NoahD

Quicktime 7 required (it's H.264 video), it's the video I was playing at the Audi of Nashua event. A couple of laps around NHIS (with me getting a point-by from Steve Earley, NEQ Chief Instructor!**)

This is by no means a perfect line I'm driving, and what's right for a 2700 pound Mini is not necessarily what's right for a 4000 pound A6 with 110 more horsepower and all wheel drive. Nonetheless, it should help familiarize you with the track.

Both videos are the same; the higher quality one is just twice the resolution (hence, 4x the size)

<a href="http://mail.intrinsiq.com/~noah/NHIS_2005_Mini_laps_large.mov">Large Movie</a>

<a href="http://mail.intrinsiq.com/~noah/NHIS_2005_Mini_laps_small.mov">Small Movie</a>




** ok, he was breaking in a new engine in that E30 M3 race car, and couldn't exceed 4500rpm. Shhhh!

4Driver4

That video should be mandatory viewing for anyone attending NHIS.

NoahD

how not to blow the entry to the straight before turn 3?

FinallyS5

You make it look easy in that Mini Cooper! I always never liked having the speedo in the center of the dash but it is quite cool for video purposes! Video doesn't do justice that you were doing 80 coming into the corners.

Regarding NHIS, I really want to track my S4. I can come up with enought to do suspension brakes and another set of tires + wheels. However, before this I'd like to try it out before investing the cash. What do you suggest? Does NHIS (I assume this is the place in Loudon) have reasonably priced beginner type track days? I like to think of my self as a good drive on the roads and can handle my car pretty well however I have no idea what it would be like on the track. I am quite good at Gran Turismo on PS2 though!

Thanks for any input. BTW you were the nogaro B5 at the Atrium GTG right? WIth the 12" PBG4?

I was with the B6 nogaro.

saabSean

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/8108/dsc_0008_800x524.jpg"></center><p>Granted it was a motorcycle track day. That picture is me through 1a heading towards 2.

3 looks a lot less menacing in your video. I recall concrete jersey barriers down there; intimidating on a bike. Also 10 looks like they pulled the concrete wall back; a lot of fun when you're hanging off on the inside across the transition and your helmet is whizzing by a concrete corner with a 1970's school gym mat duck taped to it.

And you all had less chicanes. It almost looked like turn 12 was a long lazy left that just merged onto the long straight.

Cool video. I really enjoyed that.

NoahD

When was that? It seemed like it was more intimidating in 2004.

NoahD

Seriously. I've been down that road. I spent $1600 on a kickass set of wheels and tires before my first track day (in other words, before I knew better), and regretted wasting the money after I got hooked on the track (that's like 8 days at the track!!) even though I was saving the wheels/tires till after the track event.

Learn how to drive what you've got. The B6 is an incredibly wonderful chassis (a bit heavy, but much stiffer than the b5) and a lot of fun. JeffW on here was driving a car just like yours until recently; now he's got a dedicated Miata for the track and the Imola Yellow B7 Avant (never to see the track, or so he says!)

Keep your car bone stock (just make sure your brake pads are &gt; 50% thickness, and I recommend swapping brake fluid to something good like Motul RBF600... hell, I'll show you how if you'd like) and you'll actually learn more, as the car's limits will be lower.

I will tell you that it doesn't matter how many centuries of Grand Turismo you've played, it's nothing at all like the real thing (though could be a good way to learn the layout of a track, if they'd ever put Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, Mont-Tremblant, or NHIS on one of those games). What you'll never get from a simulation (until they implant electrodes in your ***) is the understanding of the most important sense of all in driving - the sense of balance, of how the car is behaving, that you feel through your *** more than anything else.

I know it sounds like BS, but you'll get tons more out of learning how to drive at the track than you will blowing money on mods. Spend the money on mods when you can appreciate the difference they really make (and know what your car needs).

NAAC has a driving school at NHIS on May 15-16, and I really hope you'll think about doing it. We're also hosting an informational session at HMS Motorsport in Peabody, MA on April 1st at 10 AM, for people who are potentially interested in track events. If you're interested, you can sign up for the track event from the link at <a href="http://www.naaclub.org/events/4/drivers-safety-school-at-nhis">our website</a> and there's also some info about the <a href="http://www.naaclub.org/events/14/hpde-informational-session-at-hms-motorsport">HMS informational session</a>

yeah, I had the B5 nogaro avant at the Atrium, with the powerbook resting on the Y-pipe

saabSean

I really hate that track on a motorcycle. The transitions on and off the oval suck, there's concrete everywhere, hardly any run off, and the patches they make to the track are slippery

NoahD

but the've made some improvements in the last couple years, it's less rough and turn 10 isn't quite so scary.

4Driver4

There seems to be a running joke that he doesn't do that.