TRACKD

The video looks more dramatic because the front facing camera comes off of the windshield suction.

This was a really hard lesson to learn. Luckily, both drivers were ok and the black 914 was able to compete in race 2 of the weekend and had minimal damage. I (driver of the camera car) was not able to finish the race and my weekend was done with a broken right rear toe link. This was the last lap of the race and I was hyper focused on banging out consistent laps and minimizing loss in traffic as I was in the lead in GTD1. This was my first ever race and I know I made a mistake. Yes, I should have waited for the next opportunity to pass the second car. However, I was stuck behind the same car in practice for 2 laps when I was on old tires because he is quick on the straights and slow in the corners so my initial thought was to get by as soon as possible.

I am flashing my headlights coming down the front straight and pulled to the inside early so both cars knew I was there. I get on the brakes and expect the black 914 to turn in ahead of me without a problem. He continues to slow so I release the brake thinking I can get along side, then he closes the door quickly and I am caught in no-man's-land. What can I expect next time I find myself in this situation again? What should I do next time? I rolled too much speed up on the lapped car thinking he would not be that slow through T1. I already thought I was overslowing as to be able to follow him uphill on exit. Again, my mistake, no question. It has been on my mind every minute of the last three days and is honestly haunting me a bit. Any advice you want to give a rookie racer is appreciated.

ProCoach

The Vortex of Danger is your fault – you suck at racing

The Vortex of Danger with Randy Pobst | Blayze

https://cdn.connectsites.net/user_files/scca/downloads/000/050/288/GCR_Appendix_P_Passing_Guidelines_Rev_070920.pdf?1594330895

The Vortex of Danger is real - BoxThisLap.org

Worst words a racer says starts with "I thought..."

You had the first one, you earned it. The second one? Not so much.

You got greedy and you paid for it. Sorry.

winders

There are so many things wrong here I don't know where to begin.

1. Don't assume anyone sees you just because you are where you think they should see you and you are flashing your lights.

2. There was no way you were going to make the pass before the apex of the corner. This a classic dive bomb maneuver. You weren't even close to having overlap before Brian in the 914 turns in. See here:

https://yousuckatracing.com/2021/04/...9REF5oGHwy94mc

3. Remember this is club racing. Being your first race, you should have been extra careful not to be overly aggressive. The first goal is come out the weekend with no damage to your car and to not cause damage to someone else's car.

4. Other cars have the right to be on the race track and go through corners as they normally would whether or not you think you have overly slowed for them. When they own the corner (get there before you do) you have to leave them room even if doing so will slow you down. You didn't just end up in "no-man's land". You put yourself there and compounded the problem by putting your cat where it did not belong.

Advice?

Don't be that guy. Just because you are faster does not mean anything. When you are the car making the passes it is your responsibility to make those passes cleanly. Always err on the side of caution...you will be able to get through traffic more easily and cleanly once you have a lot more experience.


Edit: No fair, Peter! I was writing this up as you posted!!

TRACKD

Thank you for your response, Peter. I was hoping you would offer any advice. Thank you for the article; it is helpful.

TRACKD

Thank you for the article. The diagram and article do help give a visual and explain the expectation.

ProCoach

You know, you're driving a great car and you're going fast.

You just need to give it a little time to learn how best to play with others.

I think a majority of the pressure you felt to make the decision that ended in tears was entirely self induced.

That said, I think you should NOT beat yourself up over this. File it away, learn and most importantly, "if in doubt, DON'T"

Your individual performance level is high. That should give you confidence and optimism for the future.

You will need to quell your emotions better so you don't feel compelled to make decisions like this one.

If you're leading, you're leading. That should not make you feel like you "have to make something happen" JUST to preserve that lead. Consistency and banging out laps hitting your marks is your goal, NOT feeling the anxiety of "minimizing loss in traffic." Strike number one.

Just because you were "stuck behind the same car in practice for 2 laps" ESPECIALLY considering you were on old tires, doesn't mean that car will be at the same speed in the race. You HAVE to gather more intel on the people you're racing with and track their performance throughout the weekend. Assume NOTHING. You DIDN'T present your car successfully in order to place some part of the front of it so that the 914 could SEE your car when THEY looked right to turn in. Strike number two.

