Blackhawk Drivers school

well it was a good weekend at Blackhawk. to those of you who didn't attend.  the track is nice, the edge of the track sucks with either a drop off or seriously loose dirt and rocks. turn three turned into a power slid (drift) through the dirt until you got traction to straighten out. but the track overall is nice with no trace of a race line.

the class really helped me out. I figured out turn 2 into 3. 4 still throws me off a little. figured out 4-5-6. I was way off there and will probably gain 4 seconds just with this combo. and I finally got a grip of the kink before turn 7. no more worries.

Dave, what is Judy's time around Blackhawk? John I am coming after ya...

The supra is still on jack stands in the garage and didn't make the event. I did however show up driving my civic. WHOLE big story here if you guys want to read it... yes its long.

I figured out by Wednesday that there was no way I'd have the supra fixed and back on the road again by Friday (I broke something in the clutch system while I was in Texas) so I sent an email to the guys that were running the class and asked for their input. they of course said bring the Honda. so I did.

The brakes on the Honda where old and warped. so I knew they had to be changed. I went to the local AutoZone (lifetime warranty ;) and got new rotors/pads for the fronts. I wasn't going to mess with learning how drum brakes (the rears) worked in one night. It took me about 20 minutes to change each side. I really have to commend Honda on the way they do some things. Changing the brakes was simply easy. (for the most part) Friday I drive to work and brakes are doing great. leave work at 5 get home and packed and leave by 6:30, ops forgot my insulin turn back around get it and get back on the road. ops I forgot my  helmet (which by they way I put right next to where I put my insulin that I actually had to move my helmet to get the insulin, yeah I am worthless) ok 7:30 and finally on the road. I got up to Rockton by 11:30 with about 1/4 tank of gas and all the gas stations are closed so I decide I am going to have to wake up really early to get gas and breakfast. so I go find Blackhawk. I make my way through and setup my tent. When I left St Louis it was in the mid 70's at Blackhawk it was already in the upper 30's and think it dipped into the 20's.

I make it through the night without any frostbite and by 6 I am cruising downtown Rockton looking for sausage and gas, eggs and octane, pancakes and petrol. anyway, fill up at a Mobil and grab some quick snacks and take off back to Blackhawk. The brakes were working perfectly the whole way (do you see a build up?). I forgot my instructors name (yes early Alzheimer's) tall skinny black dude I think he said he was from Cincinnati??? drives a maxima. First practice session I am cruising just fine. The major thing I was doing wrong was I was braking too early (I know its one of my faults, I have a hard time putting that much trust in the brakes) second practice session I was pushing the braking points back and everything was starting to pick up. then 3/4 into the session the brake pedal was on the floor. I tell my instructor and he says maybe they just got hot, we'll
see next session. ok

third practice session, first lap everything was fine. then on the second lap brakes were at the floor. but I was still slowing down. just not stopping. ok maybe the stock Honda brakes weren't the best. my instructor tells me I am trail braking, and that is something they try to stay away from. I have never trail braked before and didn't realize I was doing it and tell him if I was it was completely unintentional.

Fourth practice session and every turn I had the brakes on the floor hoping I would slow enough to make the turn. The instructor was still telling me I was trail braking but other than that I was doing well. I am flustered about the brakes so I nod my head acknowledging his statements.

Timed runs are called. I get out there and lay the balls to the wall.  entry into turn 4 I am flying. I hit the brakes and pedal is at the floor not doing anything. my turn in point is getting closer, the car is slowly slowing down. still on the brakes, I gotta turn. I turn. still braking (realize this is why he said I was tailbraking) rear end of a front wheel drive car is starting to howl. I can feel it wanting to go around. I am getting ready to try to react to it. I come off the brake and on the gas and she straightens out. whew. corner workers must of thought I was a gonner... from turn 4 through 5 and up to 6 I am completely on the gas
(can't do that in the supra) what a good feeling. the rest of the run was a little more settled for turn 7 I was on the brakes way before the brake markers. needless to say I made the time that I expected to with the Honda (even with turn 4's fiasco)

The second timed run was called and I am hesitant but I go. I brake at turn one and the brakes are SOOO bad. turn three I brake way before my mark and I still am not slowing down enough. so I take it easy around. on the cool down portion I had a neon come up behind me (that will make john happy) I saw him throw his arms up yelling at me but there was nothing I could do
except wallow in my self slowness.  I had been talking to a fellow from Australia driving a eagle talon (which I beat his time) and we went and tried bleeding my brakes. made absolutely no difference. so when the third timed run was called I started packing my stuff.

I arrive in Chicago (my mom's) that night and drowned my sorrows in a bottle of wine. actually she was watching Kate and Leopold so I had no other choice ;) the next morning I jack up the car and look at the brakes. turns out there is some clip thing that is riveted to the back of the wear tab on the pad. this clip was hitting the caliper so there was NO PRESSURE being
put on the rotor at all. then I started thinking (funny how that happens) I must of been on nothing but my rear brakes on my first timed run. then on the second run my fluid must of been cooked so they were hosed. The other
thought was when he was telling me I was tail braking I was still on the brake trying to slow down for the turn. so I wasn't intentionally trying to tailbrake I was still trying to slow down.


if you have gotten this far you are probably dieing to know my time.
1:41 (with only using my rear brakes)