And somehow I manage to get up in the morning...

Wherein it is described the events of July 22, 2005.

It's about a 90 minute drive from my house to BlackHawk Farms Raceway. I had arrived home around 9pm the night before, and needed to be at the track by 7:30AM the next day. I've adapted (much to my dismay) to Pacific time after spending the week in San Francisco, so the 4:30AM which I set the alarm for is going to feel more like 2:30. Ouch.

Of course, I barely slept anyway, and found myself awake at 4:20AM ready to roll.

Run downstairs and whip up a couple of PB&J sandwiches. Grab some last minute pieces and parts (timing light, 13mm Socket, contact paper), some extra clothes, and a cooler. Manage to pack all this into the car and head over to Andy's house at 5:15.

Andy you see, decided a while back that he wanted to see what the DE thing was all about and managed to get today off of work to drive up to the track with me. Andy, being the young man he is who typically goes to bed around 2AM, decided the night before that the easiest way for him to get up at 5AM was to not sleep at all. Holy crap - this kid is going to be TIRED!

Well, leave the driving to me - sit back and relax. Oh, we just have to stop at Starbucks (Josh needs coffee!), and a gas station (need gatorade and ice), and a cash machine (for - duh - cash). Finally, by a quarter of six we're on the road.

Nothing much of consequence on the drive up there - traffic was light, weather was hot and the car was running well. We did manage to catch up and pass the Eurosport Racing rig on the way to the track which is cool.

Fill up the tank at the local BP and head out to the track. Find a decent squatting ground and stake our claim. The other bastards arrive in short order and we're headed for registration, tech and the driver's meeting.

Typically at the driver's meeting, the organizer presents a speech revolving around safety and respect. A short review of the flags (can you tell me what they all mean? green; yellow; red; white; checkered; black; black with an orange ball; red and yellow stripes - leave me a comment and tell me your guess), and some of the passing rules, then it's time to be paired with our instructors.

Well, I'll be damned - guess what? There aren't enough instructors to go around! Oh, and there is a large group in the C/Novice class (which is the class I registered for) and not so much in the B2 class (which is the next one up the ladder) - it is permissible for 'experienced' Blackhawk drivers to drive in the B2 class to free up space for the novices.

I'm not feeling THAT confident yet. No thanks. I'll stay in C - sans instructor, and play it by ear.

Back to our little plot of turf - and time to check over the particulars before our session. I torque up the lug nuts, check the tire pressure ("oh - hey Mike? Can I borrow that little air-compressor dealie. Thanks!") and wait for our grid time.

About 5 minutes prior to our starting time, I squirrel my way into the car and strap on the harness. Ohhhhhhhh yeah -- harness. That's the stuff - look at me, I'm a racecardriver! I do so like the harness!

Drive up to the grid area and await the cue from the worker. Start out nice and easy, watching the revs to get in the habit (remember - I'm running on a standard rotor - no rev limiter - so I can easily do some engine damage if I don't pay attention to the tach). Stay low and inside for turn 1 - well within the 'blend line' and track out nicely heading to turn 2. By turn 3 I've already caught the car ahead of me. And pretty much the car ahead of him - and so on. It's a freight train - and we haven't completed a full lap yet!

*sigh*

Oh well, just more work for me to get some clear space so I'll get some accurate (no traffic) lap times.

By the time we're back to the start/finish for the green, the guy ahead of me has the idea that I'm ready to roll - so graciously gives me the point before we even get the official green. Thanks!

But there's another right in front - and now I have to wait until turn 6 before getting his point.

Then another back after turn seven.

Do that about 6 more times (I'm not kidding here) and I finally get a bit of clear space. A few laps of 'pointerless' driving, and out comes the checkered.

That's it - I'm moving up to B2...

Mosey on back to the paddock and shut'r down. Take a quick tire pressure reading - even though the tires are barely warm (up from 36psi to around 38 on the left side, 37 on the right) and re-torque the lugs. Down some gatorade (yeah - it's gonna be a hot one today...) and go ask the organizers how to upgrade into the B2 group (turns out to be nothing more than tell the starter on the grid the situation). Jot down the lap times for the first session before resetting the hot-lap timer:

1. 2:11.45
2. 1:55.28
3. 1:54.54
4. 1:43.59
5. 1:36.18
6. 1:38.97
7. 1:35.23
8. 1:52.43
9. 1:34.80
10. 1:33.29

Average lap time : 1:43.88
Median lap time : 1:41.28
Standard Deviation : 8.92 seconds
Average speed : 67.58
Maximum Speed : 75.25
Minimum Speed : 53.40


Oh barf. Remember, I'm a number junkie - so this stuff is in my blood. Take a look at this entry to see my first foray into number crunching on the track. Anyway, that standard deviation number pretty much tells the tale - inconsistent as all hell. I maintain that this is due to the heavy traffic. Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong...

