VIR w/ Peter Krause and NNJR
11-02-2020, 03:36 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
VIR w/ Peter Krause and NNJR
Can I tell y’all how much fun I had this past 3 day weekend at VIR?
NNJR, as usual, hosted a great event, with only one Sunday morning session (in my white group) cancelled, leaving 3 mostly spectacular afternoon sessions on Sunday. Anyway, found some good places to eat with some old and new friends (Cotton in Danville). Track time was good, blue/white combined group was acceptable, albeit with one stand-out driver who refused to provide timely point-boys, but I refuse to be upset about that. My previous best time at the track after the same 3 day event last year was 2:10.xx in a 2018 991.2 GT3 with MPSC2 tires, that I drive to the event. With me so far?
I spent the day Friday getting reacquainted with the track. Enter Peter Krause, who fans of this forum should know well. A prolific poster here, a VIR savant, talented instructor who loves what he does and apparently a super nice guy. I decided about a week and a half ago to treat myself to some professional coaching, reached out to him based on what I read here and on his website, and figured it couldn’t hurt. He happened to be available Saturday, and we agreed to do it. My thinking here was first, because every time there’s a thread on the best mod for your car, the ultimate answer is generally the same: these cars already have more performance capabilities than most of us can even hope to exploit, so instead of trying to upgrade your car, you should work on upgrading the driver. And second, as a single digit handicap golfer, I appreciate the value of really good instruction, which is why spending a few bucks for a few sessions with Harmon, Suttie and Rick Smith, an admitted indulgence, makes sense in the long run - this should apply to driving as well.
Peter gave me some reasonable homework to complete before our sessions, and I provided a few videos and drivingevals instructor comments for his early review. A few short phone conversations on what I wanted to accomplish and his approach preceded the event. He surprised me with detailed notes on my prior VIR best lap video, with pictures and insights, directly leading to a Friday 2.09. I was already 1 second faster and hadn’t even met him face to face. Then, even though I was booked with him for a Saturday session, he was poking around the track Friday afternoon and came over to install some equipment and to give me a head start on Saturday. Hard at work in shorts and sandals, he finally got everything installed in the car by end of day Friday; multiple cameras, vbox, solo, etc. my car looked like it was very sick indeed.
So Saturday, sporting a jacket and a tie, Peter arrived early and stayed late. A full day of video and data analysis, drinking from the fire hose may be the appropriate term, but it wasn’t that exactly. Despite the now overwhelming amount of information we had access to about all the things I thought I was doing in the car, versus what I now know I was actually doing, Peter made it all understandable and digestible. In small doses, carefully focused on 1 or 2 things at a time, dividing the track into 3 sections, focusing on a few key changes before, during and after each run group, delivering plenty of praise and support for the good things, and constructive advice on areas to continue to focus, my times decreased. After each run I joked that I drove every corner almost flawlessly....except never on the same lap. I managed a best time during Saturday of 2:07xx, a real breakthrough, 3 seconds better than last year, and a “theoretical best lap” at the end of the day at a 2:04. Peter knows the track like the back of his hands, a sealer mark in the esses, a dirt patch in Hogs Pen, a small crack where little Billy Tanner dropped his sandwich back in ‘09 when they were fixing the tire wall, you name it, Peter knows where it is.
Which brings us to Sunday. The end of this story. Washed out first session, fast drama free second session, a few 2:08s, and then, third session (my second of the day), everything was just happening very easily, a good corner didn’t automatically mean that I was now going so much faster that I was out of position for my next turn, things started to make more sense...no scary moments, a more open track with lots of folks getting a head start on their drive home, and boom, 2:05...(plus a handful of 2:06 to :08s). Even my final session at 75% (no point in wrecking a good weekend by damaging the car) ended up with a 2:06.
In summary, 5 seconds improvement, a better understanding of how to drive quickly and safely around a great track like VIR (or any track really), an appreciation for what talented instructors and drivers know after years and years of honing their craft, and a great deal of thanks to Peter for his help. I doubt most people could get 5 seconds out of their new exhaust....
Can’t wait till next year....hope everyone has a safe winter. Thanks for reading.
NNJR, as usual, hosted a great event, with only one Sunday morning session (in my white group) cancelled, leaving 3 mostly spectacular afternoon sessions on Sunday. Anyway, found some good places to eat with some old and new friends (Cotton in Danville). Track time was good, blue/white combined group was acceptable, albeit with one stand-out driver who refused to provide timely point-boys, but I refuse to be upset about that. My previous best time at the track after the same 3 day event last year was 2:10.xx in a 2018 991.2 GT3 with MPSC2 tires, that I drive to the event. With me so far?
