Rookie Day Redo

All I can say is thanks to Rob and the vets for taking their time to do this. The first rainy Saturday of the Rookie Weekend was more fun than ... (insert your favorite phrase here.)

One might assume that the rookies were having all the fun. However the current scorecard, as I remember it, is:

• Vets lead Rookies 2:1 in number of offs (actually about 8:4 or 10:5)
  Vets lead Rookies 1 to zero in number of ignored black flags (I'm way too new to name names)
  Vets and Rookies are tied at 1 "extraction" each (both S197 Mustangs, black and white)

So maybe the Vets were actually having more fun? 8)

Misty came in at the end of the day and mentioned that the AI/CMC group had most of the offs and all of the "extractions", (one being mine for full disclosure!)

Unfortunately I needed to come home tonight and missed the BBQ and beer, but tomorrow should be better conditions and will probably guarantee that I can't wait to join the group and will start "cutting up" the S197 over the holidays.

Funny, the wife has already given me permission, I'm the one that just_can't_quite_do_it. Go figure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HoustonNW

will start "cutting up" the S197 over the holidays.

Funny, the wife has already given me permission, I'm the one that just_can't_quite_do_it. Go figure.

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To paraphrase Cat Stevens - The first cut is the hardest ;)

well i hope you guys day went better than my night.

got on site at 6:30pm and left at 7:40am. counting drive tme, it was 5:30pm to 8:40 am. slep in till 2:30. gotta pack for my trip to NYC. i'll be there all week. i'll be in the hotel most every night board to death. if anyone wants to chat about series stuff, i have time (DL?).

so how did today go?

eveyone feel better about next year after this past weekend?

To say that today was awesome would be an understatement! We ran one 30 minute session in the morning and two 20 min in the afternoon. The track was drying in the morning, and dang near dry in the afternoon. I think that some of that 7/10's might have been 8/10's. I'm just sayin. We did a simulated rolling race start with a bunch of rookies and rookie wanna be's and it went great. LOTS of side by side drills, and even some slow moving/blocker type scenarions (thanks DD/Miata!) I didn't talk to anyone that wasn't thoroughly pleased with the way that everything went. Gunther and Mosty were great about runnning me around the track, as were Chudpacker (LOL) and Kent (where'd he come from!).

Weekends like this... IS WHY _I_ BECAME INVOLVED WITH AI/CMCTEXAS. Thanks Everyone :-)

This discussion was omited because we lost a morning session. I composed this myself and it has not been "approved" by any NASATX official. It is strickly my views. I was hoping that open discussion would correct any errors.

What a freakin' awesome weekend. Huge thanks to everyone who had a part in putting this on. Especially Misty for giving us our own run group and letting us do these drills.

I had a blast. I am feeling great about going in to next year. So much good advice to process in my head, and so much intense track time drills to think back on. (Who let that Focus out on track??) :lol: I actually liked the fact that 60% of the weekend track time was wet. If anything hammers in car control, it's running on a wet surface. Sheesh!

Best group of racers anywhere!!

Fear the Focus!!! 8)

I had a blast on Saturday and loved running with you guys. (Wish I could make it back today...the Xmas party went a little long.)

Really proud of our rookies for running in the rain...it was a great learning experience and built confidence for when you were in the dry, I'm sure.

The information dumps with our "panel of experts" were totally cool. It was so beneficial that we COULD take the time to explain everything to the 1st timers, which on a race weekend really gets rushed along.

It was awesome to discuss drills/norms, and then go out on track and actually do them!
1) "Drive straight off." Randy & others showed us the benefits of that vs. the bad things that can happen if you try to correct. :lol:
2) "One car width" and rules of the road. I gave Wade a good scare on the inside and I'm so glad he knew to move over, use every bit of road and be smooth.

Over 20 people participating in the Rob Liebbe Rookie Day, multiple new people coming into both AI & CMC....some not even on our radar until today...and I'd say it was a HUGE success.

I hope the veterans didn't ramble too much trying to explain stuff. I was really pleased at how it all worked, though. I think Rob Liebbe's Rookie Day should be an annual Fish Camp for all AI/CMC newcomers!

-=- Todd

PS- David L - Great writeup on your impression of the corner workers. I wish I saw you and your topic on Saturday...good stuff!

Thanks to Misty. It was very Misty. Some of ya'll Mist a fun event. :D

First and foremost thanks to Misty and Rob for putting this all together. And huge thanks to ALL the vets for making it enjoyable. The nice casual and relaxed classroom sessions worked well with the weekend schedule. People jumping in with their own thoughts/views/strategies/stories was great.

At first I was not liking the wet conditions. However, after that first session, I figured this weekend was actually the IDEAL time to run in the rain/wet/damp/fog. No pressure, able to try different things, follow MULTIPLE people. All things a normal race weekend would be crammed into one practice session.

Even if not every year, doing this every other year would be awesome and well worth it. That way there would be more 'new' participation and it wouldn't get stale. I had a blast playing this weekend.

Here's some pics from the last session, click on pic for full size...
http://www.fototime.com/inv/2295FDE9DDCDB19
Sorry for the crappy quality/fuzzy ones, maybe Santa will bring me a new camera for Christmas

I would like to first thank everyone for letting me play and sit in this weekend. I did learn that the corner-stations do become slightly difficult to see when you are fending off and trying to set up for those in front :).

Even if I do not have the car readied for CMC *or AI in its current state since it needs a few little things* I plan to try to make it out to crew, help, and generally hang out. I still have some obligation to a co-driver in Autox too for this year.

Again, I had a blast and hope I wasnt too much of a road block on track :).