zero2sixd

With respect to the tires, I would say that you probably had too much pressure. I know the OEM BFG G-force KDWS that came with the 18" wheels didn't like anywhere near thatmuch pressure. For the track, I wound up in the 30 PSI range (when hot) front and 29 rear with those! And, that was using both white shoe polish to test for roll over and a tire pyrometer to test inside-to-outside temperature variance. If I got into the 35 PSI range I would start to see elevated temperatures in the center of the tire.

Now I have the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 and it likes about 40 PSI front and 38-39 rear. My thought on the difference between the two is that the BFG is a much harder tire and therefore doesn't require as much pressure to hold it's shape under load. However, that is a pure guess. The point, I guess, is that optimum tire pressures can vary wildly based upon the type of tire and the driver.

I would highly recommend you use the shoe polish trick I mentioned above. It's effective and cheap. Just buy some white shoe polish and mark from the edge of the treadblock to about an inch onto the sidewall on all four tires. Then when you get back from your session check to see where the shoe polish has worn off. Generally speaking, you want to see it worn off right up to the edge of the tread blocks, but notoff any ofthe sidewall.

Argonaut

I was at Pocono on Saturday. Hot! Lots of fun. There were a lot of S197 Mustangs there. There was also a yellow Ford GT (as in the real GT, theone that costs as much as an average house). Also an Audi R8, first one Ive seen outside of a car show.

Regards the HPDE 1 vs 2 debate. I asked a lot about this and it seems that NASA Northeast is trying to get more formal about it. Right now, anyone can sign up as HPDE 2 and they dont really check your history. What they are trying to do is get everyone in a database and track you over time, take into account instructor input and then require a check ride to move up. Dont know when or if they will put this in place.

My personal opinion - I got moved from group 1 to group 2 with TrackDaze.com at a two day at Summit Point. Those guys were pretty fast. I went from being one of the fastest in group 1 to being mid to lower in group 2. You are expected to be very situationally aware. I.e. you better do your point bys or you will **** people off, better have real good spacing, lots of looking ahead, speed, flag awarness, etc. At this point in my experience Im comfortable with group two on a track I know but on a new track Id rather slow down a little and have an instructor. The first session in group 1 is always frustrating to me because of slow cars, long trains, lack of point bys, etc. But most people learn pretty quick and by the afternoon its much better.