Bill Fischer

Increasing Grip – By the Driver – Part 1

DwD 0287: Increasing Grip – By the Driver – Part 1

On this issue of Dominating with Dawson, we start to try to go into a topic we heard on the (tremendous) Track Walking podcast. On this particular episode, they had Paul Gerrard on as a guest. They were discussing several factors that a driver can influence the limit of grip on track. The information, and especially the discussion, was so valuable we try to go into the topic and discuss it here.

We did not do a great job on this first attempt but the discussion is a good one. Hopefully the discussion serve to help you to think about the limit and how it can be affected by many factors that the driver influences. Grip is influenced just by external factors and car/setup factors. Also, Vicki’s definition of being on the limit may be a simple yet descriptive evaluation of being at the limit for some of you. It would probably help if Bill knew how to ask the actual question that would lead to the desired discussion. This podcast thing isn’t as easy as we had hoped, lol. Still in training.

If you would be interested in helping grow our sport of high performance driving and our podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice, including the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc. Also, if you could give our podcast a (5-star?) rating or even better, a podcast review, we would greatly appreciate it and it would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving.

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t forget to use our discount code. On all Apex Pro systems you will receive a free Windshield Suction Cup Mount for the system. This is a savings of $40. Just enter the code “ghitlikesapex!” when you order. They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

DwD 028https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/garageheroesintraining/Car_Grip.mp37: Increasing Grip – By the Driver – Part 1

Caroline Yun on Driver Progression

GHIT 0286: Caroline Yun – Driver Progression

Caroline Yun is an avid high performance driving enthusiast who has recently worked her way up through the Southern California NASA HPDE ladder system and has begun her wheel to wheel and time trial (TT) racing career in Honda Challenge. She recently completed here first ever endurance race at Sonoma with the award winning Initial Dingus team. As Caroline is a relatively new driver and racer, we thought we would discuss with her the experiences that she has had with working her way through her very common car progression/growth scenario, some of the plusses and minuses of racing with your partner, how it has been to be a female driver and the first driver in her family’s perceptions of a lady race driver.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t forget to use our discount code for all Apex Pro systems you will receive a free Windshield Suction Cup Mount for the system, a savings of $40. Just enter the code “ghitlikesapex!” when you order. They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc. The recently released second generation systems and app increases the capability of the system greatly.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights for this episode are:

1) It all started with a haunting….

2) We get a second opinion on the recent 24 Hours of Lemons race at Sonoma and since this was Caroline’s first ever wheel to wheel racing, it is always exciting and surprising, especially when most of your experience is in HPDE events. Caroline and her team even took home some hardware from the event.

3) Caroline gives a great description of what she learned and how her fellow drivers were at the event.

4) We go into the differences in front wheel drive and rear wheel drive vehicles and the pleasure of driving a variety of configurations.

5) It is surprise time for Jaime and we end up making decisions for him for this season. Where we end up was exciting and perhaps even more surprising.

6) We learn how Caroline learned about track driving and several stories of her first impressions and tips for others looking to try their first event.

7) Caroline’s story of how important physical fitness is to driving in general and specifically for Caroline. It even directly led to a new Mazda Miata MX-5.

8) We share the plusses and minuses of racing with your significant other.

9) Some of the potential complications of explaining that you are racing to your family and friend circle.

10) We have a ton of fun (at Jamie’s expense) talking brake pads.

11) Caroline and Bill make plans for another racing event. We love plans.

To follow Caroline on Instagram: @msawsmr

GHIT 0286: Caroline Yun – Driver Progression

Thank You Three Pedal Mafia

GHIT 0285: Thank You Three Pedal Mafia

We have four members of the Three Pedal Mafia come up to help Vicki and Bill work on the two Honda project cars for this winter. We had originally planned a full cage party work weekend but had postponed it until February or until the COVID spike recedes. What we were able to accomplish with their skills in such a short time was amazing. They came, they saw, and they fixed. Some day we hope to be able to perform at that level and repay them in some way.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights for this episode are:

1) Details of the work plan for the invasion by the Three Pedal Mafia visit this past weekend including a surprise visit by Jim.

2) Shut up we are having fun, lol.

3) Driving skill review and training was an unexpected addition to the agenda for Miss Vicki.

4) It was so very cold (for Pennsylvania) that we had to create a micro climate heating area for Miss Chrissy’s feet.

5) Why we had to replace the exhaust on the 1993 Honda Civic since we will be endurance racing the car this season. Mental led the festivities on the exhaust project while we set up several of the other projects.

6) Bill’s planning failure. And yes, this bothers him greatly.

7) How the work went on the Honda Civic radiator and oil cooler installation and required fabrication.

