06-08-2007
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GrandMasterB
Winning Races / Advanced Member (250+ Posts)
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Southern Connecticut
Age: 77
Posts: 466
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Skippy Drivers are the Best!
On Thursday (6-7-07) I was able to get a spot practicing at Watkins Glen with the Masters. The spot was arranged on very short notice. So here it is 2 days before I get to go zooming around the narrowest track I know of, and I haven't any idea how to do it well. So what to do? I decide to tap the brains of 3 guys I know, know their way around the track, Dom, Chris Brassard & Jeff Castellano. Because they're Skippy guys and because they want to help a slow guy like me, they all respond. Thanks guys!
At the track Dom sacrifices 2 practice laps (25% of what he'll get that session) to lead me around the track. He offers again for the last session but I decided to cut him a break and let him go a little faster. Everyone at the track was very helpful (except maybe the instructor who told me to take turn 5 flat in 5th gear ). I wonder who would do a thing like that? At any rate, I want to again thank Dom and Chris for sharing their notes and knowledge of the track with me. Both the wife and I had a terrific day, both on and off the asphalt, and want to thank the Skippy community for making it possible.
OLDMAN
P.S. I don't think I ever got past my fear of the slicks. It was the only thing I hadn't planned on. The last time I was on them I did a 360 in the Downhill at LRP.
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06-11-2007
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administrationistperson
Carbon Fiber Keyboard (3,000+ Posts)
TJR Forums Contributor / Supporter
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 5,546
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
Good seeing you in the car again Bob - now you have the track surrounded by the Blue Trees under your belt. Aside from the high risk Armco, how did you like the circuit?
Copy that on driving slicks again, def took some time to build confidence with them. There was some talk that the BFG treads are actually faster than the slicks....I know I did faster laps last year on treads than this year on the bricks......er slicks.
A more detailed post forthcoming but for now I will just say
WGI = WOW
The Invitational / pro format was the best race weekend I have ever participated in. I eat my earlier words about the negative aspects of a pro race weekend, it was quite an experience. A great job again by the entire SB crew.
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"Think very carefully, because if you ever start, you will never be able to leave it alone" Sir Donald Campbell, CBE
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06-11-2007
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Testing Mid-Corner Speed / Advanced Member (500+ Posts)
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 985
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
Bob:
You are most welcome for the help. It was nice to see you again at SBRS! Certainly WGI needs to be on your list in the futre. I echo Doug's thoughts on what a great weekend it was!
The slicks turned out to be great in my mind. I too had trepidation about them since my last foray on them also resulted in a major mis hap at LRP in the down hill. I found the BF Goodrich's to be much better than the Michelin's in their grip. The only issue I had was in Race 2. I had trouble keeping the car from sliding after a couple of laps and decided the better part of valour was to bring the car home in one piece therefore sacrificing lap times and places. I chalk it up to tires losing their usable life after numerous sessions over the weekend combined with a slippery track and a tired driver!
I am interested to hear what others thoughts might be on the slicks.
Thanks again for your kind words. Hope to see you soon!
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06-12-2007
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Apex? Huhh? What Apex?
Winning Races / Advanced Member (250+ Posts)
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chapel Hill, TN
Age: 47
Posts: 388
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
Bob, it was great to finally meet you, Keith
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RIP to my great friends and fellow racers... Sid and Wally, you guys are sorely missed by my family and I every day....
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06-12-2007
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Testing Mid-Corner Speed / Advanced Member (500+ Posts)
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Louisville, KY
Age: 70
Posts: 829
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
Quote:
Originally Posted by OLDMAN
P.S. I don't think I ever got past my fear of the slicks. It was the only thing I hadn't planned on. The last time I was on them I did a 360 in the Downhill at LRP.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdh
Copy that on driving slicks again, def took some time to build confidence with them. There was some talk that the BFG treads are actually faster than the slicks....I know I did faster laps last year on treads than this year on the bricks......er slicks.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LimeRockRacer
The slicks turned out to be great in my mind. I too had trepidation about them since my last foray on them also resulted in a major mis hap at LRP in the down hill. I found the BF Goodrich's to be much better than the Michelin's in their grip. The only issue I had was in Race 2. I had trouble keeping the car from sliding after a couple of laps and decided the better part of valour was to bring the car home in one piece therefore sacrificing lap times and places. I chalk it up to tires losing their usable life after numerous sessions over the weekend combined with a slippery track and a tired driver!
I am interested to hear what others thoughts might be on the slicks.
