[DeTomaso] Asa Jay Passes Driving School

Mon Apr 5 09:53:08 EDT 2010

Thanks Mirril, having experienced instructors is the biggest key to 
these schools.  Especially those who are willing to take a spin in 
stride, work with you to understand why it happened and then take you 
around again.

:)
Asa Jay

Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
&  Shelley Marie
Spokane, WA
******************************
http://www.asajay.com   ***   http://www.teampanteraracing.com

On 4/5/2010 2:17 AM, Mirril M. McMullen wrote:
> Asa,
>
> Congrats on a great school.
>
> I have done these since 98 and have been an instructor since 05.
>
> Glad your car held up and you kept the shiny side up!!
>
>
> Mirril M. McMullen
>
> 98 E36 Track car
> 74L PCar #6859
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
> Behalf Of Asa Jay Laughton
> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 12:09 AM
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: [DeTomaso] Asa Jay Passes Driving School
>
> It wouldn't have been a good weekend without at least one good spin.
> But two?   Well, it was a nice way to finish the day anyway.
>
> The story:
> I attended a BMW CCA Driving School held in Spokane, WA this weekend at
> the Spokane County Raceway.  Day one I was placed in group D, the very
> beginners, novice, kiddie group.  It was my very first on-track
> experience and I wasn't going to try and fool anyone.
>
> About 45 minutes of classroom then on the track with an instructor for
> 25 minutes.  They drove first, showed us the line for three or four laps
> and then let us drive with them as passenger.  Another 45 minutes of
> classroom, another track session.  Break for lunch, then two more
> driving sessions.  Sunday, only one classroom session, with four driving
> sessions.
>
> I came into the line for this track pretty early, so by session three on
> Saturday we were working on brake points, downshifting and increasing
> speed.  Sunday I got a new instructor, more aggressive, someone who
> really pushed both me -and- the car.  He didn't drive it once either
> (like the instructor the day before), he just sat in the passenger seat
> and gave me pointers.  In session three we we were really pushing the
> limits.  I didn't get into the brake hard enough at the right time for
> turn 2, ended up a little tight with some trailing throttle oversteer
> and I spun it on the track; both feet down (clutch and brake) and the
> spin ended up a 180 safely stopped.  Unfortunately that meant a
> mandatory pit, but that was okay as it was pretty much the end of the
> session.
>
> About an  hour later, the instructor comes to me at the end of the B
> group.  I'm just shooting the breeze with other beginners waiting for C
> group to go out and then we'll get ready.  He grabs a knife and cuts the
> "D" off my window, replaces it with a "C," says you graduated, lets go.
> ...   So who's to argue?  He's the instructor.
>
> By this time I've been really burning up the track.  In session 2 today
> (Sunday), I passed everyone except the very last car to start, which was
> a pretty quick Miata.  Two other cars (Subaru wagon and a sedan I think)
> I've passed -twice-.  Session 3, I passed everyone and was rapidly
> coming up on lapping the slow cars again.  That's when I spun in session
> 3, near the end after having lapped the pack.  With the exception of
> that one spin in session 3, I'm getting feedback that I'm doing really
> well.
>
> To follow along, take a look at the track:
> http://spokaneracewaypark.com/images/SRP-Aerial_big.jpg
> I'm reaching the end of the straight at about 130 on my speedo and
> lifting for turn one.  Turn 2 requires a firm brake just before entry,
> feels tight but it's not, it's just really long, then back on the
> throttle before the apex and I'm shifting back into fifth through the
> soft turns 3 and 4 and approaching 5 at nearly 120.  (5 is where it
> kinks nearly 90 degrees right)  Smooth and FIRM on the brakes just prior
> to entry into turn 5, get into fourth and then get set up for another
> hard brake and down into third for 6 and 7, then throttle up into fourth
> and hard brake for 8, come around 9 and throttle back up through 10 and
> hammer the straight again.  Repeat.
>
> So the instructor gets in the passenger seat of the Pantera after
> upgrading me to C group.  He has one knee folded up and the other barely
> under the dash.  At the beginning of the day we were working on turn 2,
> and then 5-6-7.  I've got 5-6-7 down by now and 2 has been coming along
> well, except for my spin during the prior session.
>
> We are the first and only car out for C group in session 4, and I'm not
> about to baby it.  Others joined the party late (they weren't lined up
> behind me when we started).  I'm probably three or four laps in and now
> passing the pack that came in late.  I've passed nearly everyone in the
> C group and have a 2005 generation Mustang on my tail.  It's a fast car
> and I've committed to give him a point by in the next passing zone.
>
> Oh, did I mention this school allowed passing?  Yea.. I got to learn all
> about that too, every session.
>
> So I've passed the rest of the pack and it's me and the Mustang, I'm not
> proud so I'm going to give him a point by in the next passing zone, but
> I'm going to make him work for it until we get there.  Well, that's when
> it all unwound on me, or rather... I choked.
>
> I came into turn 2 really hot and didn't get firm enough on the brakes,
> lifting early and turning in I got classic understeer, the wheels just
> kept going straight.  So I backed off the throttle and made my
> mistake... I tapped the brakes, and let me tell you it was nearly
> instinctive that as fast as my foot hit that pedal I -knew- it was the
> wrong thing to do and I even said as much to my instructor at the very
> moment my foot hit the pedal.  Then it was both feet down, the car went
> wide and into the gravel.  After the traffic passed, we drove right
> out.  The gravel isn't shallow except in a couple of spots, luckily I
> found one and didn't have to be towed out.
>
> So what happens when you hit gravel at nearly 70 miles an hour... sideways?
> This:
> http://www.teampanteraracing.com/index.php?option=com_g2bridge&view=gallery&
> Itemid=57&g2_itemId=3374
>
> The wheels are now off the car and the air has been let out.  I'll be
> taking them in tomorrow and having them cleaned up by the same guy who
> originally mounted them.
>
> So let's recap.
> I just took a 36 year old Pantera,
> With stock Girling Brakes (Porterfield pads)
> Stock 351C engine (new valve stem seals/keepers, water pump)
>       One extra quart of oil and the oil pressure was -great- exiting
> turn 2 at nearly 100 MPH.
> Stock ZF transaxle (safety wired, new clutch)
> Fluidyne radiator with sucker fans
> Toyo Proxes R888 on Stock 7&  8 Campy wheels
> and five point harnesses...
>
> out to the RACE track and HAD A BLAST!  For TWO DAYS!
> Feedback after it was all done indicated many instructors were impressed
> with my performance, how much I learned and appeared to -retain- and put
> to good use.  They were very impressed with the performance of the
> Pantera and said the guy driving it had really come a long way in just
> two days.
>
> I met two or three other folks there who either owned or knew of
> neighbors with Panteras.  I think this weekend was an eye-opener for
> them.  I think the Pantera got a lot of good press "in the flesh" this
> weekend and I had a -great- time with everyone there, despite my little
> mishap.  :)
>
> Now.... I need some sleep.
>
> Asa Jay
>
> Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
> &   Shelley Marie
> Spokane, WA
> ******************************
> http://www.asajay.com   ***   http://www.teampanteraracing.com
>
>
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