[DeTomaso] Asa Jay Passes Driving School

[Asa Jay Laughton]

I'll see about posting those tonight after I get home.  I can't recall  
off the top of my head, unless you blow up some of the more recent  
photos in the gallery where you might be able to make it out.

I can tell you they are nearly two inches too short.  Yes, that means  
I wasn't really doing 130 at the end of the straight. :)

Asa Jay

Quoting Tomas Gunnarsson <guson at home.se>:

> For reference, what tire sizes do you use F/R Asa Jay?
>
> Tomas
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
> [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of Asa Jay Laughton
> Sent: den 5 april 2010 17:37
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Asa Jay Passes Driving School
>
>
> These tires were also approved (via email) by the chief tire tech
> inspector at Silver State.
>
> Yes, I'd like to get some different rims, if nothing else, to have
> more choices in tires.
>
> This school (for beginners) didn't talk much about using downshifting
> for braking, though in the final class for this weekend they touched
> on heel-toe control and how to use that technique for downshifting.
>
> The biggest thing I need to work on is entering turn 2 slower.  I had
> the same problem with 5 and 6 earlier but eventually got that one down
> pat. Turn 2 was still being elusive for me, I needed to brake down
> from over 100 into something slower than what I was typically entering
> it at.  Once entered, I could gradually apply throttle until exit.  It
> was the most difficult turn to negotiate.  I was getting it "right" a
> small percentage of the time and getting better.  I just really blew
> it on that last lap that found me spinning into the gravel.
>
> The entire first day was working on "smooth" transitions, no wheel
> jerking, no stabbing the brakes, etc.  Trying to find that maximum
> radius turn and take advantage of it, let the car ease into and out of
> the corners with as little steering wheel movement as possible.  The
> trouble was, as I was being pushed to go faster and faster, the smooth
> transitions had to come faster and faster as well.
>
> It was a great learning experience weekend, and that's exactly what I
> wanted it to be.
>
> Asa Jay
>
> Quoting Tomas Gunnarsson <guson at home.se>:
>
>> Michael,
>>
>> I think Asa Jay is ahead of you already, he's running these tires:
>>
>> http://toyotires.com/tire/pattern/proxes-r888
>>
>> Tomas
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
>> [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of
>> michael at michaelshortt.com
>> Sent: den 5 april 2010 16:39
>> To: Asa Jay Laughton
>> Cc: detomaso at realbig.com
>> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Asa Jay Passes Driving School
>>
>>
>> Great write up Asa,
>>
>> Glad that you enjoyed your on track experience, and congrats on the
>> promotions while there, you must have made quirte an impression.
>>
>> May I offer some quickee advice and a question?
>>
>> But yourself a spare set of wheels that you don't car about and by a set I
>> mean 6 of them, ( spare front and spare rear ).
>> and use these for track days, etc. Even plain old steel wheels work fine
>> with the proper offset., try to find some worn out suitable tires with
> about
>> 5/32"
>> of tread left on them and you'll be good to go, ( an electric impact
> wrench,
>> lightweight aluminum floor jack and a torque wrench will make the track
> side
>>
>> or home based switch a 30 minute operation.
>>
>> Now the question.
>>
>>
>> Did you instructors not cover downshifting as braking for turns?
>>
>> Here are three acorns that I grew up believing to be true about racing and
>> they have served me well, although as the forum with soon prove, not
>> everybody agrees.
>>
>> 1) the only time that you truly have control of a car is under
> acceleration.
>>
>> 2) It is always better to come into a turn slower and exit faster.
>>
>> 3) smooth is faster, often the car that appears the smoothest and has less
>> abrupt actions ( squeals, chirps, etc. ) will have the best lap time ( esp
>> true at autocross events )
>>
>> If you think about the contact patch of any car and breakdown the dynamics
>> of what occurs in those four square feet or less, it is mind boggling.
>>
>> Glad that you are stoked and that the car survived with so little damage,
>> gravel traps can ruin your day.
>>
>>
>> Michael Shortt
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 9:53 AM, Asa Jay Laughton <asajay at asajay.com>
> wrote:
>>
>>> 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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>>
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Michael L. Shortt
>> Savannah, Georgia
>> www.michaelshortt.com
>> michael at michaelshortt.com
>> 912-232-9390
>>
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