9.5 Degrees

I've found RL to be a good source of information over the years. As a racer and instructor, I know I'm not perfect and would like to continually improve my driving and thus help my students. I vividly remember a time when a friend asked me to drive him around Spring Mountain in his GT3. This friend had take off slicks on it and upon coming around the last corner onto the front straight, I had snap oversteer. It's unclear to me if the tires where heat cycled out, they hadn't had enough temps in them yet (cool temps in fall or winter), or if I simply got on the gas too soon. The bottom line is that we were out of shape so much (possible over 45 degrees) that I could see the wall in front of me on the inside. Somehow I saved it and kept on going and my buddy thought it was the greatest save he'd ever seen. The truth was that I didn't know if I could save it and the thought of paying thousands of dollars to fix his car had cross my mind in those milliseconds. I never said anything to him because I didn't want him to know how close I was to wrecking his car.

There's been moments over the years where I thought about posting such big moment videos here and others where I thought I had a really good race just to get some feedback from other racers and the pro driving coaches to see, "Hey, I thought I did really well in this race, but maybe I'm not seeing something but you may". With the recent video on this forum, I don't think we have the culture of being critically constructive without belittling someone. Hopefully we can change that and try to help each other out without getting offensive and conversely not getting too defensive.

Cheers, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Veloce Raptor

I'm sorry you see it that way. We actually have a great culture here and lots of positive feedback. Go down a few threads to the Sebring Chin PB thread for example.

In the case you mentioned, however, we have arrogant people acting as if a DE is a race and a lap time is a track record....and good luck is skill. As long as that attitude is present, what do you expect?

LuigiVampa

I understand what you are trying to say but I think what catches most people out here is that bull**** is called out pretty quickly. They are expecting a safe space and it isn't.

If you title a thread "I did something stupid and learned from it" people aren't going to jump on you. We have all been there at some point.

However, if you post BS you are going to be called out on the BS. Most people can't take that.

In the recent video, which probably prompted your thread, I think most people were drawn to the assertion that the driver saved it in the thread title. He didn't.

Sometimes people get mean. Sometimes people pile on. But more often than not the group gets it right.

They got it right in that thread and you didn't have to be there in person to understand that.

Frank 993 C4S

I concur with all of the above. BS like in this video gets called out pretty quickly as some people can't take that. Especially, when the poster of the video makes it public for everybody to see and comment on.

Bull_D

I'm gonna miss that other thread ...........

jdistefa

Should I post something needlessly, shamelessly, gratuitously mean to validate the OP's conceit... or simply post a video of me doing something stupid?

I'm open to options but either way I'll make sure I do it in full send-it mode.

DTMiller

Yes

Coochas

This was perhaps the dumbest thing I've done caught on video at Watkins:

jdistefa

^ Alcohol withdrawal seizure. Obvious.

Or... could be chronic repeated head injury.

Coochas

Maybe some of each.

LuigiVampa

I believe I still have a video of you passing someone at NJMP, perhaps all four wheels in the grass, on the first lap of the first practice sessions before the race. I'll edit out the portions where it shows we were under yellow.

Every time I see that video clip I wonder "what time does he have to 'check back in' to the special home?"

ProCoach

Hah! I think you've proved the latter already.

I have thousands of hours of video of many drivers doing some pretty, uh, compromising things, including my own self. Also some pretty exceptional things... Let's let sleeping dogs lie.

To the OP, I think this community is pretty good about providing positive feedback to people who demonstrate an open, curious mind and solicit that feedback in good faith. I would hate to see that value add lost because people had a bad reaction to the closed thread. The framing and defense of that video invited an appropriate response, IMO. There is a lot of good experience, knowledge and sense here. Sometimes...

Frank 993 C4S

One of the few times I got totally surprised by my car and it was so utterly predictable. No worries, you only need to watch the first lap.

Frank 993 C4S

... and another big learning experience with my vintage car:

skru_fase

awesome