Lime Rock sent out a last minute survey Monday afternoon. YES, we answered! There was plenty of interest in “just one more” Autocross Lapping Day that Friday. So there we gathered, on a stunningly perfect 60 degree November day. With the Autocross Invitational Shootout concluding the season just days earlier, November 20th was to be all about fun, learning, and ending the year on a high note. Game on!
For those that haven’t tried this yet, Lapping Days are mini track-events held at the very center of Lime Rock on the infield track. The course is a challenging half-mile road course with great elevation changes that encourage hard play, since only acres of grass surround it. You can feel free to explore the upper limits of car control at every point with only the clock to consider. If you think a different approach may be faster, then try it. Too fast, no problem, just let the excess speed scrub off (see photo above) then carry on. All the laps you could want for trying variations of aggressiveness then for homing-in on perfection.
It turned out that five of the 15ish participants for the afternoon were from CVR. CVR AutoX camaraderie definitely shows and it made the day extra special. Tony Bogue arrived with the goal of learning how to drift. That takes a lot of car control and a good car to learn on, but the “tired old 5-Series” BMW that Ed and Tony “got running again” was up for the task. Starting with frequent 180 degree spins, he soon delighted everyone with his masterful driving demonstrations. One long drift through the whole corner, pendulum swinging the tail into an opposite drift through the whole next corner and so-on around the whole course! Goal achieved. Watch out next season when Tony uses this skill as a tool for quickly changing direction, but dialed back down to have just the right amount (5-10%) of drifting (“rotation”) that will translate into fast lap times on the CVR AutoX clock.
As I arrived just before noon, the temperature and sun already made this a short-sleeve day. What a treat. A rapid Boxster immediately caught my eye as it circulated the infield track. Impressive speed and unusual smoothness. Oh look! It’s Marc Casslar (one of our CVR AutoX regulars). He was ripping through the coned chicane section noticeably faster than the others. Marc spent the morning attending the “Tapas day”, where he had track time on the full LRP track, and then switched to the infield section for the afternoon Lapping Day. That’s a lot of driving for one day! With some pointers from LRP instructors, then later with some special help from CVR AutoX Chief Instructor Ed Bogue, Marc kept advancing through the day, doing CVR proud.
Not to be outdone, and inspired to keep up with Tony, Mike Appel got seriously faster as the day unfolded. With some coaching input and a “rabbit” ahead of him on the course to chase, Mike was now diving deeper into corners than he thought possible, making fast and smooth rotations, then exiting with authority. He was putting together consistent and fast laps and he learned to appreciate patience on the throttle (to balance the car on the desired line), and momentum (into and out of corners) like never before. My goal was to help him see what a wonderful car his Caymen is, just the way it is in stock form. I felt gratified when we hunted down a fast muscle car and then Mike blurted out “It’s not about the HP!” Mission accomplished! He went home with renewed marvel of his car and with one of the fastest times.
I’m already smiling, thinking ahead to the next season of CVR AutoX. We have some fun changes already in the works. I can’t wait to see our collective skills being pushed to new levels, knowing that everyone will be cheering each other on. Join us for new AutoX-U classes, some exciting new format changes and for Better Driving…Faster!
