[pmcrespo]

Round 6 Qualifying "drifting" Practice at Carolina Motorsports Park:

http://youtu.be/d039_VV4teY



Three weeks after Daytona, the end of October brought our 2012 PCA National Championship Season Finale to Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina. With it, several additional challenges also were heavy in play. Our beloved Porsche 968 continued with a hot and lean-running power-killing condition carried over from Daytona, a timing and scoring issue deprived us of the Enduro Race Win points at Daytona so we were now behind in points to the class leading 911 RS (Roger Johnson) rather than tied for first, and my usual team was tied up with the NASA Season Finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). So I was running solo except with my good friend Will Triol as a helping hand to help out a little.

But in our usual spirit, we were focused on winning and leaving nothing on track as the National Championship had come to this and even though mathematically we had a chance, it was going to be a VERY difficult proposition. With a few of the best in GT5S contending in the races, including Roger, we got ready for battle.



This being my first ever visit to Carolina Motorsports Park meant I had to learn the reasonably tight and highly technical track very quickly while finding the best setup for the #75 Porsche 968. We worked through the practice sessions and thanks to lots of advice from a great group of racers and track locals, our lap times continued to improve heading into the money sessions.



This video captures the practice leading into the Sprint Race 1 qualifying session. Lap times in this practice would set the grid to start the Qualifying Session.



And as it has been the case at every race this Season, racing with a 100 horsepower deficit over the competition while carrying an extra 400-800 pounds as well, I had to make sure every inch of track and downforce was used in the turns to make up for the huge disadvantage in power. Nonetheless, saving the new set of awesome Hoosier tires for the Championship Races later-on, we take this practice on with a "slightly" used set called-in for duty. With the track being infamous for its tire-eating prowess, I guess the results could have been predicted..... Maybe I have a future in drifting...NOT!



   

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[Rap]

Boy some really fast hands there.

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[tamathumper]

Fun to watch, thanks for posting.



Looking at the back of a 944 for that long just seems wrong, eh? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[pmcrespo]

[quote name='tamathumper' timestamp='1364556940' post='140713']

Looking at the back of a 944 for that long just seems wrong, eh? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

[/quote]



Absolutely! LOL... Well driven 944 though... and there almost always are Turbo 944s in SP3 or F Class that easily hang with me or strongly walk me on the straights. Corner exit speed for us is critical....

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[Cloud9...68]

Exit speed is what it's all about! That's what convinced me to go ahead and convert my 968 to a track car - by forcing you to really learn how to maximize exit speed, it should make you a better driver than someone in a car where they can just mash the throttle and walk away from the competition.

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[pure&amp;simple]

"Beginning to realize the rear tires are just gone..." LOL

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[pmason]

Pablo, you qualify on used tires? In the video you said the rears were gone. How many races do you end up doing? You coming out to the MW at all? I plan on running Gingerman, Mid-Ohio, Putnum, and Road America this year.

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[333pg333]

lol....I like the concept of balancing Aero understeer with corded cold tyres!!

btw...driving a turbo is not just about waiting on the corners and just mashing the throttle....well not always. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/beer.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[pmcrespo]

and how I royally got my butt whooped!



http://youtu.be/F-fO2wzGV-A

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[94SilverCab]

Pablo,, good to see you posting,



Sorry that you didn't have the best results, but it is always fun watching you race ! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/3gears.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Regards,



Jay

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[pmcrespo]

Thanks Jay...!

I lurk every once in a while .... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/ninja.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



The action does get better in the later part of the Sprint. I did not realize I was so busy with that steering wheel towards the end of the race until I finally got to watch the video...!

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