Who here is going for their road race license in 2012?

[ninetyfourintegra]

Thanks for the report, Chris.

In cardom, the day you get your license will only be eclipsed by the day that you take your first green in a race with your new license.

Truth.

[cfgill]

Sunday morning its still raining so we went out on rains. The rains do have good grip and you can run on the dry line with a fair amount of water on the track. This is what the car owner said "if you walk out to the track and drag your foot on it and can't push water your on dry tires, if you can push water with your foot your on wets". At this point I just want to survive the school and not get yelled at in the debrief so I drove the car at about 85% making sure my line was perfect. Any whoops in the car cost money like an over rev past 7600 rpm is $250, $75 for a flat spotted tire or $250 for a fender. I had all ready racked up a 7900 rpm tab so at this point I just want to be nice to everthing so I don't owe more. It must have worked because I did not even get a mention in the debrief for be good or bad so the plan worked out.

Session 2: By the time we got out of debrief you could no longer move water with your foot and when I got back to the car the dry tires were on. I'm not excited about the conditions so we have go out and I have to see what its like, well the car's from other classes are starting to dry off the grove so I'm starting to pick up some speed on the track. Must have been getting a bit cocky and managed  fly of into the sand trap in the fastest corner (10) at 45 degrees angle to the direction I'm traveling. I'm thinking a roll is really going to be costly but somehow I got her straight and put my foot into it. I shrugged it of and kept pushing on and managed to earn myself an 8300 rpm prize with one lap to go in the session (miata shifters suck). I got a good and a bad mention in the debrief that time so I didn't fly under the radar.

Get out of debrief, the sun is starting to show and the pavement is actually dry  . Mike the car owner said this is qualifying so put in some fast laps. I start stringing everything I have learned together, I put in what I feel is my best laps and every and things feel good. Back to debrief, the grid is on the chalk board and I'm in the middle of a 17 car field twice, I'm next to myself, two 16s on the board, must just be a mistake they will put my in the right spot when I get to the grid. Oh! my instructor is telling me I'm going to start at the back of the field and that field will go left and right (part) so go up the center " I want to see your race craft"

Now its the practice race, I ask Mike what it costs for a fender. That's how I know it $250. So I go up to the spot I think I'm at on the grid and I'm getting yelled at. wtf  She ( the grid marshal) gets all piss at me and sends me around the paddock because I drove up to far on the grid so i drive back around. I get back to the grid and they put me at the back of the pack with the fast kid that got disqualified for passing under yellow. Why am I back here? I'm a bit heated at this point wondering why I'm in the back too. My pit buddy who was so graciously supplied by MEATHEAD Racing (good guys) said you know your gridded for the entertainment of the instructors. Okay I get it. Without going through to much detail, I got from 16th to 5th in the race and I didn't even owe for a fender. I hope they were entertained. I got my licence 

Now for the SSM Miata, the power is not great but the handling and breaks are incredible, more that I expected from the car, I can see why the class is so big. I think everyone need one 

Okay i'm done typing, sorry i suck at it

Chris
 

[marka]

Howdy,

Wow... Congrats!

But I have to ask... How much did the car rental end up costing you?  Sounds like the overrev penalties alone were pretty pricey!

Mark

[KeithO]

Thanks for the writeup.  Sounds like you had a memorable weekend and most importantly -

CONGRATULATIONS on getting your SCCA license.

I think it's a good thing that the stewards wanted to mess with you and make you start at the back.  My guess is that you learned more this way and perhaps got more out of the school than most others.

[cfgill]

Costs IIRC
Base rental of the car    1950
Over revs                         500
School                              600
novice permit                   110
physical                           105         had to pay because it was the second one in less than a year
hotel room                       450
Gas for the trip                100
Grand total                      6 sets of GTA tires  (24 tires)

[Handy Man]

Thanks for the writeup! Sounds like an exciting weekend.

[jerdeitzel]

Congrats on getting your license!

6 sets of tires seems excessive for a weekend of racing? That cost is getting close to a multi day drivers school that you can get a license at.

Why didn't you use your own car?

[Habib88]

I got from 16th to 5th in the race and I didn't even owe for a fender. I hope they were entertained. I got my licence 

   Congrats on getting your license!

[ninetyfourintegra]

Congrats!

Its fun to have things to remember. I still remember being told that they saw the side of my car more than the rear when following - - and I was in a FWD car. I also did the "up the middle" on the start, even though Keith/Rudy told me not to - remember that one, it'll happen more often than not that the 'hole' is right up the middle.

[autoxrs]

Congrats, which track?  I did mine at Nelson last year.  I lost a bumper lens at Nelson, stupid FIAT decided that me passing on the inside coming into 4 was just not cool and chopped my nose so I had to go to the grass.  My favorite moment was the three wide pass under the bridge going into turn 1.  It was after a restart and ahead of me was a CRX and two Miatas.  I decided that anything was usable as racing room.  I got to the lead, went holy shit I'm leading and started looking backwards and screwed it all up.     Going off at the kink wasn't fun, I blame the patch of grass.  It was a brief moment of I really hope I don't dig into this mud and flip. 

Sadly I'm never seeing a real green flag.  Not unless a medical miracle happens. 

[cfgill]

Congrats on getting your license!

6 sets of tires seems excessive for a weekend of racing? That cost is getting close to a multi day drivers school that you can get a license at.

Why didn't you use your own car?

Ya it was not cheep.

I didn't use my car beause it's untested, I was afraid that the car would not make it and if I didn't get my licence it would write off my whole session. Now I can go to the TT and test the car. Race time will come soon after.

[KeithO]

I hope to make the stock car count 2 for the time trial.