It sounds to me that this is not a NASA TT event, possibly a time attack (TA) event where you get practice laps before your timed runs (and sometimes inexperienced drivers are permitted). As boomn29 pointed out all of your problems will be solved if you ran NASA TT

 

Pretty sure it was a NASA TT event... but it was a good number of years ago at Lime Rock (the event of the internet famous subaru roll over). Sounds like things have changed since I did them.

haha... found it... brings back memories.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KqfzlxftVk I was 3 cars behind him. Later on I had a guy go off track right in front of me trying to hold me off... and a few other close calls.

 

^^ Wow that rolled so easily! Bad things can happen really quickly.

3 cars back??? That had to be crazy bad to witness.

 

oh, forgot to mention, that was the warm-up lap, not even 1/2 lap into the track.

 

That spot at Lime Rock is a regular place to goof up..when the car starts getting light on its feet..never saw a roll there though, bet he was suprised ! But his actions should not reflect on to who is putting on the event or what the event was..TT / HPDE / etc. Like you said it was the warm up lap..the driver was the one who needed to learn something.. and looks like he did. Pete

 

Thanks Char......Pete

 

Originally: experience. They won't let you do TT until they've passed you off in HPDE, and when I had the Evo and they were here, that was the only chance I had. I doubt NASA will be back here, rumor has it they had a problem with management at the track.

Now it would be that my car is no where near competitive. Because, STis are slow. No, really, because a stock or mostly stock car has little to no chance of being competitive. And why compete if it isn't competitive?

If someone can come up with a way to class TA/TT events like Autocross events, so that the times are adjusted based on the car and it's mods. That would be awesome and I would sign up right away. I have plenty of skill, just not a lot of money

 

NASA does. Have you looked at their TT classification system?

Every car gets a base class. They you can 'mod' the car as you see fit to either maximize it for your base class or other higher classes if you so choose. So the higher you go the faster the times should be. Starting with TTE and going up to TTA.
At the top there are 2 straight power/weight classes and 1 unlimited class. These are for the high rollers and/or highly modded cars! This involves TTS/TTU/TTR --> although the letters here I aren't exactly straight forward.

 

UT-evo. NASA NE is at Lime Rock this August. And rumors are not always true. Pete

 

1 lap to warm up the whole car is something they should consider altering somehow. Especially w/ the unlimited cars pushing 700+ HP w/ giant slicks/huge brakes etc.

 

Well, one suggestion to get more people out is too allow other clubs TT drivers to compete without having to go thru the whole hpde thing. I run with the SCCA doing mostly hillclimbs and some track TT's. I would love to compete in a NASA event but, with the race schedule I run already, it's of no interest to me to come do an open lap/hpde without competing. I do understand that the SCCA does things different in regards to TT's. But, I believe you need to make it easy to race with both groups. We have a good group of hillclimbers/ TT'ers that you could pull from to boost the program.

 

I understand you're point. You have to understand that it's pretty unsafe to let someone just jump right into a TT group with open passing w/o some sign-off of some sorts.

That being said, when I first went to NASA I sent them a list of my experience and told them my goal was TT. They recommended HPDE3 and told me to talk to the group leader about a signoff when I felt up to it. I found the leader after the first meeting and told him I'd like a sign-off whenever he thought I was ready. He had time after lunch - I was signed off - and ran in TT the last session of my 1st day with no problems. How's that for quick?
Or maybe it's my super-duper driving skillz?

Keep in mine, I drive TT with NASA, but I also instruct for SCCA PDX events - so I know both sides a little!

 

mmmhmmm, more like granny driving skillzzz yo

 

Slow and steady (and consistent) wins over the sign-off guy!

Here's what's funny; and I didn't even notice this until a buddy that was watching told me. My first open pass with NASA was in the tightest turn of the track and I passed the group leader on the inside - after setting him up by following him super deep into the corner. lol.

But I'd had open passing prior with the SCCA by being an instructor.

 

Yep, that one. lol of course they add it the day after I post that. I've been waiting for weeks!