Track events are getting out of hand 7 run groups at BW!!

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by George Rosebush

Every single time I've ever been gridded up by lap time by SV I end up near the back, behind a lot of much slower cars and am in traffic trying to pass almost the entire session. This is in both beginner and intermediate groups.

The bolded is a bit contradictory.

If you're stuck behind traffic, slow down, and make yourself a gap, or re-grid and find yourself a gap.

[George Rosebush]

That's exactly my point, I'm supposed to be gridded behind cars faster than me, not slower, that contradiction is exactly my complaint. What's the point of gridding by lap time if I immediately have to re-grid myself as if it was normal traffic.

[Pat]

Do you think you were gridded by lap time correctly?
Do they adjust gridding for each session based on lap time? And, if so, best time of the day or previous session?

[RedReplicant]

Agreed with the above, it sounds like something isn't working properly.

Locally in TT we grid by time in the last session. If you think you're going to run up on someone you leave space on the out lap, if you want a tow from the person ahead of you that you think is a little quicker then stay a bit closer.

It does suck if you miss a session and you're at the back of the grid, but you can usually still get a clean lap or two by leaving a gap greater than your lap delta.

Either way, it is better than open gridding where you inevitably get people in a power car that can't drive worth a shit gridding up front.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by George Rosebush

That's exactly my point, I'm supposed to be gridded behind cars faster than me, not slower, that contradiction is exactly my complaint. What's the point of gridding by lap time if I immediately have to re-grid myself as if it was normal traffic.

Are you going by transponder lap time? If you are faster than them, and behind, well, the times say otherwise.

If you are legitimately faster, strategize, put down a faster lap time, and ratchet ahead of them in grid.

And call out folks not giving you point bys.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by RedReplicant

Agreed with the above, it sounds like something isn't working properly.

Locally in TT we grid by time in the last session. If you think you're going to run up on someone you leave space on the out lap, if you want a tow from the person ahead of you that you think is a little quicker then stay a bit closer.

It does suck if you miss a session and you're at the back of the grid, but you can usually still get a clean lap or two by leaving a gap greater than your lap delta.

Either way, it is better than open gridding where you inevitably get people in a power car that can't drive worth a shit gridding up front.

Originally Posted by Pat

Do you think you were gridded by lap time correctly?
Do they adjust gridding for each session based on lap time? And, if so, best time of the day or previous session?

Speed Ventures re-grids every session by the fastest time of the day by a given driver.

[Pat]

If everyone is gridding properly, and you happen to be faster than the person in front of you at the time, you have some options. If I were you, I'd just make a small gap between you and the car in front that you're legitimately faster than at the time, lay down a faster lap than him, and "pass him in the pits." It's a great way to get open space and be gridded ahead of him in the next session. Or, if you know you're going to be faster than that person, leave yourself a little space on the out lap and you should have a clean session. Problem solved, and no one even needs to make a pass on track.

[Dave-ROR]

This is why I run with Chin normally in Florida.. 3 hours a day for $370 or whatever it is now vs 80-100 minutes for 250-275... and driving quality (at least in red) is far superior to what PCA (100% of the time), PBOC (90%), and NASA (depends on group here.. some HPDE groups are terrible but HPDE 4 seems like it CAN be OK at times). And TNIA with SCCA.. I don't bother.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Speed Ventures re-grids every session by the fastest time of the day by a given driver.

Years ago I did have the same experience with SV at LS. No transponder so IIRC you self reported new laptimes.. I don't think everyone was completely honest..

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

Years ago I did have the same experience with SV at LS. No transponder so IIRC you self reported new laptimes.. I don't think everyone was completely honest..

Unfortunately, some folks don't get that an honest lap time benefits EVERYONE, including themselves.

[timurrrr]

Originally Posted by andyk5

Come in at 7:45, leave at 5pm, 1 hour of track time if you are lucky, $219 price tag.

They offer a "pay more, be signed up in two run groups" option.
While more expensive, you do get a lot of seat time.

I don't remember how much more I paid when I tried it, but I believe it was less than 2x more.
Looking at their upcoming SoW event, 1 run group is $179 and 2 run groups is $330.
Given that any BW/SoW event includes almost a full day of driving for me, and staying at a hotel...
adding the 2nd run group doesn't make it a lot more expensive in the grand scheme of things.

Last time I tried that, I didn't (need to) use all the time I got on track.
As an added bonus, I could join any session a few minutes late and asked the grid worker to
help me find a gap to join. Also as soon as my tires got too hot I'd comfortably do a couple
of cooldown laps, and go back to the paddock without waiting for the checkered.

(Not that I'm a fan of 7 run groups!)

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Unfortunately, some folks don't get that an honest lap time benefits EVERYONE, including themselves.

Yeah the idea seemed smart when I went there but in practice at that event it seemed just as bad as any other event. I just go out usually after 1-2 laps are completed so I don't have to point by 19 GT3RS, 8 GT3, 4 radicals and a couple Z06s when I drive the FRS in adv lol There's always 2-3 other slow cars to play with at least.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

Yeah the idea seemed smart when I went there but in practice at that event it seemed just as bad as any other event. I just go out usually after 1-2 laps are completed so I don't have to point by 19 GT3RS, 8 GT3, 4 radicals and a couple Z06s when I drive the FRS in adv lol There's always 2-3 other slow cars to play with at least.

There is an easy solution to this. Everyone bunches up until the penultimate corner. So people go slow on the outlap. That way the slowest car in back crosses the start line not much after the fastest car in front. Assuming the track is of significant length and sessions are 20 minutes long the fastest car probably will not catch the slowest car. And in theory there will be no passing at all if everyone drives as they should and grids properly.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Pat

There is an easy solution to this. Everyone bunches up until the penultimate corner. So people go slow on the outlap. That way the slowest car in back crosses the start line not much after the fastest car in front. Assuming the track is of significant length and sessions are 20 minutes long the fastest car probably will not catch the slowest car. And in theory there will be no passing at all if everyone drives as they should and grids properly.

Or, in my case being in Florida, the FR-S doesn't pass the 911 GT3s (average car in adv) anyways so it doesn't matter where I grid - I'll almost never find slower traffic. With 3 hours a day of track time I never hurry to the grid anymore anyways. I'm too old for that shit.