Chuckwalla TT last weekend

[Cajundaddy]

Thanks to Jack & Robert and all of our PCA friends for another great TT weekend. The facilities are still spartan like Spring Mountain was 5-6 years ago, the track is very interesting, track surface was marvelous but it was 96F both days so a little late in the season for this desert location I think. It could have easily been 110F out there so we have to count our blessings. Got my arse handed to me by my brother in BSX class. It took me a long time to learn this track which I found to have several very sneaky corners. Dan was outrunning me all weekend but I was closing the gap on Sunday. During the timed runs my first lap was a real sweetie. I was well on my way to giving my brother the business when it counted... right up until I pushed too hard in the banked, decreasing radius bowl and simply ran out of track as I exited. Off into the desert for a little Baja 1000 practice! No damage except to my pride. Some days you just get hooked up... some days you don't.

[AGill]

That was an absolute sensational weekend! I'll echo Dave's thanks to Robert and Jack for all their work putting this events on. Showing up is the easy part!

It was a great track and the length made it a challenge to learn all the turns, pretty much took all day Sat. to learn it and then Sun. it was time to take the skirt off and push it. I had a blast playing with many folks (Rick, Dave H., Dan H., Don M., Eric M.) all weekend. I was fortunate to not have any off track driving practice; although I did come close on the downhill off camber left hand turn before the bowl, got the car sideways with a tad too much steering input but thanks to all that AX "drifting" practice I get each month I was able to save it Don M. was right behind me and had front row seats

A very successful weekend for many, I talked with several people who set their best time of the weekend during timed runs, myself included

As a side note, looking at the times/classing, I do notice at least a couple questionable classings...nothing in my class but CC10 and CC11 look to have a misclassed car. Hopefully we can all help each other figure this new system out in a constructive way this year so there are no mixups next year!

Looking forward to the next event

[jarettms]

Fun weekend, but would have loved 10 degrees cooler
I look forward to big willow in sept
J

[Jad]

Great event. Thanks to all. It was a very fun and safe event with several graduates of the DE school

Looking at the results, looks like a minor computer gliche in the BRI. Unknown class cars seem to win the BRI?

Still don't know where I lost 2-3 seconds in timed runs, but can't wait to go back and find them!

[Mmagus]

I FULLY agree a stupendous weekend perfectly run by our TT Team. Well done! And if you take the heat factor into account the term "well done" fits too (thank God for the Cool Suit company)

Jad now I know who to blame !!! I too lost 2 seconds in timed runs, see I took your instruction to heart. In all seriousness Jad's patient coaching and Mark R's ride along (until his car lost its clutch) refined and focused my approach. I went from running 2:24's to being able to set a personal best of 2:15:36. Thank you VERY much for the help. My timed run was a 2:17:60 but as I watch the video I can see where those seconds were lost, a smidgen here, a touch there, not deep enough in this corner, not aggressive enough in that. No single big mistake but it all adds up. Dead Pets Racing had a good result, with Paul, Myself, and our newest member Bill Ripka all doing well.

Nice racing with you Jerry. He and I kept pushing and challenging each other all weekend and ended up just .22 seconds apart. It was as Jerry put it, "a million dollars worth of fun". but next time Jerry, I'm not letting you get behind me in practice!!


Lastly I have to thank Mark R. for not beating me in my own car when he borrowed it for his timed runs, though I really would not have minded it was gentlemanly of him. I did however leave the camera on and have your laps for my personal review...one corner in particular that I will be trying in a different gear next time!

Here is my best lap of the weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrfWiJ9be7s

[jarettms]

Cool suit/shirt...time to get one...less expensive than the motor homes and toy haulers I have been eyeing up.

