Super Seven triumphs again over all!

[d15b7]

wow what a day yesterday at the Coatesville Vintage Grand Prix! this was the third time they've held the event and it's getting bigger and bigger. they put in some tighter chicanes this year and they put in a Safety Zone between Harmony St and the final turn and start finish line (had to slow to 15 mph going through that section for safety due to the crowds etc, so you'll see that every lap I go past that section). there were more cars there than the previous years, but it was better organized also which was really encouraging to see. here's the incar footage from the last session; I started first in line, and then took a fairly easy first lap so as not to catch up too fast to the back of the pack. then I dropped the hammer and let 'er eat!! as always, the Seven did what it does best, and ran and ran fast enjoy the footage:

 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmUHWCpbUJmAq3xhd_D4bmbY7HlP

 

at the end of the day, they awarded me the First Place trophy for 4 cyl class (I was the fastest car overall too) and presented the big silver cup for the Spirit of the event to me also (beautiful trophy which resides I think at City Hall and will have my name engraved. I started to walk off the stage with it and they said 'hey we need that back haha!')

[locost7018]

Looks like someone had some fun with the hay bales. Was that the Stig driving?

[d15b7]

Looks like someone had some fun with the hay bales. Was that the Stig driving?

 

haha! i don't know who kept hitting the bales in the chicane; all i can promise is that it wasn't me!

[dallasdude]

Hey if you watch this.....go past the first lap. He's just warming up the tires. This is pretty quick, especially considering the number of telephone poles and the real possibility of winding up on someone's porch. Hitting the porta john right on the edge of the course in front of the Walgreens could be special also. He has my respect. No cage, no Hans, probably no fire system, just a lot of fortitude.

[d15b7]

He has my respect. No cage, no Hans, probably no fire system, just a lot of fortitude.

 

Hi Dallas and thanks! ya the first lap I was taking it easy mainly so that I wouldn't catch up too fast to the back of the field, and also warm up my tires and oil (there were about 15 other cars lined up behind me and they sent them out at 10 sec intervals). at the start of the second lap is when I really dropped the hammer and let 'er eat! I do have safety gear on board (old style FIA cage, which is vintage legal, plus a fire bottle and 6 pt belts and full suit. I always wear a HANS whenever I'm vintage racing but at this venue with the extreme 90 deg turns, I need to be able to turn my head more than 30 degs comfortably, so I didn't wear the HANS). I'm glad you enjoyed watching! here's a pic of me going thru one of the chicanes (no it wasn't me that knocked it down haha):

 

 

PS this car and I are like old time friends/dance partners -- i've owned her and raced her since 1994, so I'm extremely comfy driving it fairly close to the limit (although at this venue I'd say I was driving her at 85-90% max. there was more left pretty much everywhere on the course, but as you mentioned there is very little room for error without major consequences)

Edited September 24, 2018 by d15b7

[yellowss7]

Hi Todd, I keep promising to attend this event, but this year's excuse was a NJMP drivers club trackday on Saturday. Hopefully I'll get there to watch you next year.

 

Congrats on the Win! I'm betting that they start making you add weight or assess you a few seconds handicap. Great Driving. Gotta love a Se7en. Tom

[coffee break]

Looks like a fun event and to boot you get to run stop signs. Interesting collection of cars in the paddock.

[d15b7]

thanks Tom! ya it's really a blast and a great time for spectators too. the Seven is perfect for this race venue!!!

 

and ya they had some amazing cars this year. my fav was the P4 Ferrari. they were driving it very cautiously (understandably!) but it sounded orgasmic when it was winding out on the front straight!

[Nick OTeen]

Looks like a fun event and to boot you get to run stop signs.

Fun, no doubt, but that is one incredibly dangerous track setup for drivers and spectators alike.

[Kitcat]

Fun event, great driving but....WOW, terrifying course. An accident will happen and that will be that. Pedestrians in harm's way everywhere. I used to help run our local auto-X and we were scrupulous about keeping the viewing area distant from the track. And all those in attendance, including drivers and non-drivers, family and friends, signed waivers of liability.

[panamericano]

Try the Carrera Panamericana.

[inchoate]

Fun event, great driving but....WOW, terrifying course. An accident will happen and that will be that. Pedestrians in harm's way everywhere. I used to help run our local auto-X and we were scrupulous about keeping the viewing area distant from the track. And all those in attendance, including drivers and non-drivers, family and friends, signed waivers of liability.