After writing these numbers down in my cool-as-beans PCA DE logbook, I affirm my desire to upgrade into the B2 group -- damn straight!

In short order, the B2 group is ready to roll - and I'm getting some butterflys. I'm gonna run with the big boys! Hell ya! Watch out punks, here comes big blue! Yeah yeah - look at these cars! GT3, Twin turbo, 944 Turbos - uhhuh. Umm wait - is that a Maxima? And a Subaru? (oh, ok - it's a WRX. Approved). Well - Porsche snobbery aside, it looks like a fast group of cars.

A few of the other bastards have joined up, so we've got a nice mix of people out there. Start off nicely and, in general, feel real good about the whole session - except, damn! these tires are squealing like a stuck pig. I'm pointing by more cars than I'm passing - but not too many, so I feel like I made the right decision moving up.

At the end of the session I pull off and do a short drive around the paddock to try and cool off the brakes a little more - then head back to home base. Park and shut off the engine, then jump out to feel the tires and take pressure readings.

Yowza - they are hot! Pressures are high too - 42 on the left rear, 40 front - 40 right rear and 38 front. They all started at 36.

Hmmm - well, I'll lower them overall by about 2psi for the next run and see what happens - maybe they will quiet down a bit.

Jot down the laptimes from session 2:

1. 1:41.94
2. 1:38.54
3. 1:36.64
4. 1:38.72
5. 1:34.91
6. 1:39.48
7. 1:39.88
8. 1:33.29
9. 1:31.96 (oh yeah baby!)
   
10. 1:32.34
11. 1:39.53
12. 1:34.89

Average lap time : 1:36.82
Median lap time : 1:37.59
Standard Deviation : 2.79 seconds
Average speed 72.5
Maximum (lap) Speed : 76.34
Minimum (lap) Speed : 68.86

Now we're talking!

Comparing this to the June DE (last session):

Session 4:
Average Lap time : 1:38.01
Median Lap time : 1:37.66
Standard Deviation : 0.74 seconds

My average lap time has gone down over one second (but my deviation has gone up quite a bit - this may be due to allowing people to pass me and lifting off the throttle). I'm happy with those numbers (and that 1:31.96 is my first under 1:32 ever - although it's not counted in my simple statistical analysis).

It's now time to break for lunch and general troublemaking. Wolf down a PB&J, drink a quart of gatorade and go watch some of the group A maniacs tearing up the track.

For reference, these guys run the course in the low 1:20's. It's amazing to watch, and almost as amazing to listen.

By 1pm I'm feeling pretty sluggish. The heat is wearing on us all, and I'm looking forward to the distraction of driving for twenty minutes so I don't have to time to obsess on how freaking hot it is.

Session 3 was another in the B2 group for me - hell, I'm feeling cocky. I lower the starting pressure in all four tires to 34 PSI and head to the grid. Start up nice and fast behind Mike (a GruppeB brother) and get the point right as the green is waved - vrrrooooooom!!

I'm getting used to the howling tires, so the sound isn't bothering me as much - I figure, better to hear them complaining while gripping rather then keeping quiet and breaking loose. A few more laps around into turn 4 and I catch up to a early nineties Carrerra - I'm prepared to wait until turn six to get the point when he waves me on as soon as we're past the apex of turn 5! Huh!?

Oh yeah - B2 group. We're allowed to pass there. Sweet! The routine for passing on this turn is a bit counterintuitive in terms of the class rules - the passer stays on the racing line, while the person being passed pulls off line and points to the right.

I barrel past this dude and head into the entry of turn 6 fast and inside (I'm now completely OFF the racing line btw), do a bit of a panic brake, and apex really late. Managing to recover that entry and get back on the line, I dive back down into the exit of six and regain some composure and head off to seven.

A couple of laps later, and I'm staring at the nose of a GT3 in my rearview mirror while downshifting (heel and toe!) into turn 4. By the entry of turn five, I can see the logo on the driver's helmet, so I point past my first car on turn five while pulling over to the left. The GT3 zooms by me like I'm standing still, hits six and is gone.... see ya.