8) While Vicki and I were distracted, the Three Pedal Mafia assaulted the rusting carcass of the Honda Fit that we are looking to race in Grid Life’s Sundae Cup at Lime Rock this year. The Fit has yet to fully grow into the warm spot in Vicki’s heart.

9) We try to describe the depth of the love that Mental has for rust, but may not have fully achieved a full description.

10) As always, Vicki loves to provide wonderful food and drinks as a thank you. We “bribe” everyone who comes over and this weekends was no exception. Bill added in some of the new thermal barrier coating for increasing the heat control of header and exhaust wraps. The coating also creates a protective layer to protect the system from abrasion and water/chemical attack.

11) Bill’s engine disassembly is nearly complete for a replacement engine after being guided by Chris, Our Mr. Honda. Now if anyone knows of any good machine shops in north east Pennsylvania, please let us know. Either by Instagram or via our email at [email protected].

12) Vicki had a bit of a heel toe down shifting discussion with Chris and Chrissy. This should help her with her down shifting, especially at the end of the long straights. Hopefully, she will get to drive and ride with an instructor this season, hopefully with Chris. She also has some practice that she can start with ahead of that while driving on the street.

13) Obviously much more to follow in coming weeks. We need a few parts, some tools, and some machining assistance, but we will keep you posted as we learn.

GHIT 0285: Thank You Three Pedal Mafia

DwD 0284: The Corner Entry: If – Then Game – Courtesy of Ross Bentley

DwD 0284: The Corner Entry – If – Corner Entry Then Game – Courtesy of Ross Bentley

In this Dominating with Dawson episode, we use a recent article by podcast friend Ross Bentley for this second installment of the If-Then Game. On this week’s episode, we focus on corner entry. Join us and play along with our two contestants from the Garage Heroes In Training Team. We are sure this will go into global syndication soon, lol. It ends early due to a recording issue, but is definitely worth a listen.

Special thanks to Ross Bentley for letting us use his article as a basis for this episode.

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

DwD 0284: The Corner Entry – If – Then Game – Courtesy of Ross Bentley

Global MX-5 Cup with Todd Flis of Flis Performance

GHIT 0283: Global MX-5 Cup with Todd Flis of Flis Performance

Todd Flis has been involved with various levels of racing and now his company Flis Performance provides all of the cars for the series. The Global MX-5 Cup is a great entry level series for professional racing. The races are typically some of the most competitive races we see with margins of victory usually measured in a few thousandths of a second. If you are looking to compare your skill in a pro level racing series, Todd’s cars and the Global MX-5 Cup may be the series for you and the costs are exceptionally reasonable cost of entry, as well as the costs associated with a racing weekend, especially if you can manage to place in the top 3 for a year. For instance, Mazda provides a first place prize of $250,000 each season.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights for this Global MX-5 Cup episode are:

1) If you were ever interested in pro level racing, the Global MX-5 Cup may be the best series to balance low costs and high dependence on drivers skill and results in a series with some of the most competitive and close driving that we have seen in the past few years.

2) How Flis Performance partnered with Mazda Motorsports to be the sole supplier for all the cars for the series.

3) We describe what the normal weekend racing schedule looks like and in addition to racing with IMSA events, there will be two weekends where the series will be racing with NASCAR.

4) What is involved in converting the road car into the race prepped cup car that you see at the track. It is definitely not just a pretty paint scheme, although we all know that always adds a few horsepower. This results in lap times being several seconds improvement over a normal ND2 Miata.

5) Why the cars have recently changed from an H-pattern shifter to a sequential transmission from SADEV.

6) What is allowed to be tinkered with and adjusted within the series and what is not allowed to be altered.

7) Todd was also kind enough to share his teams recommended fluid and consumables intervals. He also provided a starting point for a nut and bolt procedure for the cars.

8) The level that the series goes to assure close racing and maximum dependence on driver performance. The series requires each race weekend to be raced with tired from the same batch of tires for all competitors.

9) We also discuss with Todd what other racing series the car would be competitive. Also, the potential for use in endurance racing without any modifications.

10) There are also several spots that can be awarded. This allows several drivers to race within the series by providing scholarships of up to $100,000 for each driver.

11) Todd’s team also provides a complete MX-5 Cup Car each year to the Lemons of Love charity. So far we have not been lucky enough but we have contributed to the charity each year.

To follow Scott and Flis Performance:

Flis Performance website: http://flisperformance.com/

Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/flisperformance

Instagram: @flis.performance

YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKxGpoK-UtoHO4bBOhPoemQ

To Follow the series: https://www.mx-5cup.com/

GHIT 0283: Global MX-5 Cup with Todd Flis of Flis Performance

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