This is the Detail page of the Track videos, providing additional info.
Watkins Glen
aka "Woodstock"
AutoClub Speedway
aka "G Force"
Calypso on a Dyno
aka "HP computed in 4th"
Spring Mountain - School
In 2015, I attended the Corvette Owners Driver's School at Spring Mountain Motorsports Park. While I only drove Calypso once on the track, and even then with an instructor. It was a good time of LEARNING, in THEIR car.
Here are some YouTube videos done by the people who run the Ron Fellows Corvette Owners Driving School.
Even during the COVID times, they take care of you.
Then on the Right a video done, vastly superior in quality to those that I happened to capture back in 2015.
This video shows you the many different "perspectives" that are possible with the C7 and C8 Corvettes - that of the PDR option (Performance Data Recorder). AND of course additional cameras. There are five videos on YouTube that show the different screens shown here.
View of Driver: https://youtu.be/x3BGiORSiWg
View of Track: https://youtu.be/qVtejilo5tE
Raw PDR Video: https://youtu.be/3zwev8i7-60
PDR Cosworth GPS: https://youtu.be/6UmheebRwR4
PDR Cosworth Performance Data: https://youtu.be/ZuercQydt1Y
In 2016 Spring Mountain Motorsports Park hosted "Corvette Track Days". I went and did 64 laps of the Mansell Course over the two days. I became fascinated by the "Bus Stop Turn" which is similar to the road course at Daytona. and at Watkins Glen (although I didn't to that one "at speed). Below are a couple of videos of my fascination with Bus Stop Turns.
And shown here to the right the "still" pictures taken that day on the track, to Infinity Ripples - "Petal", which I call "Pedal".
Three infamous
"BUS STOP TURNS".
Calypso has "done" two of the three.
The description of the Bus Stop Turn. Ten questions are outlined that must be addressed in 20 seconds.
Knowing about the 10 questions (video on the left here); rank these 10 different encounters with the Bus Stop Turn.
When on a "Track", other things can happen and you must stay aware of what is going on. There are some times when that happens and it does not play to your advantage. This is one of those times.
The Story behind the story: At the beginning of this video, I was out in front. The 100 cars were divided into 5 groups of about 20 in each group. I had been placed in the "Novice" group, not the lowest level, but one up. It meant I had been to the School. The lights on the straight leading up to the Bus Stop turn had been changed to Red/Yellow strictly for me. And I did what I was supposed to, I slowed down. The two cars passed me. They had done this on purpose to see how I would react to it. They got what they expected. I caught and passed the two that they had allowed to pass me. In the next session I was moved up to "Experienced". I never did well enough to get advanced to the top level; but I was obviously in the right group by late in the afternoon of the first day. I stayed with that group the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday (noon).
I kept thinking that I was getting worse, when in fact I wasn't passing as many because I was driving against people with similar ambitions and experience. Whereas in the "Novice" group; I was way too aggressive for that group. The one downside is that they did not tell me this until, I was dropping off the "pinger" and getting ready to leave on Sunday.
So Yeah, when people ask what type of driver I am - I say "I'm an aggressive driver" (I want to pass others!)
My good friend Mike Smith armed with my Sony Camera took some great shots of one of my sessions from his perspective. His perspective is much different from mine. First he only gets "drive-byes" whereas I'm thinking about shortening my ~ 3+ minute laps.
What you can read about here is what is going through my mind.
The "Best Lap" that is mentioned in this PDF "Speed comparisons" can be seen on the previous page in the upper left hand corner "First Track Days Best Lap" or on YouTube.
This last video on the topic of Spring Mountain Track Days covers the additional "activity" at the Motor Sports Park that weekend. The #3 Corvette from Corvette Racing was there from Friday through early Sunday AM. They left just as the first group was about to enter the track. BUT having the Corvette Racing team members there, allowed for some great conversations and things to see and do. This video explains some of them - those that I took pictures of.
Invitational Track Days May 1st and 2nd 2021
I GOT the Bus Stop Turn, in spite of a huge
MISTAKE IN JUDGEMENT.
In spite of an error of judgement on my part that created an early departure/reduction from/of the Track DayS down to just 3 laps; I did make my best pass through the Bus Stop turn ever. It was the third lap, at an approach speed of 120MPH, and a very comfortable passage through the "Turn", only to loose it again passing through Turn 17, shown here in red.
John Riley captured some great video, which can be seen on the Podcast page, in addition to the podcast
itself that that tells the story.
If you wish to know more about the story of my attack of the Bus Stop Turn, in the context of my
history with the evolution. Check out the description of this PDF file link. It tells the story.
Laguna Seca - Monterey
Laguna Seca is in my opinion entirely focused on the In Famous "CORKSCREW". Here are some detailed videos expanding on the Corkscrew with differing considerations.
As you will learn, you are never "done" with the Corkscrew. During the "stay at home" period of COVID19, when I wasn't working, or updating this web-site; I was practicing "The Corkscrew" (along with others). Shown here on the right is my best practice speed of hitting Turn 8 and 8a near 40 MPH. And I'm not alone in the practicing - as you will learn in the video directly below this one "Corkscrew Time Comp....".
This first video is a tour of the track.
The second video provides some focus on the Corkscrew and ends with the surprise about my speed.
These three videos provide different perspectives of "doing" the corkscrew, from doing it, to the visibility issue, to the personal reaction to doing it.
The GLEN
I didn't get the chance to do anything spectacular at "The GLEN". Watkins Glen! I just did a few parade laps. But that was enough. It satisfied a couple of dreams, one from 50 years ago. Calypso had "done" the GLEN. And the mystique of that course is brought out in the movie RUSH.
The text of an email before my 50th High School reunion. They had asked the class members, "Did you make it to Woodstock?".
Video without music (Lighthouse by Patrick Watson) track is shown on Track Page.
One aspect of Watkins Glen, that makes it an interesting course, are the elevation changes. It adds that third dimension to driving from point A to Point B. The movie clip of RUSH, demonstrates the elevation changes at that track with the camera angles of Lauda's laps. AND you will note in Calypso's video, I have a graph of the elevation changes on one of my laps "When Words don't Fit".
Autoclub Speedway
I use one set of laps with only one "issue" with lateral G Forces, as an example to illustrate the presentation of data with the Corvette PDR option and Cosworth Software compared to Harry's Lap timer. As far as the Autoclub speed way and Calypso is concerned there are two more videos on this web-site in addition to these two. One on the Music Page and one on the Tracks Page.
Calypso on the Dyno
Calypso ended up with just a little more Horse Power than what was promised when I bought her. By no means a ZO6 or a ZR1. But just enough to keep me happy. Here is the proof.
Here is their FB Video.