Quote:
Originally posted by John McMahon
These events are not just strictly Cobras, so it may be difficult to do a 'lead-follow' if the leader is not driving in a Cobra. Cobras go a lot deeper into the corners at the Glen than other cars. Its a different line entirely.
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John, I haven't run with these guys so I don't know all the details. Most schools that use lead-follow try to match up some similar performance aspects of the car. Certainly I can't take my Viper out and expect a poor student in a MGB to be able to follow my line. On the other hand, I can slow down and follow his line.
If you have a stock Mustang or something else with a solid rear end and decent acceleration, an instructor ought to be able to outdrive a beginner lead-follow student. Obviously the Cobra will out accelerate them on the straights, but that isn't skill. Once the student can keep up with the instructor in the weaker car, I would suggest that they probably are safe enough to drive on their own and use the instructor to fine tune line and technique. I promise that I can take my wife's pink (!!!) RX-7 and put it through some corners that a beginner in a Cobra has no hope of playing in. Especially for braking. That is usually the last thing we teach since it is the hardest to learn. I have a little bit of difficulty believing that the beginner students are going to be able to do 10/10ths in braking and get a line that I can't show them. Most of the Cobras still have street pads and a good BMW with good pads can do wonders with braking. (But yes, my Cobra outbrakes almost anything on the track except for the stock cars and the Lotus 7s.)
As for the FFR roll-bar, it is a matter of personal preference. There is a 10"x10" square (my head) that is not protected if a car comes up and over my car. I have seen a car come up and over in a horizontal fashion that could hit the driver like that, but I will agree that it is mechanically possible. Roll-overs and side impacts are far more likely. On that score, I have to give the second generation FFR Spec Racers high marks: the roll-bar is integrated into the frame so that the frame provides additional energy disappation and support. Is it the best I have seen? No, but it is darn good.
One of the guys who wanted to run the spec series was told by his wife that he couldn't run in a car without a full cage. He put a full cage on his spec racer. Then she heard about Lauda getting killed when a piece of something went through his eye-ball socket in an open top car. So she wouldn't let him drive his brand new spec racer. He drives a little car that has a bolt-on convertible top. Is it safer? Of course not. It isn't a tube frame race car. But his wife thinks it is, the Cobra is gone, and he races the little Japanese car.
There is talk that _new_ convertibles will be banned in SCCA, but just in certain classes like GT-1. I have already clarified with the SCCA that all Cobras will be grandfathered - including new ones yet to be built. The scenario described of a 'car in your lap' is just incredibly rare.
For me, I also drive the car on the street. A full cage just doesn't, um, appeal to my aeshetic sense of beauty (UGLY! Damn Ugly! There I said it!) and I decided to go with the half cage. But a full cage would help protect those very rare accidents.
I like the Coupes, but they don't have a spec series for those, meaning I would have to run GT-1 and be at a big disadvantage budget-wise. This way I can run GT-1, drive on the street, and get to race with the NASA series for cheap $$$$. For me, I like the wheel to wheel racing and am not interested in just a track car. I have other cars if I just want something to drive fast on the track when I play instructor. The Cobra is my race car.
I think it is just personal preference!
:-)