SuperMiata race video Sonoma 5/31-6/1-14

[emilio700]

We shared our race group with some of Trackmasters customers so rolling starts instead of our normal standing starts. Intense racing from the green. The top three cars qualified within a few 10ths, fast race lap about the same.
I started on pole Saturday, got a tiny gap on Sonny while he was slowed from defending against Andrew. That tiny delay for Sonny allowed me to claw out a 2.5 s gap by mid race. Andrew got past Sonny and proceeded to drive 10/10ths to try to close the gap to me. I drove about .3s off max in order to save my tires and keep from making mistakes. I had a closely monitored 1.5s over Andrew at the checkered. My video from Saturday for the win is boring, I drive a bunch of near perfect laps without much pressure.

Sunday was a whole other story. We inverted the grid from Saturdays results so I started at the back, Andrew just ahead and so on. Bombing through the slower cars, I managed to get ahead of Sonny and Andrew. Got a clear run on Grant in the corkscrew but his ah, mirrors are small, so I elected to lift and be 100% sure i could get bu him cleanly. A few turns later he inadvertently brake checks me in T8 (where everyone else is flat). I bumped him twice before I was able to get around. By them Andrew was by. I then did exactly what Andrew did on Saturday: Run 10/10ths to close the gap and used up my tires in the process. Meanwhile Andrew is in cruise mode holding back about .3s to keep his tires alive. He make not one mistake. His Sunday video looks just like my Saturday video. I catch him once, too far back to do much but I try anyway. Entering T7 I pop out just long enough to make him think I'd diving inside. He just barely misses the first apex. I cross over trying to square off the turn and get alongside. He doesn't panic and instead focuses on max exit speed to hold me off into T8. It works. I can't quite get far enough bay to claim the line and lift. Takes me a while to get back to his rear bumper. When I get close the second time, I botch a shift and that's that. Andrew drives a bunch of near perfect laps to hold me off for the win 1.1s ahead.

Sundays race was the hardest I have ever pushed for an entire sprint race distance. No saving tires, no pacing, no "waiting for a good spot to pass". Just flatout from green to checkered. It's hard to convey just how much it means to me to have been able to put this series together where national championship level drivers can duke it out at this level of intensity for so little cash outlay and zero behind the scenes "secret" tuning. I'm having a blast and if the post race chatter in the garage is any indication, so are the rest of the drivers.

[thepass]

I had to go back and watch again, I could've sworn you had been shifting without lifting off the throttle. Maybe I was tired when I watched it the first time it appears I was mistaken. Check out 5:20. Sonny: shifts faster than the naked eye can see...

-Ryan

[emilio700]

Some pics from Sonoma two weeks ago

First lap scrum in T2



Andrew on his way to the win Sunday


Me on the way to the win Saturday

[VagaXt]

That Sunday race was great to watch.

Sonny - mind giving any tips on the flat-shifting? I only tried this once a long time ago and timing must have been off because it didn't work very well.

-Ryan

I don't flat shift. Flat shift is shifting without lifting off the throttle. I am actually just shifting faster than I usually do because of the race scenario I was in (driving flat out just to stay in range in case Emilio and Andrew started to fight each other).

In terms of tips, I focused on timing and precision of getting each shift perfect and making sure I am in going into the right gear. Also, having to practice on my Miata street car with a crappy short-shifter kit helps (patience is key).

[Schmoe Money]

Ryan... one secret for power shifting is learning to time it where you lift your foot off the clutch pedal at the same time you're shifting into the next gear.
In other words... foot in the clutch as you grab the shifter... and let the clutch out as you shift.

If you time it right, you can get into the next gear with a jump of only a few hundred RPM between shifts.

(Years of drag racing, memory recall tachs, and learning from folks much faster than me taught me this... 5,600 RPM shift lights with 5,800 RPM max RPMs in the old 5.0...)

It's a good idea to practice this at lower RPMs... so you don't end up floating valves/bump rev limiters/etc as you learn the timing.

And... it's pretty much like riding a bike. Once you get it down... you'll have the skill for many years!

[thepass]

That Sunday race was great to watch.

Sonny - mind giving any tips on the flat-shifting? I only tried this once a long time ago and timing must have been off because it didn't work very well.

-Ryan

[VagaXt]

Huge melee on lap 1. I avoided Grant and Emilio's incident, but that left the door open for Andrew to pass all three of us at turn 8a. I stuck around Emilio and Andrew for a bit after spending 4 laps catching up to Andrew with Emilio in hot pursuit in front of me. I went purple on lap 5. I caught up, but had no back tires left by lap 9 to do anything and got left behind. Finished in P3, 2.9 seconds back from Race #2 winner, Andrew.

[emilio700]

What were the qualifying times like?

1:55.4. Ambient temp 81*

[Schmoe Money]

What were the qualifying times like?

[OJR]

Wins, however I can get them.

[emilio700]

what would you rather have "Saturday win is boring" or a "little spice on Sunday" and finish second, I had a good time both days. That track is just sooo much fun and makes for good racing....

Wins, however I can get them.

[granth]

what would you rather have "Saturday win is boring" or a "little spice on Sunday" and finish second, I had a good time both days. That track is just sooo much fun and makes for good racing....

[b3d3g1]

Here's some video from a non championship level driver. I would like to nominate myself for the title of "Best of the Rest".