thillsm.txt Time-stamp: <2004-03-03 23:26:40 lrc> Thunderhill Notes After NASA Spec Miata Race 2004-02-28/29 I've been driving the Miata like it was the MG. Lower shift points, not going as fast. Barry says SM is balanced better when it is on the throttle. Being a passenger give you a chance to consciously observe. Barry does a lot of slow in, fast out. Barry is "slower" on the controls. His movements on the controls, accelerate gently, rather than doing it fast and jerky. I've noticed that too aggressive of a turnin will washout the front. "Put speed into speedbank" never want to take it out. Similar power to weight of a Formula Vee. Main Straight: Miata can run all of the way up to the revlimiter without damage, don't shift into 5th. (I'd like to use a GPS in data logging mode, and try acceleration runs at different shift points to find optimal shift points in different gears). Turn 1: The outside of the turn at the entrance is off camber, don't enter from all of the way to the right. It's an uphill turn so you can go deeper than you'd otherwise think. Barry does the sequence Brake-Gas-Look-Turn rather than Brake-Look-Turn-Gas. I need to get a better explanation from him on the theory, and find out, how much he's on the gas that early. I should also check against Keith Code, I seem to remember him advocating earlier and slower on the gas, rather than later and harder. Barry was a bit off the apex, by a foot or two. Turn 2: Barry does an early turnin, which brings him to the inside really soon, long constant radius turn. Shortest distance around constant radius is on inside. Barry turns in a bit before the two. Reminiscent of Bill Johnson's line. Barry takes turn 2 in third gear. Shifts to fourth on exit. When I tried turn 2 in third gear, it seemed like I was running out of revs. About 1 minute into clip 2(on the video of the 04-02-29 race, in turn 2 sounded like I was on the revlimiter. That would be about 10:30 after exiting pits. Barry says everybody's apex is way too late. I didn't have the grip to stay on the inside like Barry does. I'm probably going in hotter than him. Barry says 4th causes the car to push through two, with oversteer at end. Turn 3: Barry shifts to fourth for a short while , then back into third. The entrance for the inside line is actually 2-3 feet off the white line on the right. My preference has been from about 2/3 over to the left side of the track, note the yellow squares at the entrnce. Barry entered from even further left than I did. Flat before the exit of 3. Barry was really sawing on the wheel through here. Barry "tolerates" 3. Goes for speed through 4,5,5A. Wants to be flat on throttle from exit of three on out. Turn 4: Been told that my "traditional" line through 3 is too late of an apex going into four, and I'd have too late of an apex through four. Bypass: Barry goes over the top straight, close to outside edge. I'm not quite flat over the bypass. I'm still not comfortable over it in the Miata. My traditional line is turning down a little bit just before the top of the hill to keep the left rear wheel on the track. 5A: Barry will lift at turnin at bottom of hill to get the car turned. Turn 6: Hitting the berm will cause the car to spin. Good place to try light left foot brake. Gentle, early, weight transfer. Acclerating movement on control. Barry turns in early. I've also had a natural tendancy turn in early into 6. Turn 7: Just don't scrub off speed. Turn 8: In an SM stay a couple feet off the berm. The rough pavement will upset the car, leading to a spin. Barry was turning it at far side access road. Going for smooth, gentle radius. Look up hill to keep on track. Turn 9: Barry slows, early, turns in early and gets on the gas early. The steep rise going into turn keeps him from going too fast. If done right, speed carrys him all the way to berm on exit, at which point he needs to shift to 4th immediately. I wasn't carrying as much speed through 9 as Barry and my speed didn't carry me all of the way to the berm. I wasn't shifting until end of berm. Brake at 3, downshift at 2 (earlier) May drop wheels on right on exit. Turn 10: Downhill, slight uphill then downhill into turn. Brake on flat/uphill. Barry is on gas before turnin. Important because, it drops again, on the gas over rise to keep weight on rear end. Turnin at about the one. Turn 11: (left) Barry shifted to second, I've always done it in third. Slow in / Fast out. Slower in, needs a lower gear. Late apex, late, Late, LATE! Slow in, fast out. Turn 12 (right): Use all of berm to straighten line out? Turn 13: (left onto straight) Use all of berm to straighten line out? Use all of track of exit. Turn 14: Be aware of setup at entry. It's easy to get sucked into maximum braking tool late. Learing how to get car set up so don't have to lift. "straight" between 14 and 15, release the steering a bit. Minimize herky jerky motion between release the steering and reapplying it. Barry apexed at broader blue stripe, a change in the striping. What you do in 14 will set up your speed all the way through six. Barry is flat out from turnin of 14 all the way until shift on straight. Economy of movement, minimum of scrub. Turn 15 (onto straight): All of track onto the straight.