[s-cars] RE: Confessions of indiscretions

[Elijahallen92 at aol.com]

--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
In a message dated 10/22/2003 10:53:30 AM Eastern Standard Time, QSHIPQ
writes:


> Elijah:
> Comments inserted....
> In a message dated 10/22/2003 8:52:31 AM Central Daylight Time,
> Elijahallen92 at aol.com writes:
> >James,
> >I agree with you. Most of this depends on the track. For example in the
> >advanced group at gingerman this year I could keep up with most of the pack
> but
> >anything small with some decent power would end up passing me. That track
> is
> >small and technical with lots of camber changes and radius changes
> throughout the
> >turns (not very good for miss piggy). This fall at Road America I was in
> the
> >advance group and there was not a car in the group I did not pass. I was
> also
> >running street tires. Because of the long straights and fast, mostly
> >predictable corners the big pig shined and has for the past four years I've
> done that
> >event.
>
> EXACTLY my argument tho Elijah.  The problem with power, is it's simplicity.
>  A bad driver can take a car with hi horsepower, and lay out every straight,
> eating cars along the way, set a lap time.  What did you learn?  That tracks
> with long straights make miss piggy shine?  Ok.  A good driver quests for
> better training, it's the turns that makes a good driver on a road course =
> good.  I'll freely disagree with your assessment of Gingermann, other that the
> fact that it needs a good consitent driver, not a lot of HP.
>
> > At mid Ohio this year I took a ride in an s4 with RS2 goodies and even
> >though Scott did not let us pass in his URQ we were definitely faster. Sure
> he
> >had us in the corners but overall Bill was letting off on the gas to keep
> from
> >running miss piggy into the back of Scott.
>
> Interesting, I believe that was the Black S car with Big Reds?  If so
> Elijah, I believe the reason I held Bill up, was because of his LINE thru the
> corners being off, not the car thru the corners, and I also believe that the
> "lead" was traded more than once.  From my perspective (see above) an S car can
> set a lap time by mashing on the gas and chewing straights, including my whimpy
> 200hp urq.  But, specific to Mid OH that car wasn't faster... As a lap time
> that car was caught from behind, which puts the power in perspective.  That
> car was faster in the straights, period, Bill needed it to be.  My point.
> That's not learning to drive a quattro better, that's big dogging equipment at
> the expense of driver skill.  That has a steep and expensive learning curve
> associated with it.  I watched some lines that were downright dangerous, at
> which point I look at "faster" and was glad Bill didn't run into my backside.
>
> > All in all I don't really care. I
> >have great respect for both the person who turns there s4 into a monster
> and
> >the guy who decides to make a dedicated track car. Either way you spend a
> lot
> >of time and money.
>
> A dedicated track car has the benefit of making a better driver of the
> street car Elijah.  You don't HAVE to spend a lot of money.  You certainly can,
> but I'd rather see a consistent lap time out of driver at Gingermann, than
> fooling the clock at RA anytime.  ACNA will be (already is) addressing "fooling
> the clock" game soon IMO, the theatre in the HP wars is getting pretty silly.
> In fact, at Mid OH last year, it was my suggestion to Craig, that the
> advanced groups were split up into those with the big dogs, and those wanting to
> work the line.  I took the latter freely.
>
> My .02
>
> Scott J
>

Scott,
 I can tell no matter what anyone says on this subject that you will be
right. As far as the line the Black S-4 was taking at Mid-Ohio it was fine. He
wasn't bouncing off every rumble strip and coming inches from every wall he could
like you were but that wouldn't be the RIGHT line in a URS4. As far as tearing
down the straight to make lap times, that wasn't my point. Of coarse a
heavily modified scar can outrun most cars on the straights but most of the cars I
passed at RA were not any faster in the corners than my big sliding scar. Sure
you can always say the person with the big HP can't drive but I don't think
you have ever seen me drive and obviously your lines are different in your UR
quattro than some of the scars you have seen at the track. Gingerman is a great
track. I don't think I said anything that you needed to disagree with about
it. I said it was a technical and a tight track. In a big car you really have to
work to keep the front end pointed in the direction you want it to go. This
means the rear of the car must be hanging out alot and at RA this is not as
true because of the speed of the turns. If you need to adjust the car a little in
a high speed turn it is very easy to do just with the gas pedal but in a
tight turn like most of them at gingerman it takes alot more. I never said I was a
good driver, I've only been to a dozen or so track events but arguing over
driving skills and what car you SHOULD be driving at the track is not my style.
I just love driving and I don't want a dedicated track car at this point. I
think that learning to drive miss piggy to the limit is very hard and I will
keep on enjoying it. And I will keep on making it faster. I'm sure you will break
my post down and try to turn everything I said around again but thats just
you, I'm done with this stupid discussion. Thanks,

Elijah