Haven’t been to Spring Nats in a while. Seemed a worthy note to make here.
The Pro
Overall, I’m pleased with the results. I managed to hang in the trophies in an impossibly competitive class. About .6 from first after just two dry sessions.
After Saturday’s runs, I had a good margin on both Chris and JJ. We reviewed video and data and even with my margin, JJ had me by .347 in one corner. It was clear the answer was to brake early and less to set up for it.
I had two pops at it and overcooked on one run and improved on the other but had a bobble in the prior corner that negated the improvement. While I’m bummed I couldn’t take advantage of the data my co-drivers had given me, overall I’m still happy with what I learned and how I drove.
The Champ Tour
First day’s course was the more technical of the two. Not my usual wheelhouse, but when we were finished driving , I was fifth about .7 from first. Lots of opportunity to move up on Day Two—even with the prospect of drying conditions giving an obvious advantage to second drivers.
As expected, Day 2 started wet and then went to drying. The car was disaster in a way I hadn’t seen since Cherry Point. It was the first time, in a long time, that I managed to come back from a run with no idea what I could do to improve things behind the wheel.
What I know now is when that happens, I need to throw some changes at the car. Running shocks full soft? Go full stiff—or at least add some. That would turn out to be the answer after a G.H. Sharp shared some information as we waited for results. The progressive springs in the rear of the SSC cars are largely useless at the top of travel. Throwing some rebound at the rear helps keep the car from being a rocking horse.
