Clipping Apex Curbs
Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:13 pm
Finally spun my car but luckily it wasn't at too high a speed. Had it in third and at 5500 rpms so with my 3.9 diff ratio that's about 70 mph. It was late in the day and I had gotten faster and faster through the day really concentrating on getting this turn at the end of the back straightaway dialed in. It's a sweeping righthand turn with poor apex visibilty at the turn-in point. Once turned I could apply full throttle and push the frontend understeering all the way past the apex. This time I turned in a tad too early and when I got to apex instead of just brushing the right side wheels against the apex curb I was three feet up onto it. The rightside wheels lifted up enough so the engine buzzed above 7000 and I instinctively lifted. I was screwed at that point and knew it. Trailing throttle oversteer kicked the rearend out until I was turned 90 degrees to the direction of travel. I tried steering into the slide but it felt like the thing was going to bicycle right on over so I steered out of it and spun it instead. Nice having a low inertia car that only slides for a short distance and comes to an abrupt stop. :oops:
Only posting this to warn others this is kinda a high pucker factor moment which is preventable. Limited slip would have prevented this for instance. A soft rev limiter would have also helped a bunch. Ordered a Pertronix digital rev limiter which has just recently been introduced BTW. I know I'm going to make more mistakes and launch off the curbs again but next time I'll keep the right foot planted on the throttle and most likely be able to recover it no problem. :shock:
Feels like having this much fun for an old fart should be illegal! Ran the whole day without breaking anything for the very first time. Yeah! I upheld the honour of the early Elans by passing a few Elises and Super 7s too even though I was the only out there with All-Season Mud & Snow tires (just in case the weather should turn suddenly sour). :D
-Keith
p.s. Can't wait for the new addition to the Fernley racetrack to be completed. It's as much fun and just as safe as Thunderhill.
Only posting this to warn others this is kinda a high pucker factor moment which is preventable. Limited slip would have prevented this for instance. A soft rev limiter would have also helped a bunch. Ordered a Pertronix digital rev limiter which has just recently been introduced BTW. I know I'm going to make more mistakes and launch off the curbs again but next time I'll keep the right foot planted on the throttle and most likely be able to recover it no problem. :shock:
Feels like having this much fun for an old fart should be illegal! Ran the whole day without breaking anything for the very first time. Yeah! I upheld the honour of the early Elans by passing a few Elises and Super 7s too even though I was the only out there with All-Season Mud & Snow tires (just in case the weather should turn suddenly sour). :D
-Keith
p.s. Can't wait for the new addition to the Fernley racetrack to be completed. It's as much fun and just as safe as Thunderhill.