 

I went up for the first time this year. I had a great time and there was some fun stuff there. I have to agree about the course and crowd control, seems like a bad interaction between a spectator and a car on track is inevitable if they keep doing things the same way. It will be a shame because I feel like it's a good event with a lot of potential.

[Croc]

I had the Holman Moody Mustang accepted to run this year but as I was travelling I had to withdraw. I have a tacit agreement to run in 2019 if I can get my calendar to coincide on dates.

 

The course only troubles me if it is overdriven. Todd was being measured in his driving by leaving a margin of safety - you could see it in the video - but was close enough to make it exciting. Treat it as a display drive event and it will be fine. Treat it as all out time trial then trouble will occur. If I get to run it in 2019 then I will not be driving as fast as Todd as my little beast is a little more wayward.

[panamericano]

"The course only troubles me if it is overdriven. Todd was being measured in his driving by leaving a margin of safety - you could see it in the video - but was close enough to make it exciting.

 

Well put, Croc. In the Panamericana, (the 6 times I ran) we usually had one ex-F1 driver. They must have thought it was a circuit race. Most never finished the first day. None of them ever finished the second day without a crash. One has to adjust to the conditions. That street event looks like a lot of fun, though posting a few "No Spectating" areas would take nothing away. Just moving across the street in some cases would go a long way toward make it safer.

[d15b7]

Hi guys; sorry for not replying; I've been away at NJMP Thunderbolt with the DE PCA Club doing some testing and tuning on my other car (Honda Civic) and just got back last night. Yes I agree that they have to do better with pedestrian safety (i've mentioned it to them). I felt that I was well under control and never felt even once that I was going to tag a bale or curb or etc, but that's me and my ability compared to others. they did send home the guy in the full race Tiger (his name is Merlin and he does hill climbs in it; he's real aggressive and he was speeding in the Safety Zone of the course where most of the pedestrians were near, and they black flagged him and sent him straight home immediately). I'm hoping the event grows and becomes a real 'thing' in the near future!

 

in case you want to see what it looks like to really get going around Thunderbolt, take a look at the vid below. I was running on the lowest boost setting, and was just testing/tuning since making a few changes to the suspension and repairs and engine map etc. was running on (don't laugh!) 8+ yr ol Nitto tires that I had used for my street tires and many track events (no way I was gonna waste my new Hankook Z214 C71s!). I was in the Red Group (Instructor group) and traffic was heavy (they do have the extended passing rule which means pass anywhere with a signal which helps); I managed a 1:30.xx and I'm positive that a 1:29.xx was easily attainable if I could have gotten an open lap without passing someone. the Hankooks would have been -3 or even -4 secs (they are less than a year old and only have 3 hill climbs on them) but the C71s are really soft and I'd have killed them off bigtime. Oh and I only do about 4 fast laps at a time and then the tires brakes and engine are hot and I have to either slow down to a 1:34 range laptime or come in (I usually just come in; why burn up expensive 100 octane gas just to cruise around at a 1:34?). I almost felt sorry for those Porsches; enjoy!

 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmUHWCpbUJmAq34ysK_Q7oEOmnf-

[Kitcat]

I always say the first lesson we track day drivers have to learn is humility. There is always someone in a clapped-out '71 GTI (or Honda Civic:)) who just leaves everyone for dead. Your Civic must be pretty special as it is faster than your se7en, no? I dont think anyone was faster than 1'31" at Tbolt during this year's USA7s fest (except maybe Shane?). Your cruising lap of 1'34" in the Civic was about my best time this last July.

[d15b7]

ya it's no contest versus my particular Seven; with the sticky tires on the Honda and no traffic a 1:26 is doable. it's a fast honda for sure. it's weird jumping between the two cars; the Seven has amazing mechanical grip and no aero help; it gets worse at speed. the honda has poor mechanical grip (heavier car and very small 225 tires) but has lots of aero bolt ons so as speed goes up it gains more and more advantage. at Thunderbolt I totally own T1 T2 T3 T4 T6 T7 T8 T12 but I get killed in the Octopus and exiting it and in T5. the slow turns esp with the dead beat tires really hurts me. once the speed is over 60 or so (80-100 is even better) I get some grip back from aero and can really fly.

 

Edited October 1, 2018 by d15b7