It's about at this time that I notice the oil temps creeping close to the red. Hmmm, time for an oil cooler upgrade. A couple more trips around the course, and it's time to head in. Cool down the brakes, drive back to camp, record some tire pressures, and jot down the lap times:

1. 1:38.81
2. 1:36.32
3. 1:33.60
4. 1:33.72
5. 1:32.32
6. 1:34.36
7. 1:34.91
8. 1:34.48
9. 1:37.48
10. 1:36.82
11. 1:34.00
12. 1:34.10
13. 1:37.92

Average lap time : 1:35.30
Median lap time : 1:34.48
Standard Deviation : 1.97 seconds
Average speed 73.67
Maximum (lap) Speed : 76.04
Minimum (lap) Speed : 71.05

Getting better - slowly, but surely.

Wow - I'm tired. This is pretty grueling, and the harness is making my shoulders and collerbones sore as hell. One more session to go - better make it a good one!

I decide to try lower the pressure one more notch on all four tires to see if the squealing gets any better - down to 32 all around. At this point, in retrospect, I probably should have just let them be as my fatigue was going to play a much larger role in my lap times than the tire pressures.

So we're back on the grid about an hour after session 3 - and you can almost feel the nervousness in the air. Last session of the day - better make it count!

Not much happens until about 6 laps down - I've been pointing a lot of people past and it seems I just can't find any clear space. I'm coming out of six and apex too early, which puts my track-out wider than expected and I get two wheels off - at full throttle; no panic, no knee-jerk reactions - eaaaaaaase back on the track with those left wheels and proceed as usual.

Except now I'm a bit frazzled.

The next few laps felt very sloppy - it seemed hard to regain my composure. I continue pointing cars past me until I get some clear space, and manage to get my act back together and start feeling in the groove again.

Well, in the groove until this BMW looms up behind me. I'm already well into five, so decide I'll give him the point after we're through six and all will be good. Now, I've learned enough while out with the B2 boys that, even when you give the passing signal, there is no need to let off the throttle - if this guy is behind you fast-and-furious like, he'll be able to overtake you without issue.

So - apex out of six, stick the left arm out of the window and point right - loud pedal to the floor.

For those of you just joining, or those who have forgotten the track map at Blackhawk, I need to explain passing between turn six and turn seven. Basically, all passing is supposed to be done before the "kink" at turn 6a since, typically, the racing line calls for you to pull all the way to the right over the kink and track back out to the left in preparation for (right hand) turn seven...

So here's this six series BMW passing me on the right, and we're coming up to 6a really quickly. As soon as he passes, I'm ready to tuck in behind him when I notice a burgandy Carrerra close behind the bimmer, and racing me to that kink.

Lessee - two rule violations here; passing without being pointed (I pointed the pass for the BMW, not the 911) and passing during (and after) the kink.

So, I stay to the left to allow homeboy room and he blows by me just at the apex of 6a.

And he is MOVING.

And he is BRAKING.

And he is turning in - and (kind of) apexing, and he is headed off the track. All-four-wheels-you-gonna-git-black flagged kind of off.

And he's fighting it - while in the grass. Overcorrect right - overcorrect left, overcorrect right (and here I come), and holy shit, this guy is trying to get back on course - and with my luck, will T-bone me in the process.

Brain: process. Reflex: priority. Right foot : BRAKE

This is after traversing turn 7 btw.

SCREEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!!!

Ummm, ya - near as I can figure, I locked up all four wheels.

Mr. four-wheels-off manages to get it back together and on track with me close behind - my adrenaline pumping through me with a surge.

Needless to say, my next few laps consisted of inconsistency - and lots of pointing. The checkered flag was a welcome sight, and I headed for homebase. Laptimes were, all things considered, pretty good for a mess of a session.

1. 1:36.0
2. 1:34.42
3. 1:40.46
4. 1:34.15
5. 1:32.70
6. 1:34.37
7. 1:35.19
8. 1:41.84
9. 1:38.50
10. 1:34.13
11. 1:35.35
12. 1:40.05

Average lap time : 1:36.43
Median lap time : 1:35.27
Standard Deviation : 2.99 seconds
Average speed 72.80
Maximum (lap) Speed : 75.73
Minimum (lap) Speed : 68.93

Time to pack on up, and drive it home. All in all a successful day - I managed to show some measurable improvement, not lose control of the car (too much) and had fun to boot.

Oh - and Andy managed to stay awake the entire day - I think by the time we'd gotten home he was pushing 30 hours without sleep.

Ahhh youth.