Lunatics At Piarc Day

[Roy]

Ben, you are not doing 70km/h more than them, the cars are less side by side and there is more space. I agree its a similar scenario but not the same situation.

I personally would not have gone for the gap. Granted the Lotus onboard shows there is more space then the other video suggested but it is still damn tight given their closing speed. Anyway...enough to scare me off the track and think another 30 times about doing my OLT and working up to an Intl licence for some paid Enduro drives in FWD pussboxes

[Marlin]

If you can afford it, do it. Life is short brother!

Granted the speed difference is substantial, but I reckon it's still 40klm/h and I think the camera makes it appear as if there's more room than there actually was when the pass was actually made. I also reckon the time spent in the "danger zone" by the Lotus was less.

Anyways, a non issue for me I'd just like to have a punt in that Lotus!

Edited December 12, 2011 by Marlin

[boxheadmr]

suggestion on that thread is more like 70klm/h difference and for me enough to shit my pants. Doubt i would have seen him coming because of the difference in speed and the first time you would see him was as you come onto the straight.

I agree though if i could get a drive of the lotus i would not pass it up

[mad082]

the lotus deciding at the last minute that he wasn't going to make the gap and getting hard on the brakes and taking evasive action would've probably ended worse than keeping it pinned and going for the gap.

[hrd-hr30]

the gap's the same size regardles of the speed differential.

Lotus driver knows they were told in drivers' breifing to hold their line to let fast cars through, and knows they're alerted to the faster cars coming thanks to the Lambo blowing their doors off on the previous corner. And really there's very little risk of one of them making a sudden move to close that gap - absolutely no reason to do that. So I don't see any problem with it at all. Its racing - you sign up for passing and being passed. Don't expect the fast cars to park behind you on the straights until you wake up.

Besides, the slower cars would be well aware they're sharing the track with some firebreathing monsters, and if they had half a clue, they'd be workign out beforehand roughly what lap to expect to be lapped, and keeping one eye firmly on the mirrors waiting for it to happen. The Lambo screaming round the outside of them should have served to bring that back into the front of their minds!!!

[Roy]

Oh well, the MX5 owner who is far more experienced than me didnt know the Lotus was about to blow by as seconds earlier he had checked his mirror and didnt think it would closing that fast...and how do you know what was discussed at the driver briefing? Anyway mot meant to be an argumemrent...just an amazing vid

[hrd-hr30]

my point is he shouldn't have been surprised! Unless he thought there was only 1 fast car in the race and forgot about the other 10 cars running in the 1:30's...

we know it was discussed at the drivers breifing because he said so. Presumably for this very reason - ie the huge speed differentials of the different classes in the race. And because it was a one hour enduro, lapping slower traffic (some of whom were 30sec a lap slower!!!) would have been a major issue... I don't think he should have been surprised.

[fatz]

half cage in a mx5

thats the scary part

[phunky_monkey]

Boxter doesnt look like it has a cage either

Definitely does

That's my best mate in the Boxster (or his dad, can't recall which was in the car at the time). I sent him this video last week and he said it wasn't nearly as close from the camera in his car. Great video though, certainly made me jump when I first saw it!

It would scare the pants off me if I were in the MX-5, but Barton is a top driver and personally I think hesitation causes accidents a lot of the time.

[260DET]

Oh well, the MX5 owner who is far more experienced than me didnt know the Lotus was about to blow by as seconds earlier he had checked his mirror and didnt think it would closing that fast...and how do you know what was discussed at the driver briefing? Anyway mot meant to be an argumemrent...just an amazing vid

MX5 driver who did the video commented on what was said at the driver's briefing, he was there. He has since put up a highlights video of the entire event showing lots of passing and the speed differentials involved, if he is an idiot then there should be more idiots like him instead of the real idiots who wander all over the place and have no idea of what is going on.

Edited December 16, 2011 by 260DET