Slow Laps at Road Atlanta

[pdub]

I've got one of those outboard hard drives to go with this computer. That's where I've been getting all of those videos from Gear Head Inn, etc. My whole life is on that hard drive. Everything's on there. A compilation over time. But I haven't done a good job of naming files and folders. I'm finding files that are in folders that are named wrong. etc., and so forth. I found this one.

I may have posted this one here before, if I have, apologize for the re-post. This is a track day run at Road Atlanta. If anyone's at all interested in doing a track day, this is what that looks like. It's not a "race." You just go as fast as you can.

This was a good run for me, I managed to pass a few broken down cars and managed to stay out of the way of a dozen or so that zoomed past me. The highlight of this video comes at 3:13. Forward to that. Watch that red car. That was on the warmup lap, not even at speed yet. That transition coming over the hill and down the hill into Turn 12, that's the weirdest place on any track I ever drove on.

Watch the red car ahead of me. That driver wasn't ready for it. Nice save, though, on the warmup lap.

[pdub]

I think after thinking, watching that red car nearly wreck on the warmup lap......I will refer to "driver." I'll never know who was driving that car.

And then they let us go, green flag. I could have probably turned some better lap times had I been more aggressive. But I had to drive that car back home from the track, that's how I got there. I would stay OFF of folks, and in the early days, that would make the instructors go crazy..."Get up ON him.....Let him KNOW you want to pass!"

After decades of driving on the highway, that's nearly impossible to do. Your brain won't even let you "get up on him." I could have passed that red car twice, but I'm being safe, stay back. I'd already seen Driver nearly wreck that car going down into 12 on the warmup lap all by itself. And then, on the exit of 7, when that car ran off into the dirt, I'd had enough watching. And at the same time I think that finally scared Driver into slowing down. So I blew his doors off.

But there's nothing to do about the cars that can go twice as fast as you on the straightaway. They are just "there," and then they are gone. Just thoughts in the middle of the night.

[SuperBuickGuy]

fun stuff for sure.

[pdub]

fun stuff for sure.

I don't see how they get away with, those track days. Except for the fact that there and at ECTA too, right up front you have to sign a waiver that essentially says, "If I get killed doing this, it's nobody's fault but mine." I guess that's it, the license to do it. And I sure did it a whole lot.

The thing with excessive speed, after a lifetime on the highway, twice as fast is lots more than twice as fast. Following distance, braking distance is distorted. It's mind blowing. But it sure is fun. I'm more than glad I did it. And even more glad I got away with it.

[Deaf Bob]

Same with derbys.. Gotta sign waviers to be in the pits and a parent signs for 17 and under..

[pdub]

Maybe the best race I ever saw was at Road Atlanta. Sometimes they integrate the track days into real sanctioned race events. Which is cool, get out of the car and watch how the pros do it. To watch a road course race in person you have to be paying close attention, because you can only see a fraction of the track. Watch them all go by.....again.

But this guy was forced by some twist of circumstance or penalty to start in the back of the pack. It was unreal. They were running three wide through Turn 1, you shouldn't even be able to do that. But somebody can, obviously. He passed them all and he won the race pulling away. And it was a short race, about 15 laps I think. What a display of driver and equipment. That was really something. Then I got back into the car and went about half that fast.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I don't see how they get away with, those track days. .

Ever heard the term "learned helplessness?" many tracks simply say "fine, sue us 1) we have your waiver and 2) we don't have any money so you're SOL"

[RockJustRock]

I don't see how they get away with, those track days. Except for the fact that there and at ECTA too, right up front you have to sign a waiver that essentially says, "If I get killed doing this, it's nobody's fault but mine." I guess that's it, the license to do it. And I sure did it a whole lot.

The thing with excessive speed, after a lifetime on the highway, twice as fast is lots more than twice as fast. Following distance, braking distance is distorted. It's mind blowing. But it sure is fun. I'm more than glad I did it. And even more glad I got away with it.

And you sign that waiver EVERY time you throw a leg over a motorcycle, anywhere.