AudiWorld Forums - Finally, my pic write up & in-car vid of Infineon from last wkend...

- <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/1935901">in car vid on vimeo</a>

20 min long vid of entire Sunday 4th session with video-based lap time edited in. The white BMW 335 zoom'n past me on end of lap 2 is SteveS. I welcome suggestions for improvements.

First time using Vimeo... found out it didn't like my camera's native 720x480 (9:6) wide screen, and I had to letterbox it to 640x480 (4:3).

------ Okay, on with the pic write up -----
This being my first ACNA event out here in CA, and also first HPDE since <a href="http://www.mazdadrivers.com/09_trackmaps/vir_track_map2.gif">VIR</a> with ACNA-PCCC (Potomac Chesapeake Chapter) back in April.... I was very excited.

Driving up I-280 in my Miata towing my lil tire trailer, near San Carlos/Half Moon Bay 7:30AM Friday. Heading up early for the Marin County cruise.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/2921321504_0e94279257.jpg">

Somewhere up near Daly City, the posted spd limit was 65mph, AM commuter traffic was flowing at 70-75mph. I was in the left lane passing a car, doing ~75-80mph... and tucked right and slowed to traffic speed after the pass. Then I saw it. The CHP was pulling me over. I learned the hard way that here in CA, towing spd limit regardless of posted limit, is 55... AND left lane is off limits to towing as well. Doh! I was left w/ a tix of 70+ in a 65 zone w/ vehicle limit of 55. :o( Back east, a trailer this small of a wgt class... was free to roam amongst the rest of the traffic. I tried my plight of being new to the State, but no dice. Tho he didn't cite me for the left lane violation. This tarnished my otherwise perfectly clean driving record that I maintained for the past 6+ yrs... sigh! I think I'm going to pick my court date as the day before Thanksgiven and hope the cop doesn't show...

Get'n ready to cross the Golden Gate bridge
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2921321930_85508fa2e9.jpg">

Arrived at event HQ Sheraton in Petaluma, and 5 cars went off on the Marin County drive (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=745+Baywood+Drive+at+the+Petaluma+M arina,+Petaluma,+CA+94954+(Sheraton+Sonoma+County-Petaluma+Hotel)&daddr=Bodega+Ave+to:bodega,+ca+to: 835+N+Highway+1,+Bodega+Bay,+CA+94923+(Tides+Wharf :+Restaurant)+to:Tony+Seafood,+marshall+ca+to:Poin t+Reyes+Lighthouse+Rd,+Inverness,+CA+94937+to:745+ Baywood+Drive+at+the+Petaluma+Marina,+Petaluma,+CA +94954+(Sheraton+Sonoma+County-Petaluma+Hotel)&hl=en&geocode=FdhgRwIdkw6x-CGWY3m0cDw_ag%3BFX7ERwIdTMau-A%3B%3BFQjWSAIdrYSq-CF3wQlBnGS5GA%3BFVx3RgIdILis-CGBqzVyz5l5_g%3B%3B&mra=ls&via=1&sll=38.074041,-122.8862&sspn=0.207026,0.31002&ie=UTF8&ll=38.17775 1,-122.837448&spn=0.413463,0.620041&t=p&z=11">route</a>). We first stopped in the tiny town of Bodega CA, where we saw this subject of an <a href="http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/specials/events/galleries/ansel_adams/">Ansel Adams photo</a>.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2921323324_cf816e304e.jpg">

We then proceeded to <a href="http://www.innatthetides.com/tideswharf.html">The Tides Wharf restaurant</a> in Bodega Bay, where Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds was filmed.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/2921324352_faa70444b2.jpg">

the cruise crew
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/2920480561_46ff71306f.jpg">

and had some excellent pastry for pre-lunch snack
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2920481259_aa16ce7fa4.jpg">

we then proceeded...
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/2920481845_1cee7a150c.jpg">

to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tonys-seafood-restaurant-marshall">Tony's Seafood</a> off Tomales Bay for lunch
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/2921328182_7a4fde63dc.jpg">
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/2921328478_5011c9dde9.jpg">

where we had their yummy BBQ oysters for appetizer...
<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2378/2921327028_5fd8a1568d.jpg">

and I had their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cioppino">Cioppino</a> for lunch...
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2920482851_8e85d55666.jpg">

Stomachs filled, we continue onward...
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/2920499325_d878ee48e9.jpg">

to Point Reyes Light House parking lot, where we took some group shots.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/2921344656_5a2d365171.jpg">

and hiked down the long pathway...
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2920501793_47ec5c3a99.jpg">