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OK, I'm going to ask a dumb question. Steel yourselves. Do they/we not use the slicks in the 2 day adv school? I ask because I've done the 2DA twice in the last two years, both times at Laguna, plus two lapping days (Mid Ohio and Laguna, both in "driving" rain storms) and I've never driven on slicks. What am I in for at RA in two weeks?
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Laissez les bons temps rouler!
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06-12-2007
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administrationistperson
Carbon Fiber Keyboard (3,000+ Posts)
TJR Forums Contributor / Supporter
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 5,546
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
Not sure on schools, I imagine treads, Regionals are treads, Nats slicks
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"Think very carefully, because if you ever start, you will never be able to leave it alone" Sir Donald Campbell, CBE
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06-12-2007
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G-force junkie
Speed Through Zen / Advanced Member (2,000+ Posts)
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Changes weekly
Posts: 2,183
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosso
OK, I'm going to ask a dumb question. Steel yourselves. Do they/we not use the slicks in the 2 day adv school? I ask because I've done the 2DA twice in the last two years, both times at Laguna, plus two lapping days (Mid Ohio and Laguna, both in "driving" rain storms) and I've never driven on slicks. What am I in for at RA in two weeks?
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"Steel" belted radial TREADS in the schools, wet or dry. Slicks only for National races, which this Invitational nominally was.
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"All things are ready if our minds be so." -- Henry V
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06-12-2007
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Grand Master
Carbon Fiber Keyboard (3,000+ Posts)
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: location, location
Posts: 5,399
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
As Doug says, slicks aren't used in the regional race series anymore. Only the kiddie nationals and high profile invitationals use 'em, and some speculate mostly for appearances.
After the initial change over to the treaded G-Force BFG's it was discovered they were actually faster than the slicks. The slicks had a relatively hard compound so they would last a long time. (This was two years ago... It is possible the slicks used now have a softer compound that equals or surpasses the grip of the BFG's.)
The trepidation about driving on them is that they reach their limit faster and with less warning than the treaded tires. Many of us had big hits at LRP a couple of years ago as we got into the steep and expensive part of the learning curve with them.
When it became clear how good the treaded BFG's were they became the defacto regional series tire because they were so grippy, predictable and eliminated the need to carry duplicate sets of treaded tires for rain use.
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You draw 'em a picture and they eat the crayons... (Duck Waddle commenting on the creative ways some people interpret driving instruction.)
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06-13-2007
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Taxi Cab Left Turn Only
Winning Races / Advanced Member (250+ Posts)
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 363
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dalyduo
The trepidation about driving on them is that they reach their limit faster and with less warning than the treaded tires. Many of us had big hits at LRP a couple of years ago as we got into the steep and expensive part of the learning curve with them.
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I never got the hang of those slick michelin tires before the decision was made to run treads all the time. The change to the treads sure helped me win both rookie races at LRP....not sure if the result would have been the same on the slicks.
Watkins Glenn is an awesome track! Wish I could have been there to give it another go!
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Racing is like a drug. The more you do it the more addicted you become.
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06-13-2007
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administrationistperson
Carbon Fiber Keyboard (3,000+ Posts)
TJR Forums Contributor / Supporter
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 5,546
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
The slicks may have been 'props' for the SB show, the piles of extra slicks merely set decoration, but I was glad we were on them. First because they are real racing tires (even tho the compound is very hard) and second because treads would have looked kinda wimpy amongst all the 'real race cars' we were surrounded by. It was the right tire choice for the event.
I wonder if the huge chunks of rubber flying around from earlier Rolex sessions would have clogged the treads? Never had to duck and cover driving a race car before
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__________________
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"Think very carefully, because if you ever start, you will never be able to leave it alone" Sir Donald Campbell, CBE
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06-13-2007
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Testing Mid-Corner Speed / Advanced Member (500+ Posts)
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Louisville, KY
Age: 70
Posts: 829
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dalyduo
As Doug says, slicks aren't used in the regional race series anymore. Only the kiddie nationals and high profile invitationals use 'em, and some speculate mostly for appearances.
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Ah ha, the "high profile invitational" part evaded me. Thanks. This will be my first time to RA. Didn't want to throw a new tire into the mix, to boot.
__________________
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Last edited by Rosso; 06-13-2007 at 08:05 AM.
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06-13-2007
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Apex? Huhh? What Apex?
Winning Races / Advanced Member (250+ Posts)
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chapel Hill, TN
Age: 47
Posts: 388
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Re: Skippy Drivers are the Best!
You will only race on slicks in Nationals. All regionals will be treads.
__________________
RIP to my great friends and fellow racers... Sid and Wally, you guys are sorely missed by my family and I every day....
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