This is not pro racing. The flashing of your lights signals to me a little bit of desperation, like it might give you a competitive advantage or cause the seas to part in front of you. Wrong. This is not Chin Red group, this is racing. No one is obligated to give you anything, least of all PERCEIVED racing room. WAY too much assumption and it would have all had to work out as it was in your mind perfectly to work. Which it didn't... Strike number three.

Lift up your head, write the check to fix your car and do it again. You are in front by merit and you have earned it due to your obvious speed.

Honestly, this sort of accident is all too common in Club racing in recent years. A little more thought, intel gathering, planning and calm strategic thinking go a long way.

LuigiVampa

It was a dive bomb.

Frank 993 C4S

Amen.

TRACKD

I genuinely feel terrible for the mistake and want to learn from this. I wanted to understand why my decisions lead to the next and to the result. That’s why I posted this. I was fully prepared for the berating and comments coming. I don’t want to be that guy in the paddock. I apologized to Brian in the tower and understand it doesn’t take away my mistake. Thank you to those that have offered advice and help. My apologies again to Brian. I will learn from this.

Cadaver

I commend you for owning this. Lesson learned. You aren't the first and won't be the last.

Part of passing that I think is important is presenting yourself to the car you are wanting to overtake. Get in their mirrors. Make them see you. You were obviously faster than both cars. you easily would've passed that second car within the next few turns. Likely before the esses. Many times, responsible and smart competitors will see you and realize the fight is futile and let you go.

anthony42hat

You have gotten plenty of good advice here, you don't need more from me. I commend you for owning it, apologizing and seeking advice. Now don't do it again.

ProCoach

This is a good thread. A fair number of people in Club racing could benefit from this.

I don’t see a lot of berating, a sharp word from some folk that have expressed their thoughts that way often, but all good advice.

I think the above advice is good and not so good.

While the single most important advice is the first sentence, it was some of the rest of cadaver’s assumptions that got you into trouble.

You can be faster all you want. You can fill mirrors all you want. When Cadaver says you would have passed “likely before the Esses,” that’s a big assumption. The consequences of contact going down through the Esses are greater than what you suffered. A friend of mine, a Sebring 12-Hour winner, was killed after contact there in a historic racing event test day many years ago, contact with a friend. A misunderstanding. So I’m sensitive to the risk/benefit calculation of passing between 3 and exit of 5.

You simply cannot assume anything.

But you can take the overtaken car’s choices away before and at turn-in. That is the definition of a successful pass.

Not a lunge, not a hail-mary, just business.

ProCoach

I will add that almost all successful passes begin at or before the EXIT of the previous corner.

Veloce Raptor

Peter makes really good points. One I'd like to add and emphasize is that we should all always assume that the car ahead of us does not see us, and that we are in his or her blind spot. I suspect that's what happened here, actually, although I have no way of knowing. But regardless, we should always make that assumption before we make a move. I am glad everyone was OK. I did not expect that roll over!

jscott82

I'll chime in here as another "rookie". RA was my 5th race since 2019, and I am just starting to get the hang of racing. Judging when to pass, how to setup, appropriate level of aggression, etc.

I will say I was making the same mistake of feeling like in order to be successful you had to go-go-go never lift... right or wrong, im an now realizing in club racing, its about making "smart" passes, not making "all the passes"... im still learning so maybe im wrong and my opinion will change over time.

One thing I did on the test day and in practice was to follow slower cars with better drivers to learn the track and watch them work. It was AMAMAZINGLY helpful. We were out with the SPB and SP3 cars. I would follow them through the turn, follow them through traffic and watch to learn.. then rather than pass on the straight would lift to stay behind for the next set of turns, or traffic. I think I grew more during this race than any other I've done so far...

Kudos to owning your mistake. Learn the lesson and move forward.

And IMHO flashing lights is a dick move... I put WIG-WAGs in my car to be super Dickish, but just with my close friends...