Well, I mentioned to a few of you a while back that I was heading off to Skip Barber. I am present and accounted for.

Today was our first day in the cars (open wheeled formula cars). It's a good school and I'm glad I am here. Today was a little slow for me but most of it was getting to know the car and learning how to double clutch down shift, no clutch down shift, Trail Brake, etc. We did quite a few laps of the modified course here at Sebring.

I'm heading out to dinner with some folks. The Watering Hole is the name of the place for those familiar with Sebring. Tomorrow should be better as we build up speed and have a bunch of time in the car. The experience level varies in the program. Some are quite new to this and hove done a track day or two. Some are champion Kart drivers or former IMSA drivers that are getting back into it have a couple decades away. Good people all around.

It is true. The coaches here can probably turn a faster lap in the van than most other people in a Porsche. There is nothing quite like drifting a 15 passenger van to set the tone.



I'm having some professional video done during the advanced 2-day program. I'll post that up when I can. For now...I'm hungry.

Cheers,

Trevor

 

Nice! Glad to hear you're having fun! I attended the Skip Barber 3-day race school at Laguna Seca several years ago, and I have to agree, riding around in the back of a Dodge Sprinter van doing a full 4 wheel drift in turn 9 is an adrenalin-filled experience.

Keep us posted on the rest of your training.

 

Sounds like a great time..

 

This might be a bit random. But do you know David Cheng? Short young Asian guy. He's from up here and has been doing the Skip Barber thing a lot. Just curious if you've come across him

 

I don't know David.

We went out to the Inn on the Lake and ate at the hotel restuarant, "Chicanes". The filet was decent and the 7-grain bread was pretty good.

 

Today was much better!

The instructors have clearly began to separate a few of us and push us harder. Probably did about 160 miles in the car today. One thing that I like is that thye really push trail braking. Other schools I have been to look at trail braking as something only for racing. These guys look at it as the only way to drive a car.

In the Lotus I have been reluctant to carry much brake into the corners. In these cars they are really pushing us on it and it is just incredible how much more the car pulls down to the apex. I'm carrying much more speed into the turn for sure. However, I have also learned, the semi-hard way, that coming off the brake mid-corner too abruptly can cause a spin. Good times.

In the evening we went to the Wild Turkey (where I learned about pig wrangling) and then back to Chicanes for drinks.

There is a Brazilian in our class that sold everything to make it as a racer. He's pretty darned good. Just silly fast and smooth in the car. Totally cool dude.

 

Always interesting.

Two wrecks today at Skippy school. The first wreck bent up two cars pretty bad but the driver's were fine. The cars were driven limping off of the track. The conditions were HEAVY rain coming out of turn 9 (17) onto the front straight. One car was passing another and took the inside (drivers right) line. Hydroplaned at about 80mph and went nose cone first into the wall (drivers right). Second driver learned that the car goes were the eyes go. And followed him into the wall. I was standing up in the Fangio terrace watching it all unfold in front of me. I had just finished having a talk with the pro driver (the Brazilian I mentioned before) that I wasn't comfortable through there in anything higher than 3500rpms in fourth.

The second wreck was considerably worse. The car was removed with a fork lift and the driver was evacuated with an ambulance. Car is destroyed and the helmet is totaled. Word from the Hospital is that the guy is doing fine but has a pretty decent concussion. They are keeping him over night. The conditions of this crash were warm and dry. it was a few hours later in the day during our open lapping session. The driver was by themselves in Turn 1. They came in a little hot and were off line a bit to the outside of the apex. The car wouldn't point (too much speed) and they dialed in more steering and lifted off the brakes too hard. They impacted the inside wall at the apex.

As I was burning down the front straight in 4th at 6000rpm (about 120 mph), I caught a last minute black flag. I lifted and hit turn 1 (thinking I had done something wrong) at about 90%. The wreck was on the line. Luckily, I was not at full tilt (black flag) and pulled off line to give him some room. The driver was holding his head at that point.


Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful day. I have now done the 2 day school at proformance and the 3 day school at Skip Barber. They are both good schools. I would find value in taking the 3-day skippy school again. However, I'm doubtful that I would take the proformance school again. Skippy does a great job at teaching trail braking. Proformance did a better job at teaching you how to go racing. You actually race in the Proformance school but we did not race in the Skippy school.

I have a day off and then I start the 2 day advanced school.

 

We just completed Day 1 of the Advanced school this afternoon. Not bad. The driver skill is certainly higher on average but people are really skiddish in the rain. I guess in the great Northwest, we get a little more practice driving the rain line. Of the 14 Formula Cars all but five spun once the rain hit us mid session. No contact.

I flirted with the limits of traction but I do that in the dry so...

Heading out to the sunset grill in a bit. Apparently, you can have your beverages over looking the lake.

Tomorrow we'll get about 160 miles of track time supposedly. Right now I'm still over slowing for turn 13, but I'm still closing the gap in a big way through bishops bend. Turn 17 is a little scary for me. Initial braking AFTER turn-in is a new thing for me. Nothing quite like shifting (sequential gearbox) braking and turning all at the same time, mid-corner.

 

enjoying your write-ups Bleu...keep em coming

 

Great writeups! Makes me want to go! Be safe and enjoy the track time.

 

Enjoying your narrative! Sounds like a great time - too bad about the crashes though - I hope everyone will be ok.

 

Sounds like you are having a blast down there Trevor. I am envious but I know that I'd probably be off someone getting peeled off of a wall

 

You missed an 11 person field at Proformance track day yesterday
45 degrees and raining sideways
Great learning opportunity
I code browned exiting 3b in third gear (wet track, standing water everywhere) car straight heading up the hill, foot into it, shift to 4th, foot into it - sideways instantly
Saved it but had to scoop the poo out of my shorts at the end of the session :-)

Was playing in T8 and had a 180 spin - I almost caught that one

Worn R888s + standing water + no traction control = great car control learning environment!

I look forward to talking to you about SB in person

 

I just graduated from the Advanced Racing School a few minutes ago and I'm off to dinner. I jump back on tonight and post up a one lap narrative which should be fun to read. That said, I can definately see me doing these about once a year on different tracks each year. There is nothing quite like following a guy that has won the 12 hours of Sebring race and having him be your rabbit. I learned a lot and was just crushing the Karting kids out there.

See you guys (and the two ladies) soon.

Trevor

 

awesome write ups, where is the proformance school?