6thGear
05-03-2007, 03:52 PM
While many of you were in Brampton at the solo school, I was at Mosport, having signed up for the OMSC school and lapping at the DDT some time back. This school being just two weeks after TRAC in St. Eustache, I thought it was a good idea. Two different schools, instructor sets and types, tracks and (hopefully) weather conditions in a short time period.
Drivers meeting at 9 - It was all of 6°C and light rain. The track was wet. Perhaps the conditions weren't going to be that different from at TRAC. No sign of snow, though, thankfully. Lappers would be on the track while the students were in class. We would be running counter-clockwise for the day.
There were five students that day, all with decent cars for the course (2 2006 G35 coupes (at least one a stickshift), 2007 Mazdaspeed6, 2002-3 Audi A4 Avant 1.8T, and my 2006 LGT (set up exactly the same as at TRAC, rim protectors/RE92s with a few more PSI in the tires)). The instructors commented they were pleased to see that. No bog-stock automatic Civics. I had to tell them about the rented 2007 automatic Yaris at TRAC. :D
Lead instructor was Tony Pineo, along with Dave Stokes. You may know them; I did not. Instruction followed an OMSC notebook which covered the basics (driving position, etc.), then focused on corners more than anything else.
After the first in-class session, it was onto the track, mostly following Tony. There was an instructor (OMSC member, I presume) in-car with every student. Speeds built up during the session, then it was back to class.
Each in-class session got in to more detail about the lines, why, etc., but by lunchtime it was apparent to all that one-on-one in-car instruction was going to be of more benefit to everyone. I never really timed the in-car sessions, but they certainly seemed pretty long, well over a half hour. About every ten laps, you pulled in see Philip Amshad for commentary and guidance, then cycled back out again after the student pack on track. The combination of immediate in-car input and feedback with the observations from outside was a good combination.
The last instruction session of the day was close to an hour on-track.
As the day progressed, the track gradually dried out, with a brief shower mid-afternoon to slow the process down. Everyone's times were coming down quickly as the track dried.
There were no major offs, including the lappers, all day. There was no passing, either, as it was not permitted under the day's insurance policy.
The last hour of the track being open, the students were allowed to go in with the lappers with out an instructor on board. I think I was the only student to do that, getting a good 50+ minutes in, taking only a couple of breaks to pull off on to pit row to let faster cars by and getting back on as soon as possible. I was told that I "held (my) own rather well for a new guy".
The course was $200 for the day. There was a lot of seat time (I did about 160km), which was the biggest benefit, along with having an instructor there all the time until the last lapping hour. For an absolute newbie, I think you are better to get in some experience with threshold braking, emergency avoidance maneuvres, vision exercises and the like that TRAC had on the first day. Otherwise, get in and go. Theory is great, but applying it is the real learning. This is where the OMSC course was better, and the DDT throws just about everything at you in a technical, compact lap.
Best discourse of the day:
Coming in to turn 10 at about 100 km/h (redline in 2nd) "Brake, brake, BRAKE! Hard!" "Hard? Nah. Some, and I'll carry this line and brake going straight before the right after the turn." "(warning) A couple guys have gone off here..."
Next lap, big smile on my face - "Brake, BRAKE, BRAKE!" (This time the car's already in 3rd, about 120). Definitely braking hard this time. Perhaps it was the instructor's experience with live axle RWD cars (of which there were plenty that day)?
Quite the contrast from "GO, GO, GO!" at TRAC. :D
I had a great day and was able to build on what I had learned two weeks before. In this context, the course was definitely worth it for me.
Thanks to the OMSC organizers, instructors and volunteers who were there.
What I really learned? Lapping is addictive. VERY addictive.
_________________
#89 LGT
"Make your car work better or go faster. If what you are doing does not do that, it's Bling. Bling is not fast. Bling is added weight. So Bling is Sh!t." - Tom Hnatiw, Car Guy
Drivers meeting at 9 - It was all of 6°C and light rain. The track was wet. Perhaps the conditions weren't going to be that different from at TRAC. No sign of snow, though, thankfully. Lappers would be on the track while the students were in class. We would be running counter-clockwise for the day.
There were five students that day, all with decent cars for the course (2 2006 G35 coupes (at least one a stickshift), 2007 Mazdaspeed6, 2002-3 Audi A4 Avant 1.8T, and my 2006 LGT (set up exactly the same as at TRAC, rim protectors/RE92s with a few more PSI in the tires)). The instructors commented they were pleased to see that. No bog-stock automatic Civics. I had to tell them about the rented 2007 automatic Yaris at TRAC. :D
Lead instructor was Tony Pineo, along with Dave Stokes. You may know them; I did not. Instruction followed an OMSC notebook which covered the basics (driving position, etc.), then focused on corners more than anything else.
After the first in-class session, it was onto the track, mostly following Tony. There was an instructor (OMSC member, I presume) in-car with every student. Speeds built up during the session, then it was back to class.
Each in-class session got in to more detail about the lines, why, etc., but by lunchtime it was apparent to all that one-on-one in-car instruction was going to be of more benefit to everyone. I never really timed the in-car sessions, but they certainly seemed pretty long, well over a half hour. About every ten laps, you pulled in see Philip Amshad for commentary and guidance, then cycled back out again after the student pack on track. The combination of immediate in-car input and feedback with the observations from outside was a good combination.
The last instruction session of the day was close to an hour on-track.
As the day progressed, the track gradually dried out, with a brief shower mid-afternoon to slow the process down. Everyone's times were coming down quickly as the track dried.
There were no major offs, including the lappers, all day. There was no passing, either, as it was not permitted under the day's insurance policy.
The last hour of the track being open, the students were allowed to go in with the lappers with out an instructor on board. I think I was the only student to do that, getting a good 50+ minutes in, taking only a couple of breaks to pull off on to pit row to let faster cars by and getting back on as soon as possible. I was told that I "held (my) own rather well for a new guy".
The course was $200 for the day. There was a lot of seat time (I did about 160km), which was the biggest benefit, along with having an instructor there all the time until the last lapping hour. For an absolute newbie, I think you are better to get in some experience with threshold braking, emergency avoidance maneuvres, vision exercises and the like that TRAC had on the first day. Otherwise, get in and go. Theory is great, but applying it is the real learning. This is where the OMSC course was better, and the DDT throws just about everything at you in a technical, compact lap.
Best discourse of the day:
Coming in to turn 10 at about 100 km/h (redline in 2nd) "Brake, brake, BRAKE! Hard!" "Hard? Nah. Some, and I'll carry this line and brake going straight before the right after the turn." "(warning) A couple guys have gone off here..."
Next lap, big smile on my face - "Brake, BRAKE, BRAKE!" (This time the car's already in 3rd, about 120). Definitely braking hard this time. Perhaps it was the instructor's experience with live axle RWD cars (of which there were plenty that day)?
Quite the contrast from "GO, GO, GO!" at TRAC. :D
I had a great day and was able to build on what I had learned two weeks before. In this context, the course was definitely worth it for me.
Thanks to the OMSC organizers, instructors and volunteers who were there.
What I really learned? Lapping is addictive. VERY addictive.
_________________
#89 LGT
"Make your car work better or go faster. If what you are doing does not do that, it's Bling. Bling is not fast. Bling is added weight. So Bling is Sh!t." - Tom Hnatiw, Car Guy