PCA @ CMP - Day 1 (2/28)

This is where I'll describe day 1 w/ the PCA @ CMP

The day started off ok. I was a little late waking up, and ended up leaving my cellphone and cash @ the hotel room. I decided to skip the hotel breakfast and instead stop and fill up my gas before getting to CMP. So I picked up a coffee & danish from the gas station.

I headed in to CMP, and drove around the paddock checking out who was where. I decided to park off on the far end of where everyone else was. No worries about stealing someone's spot & etc. Pulled out the tarp, dropped on the tub & then bungied the tarp over it so it'd stay dry.

Driver's meeting was informative, and they paired us up with our instructors right off. My instructor is Kevin who drives a 951, and is tall with a beard. I sport a goatee, so I figure he's 'alright'.

I talked to Kevin briefly, tried to outline my goals, and leveled with him about trying to get ready for 1lap. Told him that I wanted to drive the parade session, since that'd give me the most time to figure out the line & it'd be similar to the 1lap format.

I got ready, fumbled with my helmet and out came the left lens out of my glasses. :Panic: I knew this was going to happen, they're pretty old and I had a little trouble at VIR with them. After some fiddiling around, and I get them back together and on my head with my helmet. I start driving over to pick up Kevin, and *ding* i remember that I shouldn't be wearing my helmet. :Crap: Quick pull it off, off comes lens :exclmation:, pop it back in, set helmet behind me and off we go. The first two laps are pretty easy, everyone's going slow and I'm picking up what gears to be in & turn in points. The third lap the pace picks up a bit, and my helmet goes rolling. It doesn't get recovered 'till the last lap, sigh.

We head into the classroom, I get a much more spirited classroom than I got with Car Guys in October. Although, I will admit to smirking at how much my instructor was pushing 'the line' as being most important, since I'd recently read this Jack Baruth article. After that it was go back hop in the car, and grab Kevin.

Out we went. I don't recall a lot of this session. I know we caught up with some slower traffic, and I had to let some people by. I just kinda hung in there and worked on what I could as best I can. Turn 3 was a bit of an issue, I was turning in late and without enough speed. Everywhere else I was pretty bang on; so Kevin marked it down as the place to work on.

Then I had 80mins to sit around, get nervous, and try to stay dry before our next session. It was a boomer. I started off behind a 911 targa with hardtop on. After a couple of laps under yellow, we got the green. I had to be patient because this 911 was going pretty slow. So I just kept behind him, while I think a boxster caught up with us. I stayed close behind him through the kink and the 'lower' section. We came into 14, he went wide, I clipped the apex, feathered the throttle and then I got the signal. Down to full, into 3rd, and let out a little 'whoop' over the radio, that was my first pass ever in a HPDE. So, I unceremoniously braked too late going into 1, and had to grab 2nd to pull me into the corner. There was a couple of laps of clear track then we caught up to a train being led by a brown 911. So, we pitted in, and got 1 clear lap before the checkered. Unfortunately, I didn't think to let the M3 convertible by while we were in the pits since he caught us again just as we got the checkered flag. Sorry.

Lunch & classroom 2

Session 3 rocked. It was raining pretty hard, but the fit wasn't noticing. As someone said later 'those skinny tires cut right through the water'. I think that was part jab, part honest assessment; the jab part stung. Anyhow, I went out behind a boxster (i think) and a black Corvette (C5?). About two laps into it I'd caught up with the Corvette, he didn't let me by on the back straight, so I followed him through the kink, and through the next several corners hitting my marks and letting him get out a little ways. As we came back into the braking zone for 14, I reeled him in, grabbed second and got the point by. I snagged third, gave a wave in thanks as I went by. I commented to Kevin, that that must have taken a hard swallow. He said the 'vette probably didn't realize it what it was 'till we went by. I was smiling, and yes, unceremoniously braked too late into turn 1. We had a couple more clear laps where I was keeping pace with the light blue 540i and towards the end of the session we caught the train again, so both of us pitted in. Woops, apparently there wasn't enough time left so straight into the paddock we went.

At some point in the day Kevin and I had gotten to the point where I was going through the kink close to the max that the conditions allowed for (conditions being water & wind). Kevin remarked how he was surprised at how fast the stock suspension was able to take the kink. Me too. I was also surprised with how well behaved the fit took to me getting nervous half way through the kink once and let off. She danced around a little bit, but never really tucked around.

The final session of the day was the best. The rain had slowed, the wind wasn't too heavy, and I was flying. I caught up with the brown porsche, and had to sit and be patient again, and follow him through to 14. Where he went wide and stayed way left. I thought he was going into the pits, and was setting up to go by. The his hand shoots out, and so I kept on going... and didn't overcook turn 1 this time. The rest of the session was pretty much clear, and Kevin mentioned that he was having fun sitting in the right seat, that I was doing things right, etc. I was smiling ear to ear.

I packed up, & dropped stuff off at the hotel. Where I got to talk to Steve(?) who sells Porsche's in Hilton Head. He was curious how the fit was getting on; and I'll admit to a little bit of pride. Passing 911's and Corvettes on your 3rd day of track time in a fit can do that to you (david vs. goliath and all). I grabbed a nice dinner, chatted with the wife, and sacked out by 9pm.