I spent the day Friday getting reacquainted with the track. Enter Peter Krause, who fans of this forum should know well. A prolific poster here, a VIR savant, talented instructor who loves what he does and apparently a super nice guy. I decided about a week and a half ago to treat myself to some professional coaching, reached out to him based on what I read here and on his website, and figured it couldn’t hurt. He happened to be available Saturday, and we agreed to do it. My thinking here was first, because every time there’s a thread on the best mod for your car, the ultimate answer is generally the same: these cars already have more performance capabilities than most of us can even hope to exploit, so instead of trying to upgrade your car, you should work on upgrading the driver. And second, as a single digit handicap golfer, I appreciate the value of really good instruction, which is why spending a few bucks for a few sessions with Harmon, Suttie and Rick Smith, an admitted indulgence, makes sense in the long run - this should apply to driving as well.
Peter gave me some reasonable homework to complete before our sessions, and I provided a few videos and drivingevals instructor comments for his early review. A few short phone conversations on what I wanted to accomplish and his approach preceded the event. He surprised me with detailed notes on my prior VIR best lap video, with pictures and insights, directly leading to a Friday 2.09. I was already 1 second faster and hadn’t even met him face to face. Then, even though I was booked with him for a Saturday session, he was poking around the track Friday afternoon and came over to install some equipment and to give me a head start on Saturday. Hard at work in shorts and sandals, he finally got everything installed in the car by end of day Friday; multiple cameras, vbox, solo, etc. my car looked like it was very sick indeed.
So Saturday, sporting a jacket and a tie, Peter arrived early and stayed late. A full day of video and data analysis, drinking from the fire hose may be the appropriate term, but it wasn’t that exactly. Despite the now overwhelming amount of information we had access to about all the things I thought I was doing in the car, versus what I now know I was actually doing, Peter made it all understandable and digestible. In small doses, carefully focused on 1 or 2 things at a time, dividing the track into 3 sections, focusing on a few key changes before, during and after each run group, delivering plenty of praise and support for the good things, and constructive advice on areas to continue to focus, my times decreased. After each run I joked that I drove every corner almost flawlessly....except never on the same lap. I managed a best time during Saturday of 2:07xx, a real breakthrough, 3 seconds better than last year, and a “theoretical best lap” at the end of the day at a 2:04. Peter knows the track like the back of his hands, a sealer mark in the esses, a dirt patch in Hogs Pen, a small crack where little Billy Tanner dropped his sandwich back in ‘09 when they were fixing the tire wall, you name it, Peter knows where it is.
Which brings us to Sunday. The end of this story. Washed out first session, fast drama free second session, a few 2:08s, and then, third session (my second of the day), everything was just happening very easily, a good corner didn’t automatically mean that I was now going so much faster that I was out of position for my next turn, things started to make more sense...no scary moments, a more open track with lots of folks getting a head start on their drive home, and boom, 2:05...(plus a handful of 2:06 to :08s). Even my final session at 75% (no point in wrecking a good weekend by damaging the car) ended up with a 2:06.
In summary, 5 seconds improvement, a better understanding of how to drive quickly and safely around a great track like VIR (or any track really), an appreciation for what talented instructors and drivers know after years and years of honing their craft, and a great deal of thanks to Peter for his help. I doubt most people could get 5 seconds out of their new exhaust....
Can’t wait till next year....hope everyone has a safe winter. Thanks for reading.
11-02-2020, 07:02 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
I participated in the NNJR event this weekend as well. It was my first time there and I was very impressed with the track and most all of the participants were really nice. I'll be back next year as it was very well organized and run. What a cool track!
11-03-2020, 12:09 AM
#6
Rennlist
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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Thank you, wmond. Remember, you pushed the pedals and you turned the wheel. Happy for your success and enjoyed our time together!
__________________
-Peter Krause
www.peterkrause.net
www.gofasternow.com
"Combining the Art and Science of Driving Fast!"
Specializing in Professional, Private Driver Performance Evaluation and Optimization
Consultation Available Remotely and at VIRginia International Raceway
-Peter Krause
www.peterkrause.net
www.gofasternow.com
"Combining the Art and Science of Driving Fast!"
Specializing in Professional, Private Driver Performance Evaluation and Optimization
Consultation Available Remotely and at VIRginia International Raceway
