Footage from New Jersey Motorsports Park

[sechsgang]

First time running (vid is from the 6th session) in the 996 rolex gt spec cup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5EM9MGmfVg




Definitely a fun track!

[05Accent]

looks like so much fun!!!!

[oneday]

As you exited T2 I was looking forward to see where you would turn in for T3a...I was like, "Now? No? He's never gonna...oh, they aren't running the chicane."

Love Thunderbolt...I actually do like it more with the chicane though...just gives it a little more technicality.

[sechsgang]

We did the chicane friday, and I know why they have to use it for the rolex cars as I actually lift off a little from the hump as if I dont let off a little before the hump the little lift just shoots the motor to redline and kicks the diff in the back pretty well... The only thing I really need time to get comfortable in is damn turn 14 lol. Its frigging scary in that car.

[Nick 95 6sp]

very nice...you were really boogy'ing along there.

Can you tell us about how heavy that car is and about how much power it has?

[sechsgang]

its around 440-450 hp and weighs about 2600 lbs without me in it. I have an easy 3-4 seconds to gain there but as it was my first time running the track, Im not too upset.

[dek0021]

You must have been flat out to be worried about turn 14 of all turns. Watching people do it from the bridge, it just looks like part of the straight but driving it it's actually a turn...a turn that can cause you to go off of you do it wrong.

Aside from needing to be faster all over that track, I need to be much faster around turn 10. I rode with a few people with both awd and rwd, and both had the rearend out the whole way around.

Edit: btw nick 95 6sp's avatar looks like the same chicane as in my avatar!

[Erik@R/TTuning]

I have to come back to this thread after work so I can have some audio.

[oneday]

Fixxorated

I have to come out and get my ass on the track again.

[Erik@R/TTuning]

Fixxorated

That too. :D

[Nick 95 6sp]

You must have been flat out to be worried about turn 14 of all turns. Watching people do it from the bridge, it just looks like part of the straight but driving it it's actually a turn...a turn that can cause you to go off of you do it wrong.

Aside from needing to be faster all over that track, I need to be much faster around turn 10. I rode with a few people with both awd and rwd, and both had the rearend out the whole way around.

Edit: btw nick 95 6sp's avatar looks like the same chicane as in my avatar!

I have to believe the best way to take 14 is to cut it very tight on the right, so tight that you pretty much have to drive over the rubble strip/edge on that side. If you don't do that it leaves you to make more of a correction to straighten out as you enter the main straight and I've seen more than a couple guys spin when doing that, even hitting the barrier on the left of the main straight! When I was at the first ever track day on Thunderbolt a guy totalled out his almost new Corvette doing that.

As far as #10, last time I was there earlier this year a guy driving some kind of hot Porsche racecar, not sure if it was a Cup car or some other Grand Am variety but it was a full blown racecar, said he was flat out and upshifting as he accelerated through turn 10! ...my car wont' do that!

[oneday]

I have to believe the best way to take 14 is to cut it very tight on the right, so tight that you pretty much have to drive over the rubble strip/edge on that side.

You really must be willing to use the curbing on the inside, solidly putting your right two wheels on it...Sechs does exactly that:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aQUI1oIob0A/Th3K5FGGEnI/AAAAAAAAF7Y/kGvHmhhd5qI/thunderbolt_t14.jpg

You can see the three, distinct layers of curb...you can safely use the first two...but that third...not such a good idea. You can also see where the paint on the outside two layers is worn away from use.

You also have to be comfortable using the outside curbing a bit on exit--and know that if you put two off there you drive straight off the track and return to the racing surface down around S/F. Otherwise, if you try to save it, you end up nosed into the pit barrier.

[Nick 95 6sp]

I hope one day soon I'll be there with oneday, since I can definitely use some more instruction :wink:

[sechsgang]

You must have been flat out to be worried about turn 14 of all turns. Watching people do it from the bridge, it just looks like part of the straight but driving it it's actually a turn...a turn that can cause you to go off of you do it wrong.

Aside from needing to be faster all over that track, I need to be much faster around turn 10. I rode with a few people with both awd and rwd, and both had the rearend out the whole way around.

Edit: btw nick 95 6sp's avatar looks like the same chicane as in my avatar!

ya, wont lie, I probably have 2 seconds alone to gain from not wimping out on turn 14...but Im at NJMP now and will hopefully post some faster footage...eg less lift on 14 and later braking points everywhere else. SHOULD run 128s today even with the heat...well see.

[Demonicbird00]

nice vid!!

how did out make out today? i love both tracks, wish i raced there more than twice a year.

-brandon

[sechsgang]

well, turns out today was more of a bike track day that had a car run session, but I was able even still to work off a couple of seconds from the vid I had posted if you were to take separate sections of the track from the motec and combine them. Given that the gt cars last weekend were turning 127...Im pretty damn happy with running 129s after just 3 days at a track when Craig Stanton is running those 127s...

[Demonicbird00]

id say thats very respectable! great vid by the way!

im gonna get the gopro setup this weekend for VIR north course

-brandon

[sechsgang]

And down to 1:27s (though I think only 128s/9s in the vid as this was session 1), enjoy the vid...question though, does anyone know why the video and the sound are slightly off sync via youtube???



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B3XRss3TxI

[Nick 95 6sp]

I enjoyed that one, too. Plus it led me to your "splitter cam" vid which was pretty cool...made me feel like I was eating dirt the whole time!

[Got Insulin?]

Splitter cam was totally cool.

Sidebar to that, I really dig the snow-cammo fire suit. haha

[oneday]

The sound thing is weird. I didn't notice it until T5 and I heard you get on the throttle suuuupppperrrr early and thought, "there's no way he's not spinning!" And, once again I was fooled into thinking you were never gonna make the chicane. Bastid.

Awesome stuff!

[sechsgang]

haha, ya I have no idea where the sound issue came from. The splitter cams are definitely awesome to watch though.

[NYZMINUTE]

Sick video, looks like its on rails!