Talladega Grand Prix - Morning

Yes, Talladega, AL... no, not the big NASCAR oval. This is a tight little motorcycle track 'away a piece' from the better known oval. Last night, since Highland Rim was canceled, I spent some time watching miata youtube videos of a 1.12 lap of the track. The one I saw was nice because it included some trackmate data logging data too... which gave me an idea of the speeds involved in the corners... speeds that I'm comfortable with. :)

We woke up a little late, and rolled out of the hotel around 8am. Then we proceeded to get a triffle lost trying to follow a winding back road and find the other windy back road we were supposed to turn onto to get to the track. Us, the Rice University Entries, and a 911 seemed to be in the same boat. The 911, though, was in less worse shape and we followed them... until they disappeared on us. Fortunately some Galant VR4 forum members on their way to the track to cheer on the Galant from rochester, Ny that I was talking about yesterday. We got there just as the first run group was going off. No worries though, it would still be another 2hours before we were to run.

The track was wet from some earlier morning showers, but as the run groups were going along the cars were drying it off. Then as the 30th and later cars began to grid some rather dark & ominous clouds discharged their precipitation. And it continued to do so through the end of lunch. I lined up second to last behind the M3 and Boxter, with Don in the Crown Vic behind me. He and I discussed it and decided that I should go in front of him and decided it'd be better if I were in front.

The waiting finally ended and I pulled out and into a large puddle on pit exit. Then accelerate down into turn 3, test the brakes and heat them up, then get a feel for what the car would hold going around that corner. Then test the brakes going into turn 6, and the get a feel for th sweeping left hander after that. Back straight, brake, and test the grip in the final left hander. Then start and finish. I took it easy launching, and got up to speed and braked a little for turn 1, I went around the right hander pretty close to the speed I wanted and the car was rotating nicely, feeling great, alive. So, I just worked on braking a little later, and carrying more speed into the faster corners (1, 7-?, and the left at the end of the back straight). I was having a ball! The fit and I really enjoy the wet.. it brings the speeds down to where I'm more comfortable... and I can get a better feel of traction without worrying as much about losing it at a buck-10. By turn 6 of the last lap I was within striking distance of the Boxster. Though, apparently my presence motivated him to start pedaling a little harder and he kept a gap on me to the finish. Greer asked about pressures, and I said 'leave just where they are'

The results were posted outside (but not online yet), I clipped in at 45th, pulling in 9seconds on the Boxster.