[Jackie C]

Cool suit is the ticket for sure. Just ask Debby Sharp. She was on fire!!! All that seat time and hard work paid off. Incredible driving. I've never been more excited about losing

[jarettms]

Ah, so that is her secret...I thought it might be Chuck washing her tires down before the run

[bbrand]

First of all, great weekend! It was so great to be out there with all the old friends and new ones too. There were some amazing times in the top 10 like Steve's CC08 (his exit onto the front straight sideways was all you needed to see that the car was going as fast as it could) and Otto's (in the 230HP turbo), and Jack! and James and Ken. Ken - that guy must have taken 3 seconds off on timed runs. And Jad who was faster than everyone all weekend.

I went into timed runs in the second slot and came out #5 (not counting Mickey). I can only conclude I choked. I have more to learn on that car, and I'm looking forward to improving the consistency and the performance.

I will post a video of my chokiness soon.
I joked at the event that the videos expose all, because the engine note is so loud you can't hide a throttle breath.

I lost about 20 lbs. of sweat, and one window. Hopefully that is the last of the new car gremlins.

I'd like to see a video of one of those 1:56.x laps so I can see where the other seconds come from.

[Jad]

I'd like to see a video of one of those 1:56.x laps so I can see where the other seconds come from.

Give me a couple days to catch up, then I will get that posted. It was fun chasing the Vette on its home turf. Next time he promises to bring out a Koni car to even things out!!!

[mrondeau]

Long video from the 4th session at CVR. Little spin at the end.

http://youtu.be/3EwD410ZC-g

[mrondeau]

One lap at CVR with iPhone video and Harry's laptimer overlay. I think this was session 3. I stopped using the iPhone because it was getting so hot and I didn't really want to fry my phone.

http://youtu.be/JZ6dIAwJF4M

[mrondeau]

I FULLY agree a stupendous weekend perfectly run by our TT Team. Well done! And if you take the heat factor into account the term "well done" fits too (thank God for the Cool Suit company)

Jad now I know who to blame !!! I too list 2 seconds in timed runs, see I took your instruction to heart. In all seriousness Jad's patient coaching and Mark R's ride along (until his car lost its clutch) refined and focused my approach. I went from running 2:24's to being able to set a personal best of 2:15:36. Thank you VERY much for the help. My timed run was a 2:17:60 but as I watch the video I can see where those seconds were lost, a smidgen here, a touch there, not deep enough in this corner, not aggressive enough in that. No single big mistake but it all adds up. Dead Pets Racing had a good result, with Paul, Myself, and our newest member Bill Ripka all doing well.

Nice racing with you Jerry. He and I kept pushing and challenging each other all weekend and ended up just .22 seconds apart. It was as Jerry put it, "a million dollars worth of fun". but next time Jerry, I'm not letting you get behind me in practice!!


Lastly I have to thank Mark R. for not beating me in my own car when he borrowed it for his timed runs, though I really would not have minded it was gentlemanly of him. I did however leave the camera on and have your laps for my personal review...one corner in particular that I will be trying in a different gear next time!

Mark, Thanks for letting me drive Tuffy in timed runs. It was a pleasure to take you on that ride along. It would have been nice to see how we could have done during the rest of that session as the tires were just starting to come in and we were having fun playing with Greg Phillips. I loved the track. I was able to get down to a 2:08.26 on Saturday and I thought that a 2:07 was a good target for Sunday. My clutch had other plans Top speed on that track was 100.3 mph. Lowest speed was 50.8 mph. (according to Harry's). I can't wait to go back.

[Mmagus]

Mark,

I did enjoy the ridealong, fortunatly we got enough in for me to pick up some tips before your clutch went....and the free sauna treatment afterward wasn't bad either .

Here is a vid of Mark Guest driving Tuffy. He came within a second of beating me...while trying to hold back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njba0UhtkJM

[Steve Grosekemper]

That was a really great weekend.
That track is just too much fun.
Cool suit was a must for me.

We learned our lession and saved the 710's strictly for timed runs.
And for the record, a slight 20 degree drift entering the front straight is not sideways...
I have been working on driving smarter instead of for the camera.
Straighter is faster, but sideways is still more fun.

Best improvement from fastest practice lap to timed lap in 5 years!
Did I say I had a great time?