One More Day at Mid-Ohio... Insanity!

So what I think will be my last track day of the season was easily the most crazy one I've had yet. The weekend event was sold out so I just went on Friday. It was really wet all morning, drizzling just enough to keep the track really slick. Obviously, the wet line is completely different from the dry line and it was interesting trying to figure out where to find grip.

The great part about it was the things that are typically "bad" about the RSX really work in my favor when it's wet: FWD, low hp/tq, street tires, stock suspension, etc. I was passing built Mustangs and Corvettes like crazy... Viper, Caymen, no problem-o. Those guys couldn't get grip to save their lives.

I did a pretty good job of keeping the car straight. Driving like half speed, short shifting, and just babying the throttle but the adrenaline is still there for sure... maybe more-so. A lot of wheel jockeying going on. Made a mistake of being too confident and going under the Honda bridge spun the car 90*. Kept it on the track and moving, fortunately, so no harm no foul. I do know they put sealant on the track which makes it slick as fuck.

By the afternoon the track was warm and dry for fast lapping. I am in HPDE4, which is open lapping anywhere with, or without a pass-by. I am pretty good about keeping my eyes in the mirror. A guy with a turbo Corvette (who sat out the wet, morning runs) was gaining on me quick (imagine that) so I went wide through the carousal to give him the line. Well, the SOB lost is car and spun out right in front of me. Thank god I had some brakes left as he went skidding across the track, but that shit was close! Easily the closest call I've had with another car.

Run four was dry but the temps dropped to the mid-low 60s, so the track was deceivingly slick. A Caymen and an S2k went off in-front of me but they were far enough ahead it didn't matter much to me...

Anyway, enough blabbing...











'xcuse me, pardon, me, coming through...





Compilation video from the whole day. Everything I described above is in here (available in HD):




If you don't want to watch the whole video, at least watch the Vette of death trying to take me out!

Holy Crap that was a close call. Good reaction there. Could have definitely be worse.

Glad no harm came to the RSX.

Nice! I wish you could see the look on the other drivers faces as you passed them

Well the guy in the vette...

Yikes!

Looks like the perfect vid to add to those compilations of Vette drivers crashing and losing control. Seems to be a lot of them on YouTube..... can't imagine why...

00ranger wrote:Nice! I wish you could see the look on the other drivers faces as you passed them

Me too. Cars with twice the hp and three times the tq just getting walked away from. I bet they're not used to that.

SBF wrote:Holy Crap that was a close call. Good reaction there. Could have definitely be worse.

Glad no harm came to the RSX.

For sho'. You can see my correct the wheel some there and it's because I hit the brakes more than I should have for that turn (obviously, when a car is spinning in front of me, all bets are off). There's a dip right there so the car is light... too much brake and the back gets loose. Thankfully a quick correction and the car was back and I could continue to crack it right. Yeesh...

Benfolio wrote:Yikes!

Looks like the perfect vid to add to those compilations of Vette drivers crashing and losing control. Seems to be a lot of them on YouTube..... can't imagine why...

That's basically what I told one of my buddies that was there (in his 11 Mustang GT ), that is what happens with your wallet far outweighs your skill.

At first I was like but then I was like

In that pic he's about two car lengths and when he was nose to nose with you he was what? A car length? Less?

SBF wrote:In that pic he's about two car lengths and when he was nose to nose with you he was what? A car length? Less?

If even. The GoPro has a fisheye like lens so things are a closer than they look. The inside view is probably more realistic. I think your estimate in that screenshot is pretty close. But, yea, if I had to guess I'd say five or six feet at our closest points.

Definitely a Code Brown moment. I hope you bring a change of clothes with you to the track, just in case.

for sure. that was really close from the GoPro's vantage, but when I saw the in-car...whoooo. But I could tell when you felt it was safe--you went for the shifter.
but it just goes to show you the track (and by extention, the street) is still slick even after the rain water's gone.

Ay chihuahua!

More emoticons we don't have!

Well, we have it now!

lol, just put all the SA smilies on here.

Turbojett wrote:lol, just put all the SA smilies on here.

Might as well at this point!

That Vette near miss is awesome. I had a WRX spin in front of me once but it wasn't that close.

Only thing is I don't understand how FWD can help in the wet. When the weight transfers back you should be even more stuffed - although I suppose understeer is safer than oversteer.

watching again, i see the Vette driver's big mistake was hitting the brakes as soon as he got loose. was it his first time on the track or something?
Money can buy you a sports car, but it can't buy you skill...not unless you spend it on racing school or something.

Rich Skill-Lacking Noobs should just get a GT-R. God I love that car.

I'm sure they'd find a way to spin that.
You build an idiot-proof supercar, they'll build more advanced idiots.

clockbreaker wrote:Rich Skill-Lacking Noobs should just get a GT-R. God I love that car.

It's hard to argue the numbers and it is a cool car, but the fact it only has two pedals and is like driving a computer turns me off about it.* For the money, gimmie a C6Z06 or C4S.




*No I've never driven one, but I have ridden in one around Mid-Ohio during a TT session and have talked with Pure Tuning about it.

Turbojett wrote:I'm sure they'd find a way to spin that.
You build an idiot-proof supercar, they'll build more advanced idiots.

Pretty much...

Swerve wrote:That Vette near miss is awesome. I had a WRX spin in front of me once but it wasn't that close.

Only thing is I don't understand how FWD can help in the wet. When the weight transfers back you should be even more stuffed - although I suppose understeer is safer than oversteer.

Not sure what you mean about "more stuffed."

Talon wrote:

Turbojett wrote:I'm sure they'd find a way to spin that.
You build an idiot-proof supercar, they'll build more advanced idiots.

Pretty much...

I love how the crash just accentuated that kink in the roof.

Talon wrote:

Swerve wrote:That Vette near miss is awesome. I had a WRX spin in front of me once but it wasn't that close.

Only thing is I don't understand how FWD can help in the wet. When the weight transfers back you should be even more stuffed - although I suppose understeer is safer than oversteer.

Not sure what you mean about "more stuffed."

screwed.
e.g, you aren't getting adequate weight put on your fronts when the weight transfers rearward resulting in OH SHIT level understeer when cornering.

The weight will only transfer to the back if you're able to accelerate... which you can't do if the fronts aren't getting traction. If you watched the longer video, though, you can see how easily even a FWD can get loose.

It's more of the I can "test the waters" easier than them

Finally got a chance to watch that all the way through. Looks like a lot of fun and some nice saves in there.