I was first in line with no instructor and this was my first time at the Glen...never even saw a race here.

It all came together pretty quickly; the esses are truely a blast as are turns 5,6 and 7. Turn 9, however, can be very very tricky - I need lots of work there. Turn 10 was a matter of how large my attachments felt and turn one was pretty straight forward so long as I got the braking and down shifting correct Top speed was between 120 and 125 on either straight...when I was driving correctly.

Last lap of the last session the car abruptly spit and spuddered going thru the esses. I though I blew the motor as many folks have done thru these turns due to the combination of high rpm, cornering and grade change. Well, lucky for me, I ran out of gas

The car simply does exactly what I ask it to do without being nervous...I probably could have backed off on the rear bar a little but it was a great help in turns 6 and 7. The car needs more grip. I think I'll look at a wider tire/wheel combo for next year...perhaps Hoosiers???

My RA1s picked up a ton of material causing lots of vibration in the last two sessions. guess I was off-line a bit. Gotta see if I can get these shaved too...poking fun at myself. I should have purchased these shaved.

 

Nice .... I want to go there too .... SOON !!!!

Any video ?

 

No video I've been cut-off by my better half - no more racing budget this year. The videos will have to wait another year. The PDA pics should be up by tomorrow.

 

I was there y-day with Trackmasters and even though they blow the track clean in the morning (and sometimes during lunch break) you do pick up alot of marbles. Great day, though--almost three hours of track time. I was drenched! The Cooper was tremendous.

Gary

meb, you weren't braking for Turn 10, right?

 

? Video ? I need inspiration

 

Wish I did.....just go. With all the history oozing out of that place you'll be motivated.

 

Try this for August and Sept dates at the Gen
www.gvc-bmwcca.org

This track is the real deal.

 

I'm there Sept 27-28 with the boston bmwcca chapter.

 

Meb's in-car video from the Glen.

http://gscdownloads.com/race.wmv

OK...ok, not really Michael, but if anyone wants to see how this track should be driven then watch this Porsche in the hands of a fantastic driver. This is a PCA race.
Big file due to quality, not length. A MUST watch IMHO

 

Leh Keen can drive!

 

I was in the marbles a lot because I had to let lots of folks by. There were oodles of ZO6 Corvettes, 2, 550 Maranellos, five or six very well driven Lotus Exige, a handful of some home built but exotic looking stuff, the usual Porsche mix and a Noble M400 - very quick, a Viper or two. I managed to get the best of only one M3, a couple garden variety Lotus Elise' and a Miata. In each case I had to work REALLY hard to get either a point by, by the driver or the flag station. I was also black flagged for the first time ever...I passed in a no passing zone. I was concentrating so hard and the guy gave me the point by so I passed going into turn 9...oops!

While hannging with a Lotus for most of my last session, one very well driven Caddy with the Corvette engine essentially split me and the Lotus between turns 6 and 7. He passed the lotus cleanly on an outside line going up turn 7...a place where big horse power counts.

No, I did not brake for turn 10 after my first session. But I'll tell you this, the rumble strip comes up very quickly on the right at full throttle thru that turn

No videos, but pictures from the PDA site. I was the only Mini there that day. I ran in the Blue group. www.pdadrivingschool.com Pages 1,10,11,12,and 15 offer the best pics.

 

Yes, it does come up quick....just remember to look ahead to Turn 11 as soon as you hit the apex for 10. All of the apexes on that track are late (you wouldn't know it watching that Porsche video--looks like he almost ran out of track once going up the Esses, but that's racing) but for 9 and 10 you don't want to be early at all.

 

Be careful, not all are late especially 11 which is early! The late turns are really only 6, "the laces" & 9 "the off-camber.” The toe can be but doesn't have to be. The other turns…

 

I'm very comfortable with car placement thru turn ten and eleven. turn nine I placed correctly a third of the time. The rest of the day I was either too late or too early. Therefore, turns 8 and 9 will be high priority goals next time...the chicane occasionally caught me out too.

 

To learn how to drive Watkins Glen fast, purchase the DVD Speed Secrets at The Glen: Demystifying the Twist.

 

The most important corners at Watkins Glen are 1 which is really the beginning of the back stretch and 11 which is the beginning of the second longest straight. It is best to sacrifice 10 to get 11 right.

 

Well, I would agree with you except, you did not see JUST how poorly I executed turn 9 I think I wrote above, I went out during the first session without an instructor first in line - and I've never seen the track before. When I came up on turn 9 for the first time, I nearly soiled myself...I might have had an opportunity to share morning coffee with the folks in the flag station

Yes, the few times I placed the car well in either 11 or 1, the dividend was shifting into 6th with enough time left to actaully accelerate in 6th.

Another note; despite a 180 degree thermostat, the high humidity and high temps affected power.

 

I will see you there I think that will be first trip there this year. No worries though since I have a detail track map plan with entry and exit speeds for every turn on the Glen, I spent a couple of sessions last year running no brake exercises which I used to build the track map plan.

 

I'm scheduled to be there also. It was my goal for getting the race car done. Not looking great, but being it's late Sept, I just might make it.

 

If you're going fast enough and you're early into 11 you WILL run out of track.....

 

I forgot: I'm in the DE section. As a PCA and PDA DE instructor all apexes are late. (Do not try this as a DE participant -- to go fast some turns are to be early apexed. See onasled's video, turn 11, no traffic -- early apex!)

 

You're a PDA instructor? We coulda had fun last week...I'm a very good student.

 

I've been a PDA instructor since about '91.
The Glen is my favorite track and I have the track rented out for this upcoming Monday and Tuesday to do some testing (with 44 of my closest friends).

 

Nice ....

You notice the Porsche drivers right knee ?? He must hit that red start-stop button !!!

Crazy fast driver and car !!!

 

That's the brake bias ****..