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4th annual ReFuel: Sun 7/1/12 @ Laguna Seca
- Thread starter smorgasbord
- Start date
Impressive. Not much more to say.
Code:
[SIZE=3]2012 CARS[/SIZE]
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[B]CLASS PLACE DRIVER VEHICLE LAP TIME SPEED[/B]
[B] (AVG)[/B]
PROTOTYPE 1 KEVIN MITZ Kleenspeed EV-X11 01:32.0 87.5
PROTOTYPE 2 IKUO HANAWA Summit HER-02 01:48.9 73.9
[COLOR="#FF0000"]PROTOTYPE 3 MATT BROWN Tesla Model S Prototype 01:59.5 67.4[/COLOR] Auto Design & Dev Eng, Tesla
PROTOTYPE 4 STEVEN MUSCARELLI Custom Electric Kart 02:25.4 55.4
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[COLOR="#FF0000"]PRODUCTION 1 SEAN WHEELER Tesla Model S 01:51.8 72.0[/COLOR] Vehicle Dynamics Chassis Eng, Tesla
[COLOR="#FF0000"]PRODUCTION 2 AARON BAILEY Tesla Model S 01:52.8 71.4[/COLOR] Vehicle Dynamics Eng, Tesla
[COLOR="#FF0000"]PRODUCTION 3 JOHN SPRUILL Tesla Model S 01:52.9 71.3[/COLOR] Vehicle Test Mgr, Tesla
[COLOR="#FF0000"]PRODUCTION 4 DALE SIEVWRIGHT Tesla Model S 01:56.1 69.4[/COLOR] ... and test driver for Tesla & GM
[COLOR="#0000FF"]PRODUCTION 5 BILL ARNETT Tesla Roadster 01:58.4 68.0[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#FF0000"]PRODUCTION 6 HUIBERT MEES Tesla Model S 01:59.5 67.4[/COLOR] Chassis Technical Fellow, Tesla
[COLOR="#0000FF"]PRODUCTION 7 JOHN ROBISON Tesla Roadster Sport 02:00.2 67.0[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#0000FF"]PRODUCTION 8 STEVE HAND Tesla Roadster 02:02.1 66.0[/COLOR]
PRODUCTION 9 NADER ASSEMI Nissan Leaf 02:02.9 65.6
[COLOR="#0000FF"]PRODUCTION 10 TIMOTHY RODGERS Tesla Roadster 02:03.0 65.5[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#0000FF"]PRODUCTION 11 DAVID ALLMON Tesla Roadster 02:03.2 65.4[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#0000FF"]PRODUCTION 12 STUART CHESHIRE Tesla Roadster 02:04.0 65.0[/COLOR]
PRODUCTION 13 DON LOUV BMW ActiveE 02:06.5 63.7
[COLOR="#0000FF"]PRODUCTION 14 BENNETT LEEDS Tesla Roadster 02:09.0 62.4[/COLOR]
PRODUCTION 15 JON PARKER BMW ActiveE 02:11.5 61.3
PRODUCTION 16 CORY LAGOE CODA 1.0 02:12.1 61.0
PRODUCTION 17 ADRIAN COCKCROFT Nissan Leaf 02:12.3 60.9
PRODUCTION 18 MATT WALTON Nissan Leaf 02:13.3 60.4
PRODUCTION 19 JACK BROWN BMW ActiveE 02:15.9 59.3
PRODUCTION 20 RICK UMSTATTD Nissan Leaf 02:16.5 59.0
PRODUCTION 21 EMRE TUNCER BMW ActiveE 02:17.0 58.8
[COLOR="#0000FF"]PRODUCTION 22 STEPHEN CASNER Tesla Roadster 02:19.5 57.7[/COLOR]
PRODUCTION 23 JER GRANUCCI BMW ActiveE 02:22.1 56.6
PRODUCTION 24 HOWARD CLEARFIELD Nissan Leaf 02:41.4 49.9
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CONVERSION 1 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ Porsche 914 Conversion 02:37.0 51.3
CONVERSION 2 STEPHEN JOHNSEN Pontiac Fiero Conversion 02:42.0 49.7
CONVERSION 3 MARK BUSH Bradley GT-E 02:46.3 48.4
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DSA
R #212 Twilight Blue
Finally getting around to posting my videos from this year's Refuel Races. Thanks to smorgasbord for telling me about this and posting it, thanks to Speed Ventures for continuing to host such an awesome event, and thanks to everybody who was there for a great time.