300 steps later... the light house. We also saw some whales breaching the water surface out in the distant. It was my very first whale sighting.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2920503229_58bfd6e5a5.jpg">

the climb back (equivalent to 30 stories) proved I'm waaay out of shape!
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2920502625_7b3694a4f2.jpg">

Back to the event HQ hotel for tech inspection, registration & social hrs w/ drinks and some Hors d'oeuvre put up by ACNA. It started raining and I could sense the nervousness in the atmosphere amongst the drivers. This being my 6th rainy HPDE event, I chuckled... :o) because I knew that, contrary to the dismay with the dampness: it actually aids car control learning by magnifying anything but smooth inputs. If we could have wet track with dry warm and sunny paddock, then it would be perfect! :oP

Out in the parking lot, I spotted this & took pics for a bud back east (jretal) who's also got a 4000 track car...
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/2921354884_a51fc2dd5e.jpg">

Sat AM in the paddock garage that I shared w/ an McGyver & SteveS.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/2921355302_2d10347138.jpg">

The other side of the first garage
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2921355748_db5499ce87.jpg">

inside the other garage... The blue RS4 is my instructor Andy.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2920512281_38c89faac8.jpg">

Some interesting vehicles...
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2920511823_8e3def1763.jpg">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2921357320_8ef58b5392.jpg">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3181/2920515793_121c8a36ec.jpg">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/2920513997_c4fb6200d3.jpg">

somebody likes white cars...
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/2921360808_45b6662aa2.jpg">

ACNA-GGC's pimp trailer
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3224/2921360098_c3e61c3f7e.jpg">

There were 3 of these
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/2920519265_668d59c245.jpg">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/2920513617_fc07c972d5.jpg">

The track was wet for the first 2 sesh on Sat AM. Cars were tipy toeing around and there were several spins & I heard there was also 1 contact. The track dried up by noon and it was sunny from then on out.

Looking down on the steep uphill leading to T2 and it's off-camber exit
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/2921361778_bd0ff92e7f.jpg">

you can see it was a popular spin spot
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/2920517445_1d9e8a67eb.jpg">

Looking down at the carousel. The Audi Forum and Audi Driving Experience came out to play with 3 RS4s driven by their instructors, and were giving rides (psgn seat & 1 in back seat). I didn't get a chance to ride with them, but from what I heard, the 3 cars were maintaining close formation at almost race pace around the whole track... and drifting them all around the track, including formation drift within feet of each other down the carousel! I maintain (from wet skid pad experience w/ my A4Q) that Quattro makes drifting easy!
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/2921362758_f34ec353e6.jpg">

I get to add a 'mod' to my car...
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/2921363410_780993e54a.jpg">

and scored an unintentional 'kill'
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3020/2921365000_dfec20c9e2.jpg">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3079/2921365874_f3a2eb75a5.jpg">

I was quite impressed with the delicious spread of food at GGC's Sat night banquet (should have taken some pics). Being in the heart of Sonoma wine country helps. I'm comparing against experience of ACNA-PCC at VIR, located in the middle-of-no-where Danville VA. Tho they still manage to have pretty darn good food served up by VIR's on-site facility despite the locale.

The track itself was a lot of fun to drive. Bunch of corners reminded me of certain aspects of VIR (which used to be my home-track thus comparison basis):
- blind trackout (T2, T3a, T8a),
- off camber track out (T2, T3a, T4),
- on camber (T1, T3, T6 exit)
- steep elevation changes (T1-2, T3, T4, T6),
- rhythm section (T7-T10),
- "holy cow don't lift!" section (T10)

In addition, Infineon has:
- classic constant radius hairpin (T11) to tempt you into loosing time
- its signature carousel: continuous radius downhill turn w/ inc radius on-camber exit (T6)

What it doesn't have:
- long high speed straights
- corner entry with long high speed threshold braking zones

My best time by 4th sesh Sun was ~2:16 according to video. Spec Miata times were 1:5x, so I'm 20 seconds off with my Azenis tires. Rode w/ 2 spec miata instr w/ Toyo RA1s, and their higher grip really shows on this track. Lots of steady, settled turns where max lateral grip duration is prolonged. They were entering the carousel and sticking, at speeds my Azenis couldn't dream of holding. Thanks for the ride, Morgan & Gregg! ... and my instructor Andy for showing & teaching me the track!

Rest of photos in my <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/10130529@N05/sets/72157607817596047/"> Flickr album</a>.

Overall, a great event and thanks to all the organizers & volunteers. I had a great time. It was good to meet a lot of folks on here & fellow track junkies!