Saturday, May 23, 2009

PCA Spring DE @ VIR - Day Two

I'm tired. Really really tired. But there's always tomorrow.

This morning I had to have an obligatory check-ride with my instructor. I had some morning jitters that translated into strange turn-in points, weak braking, and some generally sloppy driving. Undeterred, he maintained that I am ready for solo driving.

My next 3 sessions almost all seemed to involve picking one car with similar lap times and duking it out, lap after lap. In one, I kept a C5 Z06 Corvette behind me all session, despite pointing him by on the back straight (he didn't want it...said I was going too fast through the turns and he didn't want to hold me up!).

In another, I got hooked up with a VW GTI VR6 driven by an F-18 pilot. He could make that car scoot! I gave him the point-by, then caught him and got past him, but then blew a crucial shift in Turn 4 and gave up the battle. A couple laps later, slower traffic in front pushed us back together, and we spent the last few laps playing follow-the-leader.

When we got back to the pits, the he and I chatted for a bit, and we're going to look for each other out there again tomorrow and play.

So far it seems the slowest drivers out here are all driving Porsches. We have a bunch of smokin' fast BMW's in my group, a couple of Corvettes, a few other assorted oddballs, and a bunch of P-cars. There are a few that are consistent, and a couple that are fast, but some are just taking parade laps, and making for some very dangerous situations.

But I'm still having a blast. I've managed to keep the car together, learn a ton, and keep my head straight. Do I have to come home? Do I?

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