differential was so great. I thought that was very nice of them. I also expected to get black flagged the next time around but never did.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com

I got pointed by a couple times between 2 and 3, and once between 1 and 2. There was nothing dangerous about those passes, and the other driver was being very courteous. As long as the other driver was aware (and he was cause he pointed!!), I don't see much of an issue.

. . . that's why I allow passing anywhere with or without a signal (with signals STRONGLY encouraged) in my Instructor group and anywhere with a signal even in my Medium group. I got pointed by once between 7 and 8 (yikes! - right in front of the pits!), once between 8 and 9 (and I was pleasantly surprised at who pointed me by there), twice between 1 and 2, once between 2 and 3, a couple of times between 3 and 4 and countless times between 4 and 5 (the passing zone technically didn't start until after 5).

I really love the Quattro Club and all the people who run and participate in the events - that's the main reason I support it even though I have a Porsche. However, I have a fundamental difference in philosophy when it comes to passing. The Quattro Club eventmasters think that passing is dangerous, and therefore want as little of it as possible. I feel that having as much passing as possible is safer because it provides separation between cars. How many trains did everone see going entire laps around the track a car length apart or less? That's what's dangerous - the frustration level at this event was pretty high, and not just for you, Paul and me. Communication is the key, and as you say, Corey, there was nothing dangerous about the point by's you received because there was total communication between the driver of the car being passed and you.

And while I'm on a roll, a quick comment about the use of turn signals rather than a point by. I'd come out of Turn 5 on the outside of the turn (far left side of the track) at close to 100 mph and there would usually be 3 to 5 slower cars on the very right side of the track. I couldn't tell if they had their turn signals on or not, or whether they had moved over to let me pass, or were there because they wanted to enter the carousel from the right side of the track, as they should if they're on the proper line. Naturally I assumed that they wanted me to pass and I continued on by, entering the carousel on the "racing line" on the inside. However, that ambiguity didn't need to be there. With a hand signal, I'd have known exactly what each driver intended.

Hmmmmm. Come to think of it, maybe this turn signal thing isn't such a bad idea! :-)

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

Not true...not true. We talked...you knew my feelings.

I found it difficult (probably due to conditioning) to remember to use the turn signal. Lots of people did use the turn signal though, but during the sunset hours, you couldn't see the blinking light sometimes.

. . . Eventmasters who had the power to do anything about passing . . . :-)

Honestly, I don't know how the chain of command works at a Quattro Club events. In this case, I don't know why Dean deferred to Larry - because he wanted to or because he had to. Don't get me wrong - I love Larry and we're good friends (at least I think we are :-)), but we have strong disagreement on the passing and turn signal issues, as many seem to. In fact, I don't think I've ever encountered anyone at a Quattro Club event who thinks using turn signals is a good idea, besides Larry and some other people from National. Interestingly, the materials sent out for the Sears Point event said that the car being passed was to use a traditional point by signal. It wasn't until the drivers meeting the night before the event that the old turn signal policy was announced. I wonder what went on there.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education)
tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board)
www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

. . . the less use there was of turn signals. I'd say it was 80/20 in the instructor group in favor of a normal point by over turn signals. Like you said, Jyoteen, it's conditioning. No other club that I'm aware of uses turn signals, so the more experienced a driver is, the more counter it is to everything they've done, and do as a matter of course without even thinking about it.

And the other problem you raise is a real one. I wasn't kidding in my other post. Coming out of Turn 5, I really couldn't see whether cars on the right had their turn signals on or not, and there isn't enough time there to look to figure it out. Now, some would say that unless I saw a turn signal, I shouldn't have passed, but that would have meant I'd never have come close to getting even one clear lap.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com (high speed driver education) tserota@vinoquest.com (wine business) tserota@adelphia.net (law firm and home) www.tracquest.com (TracQuest web site) www.tracquest.com/deboard (TracQuest message board) www.vinoquest.com (VinoQuest web site)

I was gonna point...but you were already at my side...so I stayed out wide on the entrance to turn 6. No biggie..I know I can trust you..and that is the point..if it is someone you have driven with...at several events...you both know what each other usually does...and you know everyone sees each other. I like the events where you can pass everywhere in the advanced groups...people I drive next to..usually know when it is appropriate..and when it is not. Its the intermediate group that I sometimes worry about. In NASA events..group 4 is passing everywhere...the racing group..and group 3 is the scary group...where people who think they have experience are stuck with people who actually have experience. That can be troublesome.

Anyway, it all worked out...I guess. With the track being as small as it was, in the current configuration, we did the best we could given the rules applied.

He wasn't running the race drivetrain. They were using a stock tranny, with a 3.73:1 final drive, and open front and rear diffs. They race setup has a 4.11:1 final drive, and an LSD in the rear. I could tell he wasn't in the part of the powerband he wanted to be in, plus he was having traction issues coming out of corners.

They're rebuilding the race tranny right now because 3rd gear was destroyed at the Portland QCUSA event.

QCUSA seems to attract real novices to their novice groups, so they are extra careful/safe about passing and apexes. My 6 novice students (over 3 events) had a total of 2 days previous track experience. Only in the Advanced group do they get the Jyoteens, Mikes, Sues etc. who really know what they are doing.
Tracquest seems (to me at least) to attract slightly more advanced "novices" so you can push them a bit harder.

My student in D (the 200 wagon) saw something yellow in the mirror and proceeded to get the turn signal, wipers and horn going all at the same time, as well as a finger out the window. We both had a good chuckle about that!

The turn signal thing worked very well in the beginner groups where the only passing was on the dragstrip. Once there were more passing zones, it became more cumbersome. Besides, the turn signals on those TTs are tiny...who can see that??

Another issue with turn signals is multiple cars passing. Is the car behind supposed to figure out the blink cycle to determine if the car being passed made 1 or 2 signals??

Otherwise, fun event - despite.....

Mike

Running with Todd and Corey was truly enjoyable. I hope the local club realizes what a great resource they have with drivers like these willing to spend their day teaching others.

I also would like to commend the other drivers in our group for being so courteous about passing. I was often pointed by immediately as I came upon a slower car, enabling a pass at speed and with momentum rather than slowing down and making a power pass later. This allowed me to show my passenger most of the turns at speed in only two laps. This meant more people had a chance in the car.

I also believe it is much safer to allow the overtaking car to be responsible for the pass.

Thanks to all of the enthusiastic passengers, and don't forget to send us contacts for potential sponsorship. We can put together some very exciting events and promotions.

. . . On average, if I have 60 participants, 15 to 20 of them have never seen a track before. I don't think QCUSA's percentage is any higher than that.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com

. . . Likewise, great meeting and driving with you.

Actually, one of the things I like best about instructing at other clubs' events like the Quattro Club is that I actually get to instruct. I love instructing, but since I'm always so busy at my own TracQuest events, I don't get to do it nearly as much as I'd like.

Todd Serota
tserota@tracquest.com