I have a long time to wait for my run group, being in the back; and spend a long time w/ the car gridded on pit row... getting toasty. Finally we're off and I'm last out; which makes sense, Sebring is fast and I've got a low horsepower car. On the recon lap I botch several turns and freak myself out pretty good on the long/fast right hand sweeper onto the front straight. And I continue to do that for the first 2 hot laps. On the 3rd, it's better and on the cooldown lap I figure out what I should do. Turn 1 is a similar long left hand fast sweeper, and I don't really nail it 'till my last lap. The left/right/left (3-5) before the carousel I get wrong and lose speed. I gather it together on the carousel and attack the rest of the course as best I can... only losing time in two more places. 1) In turn ## where I slowed down too much, but the turn is deceptive in it's speed and the right a-piller blocks view of the apex. The final place is the last turn before the long back straight. Overall I'm ok, only 2sec back from the Boxster.
During the break I get some tips from Rudy, one of the Corvette drivers, who's got a C5R that is doing pretty well. He's apparently a pretty accomplished driver, and wants to give a fellow VA driver a hand. Or maybe the fact that I'm wringing the fit out, and hanging w/ a Boxster has something to do with it? eh. Either way it's nice to get some tips before flinging the car around some of these fast bends.
The afternoon session I lined up ahead of the Boxster since the other driver (the one I passed at Talladega) was driving Sebring for the first time. And lined up behind a 73 911 with 912 badging; who apparently only had half a tank, which caused him to cut out in certain corners & under braking. Along the carousel on the first lap I get the impression I can catch the 911. Coming I catch up to him in the back part of the track and we head down the front straight we me keeping up with him because of my higher corner speed in turn 16 (thanks Rudy!). And that's when I notice the IROC on the right puttering along. We all clamber into turn 17 taking different lines, and the IROC actually accelerates down the front straight, keeping the 911 & myself in check all the way to turn 1... where things get real interesting. The 911 goes early and inside, the IROC goes wide, and I trundle along in the middle at what feels like a higher speed than the rest of them. We collect on the short stretch after the turn and the IROC gives the 911 a point by, and I'm motoring along behind the 911, not waiting for the point-by as it comes. I'm staying left of the little right kink and set up my braking to comfortably outpace the IROC, follow the 911, and keep my speed up through the corner w/o overcooking it. I can't believe it, but I manage to do that, stay wide on 5 and get a good run onto the carousel. The 911 gives me a point by on the left and I pass by... and then completely overcook the hairpin. I pick up what I can and try to nail the rest of the course, only screwing up that one corner I never figure out. And finally get a pretty good run at 17, although its probably a little slower than 'max'; but hey, the point is to learn, be comfortable, and come home. Mission Accomplished!
The drags went ok. I got a 17.73, which is average for a Fit. I make it two rounds in the bracket drags and then bust out at a 17.5 w/ .7ET.
Greer & I head into UFL for dinner, which apparently is the opposite way from which we should head to for Daytona.
Tomorrow: Daytona! I fully expect to be passed... a lot ;). Oh, and there's the efficiency run, which we're going to try hard to win. Could be close though if the Civic puts their mind to it, or a couple of the vettes, and we don't know if the Altima Hybrid (who is sponsoring the run) is actually competing in it or not... and what kind of mileage he gets. So, while everyone's been betting on me... and I'm reserving the right to come in 3rd or so... too bad this isn't for OA points :(
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