Nathan, Congrats on the second place finish!! Very exciting! I'm glad you liked the action shots too, I got quite a few of the day so once I get more of them cleaned up I'll throw 'em up in show 'n shine as well (a few are already up on my photobucket: http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd197/donbrown34567/ ) I had a great time out at the Autobahn Country Club and I'd really like to make more events. Maybe even get into an event or two! Once again, great job on the second place finish!!

Don

^^^^ Wrong Name. I didn't realize my buddy was logged on on this computer hahaha. That post was actually supposed to be mine! Oh well

Don

In for pics of the hottie on the podium!


Oh yeah, nice job btw!

Well, im glad you have the capacity to understand that we are helping you out. You need that characteristic to be able to improve as a driver safely. I have a few more things id like to tell you. Ill break it down to 2 parts based on your response:

1. "This was my third ever track event..."
If that was your 3rd ever track event (assuming youre not holding something back), you should seriously think about not competing for a while. And im not even joking. At face value, its pretty clear to me that your enthusiasm to compete is what got you into trouble. Im sure youre pretty excited about competing, but if you use a little reasoning, common sense, and some patience, you will get further. With 3 ever track events nobody has the experience to know what to do, let alone get out there and compete. Because one of the important factors of competing (if not, the most important factor), is safety. Its one thing to get out there and work on setting fast laps, doing it safely is a whole other issue (which will come with experience). But i dont understand why youre even out there with only 3 events trying to set fast laps, let alone compete. You need to be doing HPDEs and instruction. Trying to set fast laps at such an early stage is going to ruin you in the long run. Youre unknowingly setting yourself up for failure by training yourself to set the core of your focus on fast laps. Youre skipping the core of what every driver needs.

I race with NASA in Super Touring. Dont misunderstand me, im still really new to all this, so im not trying to act like i know everything. But i can tell you that what you did, especially based on what you said, is clearly due to lack of experience. I went through quite a few steps to start racing, and one of them was to read the NASA rules more than a few times. I dont have the entire rulebook memorized, its about 80 pages, but we need to know it for safety. Safety is the most important factor. Lack of experience/knowledge will lead to catastrophe someday on the track. When drivers apply for their racing license, not everyone passes, and there is a reason for that. Accidents happen all the time, even with the best racers. Lack of experience/knowledge only amplify the situations. Ill end it there for now. So, if that was actually your 3rd ever track event, i highly recommend (as i would to a friend) you do more HPDEs with instruction and hold off on the competition for now.

2. The track officials did not encourage going off track, they only said "get to the pits ASAP."
The root of my response to this part comes from the preceding paragraph, ie the rules. Its one thing to know the rules, its a whole other thing to have the experience to follow through with them under pressure. Better yet, to know when/how to break the rules correctly when you have to. I dont know under what context the track officials discouraged you guys from going off track, but the maneuver you completed was the wrong one. Given the position you were in, the only move you should have executed was to have immediately driven off track to the right, away from harms way.

Check and check! I was out there for the HPDE lapping day Saturday and inherently out on the track Sunday just because I wanted all the track time I could get for my money, not to mention it was only an hour away from home. I can honestly say I came not expecting to perform the times that I did. I had Robi showing me what parts of the line I had wrong, and then after the event, Jason Saini (Speed World GT driver) took my car out and also gave me some mroe pointers. I like to learn for anyone and everyone. So, many thanks for all the words of wisdom. Copied and pasted into a word document to read over the coming weeks before any track event I'll do...hopefully Nashville July 24-25 .

Sounds good. Well, i hope you were taking some serious notes when Jason Saini gave you pointers. Unless youre buddies with guys like him, its not too often that youll get guys like him to drive your car and give you pointers.

did you guys not wear neck collars as a minimum...?

I wish I had my camera changed and running Saturday. I had 3 cars go off in front of me alone that I would have had footage of. A pair of them in the same downhill left turn; just taking it too fast. Another looked to have nailed the inside 'berm' and ripped on his front diffuser.


As far as car issues on Saturday, it was so f'in hot. A lot of people had brake problems. I talked with Robi about this Sunday morning as I had some hot brakes at the end of the day Saturday as well.

Others blew off some intercooler pipes - which can be common when you run > stock boost. That'll ruin your session! Speaking of boost, there were a lot of high hp cars there. Some of them had overheating issues as well. Glad to say I run some awesomely safe AMS tunes (thx Chris) and had no engine issues whatsoever!

There was a red evo there that got towed in what seemed like every session. He was running the TA sunday - to my surprise still running - and throwing a crazy amount of whiteish smoke for nearly 2 full laps. Think he was towed in again.

Yeah I had the same thing happen to me at an HPDE, at the same place on the Autobahn south course. I just coasted it off-track ... waayyy off-track ... to make sure that I was safe and that the session could continue. LICP FTMFL. I can't believe the track officials wanted you to limp it home. Better to wait the extra 10-15 minutes to get the car towed back than cause an incident.

BTW - great showing. It was a lot of fun to watch. I may have to give it a try next year.

l8r)

You got some really great shots of my car! thanks!

Found another pic I wanted to share. It's a pic of what the pre-staging looks like at events. This is the pre-staging grid for the street class. My car is the blue Evo up on the left.

awesome write up Nathan!

I think I may head out for Nashville, dare I say it but the stock turbo may be on its way out! 3076 could find its way on... now I have to class myself in TT-U as well tho, oh well three years on a stock turbo its time for some change!

There ya go!

I seen the Turn-In-Concepts WRX confirmed they're going. That's who won Street AWD ahead of me and I'm down a good 50whp to them! I hear Nashville is a high speed track. A straight of about 100mph a straight of nearly 140mph linked together with a tight autocross-like infield.

Man if you make the trip down to Nashville from your neck of the woods, you're gonna make me feel bad if I don't make the shorter trip from STL.

I'm going to be at Nashville. Bigger and better, going to try to sort out all the issues, I was really disappointed with Autobahn

Hey, good to hear.

I'm not sure about Nashville, being a high-speed track I'm going to be losing a LOT to those non-stock turbo guys!