I hate that stuff, it sometimes makes sense to talk to the driver, but it
rarely changes behavior. If they're too ignorant to run a good race on
their own, they won't usually change their ways until someone official
jumps on them. Why is it that backmarkers are the worst at this?
In SCCA races, running my Radical I'm in with all the sports racers and a
few formula cars. The really fast sports racers would rather eat a bug
than block you. They won't move out of the line and let you by, but
they'll never block. And there are a few guys that get a little wide, but
they don't dart around. But I've had guys that I'm lapping try to keep me
behind them. Especially the ones that are fast in the straight, like some
of the ASR cars with big motors and sucko handling. What in hell are they
thinking?
There is a great move that sometimes works really well with a car that
can't outbrake you. Set up as if you were planning to outbrake them and
pass on the outside vs. inside. They drift out to block, you dart to the
inside and do nothing. They block by turning in too early and run out of
room on the exit. Put a guy into the tire wall that way last year and I
didn't do a thing mean-spirited--he just screwed up trying to block me.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Kramer [mailto:rgk@flash.net]
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 3:07 PM
To: cartravel@pobox.com
Cc: fot@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Races at TWS
Larry,
I was waiting for you to check in before tooting your horn to the list.
Larry won every Group 4 race outright this past weekend and even lapped
the field on Sunday! Larry has crossed over from "newbie" to "speedie"!
The best I ever did with that car was pass Orlie when he spun. I was able
to harass him enough that he did that on two or three occasions. He has
made the Porsche must faster since then, as you have done to the TR3. I
don't think Wilt ever got close to him in his 2 years with the car. I
always said that you could get that car to run as fast as my TR4 with the
right prep. Your almost there. I'd better get back in the garage.
I talked to Bob Green to verify my thinking as to racing rights and wrongs
and he agreed that to modify your line by jumping over to block a car that
is making a move and is going faster than you is indeed blocking and
discouraged by CVAR. I wonder what it's like elsewhere? The driver was
given a talking too to make sure he understood. I probably should have
spoken up earlier. I had the same problem with him at Hallett as well as
with a number of RMVR cars that blocked like crazy. He is a backmarker in
CP, and most of the CP cars can take him on the straight. Only a few of
the slower CP guys and the transfered DP cars have a problem with him.
They agree about his track behavior. I hope it changes. It takes away the
fun.
Again, good show!!!!
Bob Kramer
----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Young" <cartravel@pobox.com>
To: "Bob Kramer" <rgk@flash.net>
Cc: <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 4:39 PM
Subject: Re: Races at TWS
> Bob,
> Sorry to hear about this. Did CVAR do anything? That type of
> behavior in
the
> other groups is one reason I really like group 4.
>
> It's probably no consolation for you, but my weekend was fun. Ok, so
> most
of the
> fast guys weren't there. All the work on the suspension has
> transformed
my car
> completely. The fastest car in my class was Mike Orlie's Porsche 356.
With the
> engine rebuild last fall, I found I could outrun him on the straight,
> but
it was
> hopeless in the turns. Now with the suspension work, I think my car
handles
> better than his in the turns too. I haven't done anything magical,
> just
shortened
> the upper A arms and the other mods that all of you have figured out.
Winning is
> great, but when you beat a Porshe it's even better. I can't wait to
> see
how the
> car does at Hallet in three weeks. However, I first have to dig
> through 8
inches
> of snow to get the racecar back in the garage. Sunshine and 75
> degrees in
College
> Station yesterday, 8 inches of snow and 10 degrees in Tulsa this
> morning.
>
> Larry Young
>
>
> Bob Kramer wrote:
>
> > John,
> > Group 7 sure is frustrating. The last race Sunday was very similar
> > to
the
> > rest, except that I finally got fed up with the #44 240Z blocking
> > and
put in a
> > complaint after the race. Every time I tried to make a move inside
> > or
outside,
> > he would change his line to jump over in front of me. That in itself
> > I
could
> > live with but on 3 occasions in the last race, he did it when I was
already up
> > inside his rear quarter. What was sad, was that early in the race I
> > did
pass
> > him after drafting him down the straight, and going faster into one
> > and
was
> > pulling away from him. I was running a second a lap faster, and
> > catching
a
> > pair of 911's in front of us (ones I hadn't been able to run with
> > early
in the
> > day), but my car started running too hot. After 3 laps or running
> > slower
to
> > cool it down, the 240Z caught me and passed me on the straight. Soon
> > I
was in
> > a safer cooling zone so I proceeded to try to pass him back for the
> > next
4
> > laps, with him blocking every move.
> >
> > After cording the Hoosiers, I was very surprised that I put up my
> > best
lap
> > times of the weekend on Brad's 8 year old Yoke 008's. Being slick as
they
> > could be, I drove them pretty much the same as with the bias ply
> > TD.s, drifting, really sliding through the turns. The shorter tire
> > and rear
ratio
> > change more than made up for the loss of grip.
> >
> > Bob
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: John Price
> > To: Bob Kramer
> > Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 8:38 AM
> > Subject: Races
> >
> > How did the rest of Sunday go for you?
> >
> > John
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