Jump to content

NJMP Seven Gathering - Nov 17 & 18, 2012


Croc

Recommended Posts

From this thread:

http://www.usa7s.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8130

 

a group of sevens got together to have fun at New Jersey Motorsport Park (NJMP) Thunderbolt circuit at a November Drivers Club Member day - last one for the season sadly.

 

Apart from me, participants from this forum were:

- Yellowss7 (Tom)

- Blubarisax (Karl)

- Kitcat (Mike)

- JBH (Jeff and his partner Mary)

- Jvbtte (Jack)

- S1Steve (Steve)

 

It was very cold - very difficult to get heat in the tires and lap times were quite slow unless you had slicks like Tom, Karl and Mike.... My spin was partially caused by tires but more so by the doofus behind the wheel planting his right foot just at the point where there are bumps on corner exit.

 

Here is a short video of the highlights:

 

 

 

 

If you just want to see continuous laps then look at this video of the 3rd session on Saturday of me.

 

Edited by Croc
Fixed boob tube links which were dropped
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love the sound of your engine!

 

I am surprised you run the curbing (which is probably the reason you spun coming out of the chicane, hitting the curbing unsettled the car) as your Seven is much lighter than my Exige S and the curbing unsettles my car in a number of areas on Thunderbolt so I get right up to it but do not go on it.

 

Great driving Mike!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I am surprised you run the curbing (which is probably the reason you spun coming out of the chicane, hitting the curbing unsettled the car) as your Seven is much lighter than my Exige S and the curbing unsettles my car.

 

Glen, you forgot that Mike's car is the "Sumo Version" or "Fat Bastard" as we affectionately call him, I mean it. :smilielol5:So it is much much heavier than a svelt S3 superlight. I'm suprised that it doesn't just crush those concrete curbs when he goes over them

 

Tom

Edited by yellowss7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my Cat, the curbing at NJMP is your friend. If you use it, you go fast. If not, you don't. Croc and I run very similar lines. Never had my car get unsettled on it there, unlike at some tracks. I suspect the se7en is more forgiving than the somewhat tail-happy Exige.

 

I also managed to overdrive the chicane and spin off, but I went wide right, and backwards a long way. The track gods smiled and nothing was damaged, except my starter stopped working.

 

I agree, Croc's car sounds feking awesome! I cant wait to hear what his new car sounds like there:)!!!

Edited by Kitcat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love the sound of your engine!

 

Hi Glen - Hope you are doing well? As we last talked, I am still working on mic placement. This time it was under the passenger dash. However, you hear the relays cycling and at higher revs (over 5000rpm) you get electrical interference heard with the clicking of the soundtrack. Best spot seems to be next to the throttle bodies - lusty throbbing and no interference. A good quality powered mic is key with the gopros.

 

 

I am surprised you run the curbing (which is probably the reason you spun coming out of the chicane, hitting the curbing unsettled the car) as your Seven is much lighter than my Exige S and the curbing unsettles my car in a number of areas on Thunderbolt so I get right up to it but do not go on it.

 

Running the curbing (or is it kerbing?) is a legacy of my old FIA touring car days from Australia. You had to run the curbs to be fast as it widens the track and provides a nice banked edge at track exit that helps slow any lateral movement from exit. There are curbs I will not go near at Thunderbolt:

- Turn 2 exit - unsettling bumps between curb and track surface halfway down the exit curbing to the end.

- Turn 4 (non-chicane) - exit curbing is narrow so any use there means a wall right hand side is in your near future.

- Turn 12 - apex and exit curbing are offlimits. no more than 1 tire width onto the apex curbing. Otherwise you are saying hello to Mr Wall on the right.

 

Now some cars love curbs and others don't. Tom's seven clearly has a hissy fit anytime it smells a curb. By contrast they do not unsettle my car. Probably because I have an independent rear suspension and sevens are so forgiving. Mike (Kitcat) seems to also be able to use curbs without much issue - obviously a well set up suspension. I suspect Tom's issue is using 10 inches of rubber? Even a porn star does not use that much! :p

 

For the lines at the chicane, I generally follow Maureen's guidance (yes that fast lady) as she knows something about hustling a Lotus quickly around a circuit and she does get up onto the curbing at points. Paraphrasing her comments on the chicane - it is faster to cut the corner on the curb although it is harder on the car and does unsettle it. However, she would not recommend my lines in the video :rofl: as first apex into the chicane I am way way way too far up onto the curb, unsettled and too fast and early into the second and then to complete the inept driving display i take a narrow entry and a tight early exit on the last corner of the chicane. When you do that and you have run the curb, there are some bumps and hollows on exit - most cars would never find them unless you were out of shape (like me! :ack:) and you happened to plant the throttle heavily - unwise on a cold no grip day. You should walk the track with me next opportunity - I learn a lot from studying it on foot.

 

 

Since I have had my open kimono moment here, I am interested why Blubarisax does not show his video of his spin on the warm up lap... Or even why Kitcat does not show his chicane spin? Probably will give some pathetic excuse that camera was not turned on... :D

 

At least I did not make my passenger vomit this time!

Edited by Croc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dead battery: that's my story:). I ran 1st and 2nd parts of 3 part chicane too hot, so ended up going way too fast to manage the 3rd part-it was truly ugly as I slid wide thru it and got backwards. It was just further proof of the maxim: slow in fast out.

Edited by Kitcat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for posting videos. I did drive the Caterham the last session and managed not to spin - that of course after having spun the Boxster on the very first warm up lap of the day and then another two times after that.

 

I never shy away from the curbing for the reasons Croc pointed out. My Caterham seems not to mind being jostled around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...