Skip Barber: Round 1 - LotusTalk

JimK · 06-30-2008, 10:11 AM

Finally, the season's off and running. I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon. The weather at Road America was interesting. We had to pile into the tunnel under the front straight as straight line winds howled and a tornado warning was called. After the rain calmed down we gridded up and ended up running on a drying track. Started out running a wet line and ended up on a dry line. Turns 3 and 5 and Kettle Bottoms never dried up completely. I had a spotter and that helped alot but was only able to pick up a couple spots and ended up P10 after a spin at 5. SEcond race was just as lame, unfortunately. Competition was alot tougher than last September, watch for Sage Karam and Dennis Treibing in the future, 2 really talented kart kids. There were also a couple of South Americans there who were in the Red Bull driver development program. There weren't enough old duffers there like me, pretty humbling. There were plenty of wrecks and some kart-kid dad's are writing some pretty huge checks today. Next up is Road Atlanta, hopefully the Racing Gods will bless me with more talent and bigger stones between now and then.
Cheers!

Yeti · 06-30-2008, 10:19 AM

I don't think the big checks will bohter them too much. When I was in Miami with Skippy the south american kids were arriving to the track by helicopter.

RacyTracy · 06-30-2008, 10:22 AM

RA is always a good time.....unless there's a tornado blowing through, I guess. At least you're not writing one of those big checks. Were you able to get any pictures??

apk919 · 06-30-2008, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yeti

I don't think the big checks will bohter them too much. When I was in Miami with Skippy the south american kids were arriving to the track by helicopter.

Yeah, or hiring Vic Elford as a driving coach...

JWA · 06-30-2008, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apk919

Yeah, or hiring Vic Elford as a driving coach...

Vic was my driving coach back when I ran with Skippy. Is he out on his own now? Makes sense.

MontinolaRacing · 06-30-2008, 11:08 AM

most of us do both - skippy and private coach

Road Atlanta will be fun! Great track..

JWA · 06-30-2008, 11:13 AM

I see. Cool.

apk919 · 06-30-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWA

Vic was my driving coach back when I ran with Skippy. Is he out on his own now? Makes sense.

He was hired by Milka Duno when she was running Skippy... that was a while ago...

JimK · 06-30-2008, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RacyTracy

Were you able to get any pictures??

my friend got a bunch, I'll post them here when I get them. I didn't take any as I'm even worse at photography....

SkipL · 07-02-2008, 06:52 PM

Jim,

Good to see you're having fun. When will you be in Atlanta?

SKip

JimK · 07-03-2008, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkipL

Jim,

Good to see you're having fun. When will you be in Atlanta?

SKip

Hey Skip, How's the car treating ya?. I'll be at Road Atlanta Wed. 7/9 till Sun. 7/13.

SkipL · 07-03-2008, 08:43 AM

The car has been lots of fun. Here's a picture of it with new hat and matching stripes.

JimK · 07-05-2008, 06:09 AM

looks great, love the hard-top!

Feffman · 07-08-2008, 07:45 PM

Jim called me today as he was looking at turn 12 at Road Atlanta, noting it's much steeper then it appears on television. I suggested he sit on a piece of coal as he lapped because the pucker factor in 12 is amazing, enough to compress said coal into a nice diamond.

Feff

Feffman · 07-09-2008, 01:12 PM

Wow, what a track! TV and Forza doesn't do it justice.

The elevation changes are much greater than they look on TV (or video games). I did 2 lapping sessions and a lead-follow (with Keith Watts), helped alot. Got down to a 1:46.XX. Times are almost exactly a minute less than Road America for most drivers. Hope I'll find a few more seconds tomorrow. Turn 1 is taken in 4th, got to keep your foot in it to keep the car settled. The 2-3 complex is quite technical, my line was off 'till I followed Keith. The esses are really cool and require very little steering input if done correctly, Really alot of down, than up, elevation change. 5 requires surprisingly little brake and you want to use all the curbing on the exit which is pretty rough. 3rd gear. You grab 4th and hit the rev limiter on the brief straight before 6-7. 6 is banked and surprisingly fast. 7 is a late turn in/apex and I'm consistantly over-slowing it. The straight between 7 and 10a is the only long straight here. 10a is the left hander at the end of the (crooked) straight and is a classic compromise corner. Biff it and go too deep and you'll be slow as hell coming out of 10b which then goes up a steep hill. 11 is the turn under the pedestrian bridge and you have to use the colored boxes painted on the bridge for reference. It is totally blind as you crest the hill. Then the track
just falls away underneath you like a roller-coaster. Grab 4th under the
bridge and steadily add throttle so you're flat at the apex of 12. Lift here
and you just bought a car. Grab 5th at the exit of 12 and 1 comes up in a big hurry.

Overall, a really cool, technical track with lots of elevation changes and only one long straight where you can rest a bit. Oh, it's hotter then hell here.