Session 1:
My first time on track for anything more than a parade lap, with Peter as my driving instructor. Apologies to the starting guy who I blew past, and a big thank you to Peter. Just for grins, here's a graphical view of info from my VMS for this session:
Session 2:
Here's a cheat sheet to what happens in this Session:
Session Two
0:45 - I start moving, follow black Model S onto track
2:31 - pass Leaf
3:31 - pass Leaf
3:35 - start Lap 1, follow Model S
5:38 - Finish Lap 1 at my best lap time of the day: 2:03, start Lap 2
5:52 - stuck behind Leaf
6:12 - pass Leaf
7:43 - pass BMW ActiveE
7:44 - Finish Lap 2, start Lap 3
8:01 - Excitement - fishtail a bit after Turn 2
8:28 - pass Red Volt
9:45 - pass Grey Roadster - Hi!
9:55 - Finish Lap 3, start Lap 4
10:44 - stuck behind leaf - "Come on, leaf!"
11:02 - pass silver Leaf
11:31 - bumpy Corkscrew - catch some air?
12:14 - Finish Lap 4, start Lap 5, car doesn't accelerate like it used to
12:43 - Excitement 2 - Car really fish tails and tires squeel, glad I recovered quickly
13:50 - honk! (I gotta try to avoid the buttons for the horn near where I grab on the steering wheel)
14:15 - passed by Red Roadster
14:34 - Finish Lap 5, get checkered flag
16:35 - exit track
Graphical info from VMS, you can really see how power (current) becomes limited as the car protects itself from an overheat condition - late in the session the pedal is pressed 100% with less and less current in response:
Session 3, Time Trial:
2:03 Time trial, including some time on track before and after time trial. Top speed during the time trial: 98.1 mph, Graphical info from VMS:
Session 4:
Here's a cheat sheet for what happens in this session:
Session 4: Final session
1:45 start corkscrew
2:00 Coda Spinout
Lap 1: 2:43 to 4:48 - 2:05
5:55 - Following Model S in Corkscrew
Lap 2: 4:48 to 6:55 - 2:07
Lap 3: 6:55 to 9:08 - 2:13
8:25 - Following Model S in Corkscrew again
Lap 4: 9:08 to pits
11:30 - oops, missed turn, went into pit lane
11:55 - Watching electric bikes roll out
12:55 - Pull off track
Graphical info from VMS:
An excerpt from Session 4 where the Coda spins out. Just goes to show, turn 9 after the Corkscrew can be the trickiest.
Session 1:
My first time on track for anything more than a parade lap, with Peter as my driving instructor. Apologies to the starting guy who I blew past, and a big thank you to Peter. Just for grins, here's a graphical view of info from my VMS for this session:
Session 2:
Here's a cheat sheet to what happens in this Session:
Session Two
0:45 - I start moving, follow black Model S onto track
2:31 - pass Leaf
3:31 - pass Leaf
3:35 - start Lap 1, follow Model S
5:38 - Finish Lap 1 at my best lap time of the day: 2:03, start Lap 2
5:52 - stuck behind Leaf
6:12 - pass Leaf
7:43 - pass BMW ActiveE
7:44 - Finish Lap 2, start Lap 3
8:01 - Excitement - fishtail a bit after Turn 2
8:28 - pass Red Volt
9:45 - pass Grey Roadster - Hi!
9:55 - Finish Lap 3, start Lap 4
10:44 - stuck behind leaf - "Come on, leaf!"
11:02 - pass silver Leaf
11:31 - bumpy Corkscrew - catch some air?
12:14 - Finish Lap 4, start Lap 5, car doesn't accelerate like it used to
12:43 - Excitement 2 - Car really fish tails and tires squeel, glad I recovered quickly
13:50 - honk! (I gotta try to avoid the buttons for the horn near where I grab on the steering wheel)
14:15 - passed by Red Roadster
14:34 - Finish Lap 5, get checkered flag
16:35 - exit track
Graphical info from VMS, you can really see how power (current) becomes limited as the car protects itself from an overheat condition - late in the session the pedal is pressed 100% with less and less current in response:
Session 3, Time Trial:
2:03 Time trial, including some time on track before and after time trial. Top speed during the time trial: 98.1 mph, Graphical info from VMS:
Session 4:
Here's a cheat sheet for what happens in this session:
Session 4: Final session
1:45 start corkscrew
2:00 Coda Spinout
Lap 1: 2:43 to 4:48 - 2:05
5:55 - Following Model S in Corkscrew
Lap 2: 4:48 to 6:55 - 2:07
Lap 3: 6:55 to 9:08 - 2:13
8:25 - Following Model S in Corkscrew again
Lap 4: 9:08 to pits
11:30 - oops, missed turn, went into pit lane
11:55 - Watching electric bikes roll out
12:55 - Pull off track
Graphical info from VMS:
An excerpt from Session 4 where the Coda spins out. Just goes to show, turn 9 after the Corkscrew can be the trickiest.
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You can certainly tell that the Model S drivers had differing levels of experience. The driver with the camera (red) had the line down pat. That one he was chasing in the first video was all over the place.
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
DSA
R #212 Twilight Blue
Considering that my prep for this was driving the track in Forza 4 on the XBOX 360, I'd say I turned out to be better prepared than I expected to be. The "point to pass" arrangement worked well as long as folks paid attention to their rear view mirror. It goes without saying, but there is a lot to think about while you're on the track. Many people have asked me, "How fast did you go on the track?" And I had to go back to my vehicle logs to find out. About 98 mph. If I'd only pushed a little harder to get to 100 mph... I generally wasn't looking at the speedometer, I was looking at the track, trying to stay on some kind of racing line, keeping an eye out for flags, making sure folks weren't coming up behind me and so on. My instructor had suggested I brake in a straight line, but in the simulation on the xbox, I had gotten into a bit of a habit of braking a bit up until the apex of the turn, then accelerating out. I didn't really know what I was doing well enough or get enough practice in to perfect that, though. I also never turned the traction control off. I could really feel the traction control limiting power coming out of turn 11, so I probably could have shaved a bit of time off by turning the TC off. Or I could have ended up losing control and going into a wall. I'm mostly glad I left the TC on. All in all, this taught me that racing is fun, but my Roadster is just too precious to really risk it on the track. And the fact that it becomes power limited after one or two laps, at least by the second session, means limited practice time at full power. So I think I'd like to participate in any future Refuel Races, but I'll take it easy and try any real risk taking on the track in a less expensive and less "one of a kind" car.
Thanks for all this!
All those Leafs ahead of Stephan Casner. Babying his baby? (like I would) or just a really a slow driver?
Steve was not babying his baby as far as i could tell, and he's definitly not a slow driver.
Check last years lap times.
View attachment sportelectric.pdf
That is called "trail braking", and it is generally considered a more advanced technique not to be used by novice drivers...
Yeah, the Roadster got me into motorsports, but I've picked up a 10 year old S2000 to use as a track car. I'll still take my Roadster out to the track once in a while, but the S2000 is my primary track car. If I were to put the S2000 into the tire wall at Calabogie I'd be pissed, but if I did that with the Tesla I'd be in tears.
(The last time I took my Roadster to autocross, it was at a different parking lot than usual... and it took off three of my mud flaps. Those things are $75 plus labor each...)
The range from one end of the spectrum to the other.
From a professional driving instructor passenger giving very targeted advice on technique...
to
A screaming panic attack demanding that you slow down.
Not so much, I think. I think race driving demands driver's attention on the little things... "When exactly do I start braking?"... "Am I holding my line through the turn?"... "Do I feel any wheel slip?"...
The driver is making all sorts of split second decisions. I don't think a passenger / observer would be all that helpful. "Watch out someone is trying to pass!" "Remember you are about to get to the hairpin turn" are generally things the driver should know and having a passenger tell you mostly isn't helpful. (You have to practice and get familiar with the track yourself.)
Passengers are great on long races where you need a navigator to read a map, and make long term plans... "Slow down or you might run out of fuel/charge before the next stop, etc." But in real pro races the crew in the pits or chase vehicles can monitor stuff and radio instructions to the driver.
From what I can tell, most racers would prefer to go it alone unless they are taking someone along for a "joy ride."
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