Feff, I'm working on that coal, should be a diamond by Sunday...
Later,

Jim

MontinolaRacing · 07-10-2008, 09:55 AM

road america is one of the best tracks i've raced on... even though i flipped my star mazda car there in turn 7

06-30-2008, 10:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
JimK rooster Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bettendorf, IA Posts: 2,002	Skip Barber: Round 1 Finally, the season's off and running. I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon. The weather at Road America was interesting. We had to pile into the tunnel under the front straight as straight line winds howled and a tornado warning was called. After the rain calmed down we gridded up and ended up running on a drying track. Started out running a wet line and ended up on a dry line. Turns 3 and 5 and Kettle Bottoms never dried up completely. I had a spotter and that helped alot but was only able to pick up a couple spots and ended up P10 after a spin at 5. SEcond race was just as lame, unfortunately. Competition was alot tougher than last September, watch for Sage Karam and Dennis Treibing in the future, 2 really talented kart kids. There were also a couple of South Americans there who were in the Red Bull driver development program. There weren't enough old duffers there like me, pretty humbling. There were plenty of wrecks and some kart-kid dad's are writing some pretty huge checks today. Next up is Road Atlanta, hopefully the Racing Gods will bless me with more talent and bigger stones between now and then. Cheers! __________________ '05 Storm Titanium Elise: sold bunch of Honda's Reynard F2000:weekend Skippy rental CRG Kali Rotax 125 cross trainer

06-30-2008, 10:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
RacyTracy Go Cubs!!! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Palatine, IL Posts: 6,047	RA is always a good time.....unless there's a tornado blowing through, I guess. At least you're not writing one of those big checks. Were you able to get any pictures?? __________________ Tracy http://photobucket.com/TopSpeedPhotos

06-30-2008, 11:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
MontinolaRacing Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 53	most of us do both - skippy and private coach Road Atlanta will be fun! Great track.. __________________ Montinola Racing \| www.montinola.com Silicon Valley Racing \| www.DriveSVR.com Pro Driver Coaching // VIP Track Events

07-03-2008, 08:43 AM	#12 (permalink)
SkipL Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 5	car The car has been lots of fun. Here's a picture of it with new hat and matching stripes. Last edited by SkipL : 07-03-2008 at 08:45 AM. Reason: Getting image to display

07-05-2008, 06:09 AM	#13 (permalink)
JimK rooster Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bettendorf, IA Posts: 2,002	looks great, love the hard-top! __________________ '05 Storm Titanium Elise: sold bunch of Honda's Reynard F2000:weekend Skippy rental CRG Kali Rotax 125 cross trainer

06-30-2008, 10:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
Yeti Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Harrisburg, PA Posts: 900	I don't think the big checks will bohter them too much. When I was in Miami with Skippy the south american kids were arriving to the track by helicopter.

06-30-2008, 11:13 AM	#7 (permalink)
JWA #33 Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Racine, WI Posts: 3,147	I see. Cool.

07-02-2008, 06:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
SkipL Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 5	Jim, Good to see you're having fun. When will you be in Atlanta? SKip

07-08-2008, 07:45 PM	#14 (permalink)
Feffman Grand Poobah Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: St. Louis, Mo. Posts: 736	Jim called me today as he was looking at turn 12 at Road Atlanta, noting it's much steeper then it appears on television. I suggested he sit on a piece of coal as he lapped because the pucker factor in 12 is amazing, enough to compress said coal into a nice diamond. Feff __________________ MVP Track Time - The Most Fun In A Car With Your Clothes On

07-09-2008, 01:12 PM	#15 (permalink)
Feffman Grand Poobah Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: St. Louis, Mo. Posts: 736	Wow, what a track! TV and Forza doesn't do it justice. The elevation changes are much greater than they look on TV (or video games). I did 2 lapping sessions and a lead-follow (with Keith Watts), helped alot. Got down to a 1:46.XX. Times are almost exactly a minute less than Road America for most drivers. Hope I'll find a few more seconds tomorrow. Turn 1 is taken in 4th, got to keep your foot in it to keep the car settled. The 2-3 complex is quite technical, my line was off 'till I followed Keith. The esses are really cool and require very little steering input if done correctly, Really alot of down, than up, elevation change. 5 requires surprisingly little brake and you want to use all the curbing on the exit which is pretty rough. 3rd gear. You grab 4th and hit the rev limiter on the brief straight before 6-7. 6 is banked and surprisingly fast. 7 is a late turn in/apex and I'm consistantly over-slowing it. The straight between 7 and 10a is the only long straight here. 10a is the left hander at the end of the (crooked) straight and is a classic compromise corner. Biff it and go too deep and you'll be slow as hell coming out of 10b which then goes up a steep hill. 11 is the turn under the pedestrian bridge and you have to use the colored boxes painted on the bridge for reference. It is totally blind as you crest the hill. Then the track just falls away underneath you like a roller-coaster. Grab 4th under the bridge and steadily add throttle so you're flat at the apex of 12. Lift here and you just bought a car. Grab 5th at the exit of 12 and 1 comes up in a big hurry. Overall, a really cool, technical track with lots of elevation changes and only one long straight where you can rest a bit. Oh, it's hotter then hell here. Feff, I'm working on that coal, should be a diamond by Sunday... Later, Jim __________________ MVP Track Time - The Most Fun In A Car With Your Clothes On

07-10-2008, 09:55 AM	#16 (permalink)
MontinolaRacing Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 53	road america is one of the best tracks i've raced on... even though i flipped my star mazda car there in turn 7 __________________ Montinola Racing \| www.montinola.com Silicon Valley Racing \| www.DriveSVR.com Pro Driver Coaching // VIP Track Events

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